Global Citizens

What would it be like to work or study in cosmopolitan cities like Amsterdam, Melbourne or Tokyo? Three Singapore women share how their lives have changed since pursuing their dreams and ambitions overseas.

- HOE I YUNE & LIN YANQIN

“I left my advertising job to pursue a PhD in law in Amsterdam.”

A former digital advertising executive, 32-year-old Jill Toh is now pursuing a PhD in law in Amsterdam, where she has been based for nearly three years. She shares why she finds the city to be very similar to Singapore.

“People on the outside always see Amsterdam as very liberal because of its culture. But the longer I live here, the more it reminds me of Singapore. The technocratic style of governance is similar. One simple example is that all the trees in Amsterdam are mapped as data points as part of their urban planning efforts. There is also a large middle class here – people are economically well-off and tend to like similar things.

There’s a popular Dutch saying that encapsulates the need for normalcy (or conformity): 'Doe eens normaal', which translates to “just act normal”. The difference for me is that here, as an outsider, you are automatically considered a foreigner, so perhaps you care less about adhering to societal norms.

When I was working in advertising, I also volunteered for social impact causes, and attending such events made me realise I wanted to do something more political. This sparked my interest in policymaking and I pursued a master's degree in political science in France. After graduating in 2019, I knew I wanted to go into research, whether academically or otherwise. This meant either joining a think tank, working for an NGO, or pursuing a PhD.