In an increasingly complex and uncertain world, how do we start thinking about the future? Or our futures? And how do we apply futures thinking and futures studies in Singapore? Co-designed with research associate Eddie Choo, "Thinking about futures" is a socialservice.sg mini-series featuring three guests, focused on education and higher education, the community, as well as public policy and the public sector. This is part of the "Thinking about futures" mini-series, on the application of futures thinking and futures studies in Singapore. The feature photo is by Ng Shi Wen.

Feelings of burnout can be unsettling or even terrifying, and around the world social work burnout has been very well-documented. Over time, we hope to better understand the causes of burnout, including the structural causes, but for now, as a start, it feels important to normalise such discourse in Singapore. Therefore, in this episode, we speak to two young Singaporean social workers, “Jing” and John Lim (savethesocialworker.com) about their experiences of burnout and self-care. My conversation with "Jing" and John is part of our 2021 focus on civil society groups, efforts, and issues in Singapore (https://socialservice.sg/podcast/).

It has been more than 18 months since Singapore’s first climate rally at Hong Lim Park in September 2019, and the COVID-19 pandemic, as we have documented time and time again in this podcast, has only highlighted and exacerbated existing socio-economic inequalities in the country. With one of SG Climate Rally’s founding members, Estella Ho, we talk about intersectional climate justice and the unequal effect of climate change. In addition, we also learn more about her activist and advocacy work with the movement, in terms of her experience working with government agencies, working with other groups and organisations in the same space, and dealing with burnout. My conversation with Estella is part of our 2021 focus on civil society groups, efforts, and issues in Singapore (https://socialservice.sg/podcast/). The feature photo is by Ng Shi Wen.

In a commentary on climate governance for academia.sg, Belicia Teo made the case that the impact of climate change is not equal, and that, as a consequence, identifying and addressing these risks "should be up for debate and public scrutiny". This was important, she added, so as to address differences in norms and values in Singapore. Her research was based on 10 interviewees from six climate groups, and we invited her to elaborate how the Singaporean state and climate groups framed climate change, as well as the differences in these framings. In addition, what should we expect from the state and the climate groups in the future? Belicia is a PhD student in sociology at New York University. My conversation with Belicia is part of our 2021 focus on researchers in Singapore (https://socialservice.sg/podcast/). The feature photo is by Ng Shi Wen.

Ever since the paper was published in 2019, I was excited to speak with its authors about how they used quasi-experimentation to study the relationship between debt relief among low-income individuals and their psychological functioning and economic decision-making. In other words, what is the effect of debt reduction in low-income Singaporean households? With lead author Dr. Ong Qiyan, we also learn more about the concepts of scarcity and the bandwidth tax and their implications for the design of social policies and social services. Dr. Ong is an adjunct senior research fellow at the Social Service Research Centre, in the National University of Singapore. She was previously on this podcast with Prof. Walter Theseira. My conversation with Dr. Ong is part of our 2021 focus on researchers in Singapore (https://socialservice.sg/podcast/). The feature photo is by Ng Shi Wen.

We're running a research study to explore the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young Singaporeans between 13 and 21 years old. In particular, we are interested in their psychological well-being, employment and educational outlook, and civic engagement.  After the survey, there will be a random draw of $30 gift vouchers for 30 participants. We'll also look to involve some of them in the focus group discussions or interviews, and they will be compensated for their participation. If you are between 13 and 21 years old, complete the survey at bit.ly/sgcovidyouth. If you know of youths, students, family members, or friends who may be interested, share or forward this episode with them!

In 2019, Dr. Ng Kok Hoe was part of two important studies in Singapore. First, he led the first nationwide street count of homelessness in the country (read the full report here), and second, he was part of the Minimum Income Standard or MIS study, which in a participatory manner determined the household budgets necessary to meet the basic needs of ordinary Singaporeans. Starting with a discussion of his research interests in housing and income insecurity, we hear more about these two studies and the bridging of research, practice, and policy with regard to social work and social service. Dr. Ng is senior research fellow and head of the Case Study Unit at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, at the National University of Singapore. My conversation with Dr. Ng is part of our 2021 focus on researchers in Singapore (https://socialservice.sg/podcast/). The feature photo is by Ng Shi Wen.

With the aim of improving the way the National University of Singapore handles sexual misconduct through community-led efforts, Students for a Safer NUS - or safeNUS - was formed by a group of concerned students in 2019. With one of its co-founders, Carissa Cheow, we learn more about the initiative and its work to cultivate a safer and more inclusive campus, as well as the challenges the team faces, including coping with burnout and working with the university. My conversation with Carissa is part of our 2021 focus on civil society groups, efforts, and issues in Singapore (https://socialservice.sg/podcast/). The feature photo is by Ng Shi Wen.

If you're not on the Telegram channel OpenJio, you might be missing out on the latest events and causes in Singapore's social sector. But in addition to learning more about the initiative, how do we sustain the interest of youths and young adults in these social events and causes? In our conversation with core team member Amos Liu, we also talk about his personal volunteerism journey and some challenges OpenJio faces. Resources referenced in this episode: The NVPC Individual Giving Study 2018. My conversation with Amos is part of our 2021 focus on civil society groups, efforts, and issues in Singapore (https://socialservice.sg/podcast/). The feature photo is by Ng Shi Wen.

The last time we discussed mental health on this platform was in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. With former nominated member of parliament Anthea Ong, we examined the levels of awareness, acceptance, and action. Today, with Chirag Agarwal, co-founder of Talk Your Heart Out, we focus on mental health at the workplace. In addition, we discuss the state of professional services and the structural, policy, and cultural changes for the future. Talk Your Heart Out is an online counselling platform that aims to provide services that are private, convenient and of high quality. My conversation with Chirag is part of our 2021 focus on civil society groups, efforts, and issues in Singapore (https://socialservice.sg/podcast/). The feature photo is by Ng Shi Wen.