Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong engaged in a dialogue with students from the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) on Wednesday evening, Sept. 4.

One-hour session

Some 500 students attended the one-hour SUSS Ministerial Forum 2019 session based on three themes: The role and relevance of a university degree, the future of work and employment, as well as the future of Singapore.

SUSS became Singapore's sixth autonomous university in 2017.

It offers full-time and part-time graduate and undergraduate courses.

This session with PM Lee was SUSS's first ministerial forum.

What did the dialogue cover?

The proceedings of the dialogue have been reported in various depth by The Straits Times, CNA and Today.

There are major overlaps in the three reports.

Here is a summary:

Post-National Day Rally tracking by government

• The government has been tracking feedback on the 2019 National Day Rally.

• There was a clear difference between the reactions of younger and older Singaporeans.

• The issue of climate change resonated more with the young.

• Older Singaporeans are more focused on the increase in retirement and re-employment ages, as well as Central Provident Fund contribution rates.

Part-time students could be getting more help with fees

• Fees and bursaries for part-time students will be reviewed.

• And if necessary, these fees and bursaries will be adjusted.

• The government has not yet revised the fees and bursaries for part-time students, but "fees and bursaries should be affordable for working adults", PM Lee said.

Helping adults continue with education

• The biggest challenge for Singapore's education system is to make it effective for continual learning.

• Educational programmes have to be suited to meet the learning needs and styles of adults up till 70 years old.

• Employers have to understand and make adjustments when their workers go for courses structured in a modular fashion.

• Courses structured in modular fashion means that lecturers have to be able to adapt teaching styles to help older people to learn at their own pace.

The complementary role of foreigners working alongside Singaporeans

• Singapore graduates have to be hungry to compete with foreigners, who may be more hungry and willing to work for lower pay.

• PM Lee said: "I think that we have to be hungry too. Because if we're not hungry, somebody will steal our lunch."

• The government has to manage and track carefully foreign workers' numbers, standards, and proportions, to make sure that they don't crowd Singaporeans out.

• Singapore has a low fertility rate, so foreigners are needed to top up the shortfall and complement Singaporeans, and to seize opportunities.

• Companies would be less likely to go to other countries in the region if they can set up shop here.

• Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and India are possible alternatives for companies to bring their jobs to.

Difficult to make speech right after National Day Rally

PM Lee kept his opening remarks brief and limited it to only 10 minutes.

He said towards the end of his short address that it was always difficult to give a speech right after the National Day Rally.

PM Lee said to laughter from the audience: "It's always very hard to make a speech a few weeks after the National Day Rally."

"I cannot make the same speech. I have to take a different approach. At the National day rally my approach is, 'Long speech, no questions'."

"Today my approach is, 'Short speech, so I can take lots of questions'."

"So, I will take questions now, so go ahead and shoot."

You can watch PM Lee's 10-minute opening address here:

A total of 22 videos have been uploaded onto YouTube and made into a SUSS Ministerial Forum 2019 playlist by the Prime Minister's Office.

You can watch them sequentially by playing this video (each video ranges from 42 seconds to 3 minutes 49 seconds):