Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Cities must be sustainable, liveable to attract top talent: President Tony Tan

LONDON — Cities today must be sustainable and liveable to attract the best and the brightest talent, said President Tony Tan Keng Yam at a banquet at London’s Guildhall yesterday (Oct 22), as part of his state visit to the United Kingdom.

Follow TODAY on WhatsApp

LONDON — Cities today must be sustainable and liveable to attract the best and the brightest talent, said President Tony Tan Keng Yam at a banquet at London’s Guildhall yesterday (Oct 22), as part of his state visit to the United Kingdom.

In his speech, Dr Tan noted that both Singapore and London have done well, with Singapore ranked as one of the most liveable cities in Asia and London named the most desirable place to work.

“There is no better accolade that a global city could aspire to,” said Dr Tan. “While Singapore is not too far behind at number 9, and still the top in Asia, we must continue to do more to attract and retain the best talent,” he said.

“I believe London and Singapore can learn from each other on this front, especially with regard to tackling similar challenges such as social integration and housing affordability,” he added.

The President added that Singapore is a gateway for Asia, and London a gateway for Europe. Hence, it is natural that both cities should continue to deepen and expand existing links as they adapt to the changing world. He also noted that there is much both cities can learn from each other’s experiences.

Dr Tan also said that he is happy that the momentum of his state visit will carry on to next year, as Singapore becomes the featured city in the City of London Festival next year.

At the Guildhall, Dr Tan was greeted by The Lord Mayor of London Fiona Woolf, and also received a royal salute by the guard of honour. Earlier yesterday, he also celebrated Deepavali with Singaporeans in London at an event organised by the Singapore-UK Association.

Dr Tan also met Opposition leader Ed Milliband at the Buckingham Palace yesterday. The President will officially bid farewell to the Queen today, having stayed at Buckingham Palace for two nights. He will then make a day trip to Bristol, where he will be hosted to lunch by the city’s mayor. He will also visit the University of Bristol. CHANNEL NEWS ASIA

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.