SIFA

22/07/2026

Our Singaporean representative, Derek reflects on his final week in Japan at the IATSS Forum.

Welcome home! We look forward to catching up and hearing all about what you've experienced at the forum.

Hop over to IATSS FORUM to find out more!

Applications for 2027 are open now, till 30 September 😊 https://www.nuss.org.sg/nuss-event/iatss-forum-leadership-training-in-japan

Spread the word!

"The Power of Dreams" 💭✨

Over the past weeks, we have learned from academia, the public sector, NGOs, civil societies, and local communities.

The session on "Innovation for Mobility" marked the closing of the seminar phase of the IATSS Forum. This was especially meaningful because it highlighted the importance of the private sector.

The future of sustainable development cannot be built by any one sector alone. The private sector brings innovation, employment, investment, implementation capacity, and the ability to scale solutions globally.

Many of our global challenges are not caused by a lack of solutions, but a lack of willingness and ability to work together.

I believe we must move beyond the traditional partnership:

🏛 Public + 🏢 Private

towards a more inclusive partnership:

🏛 Public + 🏢 Private + 👥 People

Each sector brings something essential: policy, innovation, lived experience, community knowledge, research, evidence, and the ability to turn ideas into action.

We know that no single sector can solve complex societal challenges alone.

💭✨ "The Power of Dreams"

This is where I find a strong connection with the founding of IATSS by Honda founders.

Dreams, creativity, and collective action can move people and society forward, but we must create the partnerships capable of turning dreams into reality.

💭 So, what can we dream, create, and achieve together that no one can achieve alone?

This is the essence of a term I coined as "togetheristic" to describe a willingness and ability to work together.

For me, my dream of the future is beyond 🚆 Mobility as a Service (MaaS).

It is moving towards 🤝 Together as a Service (TaaS).

Because the most advanced technology, the most sophisticated policy, and the most ambitious vision will ultimately be limited by the strength of the partnerships behind them.

Looking forward to doing good together, alumni partners!

Derek Cheung 🇸🇬 | Togetheristic

IATSS FORUM | Japan IATSS Forum Alumni Association | Cambodia IATSS Alumni Association - CIAA | Malaysian IATSS Forum Alumni - MIFA | IATSS Forum Alumni Philippines Inc. | SIFA | IATSS Forum Thailand | IATSS FORUM Vietnam

21/06/2026

Chapter 2: Doing Together - A Changing World, A New Philosophy

Over the past few weeks in Japan, I have been reflecting on a simple question:

“What does it mean to be doing together?”

For me, doing together is not merely working side by side or in a “united” manner. It is an intentional choice to take measurable actions to move forward together for the future.

One related experience was participating in a Japanese cultural programme while wearing a traditional attire once associated with high-ranking samurai and, in modern times, often worn by grooms. It reminded me that culture survives because each generation intentionally chooses to preserve and pass it on to the next, creating an innovative cultural industry that sustains economic growth for future generations.

Another deeply meaningful moment was meeting Koko Kondo, a first-generation hibakusha and peace advocate from Hiroshima. Her message was simple yet powerful: each generation has a responsibility to leave the world better than they found it.

As someone working on ASEAN Day and World Together Day, her words reinforced my belief that peace is not merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of partnerships and shared purpose to work together towards a sustainable future.

I was equally inspired by meeting Mr. and Ms. Ito of Social Welfare Corporation Houyuu. Through their life’s work, they have demonstrated how inclusion can be transformed from an aspiration into a reality. By creating opportunities for persons with disabilities across agriculture (primary sector), manufacturing (secondary sector), and services (tertiary sector), they have built an ecosystem where every individual has the opportunity to contribute and belong within an inclusive economy.

Another particularly meaningful experience was engaging Professor Yosh*tsugu Hayashi during our discussions on sustainability and future generations. It reminded me that solving tomorrow's challenges requires more than youth leadership alone. It requires intergenerational partnership and visionary measurements beyond GDP.

The wisdom, experience, and lessons of older generations must be combined with the energy, creativity, and sustainability of younger generations.

Sustainable development is ultimately about intergenerational equity, ensuring that present generations meet their needs while safeguarding opportunities for those who come after us.

Finally, spending time with the younger generations reminded me why all these discussions matter. Whether we talk about peace, inclusion, sustainability, mobility, or well-being, the ultimate beneficiaries are future generations.

This experience has strengthened my belief in a philosophy I coined as “togetheristic”, the willingness and ability to work together.

To me, being togetheristic means recognising that no generation or country can solve the world's challenges alone. Progress happens when we bring together the strengths of different people, different sectors, and different generations.

The future world is not something we inherit. It is something we build together.

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We're excited to see Derek from Singapore in Japan now as part of the 69th Batch, going through the amazing IATSS FORUM! 🇯🇵🇸🇬 Stay tuned for more of his reflections, and check out the IATSS Forum page!

08/06/2026

Chapter 1: Being Together - A Small World, A Bigger Lesson

One of the themes of the 69th IATSS FORUM is learning to live and lead together across cultures, industries, and countries.

On my very first day in Yokkaichi, I was reminded just how small our world can be.

During an orientation walk around the city, I experienced an unexpected reunion. By pure chance, I met a Japanese friend whom I had not seen for three years. I did not even know she lived in Yokkaichi.

There was no way we could have planned the encounter, especially as I was simply following the Forum's schedule. Yet there we were, reconnecting thousands of kilometres from where we first met.

As if that was not surprising enough, another remarkable encounter happened later that evening.

I walked into a small craft beer store randomly. The person running the shop that night happened to be a Canadian gentleman filling in for the owner. As we chatted about what had brought us to Yokkaichi, we discovered an unexpected connection: he is the husband of Midori-san, one of the longest-serving members of the IATSS Forum team.

Two chance encounters. One day. One city.

These experiences reminded me that being together is often not something we plan. Sometimes it begins with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to connect with people around us.

Before we can be thinking and learning together, we must first learn how to be together.

Sometimes the most meaningful opportunities, friendships, and partnerships begin with a simple conversation in the most unexpected places.

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We're excited to see Derek from Singapore in Japan now as part of the 69th Batch, going through the amazing IATSS Forum! 🇯🇵🇸🇬 Stay tuned for more of his reflections, and check out the IATSS FORUM page!

02/04/2026

Hello everyone!

Since last year, SIFA has been actively reconnecting with our community of alumni in Singapore, starting from our core group.

From having the lovely IATSS FORUM staff members, Haruka-san and Midori-san visiting us in late 2025, to reconnecting with an alumnus, Justin from 2009 who is currently living and working in Australia, we've had many catch-ups, including our recent welcome dinner for Stephenie and Derek! Both of them will be joining the 69th and 70th batch of the IATSS Forum happening this May and September respectively.

We're really excited for you to be embarking on your journey of thinking and learning together with your batch!

We will also like to express our gratitude to NUSS for being our SIFA Secretariat all these years, and to Mr George Abraham for the continuous support for the alumni group. Looking forward to Connecting Communities - Within & Beyond together!

Find out more about the IATSS Forum at https://www.iatssforum.jp/en