Asian Family Conference 2017 (Incorporating 3rd Asian Guardianship Conference)

The Asian Family Conference aims to bring together policy-makers, practitioners and academics to discuss issues relating to families in Asia. The theme for the inaugural conference this year is Ageing Families in Asia: Challenges and Opportunities. The issue of ageing families is particularly relevant for Singapore and other Asian countries, where populations are ageing rapidly. The conference will discuss emerging trends, policies and practices pertaining to changing family structures and ageing in Asian societies.

Alongside the Asian Family Conference, Singapore will be hosting the 3rd Asian Guardianship Conference – an annual event where experts and practitioners from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Singapore share on best practices on guardianship issues.

The conference is by invitation only.

PROGRAMME

AM	Opening speech by Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for Social and Family Development Keynote by Ms Anne Hollonds, Director, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Australia “Challenges and Opportunities of Family Policies in Ageing Societies” Keynote by Dr Vivian Lou , Director, Sau Po Centre on Ageing, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong “Financial and Employment Impact of Family Caregivers in Hong Kong” Panel moderated by Prof Paulin Straughan, Professor of Sociology (Practice) and Dean of Students, Singapore Management University, Singapore
	Asian Family Conference Concurrent Session 1 “Building Resilient Family Ties in Ageing Societies” 3rd Asian Guardianship Conference Concurrent Session 1 “Best Practices in the Asian Guardianship Models”
	Lunch
PM	Asian Family Conference Concurrent Session 2 “Strengthening Elder Caregiving in Ageing Societies” 3rd Asian Guardianship Conference Concurrent Session 2 “Challenges in Implementing Guardianship Laws & Practices” Asian Family Conference Concurrent Session 3 “Strengthening Intergenerational Relations in Ageing Societies” 3rd Asian Guardianship Conference Concurrent Session 3 “Next Steps: Supporting Elderly without Next-of-Kin”

Concurrent Session 1

ASIAN FAMILY CONFERENCE Building Resilient Family Ties in Ageing Societies

3RD ASIAN GUARDIANSHIP CONFERENCE Best Practices in the Asian Guardianship Models

Moderated by: A/P Thang Leng Leng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore Speakers: 1. Professor Stella Quah, Adjunct Professor, Health Services & Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore “Beyond Grandparenting: Social Capital and the Dynamic Transformation of the Senior Generation” 2. Dr Leong Chan Hoong, Head (Social Lab) & Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore, Singapore & Ms Paveena Seah, Senior Research Analyst, Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore, Singapore “Living with Parents: Evolving Family Dynamics within Singapore Households” 3. A/P Angelique Chan, Executive Director, Centre for Ageing Research and Education, & Associate Professor, Program in Health Services and Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore “Intergenerational Transfers in Singapore: How Supportive are Families?” 4. Ms Susana Harding, Director, International Longevity Centre, Tsao Foundation, Singapore Sharing from a practitioner’s perspective: Intergenerational transfers in Singapore: “How Supportive are Families?”

Moderated by: Judge Colin Tan, District Judge, Family Justice Courts, Singapore Speakers: 1. Professor Cheolung Je, Director, Korean Research Center for Guardianship and Trust, Korea “Legislative Work for Successful Implementation of the Adult Guardianship Law in Korea” 2. Mr Li Chenyang, Notary, Notary Public Office of Shanghai, China “The Situation and Challenges of Adult Guardianship Notarization in China” 3. Mr Akihiko Shimizu, Executive Director, Council of Social Welfare in Nishinomiya City, Japan “Person-centred Assistance in Nishinomiya” & Mr Hisashi Tanabe, Director of Community Welfare Department, Iga City Council of Social Welfare, Japan “Recent Trend of Revisions to Adult Guardianship” 4. A/P Tai Yu-Zu, Associate Professor, National Taipei University, Taiwan “The Balance of Autonomy and Care in Taiwan’s Adult Guardianship System”

Concurrent Session 2

ASIAN FAMILY CONFERENCE Strengthening Elder Caregiving in Ageing Societies

3RD ASIAN GUARDIANSHIP CONFERENCE Challenges in Implementing Guardianship Laws and Practices

Moderated by: A/P Angelique Chan, Executive Director, Centre for Ageing Research and Education, & Associate Professor, Program in Health Services and Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore Speakers: 1. Dr Rahul Malhotra, Head of Research, Centre for Ageing Research and Education, & Assistant Professor, Program in Health Services and Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore “Research on Family Caregivers of Older Singaporeans: Past, Present and Future” 2. A/P Thang Leng Leng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore & Mr Suen Johan, PhD Candidate, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom “In the Face of Vulnerabilities: Informal Caregivers of Dependent Elders from Lower-Income Households in Singapore” 3. Ms Wang Jing, Assistant Director, Coaching and Counselling Service, Hua Mei Centre for Successful Ageing, Tsao Foundation, Singapore Sharing from a practitioner’s perspective: “In the Face of Vulnerabilities: Informal Caregivers of Dependent Elders from Lower-Income Households in Singapore” 4. Dr Rachel Carson, Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Australia “Towards a Better Understanding of Elder Abuse” 5. Mr Ong Yunn Shing, Director (Aged Care Services), Ageing Planning Office, Ministry of Health, Singapore “Enabling Ageing-In-Place in Singapore”

Moderated by: Judge Daniel Koh, District Judge, Family Justice Courts, Singapore Speakers: 1. Mr Charles Chiu, Chairperson, Hong Kong Guardianship Board, Hong Kong “Making it Work: Lessons to Learn from Challenging Guardianship Cases” 2. Professor Li-Xia, Professor, Law School of East China University, China “The Challenges of China's New Adult Guardianship in the Implementation” 3. Judge Colin Tan, District Judge, Family Justice Court, Singapore “Challenges and Opportunities in Dealing with Mental Incapacity Cases – The Singapore Experience” 4. Judge Lee Liling, Judge, Taipei District Court, Taiwan “The Guardianship and Involuntary Hospitalization in Taiwan”

Concurrent Session 3

ASIAN FAMILY CONFERENCE Strengthening Intergenerational Relations in Ageing Societies

3RD ASIAN GUARDIANSHIP CONFERENCE Next Steps: Supporting Elderly without Next-of-Kin

Moderated by: Mr Khoo Oon Soo, Commissioner for Maintenance of Parents, Singapore Speakers: 1. Mr Khoo Oon Soo, Commissioner for Maintenance of Parents, Singapore “Reflections on Intergenerational Ties in Singapore: CMP Case Studies” 2. Dr Helen Ko, Executive Director, Beyond Age, Singapore “Healing Strained Relationships in Ageing Families: Insights and Implications for Practice” 3. Professor Kalyani Mehta, Head, Graduate Gerontology Programme, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore “Voices of Grandparents: An Asian Perspective”

Moderated by: Ms Ang Bee Lian, Director of Social Welfare, Ministry of Social and Family Development, Singapore Speakers: 1. Professor Takashi Oka, Professor, Department of Law, Faculty of Law of Gakushuin University, Japan “Problems of Voluntary Guardianship and Direction of their Reform” 2. Ms Jueun Park, Deputy Manager, Central Support Center for Children with Disabilities and Persons with Developmental Disabilities, Korea “Cases of Integration of the Persons with Developmental Disabilities into the Communities with the Assistance of Volunteer Public Guardians in Korea” 3. Ms Ang Bee Lian, Director of Social Welfare, Ministry of Social and Family Development, Singapore “Supporting elderly without next-of-kin: philosophy and principle” 4. Ms Esther Tan, General Manager, Special Needs Trust Company Singapore “SNTC’s Pre-Planning cum Trust Service: Supporting Elderly without Next-of-Kin”

Keynote Speakers +

• 
  Ms Anne Hollonds
  Director, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Australia “Challenges and Opportunities of Family Policies in Ageing Societies”

  Anne Hollonds is one of Australia’s leading voices on child and family wellbeing. She has over 30 years’ experience in policy and practice, including leadership of large organizations providing a wide range of social services, education and health programs for children, youth, families, and older people.
  As Director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies, an independent statutory authority of the Australian Government, Anne is responsible for conducting research and providing independent advice on family wellbeing. The Institute conducts quantitative and qualitative research, and disseminates findings to policy-makers, service providers and the community, to increase understanding of factors affecting families and to promote the wellbeing of families.

• 
  Dr Vivian Lou
  Director, Sau Po Centre on Ageing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong “Financial and Employment Impact of Family Caregivers in Hong Kong”

  Dr Vivian Lou is the Director of Sau Po Centre on Ageing at The University of Hong Kong. She is also an Associate Professor at Department of Social Work & Social Administration. Her research interests focus on family gerontology, in particular family caregiving for frail older adults and grandchildren, intergenerational support, social adaptation and mental health of Chinese older adult. She also has a keen interest in practice research on building evidence-based models that contribute to the enhancement of psycho-spiritual well-being of Chinese older adults.

Moderators +

• 
  Ms Ang Bee Lian
  Director of Social Welfare, Ministry of Social and Family Development, Singapore

  Ms Ang Bee Lian has many years of experience in policy making and operational services in the social sector. Trained as a social worker, she also has a Masters in Social Policy & Planning from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She served in various capacities in the current Ministry of Social and Family Development since her graduation. She is currently the Director of Social Welfare in Singapore. As Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of Social Service from 2007 - 2013, she was involved in developing policies and implementing programmes to grow the social service sector in Singapore.

• 
  A/P Angelique Chan
  Executive Director, Centre for Ageing Research and Education, &
  Associate Professor, Program in Health Services and Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore

  Dr Angelique Chan holds joint appointments as Associate Professor in the Signature Program in Health Services & Systems Research, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and the Department of Sociology, NUS. She is the Inaugural Executive Director of the Centre for Ageing Research & Education (CARE, Duke-NUS). She has published widely on aging issues in leading international journals including the Journal of American Geriatrics Society, Journal of Aging and Health, and Journal of Gerontology Series B: Social Sciences and book chapters. Her current research examines disability transitions, mortality, and the effects of social support on health, caregiver burden, and use of long-term care services. She has consulted for Singapore Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social and Family Development, Agency for Integrated Care, the United Nations, Temasek Foundation and the World Bank.

• 
  Judge Colin Tan
  District Judge, Family Justice Courts, Singapore

  Judge Colin Tan is a qualified doctor and lawyer. He studied medicine at the National University of Singapore and later law at University College London. He was appointed as a District Judge in the Family and Juvenile Justice Division of the Subordinate Courts in 2010 and currently serves as a District Judge in the Family Justice Courts where he presides over Mental Capacity Act and other family law cases.

• 
  Judge Daniel Koh
  District Judge, Family Justice Courts, Singapore

  Judge Daniel Koh is the first Public Guardian with the Office of the Public Guardian under the Ministry of Social and Family Development in Singapore. He was seconded from the Attorney General’s Chambers in 2009 to take on this appointment. His secondment ended in 2015 and he is currently a District Judge in the Family Justice Courts.
  
  Prior to this, he spent more than two decades in public service, serving as a Magistrate, Assistant Registrar, District Judge and Registrar in the Subordinate Courts of Singapore. In his various roles, Mr Koh has contributed significantly in enhancing public access to justice and heightening public trust and confidence in the courts and the rule of law.

• 
  Mr Khoo Oon Soo
  Commissioner for Maintenance of Parents, Singapore

  Mr Khoo is the Commissioner for the Maintenance of Parents, a position he has held since May 2010. Prior to being appointed Commissioner, he was the Principal District Judge at the Family Court. Mr Khoo received LL.M. degrees (Masters of Laws) from National University of Singapore and Cambridge University, and has over forty years of legal experience. He is the author of Parent-Child Law in Singapore (Butterworth, 1984), and the co-editor of Practitioner’s Library, Family Law and Juvenile Court Practice (LexisNexis 2008). Mr Khoo was awarded the Long Service Medal in 1998 and the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2008.

• 
  Professor Paulin Straughan
  Professor of Sociology (Practice) and Dean of Students, Singapore Management University, Singapore

  Professor Straughan’s research interests center around sociology of family and medical sociology. Her current research investigates environmental risk factors in childhood obesity. She is also the Principal Investigator of recently concluded project on Successful Ageing in Singapore, Seoul and Shanghai which involved multiple institutions and a multidisciplinary team. She also serves as Consultant on numerous projects commissioned by various government agencies. She has published in both sociology and medical journals. Her books include Marriage Dissolution in Singapore: Revisiting Family Values and Ideology in Marriage, and Ultra-Low Fertility in Pacific Asia: Trends, Causes and Policy Issue (with Gavin Jones and Angelique Chan).

• 
  A/P Thang Leng Leng
  Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore

  A/P Thang Leng Leng is a socio-cultural anthropologist who has numerous publications on ageing, intergenerational approaches and relationships, gender and family. Internationally, she is the co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships (Taylor and Francis, USA) and vice chair of the International Consortium for Intergenerational Programs. Locally, she also serves on the board/council of Fei Yue Family Service Centre (chair), Centre for Seniors, and Gerontological Society Singapore. She is also Deputy Director at the Centre for Family and Population Research and an Honorary Fellow with the College of Alice and Peter Tan, National University of Singapore.

Speakers +

• 
  A/P Angelique Chan
  Executive Director, Centre for Ageing Research and Education, &
  Associate Professor, Program in Health Services and Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore “Intergenerational Transfers in Singapore: How Supportive are Families?”

  Dr Angelique Chan holds joint appointments as Associate Professor in the Signature Program in Health Services & Systems Research, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and the Department of Sociology, NUS. She is the Inaugural Executive Director of the Centre for Ageing Research & Education (CARE, Duke-NUS). She has published widely on aging issues in leading international journals including the Journal of American Geriatrics Society, Journal of Aging and Health, and Journal of Gerontology Series B: Social Sciences and book chapters. Her current research examines disability transitions, mortality, and the effects of social support on health, caregiver burden, and use of long-term care services. She has consulted for Singapore Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social and Family Development, Agency for Integrated Care, the United Nations, Temasek Foundation and the World Bank.

• 
  Ms Ang Bee Lian
  Director of Social Welfare, Ministry of Social and Family Development, Singapore “Supporting elderly without next-of-kin: philosophy and principle”

  Ms Ang Bee Lian has many years of experience in policy making and operational services in the social sector. Trained as a social worker, she also has a Masters in Social Policy & Planning from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She served in various capacities in the current Ministry of Social and Family Development since her graduation. She is currently the Director of Social Welfare in Singapore. As Chief Executive Officer of the National Council of Social Service from 2007 - 2013, she was involved in developing policies and implementing programmes to grow the social service sector in Singapore.

• 
  Mr Akihiko Shimizu
  Executive Director, Council of Social Welfare in Nishinomiya City, Japan “Person-centred Assistance in Nishinomiya”

  Since 1974, Mr. Shimizu has been participating in home visit activities for people with severe disabilities in Nishinomiya City. In 1978, he became a staff member of the "Nishinomiya Life Classroom," a social training site for those who completed school education but are unable to find a place for social participation due to serious disabilities. In 1981, Aoba Care Center, a local activity base for people with severe disabilities, was established by the management of the Nishinomiya City Social Welfare Council. Mr Shimizu was a staff member of the Aoba Care Center and became the Director from 1991 to 2001. Thereafter, he was Chief of the living support group for people with disabilities in charge of Aoba Care Center and the Livelihood Support Center for People with Disabilities. Since 2013, he is the secretary general of the Nishinomiya City Social Welfare Council and the head of the consultation system management office for people with disabilities. He is also the Executive Director at the Office and Board of Director of PASNet, a specific nonprofit corporation promoting rights advocacy.

• 
  Mr Charles Chiu
  Chairperson, Hong Kong Guardianship Board, Hong Kong “Making it Work: Lessons to Learn from Challenging Guardianship Cases”

  Mr Charles CHIU Chung-yee was appointed as the full-time Chairperson of Guardianship Board of Hong Kong SAR in February 2003. He has practised law in Hong Kong since 1981. He is a panel arbitrator and mediator of HKIAC. Currently, he is a member of the governing boards of Haven of Hope Hospital and Haven of Hope Christian Service of Hong Kong. He has been a member of Hong Kong Hospital Authority’s sub-committees including Clinical Ethics Committee.

• 
  Professor Cheolung Je
  Director, Korean Research Center for Guardianship and Trust, Korea “Legislative Work for Successful Implementation of the Adult Guardianship Law in Korea”

  Cheolung Je is law professor at Hanyang University, South Korea. He had worked for the proper implementation of the new Adult Guardianship Act 2011, which came into force 1st July 2013, as the President of the Korean Institute for Guardianship Law and Policy.

  Since 2007, Professor Je has conducted many research and published articles in academic journals, which focused on adult guardianship and the reformation of private and public law for the protection of adults with impairments and their capacity for decision making. From 2016, he was made in charge of the Korean Research Centre for Guardianship and Trusts. Professor Je is also involved in the reformation of laws relevant to the protection of mentally and intellectually disabled adults and adults with dementia. Since 2017, he has been in charge of guardianship application and guardianship services for persons with mental disabilities.

  As Vice-president of the Korean Adult Guardianship Association, Professor Je is one of the organisers of the 5th World Congress on the Adult Guardianship which will be held in October 2018 in Seoul.

• 
  Judge Colin Tan
  District Judge, Family Justice Courts, Singapore “Challenges and Opportunities in Dealing with Mental Incapacity Cases – The Singapore Experience”

  Judge Colin Tan is both a qualified doctor as well as a qualified lawyer. He studied medicine at the National University of Singapore and later studied law at University College London. He was appointed as a District Judge in the Family and Juvenile Justice Division of the Subordinate Courts in 2010 and currently serves as a District Judge in the Family Justice Courts where he presides over Mental Capacity Act and other family law cases.

• 
  Ms Esther Tan
  General Manager, Special Needs Trust Company, Singapore “SNTC’s Pre-Planning cum Trust Service: Supporting Elderly Without Next-of-Kin”

  Ms Esther Tan has been with the Special Needs Trust Company Ltd (SNTC), a registered charity since its inception in 2009. She brought with her years of experience with multinational companies in the area of legal and compliance. Under SNTC, Esther journeys alongside caregivers with special needs dependents, empowering them with information that helps to safeguard their loved ones financial security and welfare. As of 31 Mar 2017, 460 SNTC trust accounts have been set up. SNTC also administer the Special Needs Savings Scheme which allows parents to nominate their children with disabilities to receive monthly disbursements from the nominating parents’ Central Provident Fund Savings Accounts after their death. As of 31 Mar 2017, 381 parents have applied for Special Needs Savings Scheme.

• 
  Dr Helen Ko
  Executive Director, Beyond Age, Singapore “Healing Strained Relationships in Ageing Families: Insights and Implications for Practice”

  Dr Helen Ko is Executive Director of Beyond Age, a training consultancy with deep expertise in ageing issues. She is concurrently a Senior Lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, teaching Master’s level courses in gerontological counselling and gerontology. She pioneered the development of several programmes for seniors in Singapore, including gerontological counselling, care management and day care services, as well as an evidence-based model for counselling older adults. She has published widely on ageing issues, in books and scientific journals. She also serves on the Boards of Council For Third Age, St Luke's Hospital, and an international charity.

• 
  Mr Hisashi Tanabe
  Director of Community Welfare Department, Iga City Council of Social Welfare, Japan "Recent Trend of Revisions to Adult Guardianship"

  Mr. Tanabe joined the Ueno City Social Welfare Council in 1994. He has been in charge of a dedicated staff of the welfare activity, a specialist in the welfare activity, a specialist in support project for independence of daily life (former community welfare rights advocacy project), a rights advocacy manager, a living support manager, and a deputy general manager of the community welfare section. He was engaged in supporting adult guardianship, corporate guardianship and consultation related to rights advocacy support by the social welfare council at Iga Area Welfare Guardianship Support Center established in August, 2006 (Nabari City and Iga City, Mie Prefecture).

• 
  Professor Kalyani Mehta
  Head, Graduate Gerontology Programme, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore “Voices of Grandparents: An Asian Perspective”

  Professor Kalyani Mehta is Head of the Graduate Gerontology Programme at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). Her research interests are social policies for seniors and family caregivers, grandparenting issues and challenges, widowhood, retirement, impact of technology and the digital divide, spirituality and its influence on ageing experiences, and cultural patterns of ageing. She has published widely in international and regional journals. She also co-edited the book “Experiencing Grandparenthood: An Asian Perspective” (2012), which analyses grandparents and their challenges in six Asian countries.

• 
  Mr Khoo Oon Soo
  Commissioner for Maintenance of Parents “Reflections on Intergenerational Ties in Singapore: CMP Case Studies”

  Mr Khoo is the Commissioner for the Maintenance of Parents, a position he has held since May 2010. Prior to being appointed Commissioner, he was the Principal District Judge at the Family Court. Mr Khoo received LL.M. degrees (Masters of Laws) from National University of Singapore and Cambridge University, and has over forty years of legal experience. He is the author of Parent-Child Law in Singapore (Butterworth, 1984), and the co-editor of Practitioner’s Library, Family Law and Juvenile Court Practice (LexisNexis 2008). Mr Khoo was awarded the Long Service Medal in 1998 and the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 2008.

• 
  Ms Jueun Park
  Deputy Manager, Central Support Center for Children with Disabiities and Persons with Developmental Disabilities, Korea“Cases of Integration of the Persons with Developmental Disabilities into the Communities with the Assistance of Volunteer Public Guardians in Korea”

  Ms Park is in the master program of Social Welfare at Chong-shin University in South Korea.

  She had served as a team leader of the Korea Parents Society for the Disabled for 8 years. She was in charge of the training of public guardian candidates from September 2013 to February 2015.

  Since April 2015, she is Deputy Manager in public guardianship support project at the Central Support Center for Children with Disabilities and Persons with Developmental Disabilities (BROSO) in South Korea.

• 
  Judge Lee Liling
  Judge, Taipei District Court, Taiwan “The Guardianship and Involuntary Hospitalization in Taiwan”

  Judge Liling Lee was appointed to the bench of the Taipei District Court in 1996. In 2006, she was appointed as a Family Court Judge till now. Judge Lee received a full stipend in 2009 to study at Berkeley Law School in the US where she completed her LL.M. She moved on to acquire Fulbright Scholarship for the doctoral program at Berkeley Law School where she received the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D.) in 2015.

  Judge Lee has been regularly invited to give lectures to family court judges, family investigators, judicial affairs officials, family mediators, attorneys, and law school students by Judges Academy, Family Courts, Taiwan Bar Association and law schools. Currently, she is also a member of the Family Law Draft-Making Committee of the Ministry of Justice, a member of the Material Editors of the Legal Education of the Judges Academy, a Supervisor and Convener of the International Affairs of the Association of Women Judges in Taiwan.

• 
  Dr Leong Chan Hoong
  Head (Social Lab) & Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Policy Studies,
  National University of Singapore, Singapore “Living with Parents: Evolving Family Dynamics within Singapore Households”

  Dr Leong Chan-Hoong is the Head of the Social Lab and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), National University of Singapore (NUS). He graduated with a PhD in Psychology from the Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand) and has an M.Sc. in Statistics from NUS. His research focuses on social resilience, immigration, and the management of cultural diversity in the workplace and community. He has served as Principal Investigator for various studies and projects commissioned by local agencies, and also been an editor and reviewer for international journals. He is presently a member of the National Integration Council Workgroup on the Community.

• 
  Ms Paveena Seah
  Senior Research Analyst, Institute of Policy Studies,
  National University of Singapore, Singapore “Living with Parents: Evolving Family Dynamics within Singapore Households”

  Ms Paveena Seah is a Senior Research Analyst at the Social Lab, IPS, NUS. She graduated with honours in Sociology from NUS, and has an MSc in Ageing and Society from the Institute of Gerontology, King’s College London. She has been working on the Social Lab’s flagship Singapore Panel Study on Social Dynamics since it was launched in 2014. Her research interests are in population ageing and heritage conservation, with a special focus on how the residential environment and social relations shape the subjective well-being of older people.

• 
  Professor Li-Xia
  Professor, Law School of East China University, China “The Challenges of China's New Adult Guardianship in the Implementation”

  Li Xia is a Professor at the East China University of Political Science and Law. She is also the Executive committee of International Society of Family Law, the Standing Director of the China’s Society of the Family Law, the Editor in Chief of the Elder Law.

  Professor Li devotes herself to researching and teaching of family law and elder law. As a representative figure of China’s academic community. She is famous for her proliferate academic researches on Adult Guardianship Law.

  Professor Li has been recognised as the leader of the research direction of China’s Adult Guardianship Law. Her research achievements have been a significant motivating factor of the generation of Art.26 of Chinese Elder Law with effect from 2013, and have won her the first prize in China's society family law. She has published nearly twenty books and over sixty academic articles.

• 
  Mr Li Chenyang
  Notary, Notary Public Office of Shanghai, China “The Situation and Challenges of Adult Guardianship Notarization in China”

  Chenyang Li is a notary and the Assistant Director in Shanghai Putuo Notary Office since 1993. Mr Li is both the member of Culture Propaganda Committee of China Notary Association and Profession Development Committee of Shanghai Notary Association. He is also the convener of Shanghai Youth Association Notary Salon and the sponsor of Shanghai public welfare notarization activities for elderly testament. His practice focuses on creditor's rights and risk prevention, adult guardianship, testamentary trust, heritage management.

• 
  Mr Ong Yunn Shing
  Director (Aged Care Services), Ageing Planning Office, Ministry of Health, Singapore “Enabling Ageing-In-Place in Singapore”

  Yunn Shing is a Director in the Ageing Planning Office which oversees the planning and implementation of strategies to address the needs of Singapore’s ageing population. The Ageing Planning Office staffs the Ministerial Committee on Ageing which drives the strategies to keep seniors active and healthy for as long as possible, as well as enhance the capacity and capability of the aged care sector to better serve seniors with care needs. The Ageing Planning Office also oversees the City For All Ages project, which involves working with grassroots organisations in various precincts to survey the needs of seniors in those precincts and developing local strategies and initiatives to meet the needs on the ground. Within the Ageing Planning Office, Yunn Shing oversees the development of aged care services to meet the changing needs of our ageing population.

• 
  Dr Rachel Carson
  Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Australia “Towards a Better Understanding of Elder Abuse”

  Dr Rachel Carson is a socio-legal researcher with expertise in family law and qualitative research about family law disputes. As part of the Family Law and Family Violence team at the Australian Institute of Family Studies, she has worked on projects related to family violence and elder abuse. Her current research includes a study of the experiences of children and youth after the separation of their parents and the extent to which their needs are met by the existing family law system services, and a project investigating the extent of direct cross examination in family law matters involving alleged or substantiated family violence and the factual and legal context characterising these matters.

• 
  Dr Rahul Malhotra
  Head of Research, Centre for Ageing Research and Education, &
  Assistant Professor, Program in Health Services and Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore “Research on Family Caregivers of Older Singaporeans: Past, Present and Future”

  Dr Rahul Malhotra is Assistant Professor at the Program in Health Services and Systems Research and the Head of Research at the Centre for Ageing Research and Education at Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore. A physician specializing in Community Medicine, and a public health researcher, Dr Malhotra’s research focuses on the vulnerability associated with ageing at the individual and the population level. He also maintains an interest in global health research, with a focus on health of older adults and their caregivers in Asian countries.

• 
  Ms Susana Harding
  Director, International Longevity Centre, Tsao Foundation, Singapore Sharing from a practitioner’s perspective: "Intergenerational transfers in Singapore: How Supportive are Families?"

  Ms Susana Harding is the Director of the International Longevity Centre Singapore. She provides overall direction and leadership of its research and policy advocacy efforts and in the development of new programmes that will support active ageing and enhance older people’s participation in the community.

  Susana graduated Cum Laude from the University of Santo Tomas (Manila, Philippines) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and holds a Master in Public Administration from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore. She has been working with the Tsao Foundation for the past 15 years.

• 
  Professor Stella Quah
  Adjunct Professor, Health Services & Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore “Beyond Grandparenting: Social Capital and the Dynamic Transformation of the Senior Generation”

  Professor Stella Quah (Ph.D) is Adjunct Professor at Duke-NUS Medical School. Her research publications are in the areas of medical sociology, public health, family sociology and social policy. Among her latest publications are: International Encyclopedia of Public Health (Editor-in-Chief, 2017, 2nd edition); “Partnership: the missing link in the process of de-institutionalization of mental health care”, International Journal of Health Services (2017); The Routledge Handbook of Families in Asia (editor and contributor, 2015); “Sociology and Psychology in Public Health”, in Detels, Gulliford, Karim and Tan, eds., Oxford Textbook of Public Health. 6th Ed (2015, pp. 695-708). For more information see http://www.duke-nus.edu.sg/content/quah-stella-r and http://www.stellarquah.com

• 
  A/P Tai Yu-Zu
  Associate Professor, National Taipei University, Taiwan “The Balance of Autonomy and Care in Taiwan’s Adult Guardianship System”

  Professor Tai has been studying in Germany since graduating from the Law Department of National Taiwan University in 1995. In 2004, she received a master's and doctorate degree from the University of Mainz in Germany. She is currently teaching at the Department of Law, National Taipei University, and is also the director of the Civil Law Center. The fields of teaching and research expertise are family law, law of inheritance, artificial reproduction and adult guardianship law.

  Professor Tai focuses her research in recent years on adult guardianship law. Apart from publishing academic papers to compare with German guardianship law, Professor Tai was invited to give lectures to Family Courts Judges and social workers.

  With the support of the Taipei University, Professor Tai is currently implementing the program to promote the elderly in the community for the autonomy of the management for property and medical care.

• 
  Professor Takashi Oka
  Professor, Department of Law, Faculty of Law of Gakushuin University, Japan “Problems of Voluntary Guardianship and Direction of their Reform”

  Professor Takashi Oka was born in Tochigi Prefecture on January 21, 1950.

  After graduating from the Hokkaido University School of Law in 1972, Professor Oka received his Masters of Laws degree from Hitotsubashi University Graduate School of Law in 1974.

  Professor Oka was appointed as an assistant professor at the Hosei University Faculty of Law in April 1977 and became a professor at the faculty in April 1986.

  Subsequently, he became a professor at the Gakushuin University Faculty of Law. He has been at the university since 2000. Professor Oka has also served as the Director of the Institute for the Research Institutes for Oriental Cultures, Gakushuin University for nine and a half years since 2002.

  In April 2017, he became the Head of the Department of Law at the University.

• 
  A/P Thang Leng Leng
  Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences,
  National University Singapore, Singapore “In the Face of Vulnerabilities: Informal Caregivers of Dependent Elders from Lower-Income Households in Singapore”

  A/P Thang Leng Leng is a socio-cultural anthropologist who has numerous publications on ageing, intergenerational approaches and relationships, gender and family. Internationally, she is the co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships (Taylor and Francis, USA) and vice chair of the International Consortium for Intergenerational Programs. Locally, she also serves on the board/council of Fei Yue Family Service Centre (chair), Centre for Seniors, and Gerontological Society Singapore. She is also Deputy Director at the Centre for Family and Population Research and an Honorary Fellow with the College of Alice and Peter Tan, National University of Singapore.

• 
  Mr Suen Johan
  PhD Candidate, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom “In the Face of Vulnerabilities: Informal Caregivers of Dependent Elders from Lower-Income Households in Singapore”

  Mr Suen Johan is currently a PhD candidate at the department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge, UK. His dissertation adopts a life-course perspective in understanding the survival strategies, employment experiences, and socio-familial circumstances of low-income older persons in Singapore. On the topic of ageing in Singapore, Johan has several forthcoming co-authored publications including, "Contextual challenges and the mosaic of support: Understanding the vulnerabilities of low-income informal caregivers of dependent elders in Singapore" (Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology) and "Growing old in Singapore: Workings of the many Helping Hands policy approach" (chapter in Ageing and Old-Age in Asia-Pacific).

• 
  Ms Wang Jing
  Assistant Director, Coaching and Counselling Service, Hua Mei Centre for Successful Ageing, Tsao Foundation, Singapore Sharing from a practitioner’s perspective: “In the Face of Vulnerabilities: Informal caregivers of dependent elders from lower-income households in Singapore”

  Wang Jing holds a Degree in psychology and an advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment accredited by Singapore Workforce Development Agency. She has more than 20 years of experience in counselling, training and family life education.

  For the last 13 years, she has been involved in aged care, in the area of counseling and supervision. Besides providing individual and family counseling, she runs group work with elders and is instrumental in setting up the training course on Specialist Diploma in gerontological Counselling. She has been conducting training programmes in Singapore and in the region in the areas of psycho-emotional aspects of eldercare for professional, family caregivers and volunteers.

Click here to view conference photos

CONFERENCE MATERIALS

Keynote Speeches

Keynote by Ms Anne Hollonds, Director, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Australia
Download: “Challenges and Opportunities of Family Policies in Ageing Societies”

Keynote by Dr Vivian Lou , Director, Sau Po Centre on Ageing, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Download: “Financial and Employment Impact of Family Caregivers in Hong Kong”

Concurrent Session 1

ASIAN FAMILY CONFERENCE Building Resilient Family Ties in Ageing Societies

3RD ASIAN GUARDIANSHIP CONFERENCE Best Practices in the Asian Guardianship Models

Moderated by: A/P Thang Leng Leng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 1. “Beyond Grandparenting: Social Capital and the Dynamic Transformation of the Senior Generation” by Professor Stella Quah, Adjunct Professor, Health Services & Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 2. “Living with Parents: Evolving Family Dynamics within Singapore Households” by Dr Leong Chan Hoong, Head (Social Lab) & Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore, Singapore & Ms Paveena Seah, Senior Research Analyst, Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore, Singapore 3. “Intergenerational Transfers in Singapore: How Supportive are Families?” by A/P Angelique Chan, Executive Director, Centre for Ageing Research and Education, & Associate Professor, Program in Health Services and Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 4. Sharing from a practitioner’s perspective: Intergenerational transfers in Singapore: “How Supportive are Families?” by Ms Susana Harding, Director, International Longevity Centre, Tsao Foundation, Singapore

Moderated by: Judge Colin Tan, District Judge, Family Justice Courts, Singapore 1. “Legislative Work for Successful Implementation of the Adult Guardianship Law in Korea” by Professor Cheolung Je, Director, Korean Research Center for Guardianship and Trust, Korea 2. “The Situation and Challenges of Adult Guardianship Notarization in China” (English / Mandarin) by Mr Li Chenyang, Notary, Notary Public Office of Shanghai, China 3. “Person-centred Assistance in Nishinomiya” by Mr Akihiko Shimizu, Executive Director, Council of Social Welfare in Nishinomiya City, Japan & 4. “Recent Trend of Revisions to Adult Guardianship” Mr Hisashi Tanabe, Director of Community Welfare Department, Iga City Council of Social Welfare, Japan 5. “The Balance of Autonomy and Care in Taiwan’s Adult Guardianship System” by A/P Tai Yu-Zu, Associate Professor, National Taipei University, Taiwan

Concurrent Session 2

ASIAN FAMILY CONFERENCE Strengthening Elder Caregiving in Ageing Societies

3RD ASIAN GUARDIANSHIP CONFERENCE Challenges in Implementing Guardianship Laws and Practices

Moderated by: A/P Angelique Chan, Executive Director, Centre for Ageing Research and Education, & Associate Professor, Program in Health Services and Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 1. “Research on Family Caregivers of Older Singaporeans: Past, Present and Future” by Dr Rahul Malhotra, Head of Research, Centre for Ageing Research and Education, & Assistant Professor, Program in Health Services and Systems Research, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 2. “In the Face of Vulnerabilities: Informal Caregivers of Dependent Elders from Lower-Income Households in Singapore” by A/P Thang Leng Leng, Associate Professor, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore & Mr Suen Johan, PhD Candidate, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom with concluding discussion by Ms Wang Jing, Assistant Director, Coaching and Counselling Service, Hua Mei Centre for Successful Ageing, Tsao Foundation, Singapore 3. “Towards a Better Understanding of Elder Abuse” by Dr Rachel Carson, Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Family Studies, Australia 4. “Enabling Ageing-In-Place in Singapore” by Mr Ong Yunn Shing, Director (Aged Care Services), Ageing Planning Office, Ministry of Health, Singapore

Moderated by: Judge Daniel Koh, District Judge, Family Justice Courts, Singapore 1. “Making it Work: Lessons to Learn from Challenging Guardianship Cases” by Mr Charles Chiu, Chairperson, Hong Kong Guardianship Board, Hong Kong 2. “The Challenges of China's New Adult Guardianship in the Implementation” by Professor Li-Xia, Professor, Law School of East China University, China 3. “The Guardianship and Involuntary Hospitalization in Taiwan” by Judge Lee Liling, Judge, Taipei District Court, Taiwan

Concurrent Session 3

ASIAN FAMILY CONFERENCE Strengthening Intergenerational Relations in Ageing Societies

3RD ASIAN GUARDIANSHIP CONFERENCE Next Steps: Supporting Elderly without Next-of-Kin

Moderated by: Mr Khoo Oon Soo, Commissioner for Maintenance of Parents, Singapore 1. “Reflections on Intergenerational Ties in Singapore: CMP Case Studies” by Mr Khoo Oon Soo, Commissioner for Maintenance of Parents, Singapore 2. “Healing Strained Relationships in Ageing Families: Insights and Implications for Practice” by Dr Helen Ko, Executive Director, Beyond Age, Singapore 3. “Voices of Grandparents: An Asian Perspective” by Professor Kalyani Mehta, Head, Graduate Gerontology Programme, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore

Moderated by: Ms Ang Bee Lian, Director of Social Welfare, Ministry of Social and Family Development, Singapore 1. “Problems of Voluntary Guardianship and Direction of their Reform” by Professor Takashi Oka, Professor, Department of Law, Faculty of Law of Gakushuin University, Japan 2. “Cases of Integration of the Persons with Developmental Disabilities into the Communities with the Assistance of Volunteer Public Guardians in Korea” (English / Korean) by Ms Jueun Park, Deputy Manager, Central Support Center for Children with Disabilities and Persons with Developmental Disabilities, Korea 3. “Supporting elderly without next-of-kin: philosophy and principle” by Ms Ang Bee Lian, Director of Social Welfare, Ministry of Social and Family Development, Singapore 4. “SNTC’s Pre-Planning cum Trust Service: Supporting Elderly without Next-of-Kin” by Ms Esther Tan, General Manager, Special Needs Trust Company Singapore

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

Secretariat of AFC 2017
Email : admin@afc2017.sg

Hotline: +65 8188 8140 (Operating Hours: Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 6pm)