The fourth annual Next STEP conference under the auspices of the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) at the National University of Singapore will take place December 2-3, 2024, in Singapore, featuring Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization.
Tensions between the United States and China are fracturing economic and geopolitical relationships across the globe. International institutions are increasingly in gridlock, and retaliatory policies are on the rise. How can all countries strike a balance between pursuing national interests and fostering international or even regional cooperation? That is a question that large and small economies must address. At a time of rising economic and political turmoil, the conference aims to explore policies and mechanisms for the countries stuck in the middle of great power competition, how to best overcome the gridlock, and maintain a level multilateral playing field.
The Next STEP Global Conference 2024 will open with analyses of economic scenarios presented by PIIE scholars on the likely international economic plans of the next US administration, with a focus on the impact for specific regions and economies. These research presentations will be followed by on-the-record remarks from distinguished leaders and panel discussions with research and policy experts.
Additional speakers are forthcoming.
Keynote Speaker
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation. The first woman and first African to hold the position.
She is an economist and international development expert with over 40 years of experience. Dr Okonjo-Iweala was Chair of the Board of Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, African Risk Capacity and Co-Chair of The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate, in addition to serving as a Senior Advisor at Lazard and sitting on the Boards of Standard Chartered and Twitter, now X. She is Co-Chair of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water, a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Brookings and a Harvard Kennedy School Global Public Leader.
She served as Nigeria's first female and longest serving Finance Minister (7 years) and was also the first female Foreign Minister. Her 25-year career at the World Bank culminated in her rising to the No.2 position of Managing Director, Operations.
Dr Okonjo-Iweala is the recipient of numerous honors and has authored several books. She holds a Bachelor's in Economics from Harvard University and a PhD in Regional Economics and Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations
Republic of Singapore
Ms Grace Fu graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy (Honours), and subsequently obtained a Masters of Business Administration from the National University of Singapore. She spent the early part of her career in the private sector. She last held the position of Chief Executive Officer, PSA Southeast Asia and Japan, overseeing the business performance of PSA's port terminals in Singapore, Thailand, Brunei and Japan.
Ms Fu joined politics in 2006 and is an elected Member of Parliament representing Yuhua Constituency. She held appointments in various Ministries including National Development, Education, Information, Communications and the Arts, Environment and Water Resources, and Foreign Affairs. In 2015, Ms Fu was appointed Minister for Culture, Community and Youth. In July 2020, Ms Fu was appointed Minister for Sustainability and the Environment. In January 2024, Ms Fu concurrently assumed the responsibility as Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations.
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