Aaron Maniam on Futures Thinking in Government

Aaron Maniam

Fellow of practice and Director, Digital transformation Education at Blavatnik School of Government

Previously a policymaker in the Singapore government, he was most recently Deputy Secretary (Industry & International) at the Singapore Ministry of Communications & Information, overseeing the ministry’s work in the digital economy, digital literacy and inclusion, and digital diplomacy - with a concurrent cross-government role coordinating Singapore’s strategy in global branding, soft power and public diplomacy. Before that, he served in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Trade & Industry, the Public Service Division and Civil Service College. In particular, he was the founding Head of the Centre for Strategic Futures, currently under the Prime Minister’s Office Strategy Group, and Institute Director for the Institute of Public Sector Leadership. In both roles, he was involved in conceptualising, facilitating, delivering and sustaining cross-government strategy, visioning, leadership development and organisational development efforts, as well as sharing Singapore’s work with other countries in capability-building programmes. 

He was recognised by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader in 2013, by the Asia Society as an Asia 21 Young Leader in 2007, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of the Arts, Manufacture and Commerce (FRSA).

Aaron did his PhD at the Blavatnik School of Government on a Clarendon Scholarship, focused on comparing the work of leading digital states like Estonia, New Zealand and Singapore. He holds an MPP from the School (with Distinction), a Master of Arts in International and Development Economics from Yale University, and a BA (double first-class honours) from Oxford in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.