Ishan S

Writer by day, slightly better writer by night. 

South China Morning Post

South China Morning Post •

Why global partnership with China remains vital for growth of Germany’s digital future

China and Germany have both benefited significantly from their bilateral trade relationship over the past few decades. The European nation’s industrial and engineering expertise has helped drive the growth of China as a manufacturing powerhouse. Over the years, China has also become increasingly important for German companies as an innovative driver in research and development (R&D). In turn, Germany’s digital transformation has been facilitated by leveraging a global supply chain. Chinese ele...
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South China Morning Post •

5G technology triggers age of smart manufacturing

In recent years, digital technology has broadened the scope for innovation in the manufacturing industry. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G (fifth-generation mobile communications technology) networks offer a variety of benefits including better production efficiency, reduced operational errors and higher product quality. Employing these technologies in factories is quickly becoming essential for companies if they wish to stay competitive in a digital-first future. Research by Fort...
South China Morning Post •

Huawei encourages lifelong learning and development of its workers around the world

Regardless of market conditions, technology is ever evolving with groundbreaking innovations rapidly emerging. While exciting, this means that employees must constantly upskill and train to adapt to these changing trends. By 2030, there are likely to be 92 million digital jobs worldwide – up from 73 million today – the World Economic Forum (WEF) predicted in last January’s White Paper, “The Rise of Global Digital Jobs”. Alongside this, digitalisation and the increasing adoption of artificial i...
South China Morning Post •

Xiaomi’s internet business sees rapid growth in overseas markets with added services

As the number of internet users continues to grow, one smartphone manufacturer is hoping to optimise its core internet business to improve its suite of experiences for users. Globally, there are an estimated 5.3 billion internet users today – two-thirds of the world’s population. Across Europe and North America, online penetration rates exceed 90 per cent on average, up from 70 per cent in 2010, according to the World Bank. With the rapid development of this market, the demand for online servic...
South China Morning Post •

How automation improves warehouse efficiency and safety

The value of an efficient system of producing and supplying goods can never be overstated. In today’s globalised world, as businesses embrace the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0 – the next phase in the digitalisation of the manufacturing sector, driven by the rise of data, interconnectivity, analytics and automation – raw materials and components are often travelling across continents and oceans before a finished product reaches customers. So it makes sense for businesses to have...
South China Morning Post •

How Asia can transform into a hub for clean energy technology and investment

As home to several of the world’s fastest-growing economies, Asia will have a major role to play in the quest for sustainability, because energy demand increases in tandem with economic development. Although hot weather is common in this part of the world, experts believe that the growing intensity of these heatwaves signals that the human-induced climate emergency has arrived in Asia. With that comes the pressing need to implement solutions such as reducing carbon emissions and transitioning t
South China Morning Post •

How Alipay+, a cross-border payment solution, makes it easier to use existing e-wallets around the world

As the world is emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, global travel is picking up again. A survey of travel sentiment, carried out last month by the South China Morning Post and payment solution Alipay+, highlights just how useful such an innovative offering can be. Nearly a quarter of the people questioned for the poll said they plan to take more than five overseas trips this year. Almost half of them expect to spend more than US$1,000 on retail, dining and entertainment on each overseas trip.
South China Morning Post •

Alibaba Cloud announces winners of the AsiaStar 10x10 start-up initiative

The start-up ecosystem is flourishing across Southeast Asia. As the region ushers in a digital future, there has been a surge in innovation across a broad spectrum of industries. Businesses are tapping into the demands of a rapidly growing consumer base – one which boasts the highest rate of digital adoption in the world. According to the “e-Conomy SEA (Southeast Asia) 2022” report, there are now more than 460 million internet users in the region, almost a quarter of whom joined just within the
South China Morning Post •

How blockchain gaming is redefining the future of video games for players, developers

From finance to fine art, blockchain technology has proven to be useful across a number of industries. Over the past few years, the blockchain space has grown significantly in terms of both user adoption and applications. That being said, not all use cases are here to stay. Ideas which were purely dependent on their novelty or hype have struggled during the “crypto winter” that began with the cryptocurrency crash earlier this year. Many companies went under due to poor management and unsustaina

Vulcan Post

Vulcan Post •

Are NFTs and cryptocurrencies breeding a generation of gambling addicts?

Minting an NFT means making it a part of the blockchain. It’s the process which allows a digital asset to be distinguishable from its copies. When an NFT collection is launched, minting usually happens in two phases. There’s a pre-sale — usually reserved for long-time community members and promotional giveaway winners — followed by a public sale, which is essentially a free-for-all. Public sales can be a bloodbath, especially when a project has a large following. Last weekend, for example, I w
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Vulcan Post •

"Cryptocurrencies have failed the test of digital money”: MAS' MD Ravi Menon on the future of fintech

In recent years, digital money has made a strong case for its role in the future of finance. It comes with benefits such as seamless cross-border transactions, reduced costs, and ease of access to financial systems. However, digital money can take on a number of different forms and not all of them are made equal. At the Singapore Fintech Festival 2023, Ravi Menon, the Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), spoke about four “contenders” in the race to make digital money u...
Vulcan Post •

“Data is the new oil”: Why big tech companies are venturing further into the world of finance

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed in this story belong solely to the author. In 2007, Amazon launched Amazon Pay, an online payment gateway which allows account holders to make payments across thousands of websites. In the years since, the rest of the big tech companies have all followed suit – Google Pay launched in 2011, Apple Pay in 2014, Microsoft Pay in 2016, and Facebook (now Meta) Pay in 2019.  Following this initial entry into finance, these companies have only broadened their horizons in t...
Vulcan Post •

Is the future of carbon tech on blockchain? MVGX co-founder talks about the road to Net Zero

Climate change is no longer a concern of the future. This year has seen all-time-high temperatures in several countries, as well as the world’s hottest day on record. With that, the need for a green transition has become more apparent than ever.  For businesses, this is a call to bring emissions under control and focus on their decarbonisation efforts. This is a multi-step process as Dr. Bo Bai – co-founder of MVGX – explains: “From defining the scope of a company’s emissions to measurement, mit...
Vulcan Post •

Token2049: Bitmex co-founder Arthur Hayes predicts biggest crypto bull market in early 2024

Since the inception of Bitcoin, there have been three so-called crypto ‘bull runs’, occurring every four years since 2012. These have coincided with halving events, wherein the rewards for mining a block of Bitcoin are permanently halved. Each of such event reduces the rate at which new bitcoins enter the market and in the past, this change in supply has been met with an increase in Bitcoin prices. The next Bitcoin halving is due to happen in 2024 and if history was a guaranteed indicator, Bitc...
Vulcan Post •

Carbon credits go commercial: URECA CFO sheds light on retail trading platform

In the push for Net Zero by 2050 – a global vision to bring greenhouse gas emissions as low as possible – carbon markets have emerged as an important catalyst.  Today, companies and individuals can purchase carbon credits to offset their emissions. Each credit represents one tonne of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by a dedicated organisation – for example, a renewable energy or reforestation project.  With the launch of its investing platform in May, climate tech company URECA is mak...
Vulcan Post •

Exploring the ethics of AI: How global regulators are balancing innovation and safety

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been at the forefront of innovation in the 2020s. Generative software such as ChatGPT and Midjourney are pushing creative boundaries, for better or for worse. On one hand, these tools offer a world of potential in fields such as copywriting, graphic design, and research. On the other hand, they can be the source of a number of issues as well, from spreading misinformation to infringing on user privacy.  As this technology becomes more prevalent, there...
Vulcan Post •

How are investors in S'pore navigating the global recession and tech crash?

2022 was a year of turmoil for the US equity markets. The S&P 500 recorded losses of over 20 per cent, and tech stocks performed even worse. Apple and Microsoft fell by almost 30 per cent, and Alphabet – the parent company of Google – fell by almost 40 per cent.  Concerns such as high inflation and interest rates have been cited as reasons behind this downturn. In addition, the two years prior were particularly kind to tech companies. Valuations had reached unprecedented levels and in hindsight,...
Vulcan Post •

Cashbacks are great, but is a crypto Visa card truly worth signing up for S'pore users?

After Binance announced its closure in Singapore last year, Crypto.com caught my eye. It was impossible to miss, really. The company was sparing no expense on sponsorships and advertisements. As someone who spends most weekends watching Formula 1 or UFC, I soon had their Ethereum Lion logo burned in my mind. It didn’t stop there either. There was a billboard in Orchard, banners in MRT stations, and a commercial starring Matt Damon. And as if that still wasn’t enough, they went on to spend US$7

Esquire Singapore

Google Docs •

Why There’s No Such Thing As Free Money

On London's Westminister Bridge, I once saw a man dealing cards onto a cardboard box. Two jokers and a queen he showed the audience, before turning them face down and mixing them up. He did it so...
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Esquire SG •

Ed Freeman's American Dream: touring with The Beatles to reviving the renaissance

Aeroplanes looked different in the 1950s—the golden age of flying, as we now know it. Back then, travelling through the skies was nothing short of a grand affair. In fact, almost 70 years on, Ed Freeman still remembers his first journey. It was 16 hours from Boston to London. That’s almost 10 hours more than it’d take today—I imagine because we no longer need to stop at Nova Scotia, Iceland, and Ireland to refuel. “Pretty primitive,” Freeman describes. “Of course, we didn’t know any better.
Esquire SG •

Money Heist's Pedro Alonso dissects self-identity and his many on-screen lives

Regressing to a past life finds Pedro Alonso filling the sandals of Filipo, an ancient Roman warrior. In an autobiography unlike most others, the actor—I’m referring, of course, to Alonso’s present-day proceedings—details a journey towards spiritual liberation; how encounters with a rebel leader (think Neo from The Matrix) open young Filipo’s eyes to a hidden truth and a troubling trade-off: to serve the system or to serve his principles. For a man robbing the Royal Mint of Spain, this soldier’
Esquire SG •

ChopValue upcycles used chopsticks into sustainable furniture

Numbers rarely make for good company. They’re confusing, not particularly pleasing to look at, and when you introduce them to your friends, they don’t even bother to dress up nice. Brad Pitt found out in Moneyball. As he tried to sell his team of baseball scouts on the concept of batting averages, they looked back bewildered. You knew a good baseball player through the shape of his jawline and his proclivity for partying — numbers had nothing to do with it. In 2016, wood engineer Felix Böck fou
Esquire SG •

Health Club: CRU co-founder Bebe Ding says virtual workouts are here to stay

It was easier to keep participants engaged when they came to the studio. The contrast-driven ambience and presence of company certainly helped. And as CRU co-founder Bebe Ding found herself teaching a cycling class to a camera, such intangibles became more apparent than ever. “The sound, the depth of the instructor’s voice—it isn’t the same,” she explains. “And that’s where most of the motivation comes from in a group class. That’s why you take a group class.” Somewhere in the pipeline—between
Esquire SG •

Jon Max Goh reconciles contemporary fashion with Southeast Asian culture - Esquire Singapore

When Jon Max Goh flew over to study fashion design in New York, he brought along unexpected baggage. It’d take months for him to discover the valuables in his possession, but they have proven essential ever since. “Being abroad, being the only Singaporean in a class of three-hundred students—” Goh recalls. “It made me dig deep into finding a voice that would help me stand apart from everyone else.” In doing so, it turned out that being away from home actually brought Goh closer to it. “I realise
Esquire SG •

Ilhan Fandi speaks about growing up in a family of footballers

Growing up in a family of footballers, Ilhan Fandi found his calling in the sport and his adolescent years have been anything but ordinary. As he tells me about his childhood—which wasn’t all that long ago—Ilhan Fandi pauses to confirm his whereabouts with his manager, Uncle Adrian. Did he turn 11 living in Indonesia or Singapore? For a brief moment, the two consider Malaysia as well, but no, only his father went to live there, Ilhan refutes. Singapore, we settle upon. A return to the homeland,
Esquire SG •

Miyavi brings us a fresh spin on virtual concerts

Live concerts have looked different over the past year and a half. They’ve been robbed of the fanfare. Artists, who once walked out to arenas packed by thousands, now perform out of their living room, waiting for the livestream to fill up before getting the show started. Listeners, who once returned home deafened by the pulsing bass, now try to convince themselves that their phone speaker can provide a similar experience. It can’t. Let’s be honest, virtual concerts will never be quite like the
Esquire SG •

Eden + Elie founder Stephanie Choo on the future of sustainable fashion

"If you don't stick to your values when they're being tested, they're not values; they're hobbies," proclaimed comedian Jon Stewart, much to the dismay of every ethical activist who has dreamed of affording a wardrobe. Sustainable fashion, while a heartwarming idea, can often prove to be a challenge. To spend sixty dollars on a cotton t-shirt when you live walking distance from an H&M? Hercules would've failed his labours had that made the list. However, attitudes do seem to be changing. "I thi
Esquire SG •

Perseverance rover landing: NASA releases the first video footage of Mars

It's not the first time NASA has sent a rover to Mars. But it is the first time that they've equipped it with high-definition video cameras and audio recorders. On Thursday, February 18, the Perseverance rover landing was captured from multiple angles, and NASA has now released the footage for everyone to watch. The four-minute long compilation features shots of the rover looking down at the surface, the parachute looking down on the rover, and even the rover looking up at the parachute. “This
Esquire SG •

The Weeknd left us blinded by the lights at Super Bowl LV

Tom Brady won his seventh championship this weekend, further cementing his claim as the greatest to grace the football field. Well, at least that's what the commentators said. Personally, I'd be hard-pressed to agree or disagree. As someone watching for the first time, I quickly realised that 7:30 was far too early in the morning to try picking up on the nuances of this deceptively named American sport. Plus, I needed to focus my energy on staying awake for The Weeknd's Super Bowl LV half-time s
Esquire SG •

Rare and unseen photos of Muhammad Ali and his opponents

Few athletes are remembered by fans once they’ve hung up their boots. Fewer still are remembered, not just by fans, but by the rest of the world too. One need not have to witness a boxing match to know that Muhammad Ali was the greatest of all time. Although he didn’t retire with a perfect record and spent years of his prime unable to fight—his influence transcended the sport, as it still does today. A dozen films have been made around Ali’s life; even more books written about it. Yet, the allu
Esquire SG •

Do you need to work out every day? We asked fitness professional Khalis Khan

When you spend your week working 9 to 5, it can be tough finding a pressing incentive to tire yourself out even further. Of course, there are some who seem to walk out of the gym with more energy than they walk in with. However, for those of us who don’t see barbells and treadmills in our dreams, getting to the fabled land of gains can be a challenge in and of itself. Whether it be a lack of time or a conflicting lifestyle, there’s just too much which stands in the way of sustaining a daily work

South China Morning Post (Style)

South China Morning Post •

Who is Irene Zhao, the Singapore model who made millions selling her NFTs?

Instagram-famous model Irene Dao is getting attention for another reason right now – her tech savvy. Photo: @b1gqing/Instagram
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Social Space Magazine

Social Space Magazine •

Dance Like Nobody’s Watching: Subastian Tan

Meet Subastian Tan, 23, Programme Leader of DADC, a 14-member team of dancers, theatre practitioners and musicians that creates opportunities for persons with or without disabilities to dance on a semi-professional level. The Singapore Management University undergrad speaks to ISHAN SINGH about disability-led art practices and their significance in forging an inclusive society.
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Social Space Magazine •

Ruan Away with Me: Neil Chua

Meet Neil Chua, 36, founder of RuanAtWorkz Musical Arts (R.A.W.), a non-profit group dedicated to culturally preserving traditional art forms and showcasing the charms of ancient musical instruments such as the ruan (阮) to modern and mainstream audiences. A plucked string instrument dating back to ancient China and played within its royal courts, the ruan almost went extinct (twice) when it disappeared at various points during its 2,000-year-long history. That won’t happen again—at least not on Neil’s watch.

thebopscollective

thebopscollective •

Georgia & The Vintage Youth – Heavy Eyes | A Retro Soul Ballad

If Sia sang soul, I imagine she’d sound a little like frontwoman Georgia of Georgia & The Vintage Youth. A third single, Heavy Eyes, from her upcoming EP, Overthinker, is the song I take a lot of pleasure in writing about today. See, it’s one thing to like a song. It’s another to replay it all day long as you try to best express exactly how it makes you feel.
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thebopscollective •

Muzzle Tung - Gannet | Noise Rock At Its Finest And Weirdest

In a latest video premiere for the song Heroin, the band embody the spirit of punk and hold no reservation as they call out the system for its hollow promises and crumbling facades. We see a compilation of clips depicting a range of different scenes featuring war, medicine, children, US presidents — it’s like a highlight reel of our society over the past few decades. We see a progression from clips of leisure, sports, and dance to those of drugs, money, and man-made explosions. Captured within
thebopscollective •

Cambry H - Goodnight | A Song About A Toxic Relationship And An Interview About A Toxic World

Building upon the signature RnB sound which he has carefully crafted over the years, we get to hear Cambry take a personal approach as he sings about closing the doors on a toxic relationship. Goodnight captures that feeling of trying to give up a vice — you’re still drawn to it, but deep in your mind, you’ve realised that it’s no good for you. The reverb-heavy strings set a perfect backdrop for the intimate lyrics and echoing vocals. It’s a sound reminiscent of artists like PARTYNEXTDOOR and d
thebopscollective •

Terry Blade - Black Hurts | A Heartfelt Soul Ballad About Being Black In America

There’s a keen juxtaposition between the beauty of the production and vocals, and the tragic situations which they were inspired by. You can hear the pain in Terry’s voice as he sings about the burdens he faces simply on account of the colour of his skin. It’s songs like this which make my love for art deepen. They make me realise just how important it is to maintain a sense of perspective in life. There’s so much maturity which goes into showcasing struggles with such elegance and grace.
thebopscollective •

Adultes - ELMNT, L.O.T, & The Fitness | Sampled Boom Bap Back At Its Finest

I’m hearing influences from some of my favourite conscious rappers on here. There’s Risk To Love with the lazy mid-summer production reminiscent of Isaiah Rashad. ELMNT matches the atmosphere with his effortless cadence, and L.O.T brings in blissful melodies akin to SZA on Stuck In The Mud. Then you have the second verse on Be The Reason, which honestly captures the 90s vibe to a T. I’m reminded of Souls of Mischief and Mos Def. ELMNT’s delivery is as charismatic as it gets. Each word is crysta
thebopscollective •

MileHi - Your Body | 2AM Music, Alt-Blackness, and Toxic Masculitinity

First off, let’s talk about the vocals. They’re sublime. The runs and melodies we get to hear on this song are so well placed. On one hand they add flavour and character to the song and on the other, they don’t do it to a point where it feels like an audition. From a listener’s perspective, Your Body is cursed with the best kind of problem. It’s so catchy that you want to sing along, but the vocal performance is so good that you don’t want to miss any bit of it. Moving on to the production, we
thebopscollective •

Naked House - Wave Goodbye | A Surreal Journey For A Wandering Mind

Damon’s put together eight songs which are designed to take you on a trip — they’re complex, they’re intricate, and they clearly have a lot to say. I love the attention given to each canvas, and this melting pot of pop-rock subgenres which it culminates in. We start off to G’Night which somehow manages to make a techno bassline work alongside mellow guitars and angelic harmonies. Then there’s Ocular Whisper, which is distantly reminiscent of Wonderwall, Radiohead, and Daft Punk — all at once. S
thebopscollective •

Our Man In The Field - Great White Hope | Boxing, Politics, And A History Lesson

Great White Hope is an Americana song but you needn’t be a fan of Americana to enjoy it. There’s a lot to appreciate here, and it’s all remarkably easy to find. The story’s compelling, the vocals are heartfelt, the instruments feel unmistakably human — I’ve been searching for something to complain about and come up short after each listen through. Our Man In The Field has a full-length album in his discography too, for those left wanting to listen to more — which I assume comprises of everyone
thebopscollective •

Best Of RnB/Hip-Hop: Evocative Lyrics To Make You Think

As the song builds up to a calming climax, we finally hear Akin and Agi bring their talents together and weave harmonies seamlessly across the canvas. The influences on here are diverse. I’m hearing indie pop stylings akin to acts like Oh Wonder and Louis The Child. The atmosphere itself runs deep into acoustic RnB territories — think Daniel Caesar or Brent Faiyaz. I’m impressed at how the song stays captivating throughout its runtime without relying heavily on dynamic changes. It feels like a

Boutique Fairs SG (Public Culture)

Boutique Fairs Singapore •

Quanda Ong, Gnome & Bow

For example, the bags in Book I: The Hare & the Flying Tortoise, were borne from a functional standpoint. Having travelled to many parts of the world, I realised the need for a bag with an easily accessible laptop-slot, which would make it quicker to get through airport security checks. So, I started dabbling with a bag that had two main zippers. The parallel alignment of zippers reminded me of a racetrack. That's how The Hare & the Flying Tortoise was born. The story narrates the rat race in th
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Lien Centre for Social Innovation

Lien Centre for Social Innovation •

Ishan Singh at the Regional Youth For Change Conference | Lien Centre for Social Innovation

A trip to the Philippines sounded like all the jazz when I expressed my desire to travel with LCSI's Executive Director, Christy Davis, to the Youth For Change Conference in December 2019. The team had been discussing the “Who’s Afraid of Social Innovation” workshop she would deliver to 50 or so youth from all over Asia, and I thought it would be fun to go along! My role was to co-facilitate the workshop, providing the youth perspective so our session would meet their needs. It took me longer t
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SMU Economics Intelligence Club

SMU SEIC •

1st Place Submission: Why does an empire fall?

It’s true, Rome’s final years were marked by invasions from Huns and Barbarians. But the Romans had faced invasions before. So, why now, did the finest military of the ancient world succumb to those who wished ill upon it? Well, the new invaders came with sharpened swords. But more importantly, they came up against cracked armour. Rome’s downfall began, not with a battle, but with neglected civil needs, rising unemployment, and a widening class divide.
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