On Saturday 28th November, as part of the 120th anniversary celebrations, LSE held its Asia Forum in Singapore. The event, within the new series of regional LSE Global Forums, celebrated the achievements of the School and its alumni.
The much anticipated event started with opening remarks by Professor Craig Calhoun, Director of LSE, who discussed the relationship between the School and Singapore. The welcome was followed by three panels where nearly all discussants were either LSE Faculty members or LSE alumni. The event also included plenty of networking breaks, offering attending alumni an opportunity to reconnect with the School and other former students.
The first and final panels, titled 'Political Openness and Economic Performance: Asian Lessons' and 'What Genuine Development Means' respectively, were both chaired by LSE SEAC Director, Professor Danny Quah. Professor Erik Berglof, Director of the Institute of Global Affairs, and LSE SEAC Associate, Dr Catherine Allerton, were amongst the discussants for these panels.
The event’s second panel, ‘ASEAN: Issues and the State of Play’ was a special Explorers Panel. Both the panellists and chair were former LSE PhD students supervised by LSE SEAC Associate, Dr Jurgen Haacke. Ahead of the Forum, LSE SEAC asked the Explorers about their favourite LSE memories and how the School prepared them for their current career. The inspiring answers can be found on our Facebook page.
One of the event’s highlights saw Professor Saw Swee Hock bestowed with the Distinguished Alumni Leadership Award in recognition of his profound contribution to life at LSE. Professor Saw Swee Hock has donated regularly to the School to support scholarships through the Singapore LSE Trust, the LSE Asia Forums in Singapore and Beijing, the Library, the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, and the new Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre.
With over 150 alumni spanning generations and six decades, and close friends of the School in attendance, the LSE Asia Forum in Singapore was hugely successful.
Read the event's Storify for more on what was discussed at the panels.