Singapore International Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Singapore International Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to build a better world through shared ideas, skills and experiences, so as to uplift lives and create greater understanding between Singaporeans and world communities.
Established on August 1, 1991, the Singapore International Foundation's (Abbreviation
: SIF; Chinese: 新加坡国际基金会; Malay
: Yayasan Antarabangsa Singapura) activities are organised around three strategic thrusts: working with communities for sustainable development, exchanging ideas for greater understanding, and showcasing Singapore to build ties. SIF focuses on five core areas: healthcare, education, the environment, arts and culture, and livelihood and business.
For its work, SIF was presented the Excellence for Singapore Award. Its Patron is His Excellency Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, President of the Republic of Singapore.
Committed to being agents of sustainable positive change, and driven by the conviction to conduct ourselves respectfully and responsibly, we come together as a community to share our knowledge, skills and resources with others.
And building on our experience of sending close to 2,000 volunteers abroad over the last 20 years, we also create an international volunteer journey filled with opportunities for growth and development for ourselves and our friends overseas.
SIV was previously called Singapore Volunteer Overseas.
Apart from creating opportunities for young professionals to interact, network and share vocational experiences, the programme started with the aim of promoting strategic trade and investment opportunities between Singapore, China and Australia.
The Singapore-Australia YBA Programme was inaugurated in March 2000 with Australian partner Asialink Centre. As SIF’s first YBA programme, the new initiative was endorsed by private and public sectors in Singapore and Australia.
The Singapore-Chinese YBA programme was inaugurated in 2004, when a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between SIF, the Shanghai Municipal Office for the Introduction of Foreign Experts and the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The first batch of 23 Singapore-China YBAs started their 10-week stint in both countries in June 2004.
Through these platforms and activities, we share with the world community Singapore’s culture and way of life.
, political and social realities and the challenges of international development work.
SXX courses are designed to strengthen participants’ capacity to lead in diverse cultural environments, develop trustworthy relationships, and become world-ready executives with a sense of global citizenship.
Launched in 2000 by then Deputy Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong
, the vision behind YEP was for Singapore youths to become active and responsible world citizens, and to inspire them through meaningful overseas community service to make a difference to the lives of others, at home and abroad.
YEP at SIF concluded on 31 October 2005. The project is now under the purview of the National Youth Council. In its final year, SIF sent 48 teams of 14 young people each to aid Sri Lanka in recovering from the 2004 tsunami crisis.
Established on August 1, 1991, the Singapore International Foundation's (Abbreviation
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
: SIF; Chinese: 新加坡国际基金会; Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
: Yayasan Antarabangsa Singapura) activities are organised around three strategic thrusts: working with communities for sustainable development, exchanging ideas for greater understanding, and showcasing Singapore to build ties. SIF focuses on five core areas: healthcare, education, the environment, arts and culture, and livelihood and business.
For its work, SIF was presented the Excellence for Singapore Award. Its Patron is His Excellency Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, President of the Republic of Singapore.
Singapore International Volunteers
The Singapore International Volunteers community makes friends for a better world by directly contributing to sustainable projects to uplift lives overseas.Committed to being agents of sustainable positive change, and driven by the conviction to conduct ourselves respectfully and responsibly, we come together as a community to share our knowledge, skills and resources with others.
And building on our experience of sending close to 2,000 volunteers abroad over the last 20 years, we also create an international volunteer journey filled with opportunities for growth and development for ourselves and our friends overseas.
SIV was previously called Singapore Volunteer Overseas.
Young Business Ambassadors
The Young Business Ambassadors (YBA) Programme was first mooted at the second meeting of the Singapore-Australia Joint Ministerial Committee in Singapore on 22 February 1999.Apart from creating opportunities for young professionals to interact, network and share vocational experiences, the programme started with the aim of promoting strategic trade and investment opportunities between Singapore, China and Australia.
The Singapore-Australia YBA Programme was inaugurated in March 2000 with Australian partner Asialink Centre. As SIF’s first YBA programme, the new initiative was endorsed by private and public sectors in Singapore and Australia.
The Singapore-Chinese YBA programme was inaugurated in 2004, when a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between SIF, the Shanghai Municipal Office for the Introduction of Foreign Experts and the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The first batch of 23 Singapore-China YBAs started their 10-week stint in both countries in June 2004.
Young Social Entrepreneurs
The Young Social Entrepreneurs Programme is designed to help participants learn the fundamentals of starting a social enterprise. During the programme, participants work on refining business plans while becoming exposed to numerous social enterprises via specially arranged field trips. The programme encourages participants to share knowledge & experience in the areas of business plan development, enterprise structure, social impact assessment and fund-raising.Visits
SIF promotes people-to-people links between Singaporeans and the world. We give our friends a better understanding of who we are, what we believe in and how we live through visits, exchanges, and cultural diplomacy programmes, such as the SIF Distinguished Visitors Programme, the Eminent Southeast Asians Programme, Temasek Programme, and the Singapore Encore series.Through these platforms and activities, we share with the world community Singapore’s culture and way of life.
Singapore Executive Expeditions
The Singapore Executive Expeditions (SXX) formed in 2005, is expressly designed to provide cross-cultural exposure to executives within the framework of an overseas expedition. Expeditions are held in environments of selected locations to give first-hand appreciation of the cultural heritageCultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
, political and social realities and the challenges of international development work.
SXX courses are designed to strengthen participants’ capacity to lead in diverse cultural environments, develop trustworthy relationships, and become world-ready executives with a sense of global citizenship.
Youth Expedition Project
The Youth Expedition Project (YEP) was an initiative pioneered by SIF that took thousands of young Singaporeans on community service expeditions to China, India, and the ASEAN nations between 2000 to 2005.Launched in 2000 by then Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some counties, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both...
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. He is married to Ho Ching, who is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings. He is the eldest son of Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew....
, the vision behind YEP was for Singapore youths to become active and responsible world citizens, and to inspire them through meaningful overseas community service to make a difference to the lives of others, at home and abroad.
YEP at SIF concluded on 31 October 2005. The project is now under the purview of the National Youth Council. In its final year, SIF sent 48 teams of 14 young people each to aid Sri Lanka in recovering from the 2004 tsunami crisis.