New leadership course aims to nurture 100 young Chinese community leaders in 5 years: Chee Hong Tat

The government will be funding a new leadership course to nurture young, future leaders for the Chinese community in Singapore.

The course will be conducted annually, with the first run launching by mid-2026.

The target is to identify and develop about 100 young leaders in their 30s and 40s over the next five years, and hone their ability to contribute to the growth of Singapore’s society.

The Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) and Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) will form a joint taskforce to run the course in complement to their existing leadership development programmes.

Minister Chee Hong Tat, the Chairman of the Chinese Community Liaison Group, first announced the programme to the media in June, and it was later highlighted by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong during the National Day Rally.

On Aug. 20, Chee met with the media again to share more details.

Passion to serve

Potential leaders will first be nominated by Chinese community groups, then go through a selection process to be chosen to participate in the leadership course.

They will be young council members or board directors with leadership potential, the SFCCA said in a statement.

Nominations will open later this year.

Chee shared that over the past few months, he had been heartened to meet several new, younger members brought in by Chinese clan associations and community groups.

These youths include people who were born and grew up in Singapore, new immigrants, and children of new immigrant families.

"But what is common, from what I see in my interactions with all of them, is the passion to serve the community and to give back to society," he said.

In its statement, the SFCCA expressed concern that about the younger generation's interest in Chinese culture and Chinese community groups have gradually declined in recent years.

This creates challenges for the leadership succession and continuity of clan associations.

Chee said the new course offers a solution by giving Singapore many candidates to choose from when leadership succession is needed within these organisations.

It will be important to drive the long-term development of the Chinese community, he added.

To provide further support, the government will work with the SFCCA to help the Chinese clan associations, especially the smaller ones, modernise their operations.

Chee shared that the government and the SFCCA are discussing the development of a suite of shared services that the associations can tap into, including human resources, finance, membership and volunteer management, event management, and publicity.

The curriculum

The leadership course curriculum will be designed by the SFCCA and SCCCI taskforce in partnership with the Chinese Community Liaison Group.

It will include modules on strategic and organisational leadership, sharings on government policies, networking opportunities, and dialogues with political office holders and senior community leaders.

Through the course, the young leaders will deepen their understanding of the strategic issues facing Singapore, including geopolitical changes around the world.

They will also learn about the important role that the Chinese community can continue to play in developing cohesion and unity in Singapore, such as with new Chinese immigrants and with other ethnic groups, Chee shared.

The interactions with senior leaders will also help the participants build up strong networks, he added.

Top image by Wu Xueting/Mothership