NU GSPP Students Gain Insights into Singapore’s Governance and Policy Innovations

The Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Public Policy (NU GSPP) conducted the Singapore Component for students of the Master in Public Policy (MPP) and Master in Public Administration (MPA) programs from 14 to 25 July 2025.

Hosted by the School’s strategic partner, the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) at the National University of Singapore, this year’s program brought together 89 students — 48 MPP and 41 MPA — for an intensive two-week academic and experiential learning journey.

The Singapore Component offers GSPP students a unique opportunity to learn directly from Singapore’s policy model and governance practices across areas such as economic development, urban planning, social welfare, water management, digitalization, and public sector transformation.

Throughout the two-week program, students attended lectures and dialogues led by distinguished scholars and practitioners, including Donald Low, Yaacob Ibrahim, Paul Barter, Joelle Fong, Ng Kok Hoe, Lena Chan, and Leong Ching, among others. Sessions explored topics such as Singapore’s Economic Development Story, Digitalisation and Governance, Public Housing and Inequality, Tripartism in the Labour Market, and Applying AI to Public Healthcare.

Learning extended beyond the classroom with site visits to key public institutions and organizations, including the Housing & Development Board (HDB) Gallery, Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), PUB – Singapore’s National Water Agency, and Punggol Digital District. These visits allowed students to observe how public policy principles are implemented in practice through evidence-based and future-oriented governance approaches.

The program concluded with group presentations, where students reflected on Singapore’s policy lessons and discussed their potential relevance and adaptation to Kazakhstan’s governance context.

The Singapore Component forms a vital part of the MPP/MPA capstone project, strengthening students’ capacity to apply theoretical frameworks to real-world governance issues. By engaging with Singapore’s successful policy innovations and analytical methods, participants gained valuable insights into effective governance, policy design, and implementation — skills essential for advancing public administration and policymaking in Kazakhstan and beyond.