SMU’s Team Spark, comprising four third-year students from our School of Social Sciences  – Ian Wu Zhuangwei, Fiona Lim Shi Hui, Clara Ng Yi Wen and Jonathan Tan Ser Ern, has been crowned Champions of this year’s Public Policy Challenge (PPC) organised by the Public Service Division!

Held from 2 to 4 August 2013 at the InterContinental Singapore, this annual 24-hour case competition is a residential case competition set in national policy context to heighten participants’ awareness of the challenges involved in public policy development and implementation.  The student participants were tasked to address issues posed in a case scenario and they had to consider the needs of stakeholders, manage trade-offs as well as propose policy options in planning for “Singapore Budget 2022”.

PPC 2013 attracted a total of 91 teams formed by over 300 Singaporean/PR students from universities in Singapore, UK, France, USA, Canada and Australia. Among the overseas institutions that took part in the Challenge included renowned universities such as Oxford University, University of Cambridge, London School of Economics, University of Warwick, and the University of Pennsylvania. Sixteen teams were shortlisted for the semi-finals and the top three teams were picked to give their presentations to a distinguished panel of judges.  They were Ms Yong Ying-I, Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Division; Mr Ng How Yue, Second Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade & Industry; and Mr Chee Tong Tat, CEO of the Energy Market Authority.  Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also the Minister in charge of the Civil Service, graced the grand final as the Guest-of-Honour and presented prizes to the winning teams.

The impressive SMU quartet reigned supreme after a gruelling contest and walked away with $3,000 in cash prize.  Two teams from NUS – The Doppler Effect and Multi-Polity, took the first and second runner-up spots, respectively.  The three winning teams will also be offered internships with the Public Service.

Congratulations to our four students from the School of Social Sciences for your magnificent showing in PPC 2013.  We are all proud of you!

[Featured photo: Members of SMU Team Spark posing for a picture with Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean (centre) after the PPC 2013 prize presentation ceremony (from L to R): Ian Wu, Fiona Lim, Clara Ng and Jonathan Tan.]  (Photo courtesy of Public Service Division, Prime Minister’s Office)