#103 Systems That Hold Nations Together — And What Happens When They Fail Us 《支撑国家的系统──以及当它们开始崩塌时》
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#103 Systems That Hold Nations Together — And What Happens When They Fail Us 《支撑国家的系统──以及当它们开始崩塌时》

A MAR VIN Foo Newsletter Issue (Featuring: Zhang Xueliang, Dr. Goh Keng Swee, Tunku Abdul Rahman, broadband failures, and the systems thinking needed for The Thousand Ships vision.) SECTION 1 — THE FORGOTTEN CHANGEMAKERS Zhang Xueliang, Dr. Goh Keng Swee & Tunku Abdul Rahman — Leaders Who Carried Nations on Their Shoulders History remembers empires,…

#102 Leadership Lessons from King David: Courage, Contradictions, and the Making of a Modern Leader 大多数领导者的故事始于权力。
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#102 Leadership Lessons from King David: Courage, Contradictions, and the Making of a Modern Leader 大多数领导者的故事始于权力。

Most leadership stories begin with power. King David’s began with a forgotten shepherd boy — the youngest, the smallest, the one nobody paid attention to. And perhaps that’s why his leadership still resonates today. Because true leadership does not start from titles, offices, or armies. It begins in the quiet space where a person decides:…

#101 🌏When Diverse Minds Meet, New Pathways Open — Reflections from a Week of Conversations Across Asia’s Sustainability Circle 🌏 当不同领域的人相遇,新的路径便会被开启 —— 一周跨越亚洲可持续生态圈的深度对话
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#101 🌏When Diverse Minds Meet, New Pathways Open — Reflections from a Week of Conversations Across Asia’s Sustainability Circle 🌏 当不同领域的人相遇,新的路径便会被开启 —— 一周跨越亚洲可持续生态圈的深度对话

🌏 This past week was a reminder of a simple truth I’ve experienced throughout my journey: When the right people gather — even by chance — new pathways open. In a span of a few days, I found myself in conversations that cut across maritime innovation, sustainability, M&A, energy transition, healthcare, IT infrastructure, and cross-border…

#100 When Job Losses Rise but Public Bonuses Hit 1.7 Months — Singapore Must Rethink What “Service Excellence” Really Means 当裁员加速、却发放 1.7 个月花红——新加坡必须重新思考什么是真正的“卓越服务”
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#100 When Job Losses Rise but Public Bonuses Hit 1.7 Months — Singapore Must Rethink What “Service Excellence” Really Means 当裁员加速、却发放 1.7 个月花红——新加坡必须重新思考什么是真正的“卓越服务”

Over the past year, I’ve spoken to countless professionals, parents, business owners, HR leaders and job-seekers. Across every group, one line keeps surfacing: “The numbers look good. But the ground reality doesn’t match.” Across industries, job losses and quiet retrenchments are accelerating. PMETs are disproportionately affected. Hiring freezes are becoming common. This isn’t speculation —…

#99 🌏When Systems Fail but People Don’t: Is Mastercard Still for Asia — and How SMDC Became the Saving Grace of the Week 🌏 当系统失灵,但人性不失
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#99 🌏When Systems Fail but People Don’t: Is Mastercard Still for Asia — and How SMDC Became the Saving Grace of the Week 🌏 当系统失灵,但人性不失

By Mar Vin Foo 胡马宾 | Top Voice in Corporate Sustainability Asia is one of the world’s most dynamic and demanding regions for digital payments and business operations. Many global brands claim to be “for Asia,” and Mastercard has long ridden on this narrative. But a series of lived experiences — including those from readers…

#98 What happens when boys grow up with Disney girls?
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#98 What happens when boys grow up with Disney girls?

#98 🚢 “As a family of four, we’ve grown up with Disney dreams — movies, music, and moments that shaped our childhoods and now our children’s. 🌏 Sailing on a magical Disney Cruise would be our chance to step inside the stories we love, explore new worlds together, and create memories our 13-year-old and 10-year-old…

TIEMBA Tsinghua-INSEAD EMBA 2027 Dinner at South East, NUS Shaw Foundation Alumni House
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#97 🌍 Global Minds, Shared Purpose: Reflections from the Tsinghua–INSEAD EMBA 2027 Dinner 🌏 全球视野,共同使命 —— 清华–INSEAD EMBA 2027 晚宴感想

Last evening, I had the privilege of joining fellow members of the Tsinghua–INSEAD EMBA 2027 community for an intimate dinner at South East, NUS Shaw Foundation Alumni House. What began as a simple gathering quickly evolved into a rich exchange of ideas — crossing industries, nations, and belief systems. 🌍 A Truly Global Table Around…

#96 🚢 A Thousand Ships. A Future for All. 🚢 千帆启航,为全人类的未来。
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#96 🚢 A Thousand Ships. A Future for All. 🚢 千帆启航,为全人类的未来。

#96 🌏 We’ve just updated our 海莉能源 Haily.energy Page. Visit our Page to see the latest updates. 🌏 我们刚刚更新了我们的海莉能源主页。欢迎访问,查看最新动态。 🚢 A Thousand Ships. A Future for All. 🌿 Preparing humanity for rising seas by turning plastic waste into clean energy, resilient ocean vessels, and climate-ready communities. 📍 From Noah’s Ark to a Thousand Modern ShipsIn…

#95 Singapore’s Quiet Squeeze: When Misclassification, Housing Policies, and Bureaucratic Delays Reveal a Deeper Pattern 制度永远是对的——即使是错的
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#95 Singapore’s Quiet Squeeze: When Misclassification, Housing Policies, and Bureaucratic Delays Reveal a Deeper Pattern 制度永远是对的——即使是错的

It began with a simple administrative mistake — at least, that’s what the authorities would call it. A reader close to my heart and family discovered that she had been wrongly classified as self-employed by the tax authorities since YA2022. Despite having no employment income, this error triggered a cascade: But as we dug deeper,…

#94 Forgotten Histories, Modern Blind Spots: From the Barbary Slave Trade to Today’s “Red-washing” in Healthcare 被遗忘的历史与现代的盲点:从巴巴里奴隶贸易到当今医疗体系中的「红漂(Red-washing)」
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#94 Forgotten Histories, Modern Blind Spots: From the Barbary Slave Trade to Today’s “Red-washing” in Healthcare 被遗忘的历史与现代的盲点:从巴巴里奴隶贸易到当今医疗体系中的「红漂(Red-washing)」

🕊 Newsletter #94 Forgotten Histories, Modern Blind Spots: From the Barbary Slave Trade to Today’s “Red-washing” in Healthcare Between the 16th and 19th centuries, a lesser-known chapter of human history unfolded across the Mediterranean. While Europe was shaping the modern world through exploration and innovation, an estimated 1.2 to 2.5 million Christian men, women, and…