Post by National University of Singapore

What are we really defending when we talk about national security? Students at the recent Insights Singapore Forum organised by the Political Science Society of NUS explored this question with Singapore's Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing, moving beyond military hardware to discuss identity, values and what truly binds us as a nation. A key takeaway was that defence is not only a matter of hardware, strategy or geopolitics, but also of identity and resolve. The conversation reaffirmed the continued relevance of Total Defence – a whole-of-society effort to keep Singapore secure, resilient and united. As newer generations grow up further removed from the existential vulnerabilities of the independence era, the challenge is to help them understand what is truly at stake. Ultimately, participants agreed that defence is the collective will to protect a shared way of life and ensure future generations can continue to call themselves Singaporean. #ShapingTheFuture https://lnkd.in/g_8hWRti NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences #NUS #Singapore #NationalUniversityofSingapore In the photos: 1️⃣Minister Chan (left) joined Associate Professor Bilveer Singh from the NUS Department of Political Science for a Q&A with the audience. Close to 240 students from junior colleges, polytechnics and universities took part in the forum. 2️⃣Minister Chan and Assoc Prof Singh are pictured with members of the NUS senior management and the NUS PSSOC organising committee.