- RSIS
- Research
- Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies
- Centre Resources
- Humanitarian Futures Forum
Today, the humanitarian system is under immense strain. Traditional sources of funding are shrinking as donor countries divert resources to domestic priorities and rising defence expenditures, prompted by ongoing conflicts such as the war in Ukraine and the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The closure or scaling back of major aid agencies, notably including the closure of USAID, underscores the fragility of current humanitarian financing models, highlighting longer institutional histories. Crises in the next decade and the longer future are also predicted to grow significantly in magnitude and frequency, aggravated by climatic, technological, socio-economic and geopolitical factors at regional and global levels.
The Indo-Pacific, like other regions around the world, is increasingly exposed to compounding risks—rising sea levels, extreme weather, food insecurity, cyber threats, misinformation, and large-scale displacement—affecting multiple countries. These risks are further compounded by eroding public trust in multilateral institutions. Moreover, local and regional actors are being asked to shoulder more responsibility with fewer traditional resources and uncertain support. Therefore, the need for actors in the region, particularly those with humanitarian roles and responsibilities, to prepare for future complex crises is clear.
In this fragile global environment, the need for anticipatory, adaptive, and collaborative approaches to humanitarian assistance and disaster response has never been more urgent. Particularly, the willingness for actors involved in humanitarian action—government, military, civil society, the private sector, philanthropic entities, academic and scientific institutions, media and international organisations— to adapt to these approaches are key. Apart from addressing immediate humanitarian concerns and drawing lessons from experience, humanitarian futures calls for an anticipatory and adaptive approach to preparing for future scenarios.
In line with this call, the Humanitarian Futures Forum 2025 aims to strengthen regional preparedness and resilience through inclusive dialogue and knowledge-sharing. Hosted by the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Programme at the Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS), RSIS, and the Changi Regional HADR Coordination Centre (RHCC), the Forum will serve as a key platform for engagement on humanitarian crises. Held on 27 October 2025, the Forum will feature a keynote address and three interactive panel sessions. Each panel session will have 3 – 4 speakers drawn from diverse sectors and geographies to discuss 3 thematic areas. Panel 1 will explore The Future of Digital Humanitarianism: Balancing Impact, Sustainability, and Resilience. Panel 2 will discuss the role of Dilemmas and Trends in the Emerging Humanitarian Landscape. Panel 3 focuses on Frontiers in Civil-Military Partnerships in Disasters.
The successor to a series of events focused on humanitarian futures held during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 4th Humanitarian Futures Forum brings together local and overseas participants from the military, government agencies, think tanks and academia, private sector, philanthropy, local civil society, regional organisations, International NGOs and International Organisations, and media. The forum aims to facilitate the participating organisations to review their experiences in humanitarian settings, share perspectives and offers an avenue to interact with the wider humanitarian community. It seeks to inform humanitarian preparedness, planning and response to crises in our immediate and long-term future. At a time when global systems are stretched and future crises loom large, this gathering provides an essential space for collective reflection, strategic thinking, regional solidarity and exploring partnerships in the face of shared challenges.

Dr Alistair D. B. Cook is a Senior Fellow and Coordinator in the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Programme within the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University. His research interests focus geographically on the Asia-Pacific and Myanmar in particular and thematically on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), foreign policy and regional cooperation. He has taught undergraduate, graduate and professional development courses at Purdue University, University of Melbourne, Deakin University, Nanyang Technological University, Australian National University, Singapore Civil Defence Academy and SAFTI.

Ambassador Ong Keng Yong is Executive Deputy Chairman of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He is concurrently Director of the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS) and Head of International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) at RSIS.
Mr Ong continues to hold the position of Ambassador-at-Large at the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is also Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Iran. Mr Ong chairs Humanity Matters, a non-profit humanitarian organisation focused on inter-faith understanding and volunteerism, and is based in Singapore.
Mr Ong was High Commissioner of Singapore to Malaysia from 2011 to 2014. He served as High Commissioner of Singapore to India and concurrently Singapore’s Ambassador to Nepal from 1996 to 1998.
Mr Ong served as the 11th Secretary-General of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), based in Jakarta, Indonesia, for 5 years from January 2003.
Mr Ong started his diplomatic career in 1979 and was posted to the Singapore Embassies in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and the United States of America between 1984 and 1994. From September 1998 to December 2002, he was Press Secretary to the then Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Goh Chok Tong, while holding senior appointments in the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, and the People’s Association in Singapore. From 2008 to 2011, he served as Director of the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. Mr Ong was the Chairman of the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) from 2015 to 2023.
Mr Ong graduated from the then University of Singapore with a LLB (Hons). He studied at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., USA, and graduated with a MA in Arab Studies.

As the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Space Faculty, Lynette Tan champions the Asia deep tech ecosystem, working through her organisation to cultivate talent and technology through experimentation, learning, and leadership. Space Faculty creates pathways to spark and nurture talent, turning passion into profession. It engages youth and young adults in deepening their knowledge of sectors such as space, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI). Space Faculty serves as the national organiser of prestigious global events like the World Robot Olympiad® and the International Space Challenge. Additionally, the organisation created and annually hosts Expand Space, a premier global platform in Singapore each November, connecting youth with opportunities in deep tech and its future possibilities.
Lynette is a Karman Fellow, an international award recognising individuals for outstanding achievements in space. She also advises various international deep tech startups, including Myelin-H, a life sciences company based in London, UK, and Openstream.ai, a rapidly growing AI company in New Jersey, USA. Actively promoting interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) among youth and women, Lynette’s contributions have earned her several accolades. Lynette also mentors young leaders through the Singapore Business Federation, Women in Aviation – Singapore, and the U.S. Embassy. She holds a Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University.

Dr Adam C. Levine is a Professor of Emergency Medicine and International and Public Affairs at Brown University. Dr Levine currently serves as the Associate Dean of Global Health Equity within the Brown University Division of Biology and Medicine. Dr Levine received his Medical Doctorate from the University of California, San Francisco and his Masters of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley before completing specialty training in Emergency Medicine and Humanitarian Studies at Harvard University. He has previously led research and training initiatives in East and West Africa and South and South-East Asia. His federal and foundation-funded research focuses on improving emergency care in low resource settings and during public health emergencies, while his clinical work focuses on the care of unsheltered populations in Rhode Island.
Registration
Welcome Remarks
Keynote Address
Dr Alistair D. B. Cook
Coordinator of the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Programme and Senior Fellow, Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore
Dr Noeleen Heyzer
Former United Nations Under-Secretary General
Break
Panel Session 1: The Future of Digital Humanitarianism: Balancing Impact, Sustainability, and Resilience
Mr Devanand Ramiah
Director of Crisis Readiness, Response and Recovery, United Nations Development Programme
Ms Lynette Tan
Chief Executive Officer and Chairwoman, Space Faculty Private Limited
Mr Nama Raj Budhathoki
Regional Director, Open Mapping Hub – Asia-Pacific Hub
Ms Swathi T Nagesh
Global Security Lead – APAC, Uber
Table Discussion
Lunch
Panel Session 2: Dilemmas and Trends in the Emerging Humanitarian Landscape
Professor Dewi Fortuna Anwar
Research Professor, Research Center for Politics, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Indonesia
Dr Mukesh Kapila, CBE
Former Under Secretary General, International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Societies
Colonel Sone Tsutomu
Commander, International Peace Cooperation Activity Training Unit, Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, Japan Self-Defence Force, Japan
Mr Pierre Prakash
Program Director (Asia), International Crisis Group
Break
Panel Session 3: Frontiers in Civil-Military Partnerships in Disasters
Dr Adam C. Levine
Associate Dean of Global Health Equity in the Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, United States of America
Mr David Smith AM, CSC, DSM
Chief Executive Officer, Disaster Relief Australia
Closing Remarks
Ambassador Ong Keng Yong
Executive Deputy Chairman
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
Cocktail Reception
Dinner (invited guests only)
Hosted by Ambassador Ong Keng Yong
Executive Deputy Chairman
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies