The appeal of studying at two locations—Singapore and London— for my PhD was the main reason I chose the KCL-NUS Joint PhD programme. I began my PhD at NUS, under the supervision of A/P John Phillips, which allowed me to be close to my field of study in the Taoist Nine Emperor Gods Festival, as well as conduct my research in a familiar environment. After completing my local fieldwork, I moved to London to begin my writing process. There, I received supervision from Dr Kélina Gotman and was part of the Performance Research Group of the English department. Having two thesis advisors gave me a fresh perspective on my research and I was able to develop my thesis further in ways I had previously not considered. I was able to scrutinise my arguments more thoroughly and learnt how to articulate my ideas and theories to different readers.

London life was eye-opening as well. I developed an enjoyable routine where I would take rides in the notorious tube service. I would arrive at Dr Gotman’s office situated along a narrow corridor and we would discuss various topics and tangents stemming from my thesis. After this, I went either to the theatres or spent the evening figuring out how to make Chinese food with the ingredients I could get from Tesco.

My work also became more multi-dimensional. Having two institutions meant that I had access to two libraries, worked with two thesis advisors who were very supportive, and became part of a network of international scholars, academics and practitioners with wonderful experiences to learn from. The past four years in the programme have broadened my worldview and I returned with more knowledge and experiences that have redefined me as a researcher and most of all as a person.

More information about the KCL-NUS Joint PhD Programme is available at the Faculty Graduate Research website.