Back
About RSIS
Introduction
Building the Foundations
Welcome Message
Board of Governors
Staff Profiles
Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office
Dean’s Office
Management
Distinguished Fellows
Faculty and Research
Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
Visiting Fellows
Adjunct Fellows
Administrative Staff
Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
RSIS Endowment Fund
Endowed Professorships
Career Opportunities
Getting to RSIS
Research
Research Centres
Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)
Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
Research Programmes
National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
Social Cohesion Research Programme (SCRP)
Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
Other Research
Future Issues and Technology Cluster
Research@RSIS
Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
Graduate Education
Graduate Programmes Office
Exchange Partners and Programmes
How to Apply
Financial Assistance
Meet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other events
RSIS Alumni
Outreach
Global Networks
About Global Networks
RSIS Alumni
International Programmes
About International Programmes
Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS)
International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
Executive Education
About Executive Education
SRP Executive Programme
Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
Public Education
About Public Education
Publications
RSIS Publications
Annual Reviews
Books
Bulletins and Newsletters
RSIS Commentary Series
Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
Commemorative / Event Reports
Future Issues
IDSS Papers
Interreligious Relations
Monographs
NTS Insight
Policy Reports
Working Papers
External Publications
Authored Books
Journal Articles
Edited Books
Chapters in Edited Books
Policy Reports
Working Papers
Op-Eds
Glossary of Abbreviations
Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
RSIS Publications for the Year
External Publications for the Year
Media
News Releases
Speeches
Video/Audio Channel
Events
Contact Us
S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Think Tank and Graduate School Ponder The Improbable Since 1966
Nanyang Technological University Nanyang Technological University
  • About RSIS
      IntroductionBuilding the FoundationsWelcome MessageBoard of GovernorsHonours and Awards for RSIS Staff and StudentsRSIS Endowment FundEndowed ProfessorshipsCareer OpportunitiesGetting to RSIS
      Staff ProfilesExecutive Deputy Chairman’s OfficeDean’s OfficeManagementDistinguished FellowsFaculty and ResearchAssociate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research AnalystsVisiting FellowsAdjunct FellowsAdministrative Staff
  • Research
      Research CentresCentre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
      Research ProgrammesNational Security Studies Programme (NSSP)Social Cohesion Research Programme (SCRP)Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
      Other ResearchFuture Issues and Technology ClusterResearch@RSISScience and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
  • Graduate Education
      Graduate Programmes OfficeExchange Partners and ProgrammesHow to ApplyFinancial AssistanceMeet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other eventsRSIS Alumni
  • Outreach
      Global NetworksAbout Global NetworksRSIS Alumni
      International ProgrammesAbout International ProgrammesAsia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)International Conference on Cohesive Societies (ICCS)International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
      Executive EducationAbout Executive EducationSRP Executive ProgrammeTerrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
      Public EducationAbout Public Education
  • Publications
      RSIS PublicationsAnnual ReviewsBooksBulletins and NewslettersRSIS Commentary SeriesCounter Terrorist Trends and AnalysesCommemorative / Event ReportsFuture IssuesIDSS PapersInterreligious RelationsMonographsNTS InsightPolicy ReportsWorking Papers
      External PublicationsAuthored BooksJournal ArticlesEdited BooksChapters in Edited BooksPolicy ReportsWorking PapersOp-Eds
      Glossary of AbbreviationsPolicy-relevant Articles Given RSIS AwardRSIS Publications for the YearExternal Publications for the Year
  • Media
      News ReleasesSpeechesVideo/Audio Channel
  • Events
  • Contact Us
    • Connect with Us

      rsis.ntu
      rsis_ntu
      rsisntu
      rsisvideocast
      school/rsis-ntu
      rsis.sg
      rsissg
      RSIS
      RSS
      Subscribe to RSIS Publications
      Subscribe to RSIS Events

      Getting to RSIS

      Nanyang Technological University
      Block S4, Level B3,
      50 Nanyang Avenue,
      Singapore 639798

      Click here for direction to RSIS
Connect
Search
  • RSIS
  • Publication
  • RSIS Publications
  • CO11134 | Global Rebalancing in the Internet Age: Impact on Society, Government & Business
  • Annual Reviews
  • Books
  • Bulletins and Newsletters
  • RSIS Commentary Series
  • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
  • Commemorative / Event Reports
  • Future Issues
  • IDSS Papers
  • Interreligious Relations
  • Monographs
  • NTS Insight
  • Policy Reports
  • Working Papers

CO11134 | Global Rebalancing in the Internet Age: Impact on Society, Government & Business
Yang Razali Kassim

26 September 2011

download pdf

Synopsis

The Second Singapore Global Dialogue saw a heated debate over issues relating to the changing world order. Can there be an Asian response to the search for global governance and innovative solutions to the common challenges of humanity?

Commentary

FOR THE second year in a row, a major international forum in Singapore saw heated debate among opinion shapers searching for new global norms and solutions amid a rebalancing of the world order. A major underlying theme occupying them, however, was the rise of the Internet Age and the defining influence of new technology on society, government and business.

Leading the charge, Andrew Sheng of Hong Kong’s newly-founded Fung Global Institute identified finance as one of three “weapons of mass destruction” — apart from pandemics and terrorism. To him, the current turbulent world of finance exemplified how technology-enabled global shocks are causing “new instabilities”. “Technology has for the last 50 years been seen as good. In the last five to 10 years, we begin to see the unstable side of technology,” he told a 400-strong global audience that included policymakers, opinion influencers, academics and business leaders. The world, he said, has become a networked society — a system of systems — in which the frequency of global shocks is no longer predictable. He was one of several prominent speakers at the Second Singapore Global Dialogue organised by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).

Can Governments Cope?

Barry Desker, dean of RSIS, said the dialogue, which included a session with former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, continued the Asian search for solutions to a rapidly evolving world order. The big question was whether governments could cope with the shocks in a far more complex scenario where many things are unknown, said Peter Ho, a retired top Singapore civil servant and still sought-after strategic thinker. The uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa underscored how autocratic governments were unable to cope with the shocking effect of social media, although technology was an accelerator, not a cause, of political change, said James Dorsey of RSIS. Mr Ho said in response that actually “all governments cannot deal with social media, it’s a universal challenge”.

The forum’s backdrop was cast by Singapore’s deputy prime minister Teo Chee Hean who highlighted “the central dilemma” — how to balance the benefits and risks that come with the Internet Age. He identified three benefits of the Internet – openness, accessibility and convenience – against three risks of abuse, exploitation and criminality. “This balance plays out on three different fronts – Society, Government and Business,” said Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs.

While the Internet has been a positive force in creating new social networks, it has also given rise to concerns over personal data online being exploited for harmful means. The cyberspace has also shaped social change and activism. However, he said, the mass mobilising power of social media can also be misused, even generating “a culture of irresponsibility”. What is needed is a set of norms to guide behaviour on cyberspace so that individuals can be protected when they use social media, and social media does not become a tool to spread violence “whether they are in Ambon or London”. As the global response to cyber security threat called for collaboration across borders, INTERPOL would be establishing the INTERPOL Global Complex in Singapore soon.

Participants, however, were against regulating social media. A young Western participant warned against seeing social media as a threat. He reminded that as the main users of social media are the young generation, to view it as a threat could amount to treating the young generation as a threat.

Global Governance amid Rebalancing

Another major issue debated was global governance amid a world order in flux. A key question was whether one was in sight, and who would lead the process. Linked to this was the question of who defines the global system. Lord Peter Mandelson, a former top European policymaker, pointed to the need for a rebalancing of the global economy. Two major financial crises in recent years have stemmed from the Western-defined system. Current global institutions built on Western priorities have to be recast to reflect the rise of Asia.

Participants also noted that market forces, hedge funds in particular, have grown more powerful than governments, to the point of undermining them. Mr Desker wondered whether the current financial crisis in Europe would lead to ASEAN states slowing down their own push for monetary integration.

Another Singapore thinker, Kishore Mahbubani, said the end of Western domination, coinciding with the “return of Asia”, would not however mean the end of the West. His comments about Australia’s uncertainty of its place in Asia however drew a sharp response from former premier John Howard who said Australia had no problems choosing between its past and its present. A question from the floor about what new ideas and values China could offer for the future also evoked a sharp response from Mr Mahbubani. He said the question reflected “Western wishful thinking”, as if the top power would always be the West.

Asian Response?

Former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the father of Indian atomic power, called for out-of-the box solutions to new challenges. With human security his underlying concern, he suggested using technological solutions to global problems such as energy shortages, literacy and jobs. One such solution would be space-based solar power. But Dr Kalam spent much of his time talking about the role of civilisations in bringing humanity together. He called for “enlightened leadership” in the service of universal humanity.

Good governance was also a subject of attention in the dialogue with Mr Lee Kuan Yew, with participants eager to learn about Singapore’s experience. He said the fundamentals of Singapore’s success revolved around good governance, which hinged on three key factors — anti-corruption, meritocracy and pragmatism. “If you drop any of the three factors, you will lose your momentum.

On a larger note, Mr Lee said the shift in economic power from West to East was inevitable. But too rapid a shift could lead to global unease as China could become pushy. Still, the rise of China could not be balanced without the US.

Going forward, forum participants in future need to ponder a key poser: can there be a collective Asian response to global strategic issues?

About the Author

Yang Razali Kassim is a Senior Fellow with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University. 

Categories: RSIS Commentary Series

Synopsis

The Second Singapore Global Dialogue saw a heated debate over issues relating to the changing world order. Can there be an Asian response to the search for global governance and innovative solutions to the common challenges of humanity?

Commentary

FOR THE second year in a row, a major international forum in Singapore saw heated debate among opinion shapers searching for new global norms and solutions amid a rebalancing of the world order. A major underlying theme occupying them, however, was the rise of the Internet Age and the defining influence of new technology on society, government and business.

Leading the charge, Andrew Sheng of Hong Kong’s newly-founded Fung Global Institute identified finance as one of three “weapons of mass destruction” — apart from pandemics and terrorism. To him, the current turbulent world of finance exemplified how technology-enabled global shocks are causing “new instabilities”. “Technology has for the last 50 years been seen as good. In the last five to 10 years, we begin to see the unstable side of technology,” he told a 400-strong global audience that included policymakers, opinion influencers, academics and business leaders. The world, he said, has become a networked society — a system of systems — in which the frequency of global shocks is no longer predictable. He was one of several prominent speakers at the Second Singapore Global Dialogue organised by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).

Can Governments Cope?

Barry Desker, dean of RSIS, said the dialogue, which included a session with former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, continued the Asian search for solutions to a rapidly evolving world order. The big question was whether governments could cope with the shocks in a far more complex scenario where many things are unknown, said Peter Ho, a retired top Singapore civil servant and still sought-after strategic thinker. The uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa underscored how autocratic governments were unable to cope with the shocking effect of social media, although technology was an accelerator, not a cause, of political change, said James Dorsey of RSIS. Mr Ho said in response that actually “all governments cannot deal with social media, it’s a universal challenge”.

The forum’s backdrop was cast by Singapore’s deputy prime minister Teo Chee Hean who highlighted “the central dilemma” — how to balance the benefits and risks that come with the Internet Age. He identified three benefits of the Internet – openness, accessibility and convenience – against three risks of abuse, exploitation and criminality. “This balance plays out on three different fronts – Society, Government and Business,” said Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs.

While the Internet has been a positive force in creating new social networks, it has also given rise to concerns over personal data online being exploited for harmful means. The cyberspace has also shaped social change and activism. However, he said, the mass mobilising power of social media can also be misused, even generating “a culture of irresponsibility”. What is needed is a set of norms to guide behaviour on cyberspace so that individuals can be protected when they use social media, and social media does not become a tool to spread violence “whether they are in Ambon or London”. As the global response to cyber security threat called for collaboration across borders, INTERPOL would be establishing the INTERPOL Global Complex in Singapore soon.

Participants, however, were against regulating social media. A young Western participant warned against seeing social media as a threat. He reminded that as the main users of social media are the young generation, to view it as a threat could amount to treating the young generation as a threat.

Global Governance amid Rebalancing

Another major issue debated was global governance amid a world order in flux. A key question was whether one was in sight, and who would lead the process. Linked to this was the question of who defines the global system. Lord Peter Mandelson, a former top European policymaker, pointed to the need for a rebalancing of the global economy. Two major financial crises in recent years have stemmed from the Western-defined system. Current global institutions built on Western priorities have to be recast to reflect the rise of Asia.

Participants also noted that market forces, hedge funds in particular, have grown more powerful than governments, to the point of undermining them. Mr Desker wondered whether the current financial crisis in Europe would lead to ASEAN states slowing down their own push for monetary integration.

Another Singapore thinker, Kishore Mahbubani, said the end of Western domination, coinciding with the “return of Asia”, would not however mean the end of the West. His comments about Australia’s uncertainty of its place in Asia however drew a sharp response from former premier John Howard who said Australia had no problems choosing between its past and its present. A question from the floor about what new ideas and values China could offer for the future also evoked a sharp response from Mr Mahbubani. He said the question reflected “Western wishful thinking”, as if the top power would always be the West.

Asian Response?

Former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the father of Indian atomic power, called for out-of-the box solutions to new challenges. With human security his underlying concern, he suggested using technological solutions to global problems such as energy shortages, literacy and jobs. One such solution would be space-based solar power. But Dr Kalam spent much of his time talking about the role of civilisations in bringing humanity together. He called for “enlightened leadership” in the service of universal humanity.

Good governance was also a subject of attention in the dialogue with Mr Lee Kuan Yew, with participants eager to learn about Singapore’s experience. He said the fundamentals of Singapore’s success revolved around good governance, which hinged on three key factors — anti-corruption, meritocracy and pragmatism. “If you drop any of the three factors, you will lose your momentum.

On a larger note, Mr Lee said the shift in economic power from West to East was inevitable. But too rapid a shift could lead to global unease as China could become pushy. Still, the rise of China could not be balanced without the US.

Going forward, forum participants in future need to ponder a key poser: can there be a collective Asian response to global strategic issues?

About the Author

Yang Razali Kassim is a Senior Fellow with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University. 

Categories: RSIS Commentary Series

Popular Links

About RSISResearch ProgrammesGraduate EducationPublicationsEventsAdmissionsCareersVideo/Audio ChannelRSIS Intranet

Connect with Us

rsis.ntu
rsis_ntu
rsisntu
rsisvideocast
school/rsis-ntu
rsis.sg
rsissg
RSIS
RSS
Subscribe to RSIS Publications
Subscribe to RSIS Events

Getting to RSIS

Nanyang Technological University
Block S4, Level B3,
50 Nanyang Avenue,
Singapore 639798

Click here for direction to RSIS

Get in Touch

    Copyright © S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. All rights reserved.
    Privacy Statement / Terms of Use
    Help us improve

      Rate your experience with this website
      123456
      Not satisfiedVery satisfied
      What did you like?
      0/255 characters
      What can be improved?
      0/255 characters
      Your email
      Please enter a valid email.
      Thank you for your feedback.
      This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By continuing, you are agreeing to the use of cookies on your device as described in our privacy policy. Learn more
      OK
      Latest Book
      more info