20 YEARS OF CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT IN SINGAPORE
“STI will stay true to its goal of tailoring its programs to the needs of countries in the Asia-Pacific region. we will continue to draw on regional expertise and focus on knowledge sharing, and collaboration with our training partners in the region. IN 1998 – TWENTY YEARS AGO – THE IMF’S SINGAPORE REGIONAL TRAINING INSTITUTE (STI) WAS CREATED WITH A BOLD VISION IN MIND: BY FOCUSING ON CAPACITY BUILDING, ASIAN COUNTRIES COULD LEAVE THE SHADOWS OF THE 1998 CRISIS BEHIND. At STI, a center located in Asia, policy makers could learn from each other and from global experiences to chart a safe and prosperous path forward. In line with its mission, STI has since trained over 14,000 government officials from the region in macroeconomic policies, statistics, and in financial and legal issues. Lectures, workshops, and case studies are geared to bring knowledge from around the world to the region and to highlight lessons and success stories from Asia. Twenty years on and another crisis later – the 2008 global financial crisis – STI’s work continues. Classroom training in core macroeconomic areas remains at the heart of our activities, but the program has become more versatile. Currently, in over 40 courses, seminars, and workshops in- and outside of Singapore our lecturers discuss international best practices, encourage peer-to-peer learning, and review latest economic policy research. Looking ahead, STI’s work will remain focused on building Asian institutions that foster stability and growth. But institutions have to also be adaptable as the world is changing. This will require preparing officials to work in a new digital economy, manage international spillovers and globalization, enhance cyber-resiliency, and harness benefits of FinTech and other innovations. In these efforts, STI will stay true to its goal of tailoring its programs to the needs of countries in the Asia-Pacific region. We will continue to draw on regional expertise and focus on knowledge sharing, and collaboration with our training partners in the region. We are grateful for 20 years of support and hope to welcome you soon in Singapore. |
