1. Supian and Hartung argue that talent in Singapore is too narrowly defined and that we tend to produce only certain types of talent. Do you agree with their views?



With its outstanding education and meritocracy system, Singapore is able to produce a pool of talents whom are able to aid in boosting Singapore’s economy in different working fields. However, I agree that the talent in Singapore is too narrowly defined which may be caused by the stereotypical definition of talents.

First of all, Supian argued that Singaporeans should embrace a culture that rewards risk taking as being the ‘standard’ talents will become too heavy a task and narrows the people’s views on talents. According to Supian, ‘Down here, it’s very hard to fail economically. If you fail, you don’t have a good place to stay and there’s social stigma. In Silicon Valley, if you fail, you just start again. Nobody looks down on you. You just rent a cheap apartment and start again.’ This is true for the case in Singapore, The talents nurtured in Singapore are usually being accessed by their academic results in schools and success in career. There is hardly a chance for you to try something out of the box without having the fear of consequences to face if things were to fail. Talents hence are usually produced in the same manner, bearing the same capabilities, with no change in their area of talent.

In addition, Singapore has failed to produce talents that are able to be manipulative, flexible or creative. According to Hartung, ‘One banker told of mixing graduates of foreign and local universities in the marketing department, to blend foreign-nurtured creativity with the locally-nurtured ability for process management. Another manager related how he often had to push staff to find alternative solutions since they routinely develop just one solution and easily accept rejection.’ Hence it also implies that Singapore’s definition of talents is usually understood on a narrow scope which nurtured talents on the same narrow base. I agree on this point as the current education system in Singapore largely instills thinking in students that talents are people who are able to provide standard solutions to every question. As a result, many students lose their ability to be flexible to situations out of ‘standard solutions’ and have lost the creativity to think up of new solutions to the unexpected problems that arised.

In conclusion, I agree that Singapore’s talents are too narrowly defined and this may hinder Singapore’s future economic growth if Singapore’s talents are confined to such a narrow scope of development.

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