This book analyzes state-owned enterprises (SOEs), which are still significant players in many Asian economies. They provide essential public services, build and operate key infrastructure, and are often reservoirs of public employment. Their characteristics and inherent competitive advantages as publicly owned enterprises allow them to play these critical roles. Their weaknesses in governance and inefficiencies in incentive structures, however, also often lead to poor performance. SOEs must be efficient, transparent, and accountable to level the playing field for private companies, secure the growth of a vibrant private sector, and achieve sustained and inclusive economic growth. This book analyzes the reform of SOEs in Asia, the results of which are mixed. The volume concludes that some key conditions generally need to be met for SOE reforms to be successful: national bureaucracies must have the capacity to implement the reforms, and adverse impacts on international trade and investment must be avoided.

"One of the key themes of this book is to study economic crises and financial crises, and the policy measures that are available to manage them. The second key theme of the book is to review several public policies in Singapore, such as competition, healthcare, training, free trade agreements, state capitalism and inequality."--Publisher's description.

An increase in global access to goods and knowledge is transforming world-class science and technology (S&T) by bringing it within the capability of an unprecedented number of global parties who must compete for resources, markets, and talent. In particular, globalization has facilitated the success of formal S&T plans in many developing countries, where traditional limitations can now be overcome through the accumulation and global trade of a wide variety of goods, skills, and knowledge. As a result, centers for technological research and development (R&D) are now globally dispersed, setting the stage for greater uncertainty in the political, economic, and security arenas. These changes will have a potentially enormous impact for the U.S. national security policy, which for the past half century was premised on U.S. economic and technological dominance. As the U.S. monopoly on talent and innovation wanes, arms export regulations and restrictions on visas for foreign S&T workers are becoming less useful as security strategies. The acute level of S&T competition among leading countries in the world today suggests that countries that fail to exploit new technologies or that lose the capability for proprietary use of their own new technologies will find their existing industries uncompetitive or obsolete. The increased access to information has transformed the 1950s' paradigm of "control and isolation" of information for innovation control into the current one of "engagement and partnerships" between innovators for innovation creation. Current and future strategies for S&T development need to be considered in light of these new realities. This book analyzes the S&T strategies of Japan, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and Singapore (JBRICS), six countries that have either undergone or are undergoing remarkable growth in their S&T capabilities for the purpose of identifying unique national features and how they are utilized in the evolving global S&T environment.

The cases of Singapore and Switzerland present a fascinating puzzle: how have two small states achieved similar levels of success through divergent pathways? Are both approaches equally sustainable, and what lessons do they hold for each other? While Singapore is the archetypal developmental state, whose success can be attributed to strong political leadership and long-term planning, Switzerland's success is a more organic process, due to the propitious convergence of strong industries and a resilient citizenry. Yet throughout the course of their development, both countries have had to deal with the dual challenges of culturally heterogeneous populations and challenging regional contexts. Edited by Yvonne Guo and Jun Jie Woo, with forewords from Ambassadors Thomas Kupfer and Tommy Koh, Singapore and Switzerland: Secrets to Small State Success features contributions from distinguished scholars and policymakers who explore the dynamics of two small states which have topped international rankings in a dazzling array of policy areas, from economic competitiveness to education to governance, but whose pathways to success could not be more different. Contents:Foreword by Ambassador Thomas KupferForeword by Ambassador Tommy KohPrefaceIntroduction and Background: The Trajectories of History, Politics and EconomicsPublic Administration in Singapore and Switzerland (Yvonne Guo and Andreas Ladner)Neutrality, Balancing or Engagement? Comparing the Singaporean and Swiss Approaches in Small-State Diplomacy (Yvonne Guo and J J Woo)Trade Policy: The Status Quo and The Quo Vadis of Trade Liberalisation (Michael Anliker)Small States as Banking Powerhouses: Financial Sector Policy in Singapore and Switzerland (Yvonne Guo and J J Woo)Land Transport Policy: Urban Infrastructure in Singapore and Switzerland (Bruno Wildermuth)SMEs: Challenges, Potential for Mutual Learning and Implications for Policymakers (Manuel Baeuml)Recent Trends in First-Class World Competitiveness: Singapore and Switzerland in Global Entrepreneurship Rankings (Philippe Régnier and Pascal Wild)Singapore and Switzerland: Success Stories in Education (Suzanne Hraba-Renevey and Yvonne Guo)United in Diversity? Managing Multiculturalism in Singapore and Switzerland (Yvonne Guo)Migration Policies: Lessons from the Singaporean and Swiss Experiences (Hui Weng Tat and Cindy Helfer)Power Resources and Income Inequality in Singapore and Switzerland (Mehmet Kerem Çoban)ConclusionAbout the AuthorsIndexReviews of the Book Readership: Policymakers; undergraduates and postgraduates in political science, economics, and international affairs.

A study which challenges the dominant understanding of Singapore as a case where "correct" policies have made rapid industrialization possible and which raises questions about the possibility and appropriateness of its emulation.