Moving beyond career success to serve with purpose, integrity and compassion

IN BRIEF | 10 min read

• Titled "Lessons from a Leadership Journey into the Private, Public and People Sector", the talk by Ms Denise Phua, Member of Parliament for Jalan Besar GRC and Mayor for Central Singapore District, at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House kicked off the new FASS Distinguished Speaker Series that was launched by the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) in celebration of the Faculty's 95th anniversary.

"As you step into the world, may you step out to lead with purpose, with integrity, with compassion, not just for your career but for the greater good."

This was the clarion call sounded by Ms Denise Phua, Member of Parliament for Jalan Besar GRC and Mayor for Central Singapore District, to a 100-strong audience at a recent talk where she shared insights on career transitions and effective leadership.

Titled "Lessons from a Leadership Journey into the Private, Public and People Sector", the session at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House kicked off the new FASS Distinguished Speaker Series that was launched by the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) in celebration of the Faculty's 95th anniversary. The series aims to inspire FASS students to excellence by showcasing alumni and their achievements.

The inaugural session, moderated by Professor Lionel Wee, Dean of FASS, was also attended by FASS staff and faculty.

Developing a leadership toolkit and other leadership goals

Ms Phua, who worked in the corporate, people (or social) and public sectors noted some differences in work culture and performance measurements in each of these sectors.

Performance in the private sector is typically measured in financial terms and is quantified with metrics such as market share, revenue growth, and shareholder values. The social sector values qualitative outcomes, with the focus shifting to doing good, creating societal impact, and accountability to beneficiaries, while the public sector operates within the frame of public service, governance, and accountability to the broader society.

Whichever sector one is in, it is essential to build a leadership toolkit comprising the four skills - personal mastery, interpersonal leadership, supervisory leadership and organisational leadership - in order to chart a meaningful and successful career path.

Ms Phua also emphasised the importance of having diverse experiences to remain relevant, and venturing outside one's comfort zone in a dynamic environment to keep this toolkit updated. Citing Pope Francis, who told Singaporean youths in a recent dialogue that a young person who stays in his own comfort becomes "fat", she urged young people to continually add skills to their toolkit and to go out there to take risks.

In her experience, having a purpose is also key as it helps to keep one's eye on the bigger picture and the important goals to work towards. She explained, "Having a clear purpose guides our decisions and keeps us focused on what truly matters. For me personally, my faith helps to anchor me."

Be fearless in the unknown

Another topic Ms Phua delved into was fear, something she learnt to overcome whenever she was thrust into unfamiliar situations and environments - whether it was having to work overseas with people of different backgrounds and cultures in China and the US, or having to establish new work processes or systems from scratch.

Sharing about her stint as a waitress in Palo Alto, driving alone in her twenties in the wilderness between small American towns for work, and working with people of vastly different cultures, accents and habits from her own, Ms Phua revealed that these intimidating early experiences eventually helped her overcome her fear of trying new things.

Raising a son with autism further bolstered her courage to pioneer new initiatives and projects, particularly in the area of advocacy and support for those with special needs. Stemming from a desire to create a more inclusive society where everyone can thrive, Ms Phua has made trailblazing contributions to the special needs advocacy space, which include the co-founding of Pathlight School - Singapore's first school that offers mainstream education for autistic children, The Purple Parade - a national platform that celebrates the abilities of persons with special needs, and The Purple Symphony, Singapore's largest inclusive orchestra set up by her and her team at the Central Singapore District Community Development Council (CDC).

She shared, "[Having the technical skills and soft skills] were really important for me in the private, people and public sector, but what was more significant was scaling the challenges I faced and overcoming the fears I had."

As a leader, Ms Phua stressed that it is also essential to find a "tribe" and surround oneself with like-minded people who share the same values, passions or vision, and who are able to challenge one another, as the success of any project is never dependent on a single individual. This is how she managed to ideate and execute the many initiatives across the three sectors she has been involved in.

Beyond building careers to serving society

Ms Phua's candid and personal sharing was followed by questions from students about how to choose career pathways, to make meaningful change in the community and tackle evolving social challenges in society.

Responding to a question on how she found her calling in the special needs advocacy space, Ms Phua shared that she did not identify it through any conventional career or personality quizzes. For her, she felt called to the special needs space in a rather dramatic fashion, after "God gave [her] a child who didn't speak nor socialise at three, like other typical children."

Referencing some of the other community initiatives and assistance schemes launched during her time as Mayor of the Central Singapore District, such as the 'Weekly Nurture' problem-solving and communications classes and the 'Ready for School' financial assistance scheme for children from low-income families, another student asked what Ms Phua considered key ingredients for success in these community projects.

Her response was simple - find the gaps, think of ways to make a difference, and then start tapping on one's network of resources to implement solutions.

"When looking at physical wellness for seniors for example, I will ask what physical wellness means to them. Together with my team, we then brainstorm, come up with programmes, such as our CDC's 'Silver Homes' and then look for resources to fund them," she added.

When asked more broadly how Singapore can address societal issues such as an ageing population and growing income disparity, Ms Phua observed that Singapore has become more complex in many ways since 2006 when she first entered politics, making tackling such issues more challenging. However, she encouraged students to look beyond their "pet passions" and serve in areas in society that have the most need, and to stay mission-focused to continue effecting real change.

She cited the 'power of one'. "If each of us is determined to bless other people with what we have…whether it's our talent, our gift, our networks, then organisations, nations and societies will all be for the better," said Ms Phua.

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This story first appeared on NUSnews on 28 October 2024.

NUS Linguists Make Breakthrough Discovery on Detecting Early Linguistic Signs of Dementia by Studying the Natural Speech of Seniors

IN BRIEF | 10 min read

• The novel study revealed that participants with memory-related mild cognitive impairment spoke less and used fewer, but more abstract, nouns that is consistent with the speech pattern of Alzheimer's patients.

A study led by linguists from the Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies (ELTS) at the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) has found that early linguistic signs of dementia can be detected through the study of the natural speech of senior Singaporeans.

This groundbreaking study, conducted together with researchers from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine), compared the natural speech of cognitively healthy persons with those suffering from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to detect linguistic markers of dementia. It revealed that those with memory-related MCI spoke less and produced fewer, but more abstract, nouns - a speech pattern that is consistent with patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, a specific type of dementia.

The study's principal investigator, NUS Department of ELTS Professor Bao Zhiming, noted that Singapore provides a unique environment for this research given the varied use of languages here, with four official languages and a blend of various dialects. He added, "Previous studies had analysed targeted and smaller volumes of language data through word-based fluency tests, structured interviews and picture narrations. Our study has never been done before as it focused on unstructured and spontaneous speech that is easy to collect and analyse."

Team member, Yeo Boon Khim Mind Science Centre (YBK MSC) Advisory Board Member and NUS Medicine's psychiatrist Emeritus Professor Kua Ee Heok, said, "There is an urgent need for innovative strategies to combat the rising rate of dementia in Singapore given our rapidly aging population. As research data for this study were taken from participants of a broader YBK MSC research project known as the Community Health Intergenerational (CHI) Study, led by Dr Rathi Mahendran, the findings will ultimately contribute to the CHI study's goal of identifying at-risk seniors and implementing interventions that can help the elderly age well."

The study was published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring on 18 April.

Compiling and analysing natural speech data 
The team obtained natural speech data from 148 elderly Singaporeans in their 60s and 70s - half of them were cognitively healthy (individuals who have the ability to think clearly, learn and remember) while the other half of the participants had MCI.

Out of the 74 subjects with MCI, 38 had been diagnosed with amnestic MCI (MCI that affects the memory) while 36 had been diagnosed with non-amnestic MCI (MCI that affects thinking skills other than memory). Amnestic MCI carries a higher risk of conversion to Alzheimer's disease while non-amnestic MCI is linked to a higher risk of conversion to other types of dementia such as Lewy Body Dementia. Overall, an estimated 10 to 20 per cent of people aged 65 or older with MCI go on to develop dementia.

Participants were instructed to speak about any topic in English for 20 minutes with minimal involvement from interviewers and these were recorded with simple digital voice recorders in an ordinary office setting. Topics varied freely and widely, ranging from work and retirement to family life and public affairs.

The recordings yielded 267,310 words which were then transcribed and then tagged as noun or verb using a Part-of-Speech tagger software. The team then calculated the per-minute word counts and concreteness scores of all tagged words.

Early signs of dementia detected in people with amnestic MCI
Findings revealed that participants with amnestic MCI spoke less, produced fewer and more abstract nouns than people with non-amnestic MCI and the healthy controls. Verbs were not affected. A problem with imageability, which is the degree to which a word's meaning evokes a mental image, was detected in natural everyday speech by people with amnestic MCI.

Dr Luwen Cao, also from the NUS Department of ELTS, said, "Our findings are a significant breakthrough as traditional diagnoses of dementia are done following a battery of neuropsychological and neurological tests. The study of natural speech to detect linguistic signs of early cognitive decline is a reliable, non-invasive and cost-effective tool that could possibly help medical practitioners in the early diagnosis, intervention and management of the progressive disease."

Moving forward, the team plans to work with the neurologists at the YBK MSC to device language-based intervention strategies to address the language difficulties experienced by people with amnestic MCI.

Prof Bao said, "Ultimately, our research aims to contribute to healthy aging in Singapore. Singapore is aging fast; a quarter of Singaporeans are over 60 years old. By exploring innovative diagnostic tools and intervention strategies, we hope to improve the quality of life for older adults and reduce the burden on healthcare systems. Our work is one step towards ensuring that our aging population enjoy longer, healthier lives."

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This story first appeared in NUSNews on 11 June 2024.

Edwin Thumboo Prize 2024

The Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences has awarded the Edwin Thumboo Prize 2024 to two pre-university students for their excellent literary work.

Named after one of Singapore's most prominent poets and scholars, the Edwin Thumboo Prize aims to promote excellence in the study of Literature at the pre-university level by recognising outstanding literary works by A-level and International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBDP) students of English Literature in Singapore. It is administered by the Department with support from the Ministry of Education (MOE). The Prize, established in 2019, is funded by generous donors, including patrons of the arts and former winners of the Angus Ross Prize.

Winner

Mr Raphael Niu

Raffles Institution

$200 prize award

Raphael Niu

Raphael's essay on Andrew Marvell's Selected Poems and Sir Philip Sidney's Astrophil and Stella was exceptionally and eloquently poised in his observations about these two seminal poets.

His essay, Truth and Reality in Andrew Marvell's Selected Poems and Sir Philip Sidney's Astrophil and Stella clearly epitomized good literary writing and was characterized by an unusual degree of refreshing insights. The perceptive links made between the two poets were both convincing and tastefully unexpected revealing original arguments that were based on some very sensitive readings of the texts.

Raphael shared, "For me, the magic of literature inheres in the fact that I carry a piece of every text I encounter with me: the parts of myself that I see in a novel's characters, the pithy line in a poem that unexpectedly comes to mind years later. I am ever grateful to my literature teachers Mrs Nicola Perry, Ms Lye Su-Lin, Ms Chuang Sulynn, Mr James Koh, Ms Nicole Kang, and Ms Afiqah Zamri, who each taught me to look at language and life in a new light. I also want to thank my parents, who by reading to me ever since I could remember, showed me that books could also become my good friends."

Merit Prize

The Merit Prize was awarded to
Keevan Kanagalingam from St Joseph's Institution (Independent).
He will receive a monetary award of $100.

Keevan Kanagalingam

St Joseph's Institution (Independent)

"Mary Oliver wrote that Literature is a 'life-cherishing force' - a kind of magic that calls us to keen attentiveness and wondrous openness to the graces constantly unfolding in our lives. My journey learning Literature has certainly proven that there are no truer words than these. Thank you to my loving parents, my nurturing teachers - especially Mrs Jasmine Tan and Ms Rita Roop - and my incredible friends, for showing me again and again that life truly is worth all the cherishing."

The winners of the Edwin Thumboo Prize were selected through a rigorous selection process. In 2023, government pre-university institutions were invited to nominate one candidate each. The competition attracted entries from 15 institutions.

Each institution had to submit recommendations for their nominated candidates. The candidates were also required to submit a piece of academic writing on a literary text or topic.

Candidates were assessed by a selection panel comprising representatives from NUS and MOE, as well as former Angus Ross prize-winners. The selection panel for this year's Prize included Assistant Professor Heather Brink-Roby from the Department and Ms Peggy Pao-Keerthy, the 1997 Angus Ross Prize winner.

View the highlights from the award ceremony

About Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo

Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo is one of Singapore's pioneering poets. An accomplished literary practitioner and critic, he dedicated his life to the composition and study of English Literature.

His work is studied in schools, both locally and abroad, and featured in public places in Singapore. At NUS, Professor Thumboo had served as Head of the Department of English Language and Literature, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and Director of the NUS Centre for the Arts. He has also received numerous awards, including the Book Award for Poetry in English (1978, 1980 and 1994), Southeast Asia Write Award (1979), The Cultural Medallion (March 1980), ASEAN Cultural and Communication Award for Literature (August 1987), Public Service Star (August 1991), the Meritorious Service Medal (2006), and Distinguished Service Award (2008).

Past Winners

2022/23

Prize Winner

Shayna Leng Shuen Rea

Hwa Chong Institution

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Merit Awards

Chow Zeyi

St Joseph's Institution

Gwyneth Tan

Catholic Junior College

2021/22

Prize Winner

Nicholas Yong Yoong-Yao

Raffles Institution

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Merit Awards

Caleb Low

Catholic Junior College

Sarah Zafirah bte Noor Ashikin

St Joseph's Institution

2020/21

Joint Prize Winners

Suneeti Sreekumar

National Junior College

Wong Shao-Yi

Raffles Institution

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Merit Awards

Elise Lauw

Temasek Junior College

Nyang Ying Zhi

Hwa Chong Institution

2019/20

Prize Winner

Loh Su Jean

Raffles Institution

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Merit Awards

Freyja Chu Shuai Wu

Dunman High School

Ng Zheng Yang

Anglo Chinese Junior College

Silvia Suseno

Nanyang Junior College

2018/19

Prize Winner

Gan Chong Jing

Raffles Institution

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Merit Awards

Jane Lee Jia Hui

Dunman High School

Lim Yi Jun

River Valley High School

Yew Jien Huey

Victoria Junior College

NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences alumni honoured for contributions to public service, education, literature and the corporate sector

IN BRIEF | 10 min read

• The four awardees were Mr Bilahari Kausikan, an iconic veteran of diplomacy; Professor Paul Cheung, a highly regarded statistician; Ms Suchen Christine Lim, a critically acclaimed writer; and Mr Tan Yam Pin, a prominent businessman and corporate heavyweight.

The NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) paid tribute on 15 May 2024 to four eminent alumni for their outstanding contributions towards nation-building, growth of the university, the promotion of the arts and social sciences, and impact in the private sector. The four were Mr Bilahari Kausikan, an iconic veteran of diplomacy; Professor Paul Cheung, a highly regarded statistician; Ms Suchen Christine Lim, a critically acclaimed writer; and Mr Tan Yam Pin, a prominent businessman and corporate heavyweight.

Established in 2015, the Distinguished Arts and Social Sciences Alumni Award lauds notable FASS alumni who have made exemplary contributions to the nation, community, University, or the faculty, and who have dedicated themselves to the betterment and promotion of the arts and social sciences.

The trailblazers who inspire young generations of FASS students and alumni
In his speech, FASS Dean Professor Lionel Lim highlighted how each of the recipients has pursued their passions with tenacity and purpose. They have made an incredible impact in their respective fields, and have done so "with integrity, compassion, and a dedication to excellence," he said.

A diplomat for over three decades, Mr Kausikan has been an influential voice in shaping Singapore's positions on regional and international issues. His 37 years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) saw him serving in a variety of appointments at home and abroad, including as Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) in New York, and notably as the Permanent Secretary of the MFA from 2010 to 2013. He is actively engaged in ASEAN forums, facilitating dialogue, cooperation, and conflict resolution among member states. His articles and speeches, which provide thought-provoking analyses of regional issues, have influenced policymakers and scholars alike. He is currently Chairman of the NUS Middle East Institute.

Professor Paul Cheung is Director of the Asia Competitiveness Institute at the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and is well-known for his pioneering research in the fields of official statistics, social planning, manpower and population. In a previous role as Chief Statistician of Singapore, he transformed the national statistical system - the 2000 Singapore population census was the first in Asia to make full use of population and business registers and the Internet to collect data. As Chief Statistician of the UN from 2004 to 2012, he played a pivotal role in developing the global statistical system and establishing an inter-governmental platform on Global Geospatial Information Management.

A 2023 Cultural Medallion winner, highly accomplished author Ms Suchen Christine Lim's critically acclaimed fiction explores themes of cultural identity, the complexities of history, and Singapore society's diverse cultural and linguistic tensions. Her 1984 debut novel Rice Bowl established her as a significant voice in Singapore's literary scene. Her third novel, Fistful of Colours, was awarded the inaugural Singapore Literature Prize in 1992. Another, The River's Song, was featured in Kirkus Reviews (US) as one of the "100 Best Books of 2015". She was also awarded the Southeast Asian Writers Award in 2012 for her body of work. Keen on fostering the next generation of literary talent, she mentors, teaches and provides platforms for young writers to showcase their work.

Mr Tan Yam Pin is a prominent business leader who built an illustrious career spanning three decades in the corporate world - he led the Cold Storage group of companies in Singapore and Malaysia; the Fraser & Neave group of companies, including Centrepoint Properties Ltd; and the Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd group of companies across Asia. Post-retirement, Mr Tan served on the boards of prominent companies in Singapore. Mr Tan also has a scholarly bent. Before his foray into business, he taught in the Department of Economics under the then University of Singapore's Faculty of Arts. Together with three colleagues, he subsequently established the Department of Business Administration, now known as the NUS Business School.

Congratulating the recipients at the ceremony, NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye noted that their contributions to Singapore and passion for what they do will inspire many, especially current and future FASS students who will follow in their footsteps and create their own legacies.

He added, "As educators, it is deeply encouraging when we see our graduates achieve success in their endeavours. It reaffirms the transformative power of education, and it inspires us to continually improve how we teach, how our students learn, and how the student life experience can set our graduates up to thrive and contribute positively to society."

More information on the award recipients can be found here.

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This story first appeared in NUSNews on 16 May 2024.

Is it in Colloquial Singapore English: What variation can tell us about its conventions and development

The Speak Good English campaign, launched on 29 April 2000 by then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, aimed to improve the English-speaking proficiencies of Singaporeans. This was due to a growing concern about the prevalence of Colloquial Singapore English (CSE), commonly known as ‘Singlish’, a variant of English that the government once saw as grammatically incorrect. CSE has developed as a product of language contact in a multicultural society, growing to become a marker of the Singaporean identity. It has become one of the most prominent forms of post-colonial English and is studied as a World English. Associate Professor Mie Hiramoto (NUS English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies) studies some of the unique features of Colloquial Singapore English in “Is it in Colloquial Singapore English: What variation can tell us about its conventions and development” (English Today, 2022). Hiramoto and other linguists look into features at the various language levels, such as phonetics, morphosyntax, semantics, and pragmatics. Specifically, they zero in on the use of the term, “is it”, modelling its usage through statistical studies. Through this analysis, they investigate how CSE users tended to use this term and how they constructed is it questions. The research identifies the different strategies and conventions invoked when CSE users form this kind of speech, and distinguishes the different patterns based on social factors like one’s age and their identification with their nationality. Read the article here: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266078422000141

Clones, Drones and Visual Culture: Teaching the Human Condition in the 21st Century

IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• Associate Professor Graham Wolfe and Assistant Professor Beryl Pong incorporate innovative pedagogical tools into their lessons to get their students to think critically about pertinent issues of the day.

As far as Zoom lectures go, it was nothing special. The only recognisable face on the screen was his own, as Graham Wolfe, Associate Professor in Theatre and Performance Studies, spoke to a virtual audience of hundreds.

But then a sense of the uncanny set in as three other Graham Wolfes joined the Zoom call. One, smartly dressed and smiling, responded enthusiastically to what the first Graham Wolfe was saying. Another, older and with a moustache, listened to the lecture with concern. The third, a thuggish and hooded figure, snarled disdainfully from his Zoom box, occasionally interrupting and criticising the first Graham Wolfe's ideas.

Soon it became clear that all three of these new Graham Wolfes were characters from the play that Assoc Prof Wolfe was discussing, Caryl Churchill's A Number, which examines the ethics of human cloning and identity.

"Thumbs-up" and "clapping" reactions from the students cascaded across the screen. Students comment that his impersonation of various characters, and the interactions between them on Zoom, provoke them to think critically from a range of perspectives.

"I'm hoping students feel, just for a moment, like they're watching the impossible," said Assoc Prof Wolfe, who had tried to explain the concept of the uncanny in an equally uncanny manner. Most of his teaching is in Theatre and Performance Studies, but he is also a guest lecturer for HSH1000: The Human Condition, an integrated humanities module that is part of the common curriculum for students at the NUS College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS).

At the Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies, the medium is just as important as the message. For Assistant Professor Beryl Pong, who teaches an honours-level literature course titled Topics in Cultural Studies: Drone Aesthetics, that medium can even include the most unlikely subject of inquiry in a humanities classroom: video games.

But it's not all fun and games. When students decimate an entire village (virtually, of course) at the click of a button, this points them to a larger revelation - that the gamification of drone warfare has desensitised drone operators to the suffering they inflict.

As Asst Prof Pong puts it: "Humanities and the arts are not just an add-on to understanding society or to hard questions about science. They mediate complicated issues, and looking at them critically helps us to see these issues more clearly."

Out of the Box
Assoc Prof Wolfe knows that Zoom classes can feel just as "claustrophobic" for the teacher as they do for students, which is why he challenged himself to think out of the box - literally - to deliver lectures that would stick. And what better way to teach a play than to act it out?

Decked out in different costumes, he doubles, or triples, as different main characters. It is not merely a way for students to experience how the plot and dialogue play out on stage. After he and his clones act out a scene, the characters return as "guests" to discuss the assigned class readings with each other in a meta talk show.

Wacky as the whole set up is, he has a more profound hope for his students - that they will be more conscious of the frameworks through which they perceive things. Students comment that his impersonation of various characters, and the interactions between them on Zoom, provoke them to think critically from a range of perspectives.

"To a large extent, whatever I talk about is going to be filtered through Zoom. No matter how exciting an idea I raise might be, I'm still raising it within that little box," he said. Similarly, the ways in which people perceive the world are sometimes filtered through structures, conventions or expectations that they are not necessarily conscious of.

Human perception is never objective, and existence is never singular. These are perennial concerns tackled by the humanities, and which he hopes science majors in the cohort might find useful in their own fields. "Doctors are much better doctors if they've studied the humanities," he added.

Plays and Playfulness
As with any performance, it takes a whole lot of dress rehearsals to pull off Assoc Prof Wolfe's self-cloning technique - as well as the tech know-how. The former was something he is accustomed to, the latter not so much, considering that he never owned a smartphone with an Internet connection until the pandemic struck.

"I couldn't even donate it to Singtel because it was too old," the Canadian, who joined NUS in 2012, said with a chuckle. Out of sheer necessity and boredom during the pandemic, he familiarised himself with the world of green screens and editing software.

"It doesn't have to be Hollywood quality. Theatre is usually a little bit rough around the edges…Part of the effect is that it's just a guy with a camera playing around, and that might make the self-cloning even more useful than if it were professional," he explained.

Ultimately, he wants his students to have fun learning.

As the German playwright Friedrich Schiller once said, human beings are only fully human when they play. Assoc Prof Wolfe is a strong proponent of the value of play and comedy in learning, especially when people have the misconception that literature and theatre are 'stuffy' topics.

"I think people can be learning in powerful ways when they're laughing," he said. "It's not just about occasionally injecting a joke to lighten the mood before getting back down to 'serious thinking'. People laugh sometimes when their expectations have been overturned, or when their normal frameworks have been challenged."

'Close reading' of Technology
The utility of play is featured in Asst Prof Pong's class too. It is not every day that students get to play video games for class. But her syllabus dedicates a week to two indie video games which dissect the aesthetics and ethics of drone warfare.

In Unmanned, for instance, students inhabit the role of a drone operator. Players follow him through his mundane everyday routine of brushing his teeth, shaving, pressing a few buttons at work, then having a post-shift drink with colleagues - only to repeat it all over again.

More office workers than military personnel, drone operators in real life are often derisively referred to as "cubicle warriors". This raises ethical concerns about the asymmetry of drone warfare, in which operators seem to be "manhunting" unsuspecting victims from a safe, remote location via a screen.

Tracing drone technology is Asst Prof Pong's take on the wider field of cultural studies. Despite its roots in violence, drones have proliferated in popular culture and everyday life, including in filmmaking and recreation.

"I wanted to pick a technology whose developments are still changing as we speak…we don't have a throughline that connects all its uses, which involve very different ethical questions," explained the Canadian, who joined NUS in 2021 and is also a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow at the University of Cambridge.

Instead of beginning with theories in the field, she starts with real-world applications. "One of the things my students like to ask is, 'What is the real-world utility of literature?' My experiment with this course is that we're not only looking at literature, but we're close reading this technology, looking at the way its "forms" relate to the socio-political issues of our time."

It is not just games. Every week explores different mediums, from visual art to popular media such as Twitter fiction and even an episode from the hit Netflix series Black Mirror.

For literature students accustomed to poetry and novels, it is not always easy to introduce them to non-text-based media, but Asst Prof Pong's advice is to simply approach it like they would any other text.

"By encouraging us to look at the products of pop culture through a critical lens, Dr Pong showed us that culture surrounds us all," Kevin Khoe, an English Literature student from a previous iteration of the module, said. "Just evaluating the shows we watch and games we play unveils so much about the subtle cultural energies, beliefs, and practices that influence our lives."

It is such explorations beyond the typical that

"The most satisfying part about teaching this course is also the most challenging," she said. "It's helping students leave their comfort zone and take risks with what they study and write about."

Thought Experiments
While literature courses typically require a final essay, Asst Prof Pong's students have the option of submitting an "un-essay"- a creative work in any medium - that reflects critically on class material.

About half to two-thirds of the students choose to do the un-essay. That in no way means taking the easy way out - students are still graded on their thesis, analysis, and clarity of thought. They also have to submit a short write-up to explain their thought process and how their work relates to critical concepts learned over the semester.

In fact, the creative assessment arguably requires more effort. For instance, Kevin hand-carved a tribal drone motif on a plank of olive wood that he ordered from Carousell - symbolising how much drones have been inscribed in people's lives, resulting in them having to navigate a culture with machines constantly hovering above and surveilling them.

"In the study of literature, we deal with abstract topics [and] the conceptual world of ideas and language," he mused. "Working on the un-essay was a refreshing opportunity to exercise my intellectual energies through a tactile and visual medium."

At the end of the day, Asst Prof Pong's pedagogical rationale is simple: "I want them to do things not just for a good grade, but because it's a question that bothers them and they want to answer it."

From clones to drones, the question of human ethics and morality is a never-ending rabbit hole of inquiry. Luckily, these professors know just where to start.

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This story first appeared in NUSNews on 16 April 2024.

NUS and NTU Again Ranked as Top Asian Universities Based on Subjects

IN BRIEF | 10 min read

• NUS and NTU ranked higher than Chinese, Japanese and Hong Kong universities in terms of the number of top 10 programmes, and have done so since at least 2021.

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Click through image below to read this piece.

 

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This story first appeared in The Straits Times and NUSNews on 11 April 2024.

19 NUS Programmes Placed in Global Top 10 in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024

IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• Spanning across the fields of Business, Computing, Engineering, Science, as well as Humanities and Social Sciences, 19 of NUS' 44 ranked programmes have been placed among the world's top 10.

Nineteen NUS programmes are in the global top 10, according to the latest Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings (QS WUR) by Subject 2024 released on 10 April 2024.  Four of them have been ranked top five in the world. The programmes include courses in the fields of Business, Computing, Engineering, Science, as well as Humanities and Social Sciences - underscoring NUS' excellent performance across broad faculty and subject fields.

Professor Aaron Thean, NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost, said, "We are delighted that NUS has achieved top 10 rankings globally for 19 subjects this year. Notably, this marks the highest number of subjects placing in global top 10 for NUS in the past five years. We are grateful for the recognition of the exceptional calibre of our international faculty, students, and alumni. It attests to the University's commitment to academic excellence and serves as an encouragement for our dedication to interdisciplinary education, equipping our students for the challenges and opportunities of the future."

The QS WUR by Subject are an independent comparative analysis on the performance of nearly 16,000 university programmes. These programmes are taken by students at 1,561 universities in 149 locations across the world and sit across 55 academic disciplines which, for the rankings, are then grouped into five broad subject areas.

"Singapore's universities have consistently performed well in global assessments. This prestigious position offers unique opportunities for growth," said Mr Ben Sowter, Senior Vice President at QS.

Acknowledging the nation's commitment to strategic investments and planning for the tertiary education sector, Mr Sowter added, "Singapore stands to gain from these geopolitical shifts, attracting a growing share of international talent. As a recognised hub of academic excellence, Singapore also faces heightened competition from regional players, including emerging economies looking to replicate its successful model."

Transformative Education that Nurtures Future-ready and Resilient Graduates
Preparing our graduates to be globally competitive has always been an integral part of NUS' education. NUS' unique education experience emphasises a flexible interdisciplinary approach and innovative pedagogy with opportunities for multiple pathways and specialisations, enabling students and alumni to be agile and adaptable in today's volatile and complex economy. Armed with a broad range of market-relevant competencies, NUS graduates can confidently pivot to diverse sectors and areas of work, regardless of their major or specialisation.

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This story first appeared in NUSNews on 10 April 2024.

NUS Open House 2024 Attracts more than 8.4m visitors as Screens and Campuses Buzz with Action

IN BRIEF | 10 min read

• Open House 2024 returned to an enthusiastic reception as visitors turned up in force to experience one of NUS' largest events of the year. Held in a hybrid format from 2 to 9 March 2024 and pulled together by the efforts of 2,674 faculty, staff, students and alumni, the event attracted more than 8.4 million visitors - up from 7.7 million in 2023 - as they explored the comprehensive showcase of what NUS has to offer both online and in-person.

Open House 2024 returned to an enthusiastic reception as visitors turned up in force to experience one of NUS' largest events of the year. Held in a hybrid format from 2 to 9 March 2024 and pulled together by the efforts of 2,674 faculty, staff, students and alumni, the event attracted more than 8.4 million visitors - up from 7.7 million in 2023 - as they explored the comprehensive showcase of what NUS has to offer both online and in-person.

Kicking off the eight action-packed days was a slate of engaging virtual talks, webinars, and social media sessions. NUS Business School put together an informative line-up of virtual sessions featuring an Ask-Me-Anything session with its Vice Dean Associate Prof Chng Chee Kiong, an overview of the various majors with insights from faculty and students alike, and a glimpse of its vibrant student life via the Bizad Club.

At the online showcase by NUS Computing, prospective students joined a Discord live chat to get their questions answered by professors and student ambassadors on topics such as the differences between the school's five degree programmes. During a Zoom session by NUS Global, they heard about the University's exciting study abroad opportunities from students who embarked on exchange programmes with universities in Scotland, Canada, Switzerland and Hong Kong.

The on-campus segment on 9 March saw crowds throng the programme booths, talks, special classes, campus tours, student life performances and residential venues, with students gaining perspectives into all aspects of a world-class education at NUS, from the comprehensive curricula and career prospects to student life and global opportunities.

"The NUS Open House was an absolute delight! It provided me with invaluable insights into campus life and academic offerings," said prospective student Sim Wen Hao, who is currently in national service. "From informative discussions to first-hand testimonials, every interaction left me feeling more confident about my potential home away from home."

Charting pathways in humanities and sciences
The College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS), comprising the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) and the Faculty of Science (FOS), showcased how it is equipping students with skills to integrate knowledge across these domains and the wide range of programmes they can choose from through a variety of major and minor combinations.

An FASS panel featuring a Geography major, a Political Science major with a minor in Economics, a Philosophy major pursuing a Double Degree, and a Southeast Asian Studies major taking a minor in History dispelled misconceptions about their disciplines while discussing the potential career paths. Another joint talk by Psychology and Social Work on addressing mental health challenges in the 21st century explored how the issue is approached from their respective disciplines.

The boom in big data was the focus of the Data Science and Analytics talk that highlighted how the programme offers students industry exposure through real-world projects and internships. Another talk by the Environmental Studies Cross-Disciplinary Programme discussed its mission to develop environmental sustainability advocates keen to derive creative solutions to complex problems, along with its exciting fieldwork opportunities.

Lee Sue Ning, a Hwa Chong graduate who is interested in applying to Psychology, said of the FASS student panel: "The four students were from courses that I would never have considered. Hearing their experiences opened new doors for me, making me consider these courses as possible minors that I can take," she added.

Intersection of design and engineering
The talk on Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, held by the College of Design and Engineering (CDE) gave students valuable insights on the curriculum and disciplines, as well as showcased students' research. In an Ask-Me-Anything panel, the professors also shared about the flexibility of the curriculum, future career prospects, intersections between the various fields of engineering, and their thoughts on the most challenging yet rewarding aspects of taking a degree in Engineering.

The talk on Architecture, Industrial Design, and Landscape Architecture gave students the inside scoop on how the programmes provide the core foundation, training, skills, and knowledge for students to become the next generation of effective and innovative architects and designers.

Over at SDE3, CDE's Built Environment Research Tour took participants behind the scenes-from live demonstrations of how 5G robotics reduce manpower and increase efficiency, to a lab tour of NUS' hydraulics laboratory facilities to explore wave mechanics and how natural coastal ecosystems like mangroves can protect shorelines against climate change. Students also participated in a hands-on session to design their own shoreline adaptation, choosing from models of nature-based solutions as well as traditional infrastructure.

"It was nice to be able to see the facilities and get an idea about what Singapore is currently trying to improve on-designing a world with humans and robots, and coastal protection," Nur Annatasyia Binte Joferi, from Singapore Polytechnic, said. "It made me think about how things will progress and what comes next after those goals are met."

Immersive learning experiences
NUS College offered prospective students a window into its extensive interdisciplinary education that blends small-group seminars with experiential learning and a rich residential immersion through special classes on topics such as love, food, and even Shakespeare's plays. During Dr Chan Chi Wang's class on quantifying facial attractiveness using mathematics and statistical methods, prospective students busily plotted measurements of facial features on graph paper. In Associate Professor Stuart Derbyshire's class, they decoded mysterious sounds and intriguing illusions - sometimes with the aid of 3D glasses - understanding the science behind brain mechanisms that influence our perception.

Foo Jun Wei, a Hwa Chong Institution graduate who will be joining Computer Science and NUS College, came away with useful information on what to expect as an incoming NUS student. "I enjoyed taking part in the guided tour where I got to see first-hand the facilities and accommodations that NUS College provides, as well as the immersive sample lesson on quantifying facial attractiveness. Above all, I was glad to be able to clarify my existing doubts and seek advice from the friendly student ambassadors on the ground," he added.

Over at Bukit Timah Campus, visitors to NUS Law had the choice of two masterclasses on criminal justice and conflict resolution approaches. At its mock moot sessions, visitors sat attentively in the gallery witnessing a simulation of a court case.

Mastering the 'heart' and science of healthcare
Prospective students interested in Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy had the chance to find out about the new Common Curriculum for Healthcare Professional Education, which has been designed to align with Singapore's shift towards preventive healthcare. Aside from touching on the Common Curriculum, talks by NUS Medicine offered an overview of its academic journey, highlighting features such as its strong mentorship support and Pathway programmes aimed at broadening their skill sets. During a special class by NUS Nursing, visitors tried out basic nursing skills like using a stethoscope and learnt the importance of collaboration between healthcare professionals.

Prospective students interested in Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy had the chance to find out about the new Common Curriculum for Healthcare Professional Education, which has been designed to align with Singapore's shift towards preventive healthcare. Aside from touching on the Common Curriculum, talks by NUS Medicine offered an overview of its academic journey, highlighting features such as its strong mentorship support and Pathway programmes aimed at broadening their skill sets. During a special class by NUS Nursing, visitors tried out basic nursing skills like using a stethoscope and learnt the importance of collaboration between healthcare professionals.

The interactive Pharmacy masterclass, titled "Unveiling the Pillars of Pharmacy: The Science and Art of Medication Therapy", saw prospective students participate in the decision-making process of a real-life clinical case study. They also gained insight into how NUS Pharmacy structures its curriculum to incorporate live interactive classes, science practicals, skills labs, and collaborative learning workshops, to help students apply concepts in real case studies.

Prospective student Wong Hon Wei from Anderson Serangoon Junior College said, "The Pharmacy masterclass was quite enjoyable yet unique, as the way the collaborative learning workshop was structured was engaging, incorporating the Biology and Chemistry concepts learnt in classrooms into real-world medical applications."

Innovating solutions for society and the world
Another popular feature at this year's Open House was the Innovation and Impact Hub, which showcased groundbreaking projects by students from CDE, Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Centre, NUS College, and FOS that are making a tangible impact on society and the world.

Visitors caught the interactive projects in action, from The Moving Farm, a movable modular tower system for hydroponics farming that increases crop yield sustainably, to TinkerThings, a project on AI-based gamified activities innovated to improve seniors' mental wellbeing and cognitive faculties.

Aside from exploring academic pathways, visitors also discovered NUS Enterprise's suite of entrepreneurship initiatives, including the NUS Overseas Colleges, NUS Enterprise Summer and Winter Programmes in Entrepreneurship, and incubation hub THE HANGAR.

At a panel session on student entrepreneurship, prospective students heard from NUS alumni who founded three start-ups - Pitchspot, Wateroam and Skilio. The founders shared how their involvement in Enterprise's entrepreneurship programmes and the support they received through the HANGAR enabled them to nurture their business ideas.

Exciting array of student and residential life activities

Over at the Student Village, a smorgasbord of vibrant student performances took Town Plaza by storm throughout the day, treating visitors to an exhilarating kaleidoscope of talent from student clubs and interest groups.

Getting a glimpse of the diverse student life opportunities that await, visitors were hyped up by the energetic cheerleading displays of King Edward VII Hall's KE Titans, the snazzy beats of NUS Rappers, and the slick dance moves of the NUS Korean Cultural Interest Group. They were also serenaded with catchy tunes from the Sheares Hall band, a capella group NUS Resonance, and NUS Fingerstyle Guitar.

On top of A-Day-in-the-Life videos and 360° virtual tours of the various Residential Colleges, Halls, and Houses, Masters and student representatives from the residences mingled with prospective students at the booths, talks, and Ask-Me-Anything panels, where they shared their insights and anecdotes on the on-campus experience, as well as the distinct culture of each residential unit.

Along with offering guided in-person tours and simulated classes, the residential units also showcased the interest groups available. Other engaging activities, such as Tembusu College's live performances and Ridge View Residential College's sports experience zones, coffee pour demonstrations, and warli art making gave prospective students a taste of the many facets of holistic residential life.

Prospective students Inez Ang from National Junior College and Vishnu Raj from Millennia Institute said the residential showcase gave them a better picture of living on campus.

Runyi Zhang, a graduate of St Andrew's Junior College who is applying to Business, said she had an enlightening experience sampling both the academic and extracurricular options. "Through the Open House, I've managed to capture a glimpse of student life in NUS… allowing me to have a clearer and more vivid image of what my future could be like here," she added.

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This story first appeared in NUSNews on 14 March 2024.

Results of the Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Prize 2023 - The Short Story

 Department of English Language & Literature

National University of Singapore

 The Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Prize 2023 - The Short Story

We are very pleased to announce the results of the Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Competition 2023 - The Short Story. Congratulations to the prize winners!

1st Prize ($10,000):

Wu Ningjing for "Escape"

 

2nd Prize ($6,000):

Koh Jin Hui Jinny for "We Are All Alone In This Anyway"

 

3rd Prize ($4,000):

Dinh Cao Tue for "The Xinh-ga-po Pie"

 

The prize winners will be notified by email and will be required to attend the Award presentation.  Details of the event will be provided closer to the date.

The biennial Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Prize was established by the late Dr Sylvia Goh with an endowed gift to the Department of English, Linguistics & Theatre Studies (ELST) at the National University of Singapore in memory and recognition of her late husband, Mr Goh Sin Tub, who was one of Singapore's best-known local writers.

Mr Goh Sin Tub and Dr Sylvia Goh are both alumni of the University of Malaya (UM), one of NUS' predecessor institutions. The Prize commemorates Mr Goh Sin Tub's life, achievements and support for education.

The genre for this Competition is the Short Story. Subsequent competitions will feature other literary genres. The competition is open to all members of the NUS community at the time of submission of entry.

The closing date for the competition was 4 September 2023.  The competition received 60 entries.

Judging Panels

The judges are Dr Ismail Talib (Chair of Judging Panel, former Associate Professor at the Dept of ELTS and alum BA Honours Class of 1980 and MA by Research 1985), Dr Er Yanbing (Dept of English, Linguistics, NUS), and Ms Mah Xiao Yu (Hons student in Literature and member of NUS The Literary Society).

 

Read the stories here:

Escape

We Are All Alone In This Anyway

The Xinh-ga-po Pie

NUS Alumni Awards 2023: Celebrating Outstanding Changemakers and Trailblazers

IN BRIEF | 8 min read

• NUS honoured the achievements of 21 outstanding alumni and three alumni teams comprising another 14 alumni, at the prestigious NUS Alumni Awards 2023.

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Twenty-one individual alumni and three alumni teams, comprising another 14 individuals, were honoured at the NUS Alumni Awards 2023 on 2 November.

Now in its 10th edition, the biennial NUS Alumni Awards recognise alumni who have distinguished themselves through significant and impactful contributions to their alma mater, society and the world.

Speaking at the celebratory event, NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye noted that the award recipients have, “not only found success in their respective fields, but elevated what it means to be an alumnus or alumna of our institution: their achievements have enriched our culture, advanced our science, deepened our humanity, and bettered our society”. Read Prof Tan's speech here.

Eminent Alumni Award
The Eminent Alumni Award was conferred on Mdm Halimah Yacob, former President of the Republic of Singapore, for her achievements in public service, as well as her exemplary service to the University as the former Chancellor of NUS from 2017 to 2023. Mdm Halimah Yacob
Mdm Halimah graduated in 1978 with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Singapore and obtained her Master of Laws from NUS in 2001. She spent 33 years with the labour movement, rising to become Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). In 1999, she became the first Singaporean elected to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), where she served for 12 years, representing workers globally. She entered politics in 2001, serving as a Member of Parliament until 2017. In a career filled with firsts, she became the first woman appointed Speaker of Parliament in 2013; and the first woman to be elected President of Singapore in 2017, a role she held until 2023. For her service, she was conferred the Order of Temasek (With High Distinction), the nation’s highest civilian honour, this year.

As Chancellor of the University, Mdm Halimah conferred close to 76,000 undergraduate, master’s, doctorate and honorary degrees over six years, and presided over the Main Commencement ceremonies for graduates and honorary graduates. She also graced various NUS events, including NUSSU Rag & Flag Day 2018, NUS Bizad Charity Run 2020, the Bukit Timah Homecomings of 2018 and 2022, the Institute of Policy Studies’ Women’s Conference in 2021, and the 52nd UM-NUS Inter-University Tunku Chancellor Golf Tournament in 2023.

Delivering the citation for Mdm Halimah’s conferment, Prof Tan commended Mdm Halimah as an “inspiring leader” and “trailblazing alumna”, noting her “unwavering dedication to advancing the lives of individuals and communities, particularly the underprivileged”. Read the citation here.

“I am deeply honoured to receive the Eminent Alumni Award from my alma mater. NUS has played a formative role in my life, shaping not only my academic development but the values I have carried throughout my career,” said Mdm Halimah.

Watch this tribute video on Mdm Halimah’s contributions to the University and Singapore.

Distinguished Alumni Service Award
Eight NUS alumni were conferred the Distinguished Alumni Service Award for their achievements in their chosen fields, as well as their excellent volunteer service to NUS, its predecessor institutions and/or the community.

These award recipients were:

• Professor Kishore Mahbubani (NUS Philosophy '71), Distinguished Fellow at NUS Asia Research Institute
• Mr Kok Heng Leun, founder of the Drama Box theatre group
• Ms Janet Lim Yuen Kheng (NUS Sociology, 75), former Assistant High Commissioner (Operations) at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
• Justice Andrew Phang Boon Leong, Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore
• Mr Ravi Menon (NUS Economics '87), Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore
• Mr Brian Tan Kai Piang, Regional President of Applied Materials Southeast Asia
• Mr Wong Kan Seng (NUS History and English '70), former Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
• Mr Yatiman Bin Yusof (NUS Geography and Malay Studies '72), High Commissioner of Singapore to Kenya and Malay language champion

Outstanding Young Alumni Award Recipients
Twelve young NUS alumni were honoured for their achievements and outstanding contributions to their chosen fields.

These award recipients were:

• Dr Aishwarya Bandla, Regional R&D Manager at Paxman Coolers
• Ms Akanksha Batura Pai, Head of Strategy and Growth at Sinoda Shipping Agency
• Dr Rena Dharmawan, Assistant Dean and Assistant Professor at Duke-NUS Medical School
• Mr Faris Bin Ridzuan (NUS Sociology '15), academic tutor at the National University of Singapore
• Dr Izzuddin Bin Mohd Aris, Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Institute
• Mr Khoo Yi Feng (NUS Southeast Asian Studies and Psychology '17, Social Work (postgraduate diploma) '20), social worker and mental health advocate
• Mr Kwok Ka Ming Andre, founder of Good City Foundation
• Mr Samson Leo, Chief Legal Officer of Fazz
• Mr Raghuram Natarajan, Chief Executive Officer of Blueleaf Energy
• Mr Seah Li Song Shawn (NUS Economics '10), local history author
• Dr Shravan Verma, Co-founder of Speedoc
• Ms Frances Tho Siao Ting, Vice President of Sales at Numerix

Team (Alumni) Award Recipients

The Team (Alumni) Award recognises the outstanding achievements of alumni teams who have collectively distinguished themselves in their chosen fields.

Three awards recipients were:

• Co-founders of Growthbeans: Ms Shamantha Yan Shiya (NUS Sociology '09) and Ms Shane Yan Shiyan (NUS Psychology '09)
• Co-founders of Janio Asia: Mr Ng Jun Kai and Mr Nathaniel Asher Yim
• REACH (Response, Early Intervention and Assessment in Community mental Health) Team, Institute of Mental Health: Ms Esther Chew Yuki (FASS '14), Dr Daniel Fung Shuen Sheng, Mr Ho Weng Siong (FASS '16), Ms Li Jiaying Grace, Mr Ong Guo Xiong Jeffrey (FASS '09), Ms Ong Tze-I Cheryl (FASS '08), Ms Sim Si Lin (FASS '12), Ms Tan Ke Jia (FASS '03), Mr Tan Zheng Xin, Jason (FASS '08) and Ms Kelly Yeo (FASS '07)

Read more about the NUS Alumni Awards 2023 recipients here and here.

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This story by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations first appeared in NUSNews on 2 November 2023.

“Now everyone is uncle or auntie”: Chinese naming tradition showing generational ties fading

Chinese naming practices have been dwindling over the years, according to experts. Specifically, the practice of generational naming, or bei ming, has become more seldom in young Chinese Singaporeans. In ‘“Now everyone is uncle or auntie”: Chinese naming tradition showing generational ties fading’ (The Straits Times, September 2023), faculty from the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences commented on this phenomenon, illustrated by examples from their undergraduate students. Associate Professor Lee Cher Leng (NUS Chinese Studies), who teaches an undergraduate course on bridges between the East and West, surveys each cohort of students about generational naming practices. She discusses not only how a small handful of students in her course have been named according to their family’s genealogy books (jia pu or zu pu), but also that most students are thoroughly unfamiliar with such practices. A/P Lee also mentions that while the practice helps embody one’s sense of identity, it has been displaced in Singapore’s increasingly Westernised society. Instead, Chinese Singaporeans have turned to new naming conventions, naming their children based on the values they want them to have; for example, girls may be named zhi hui (Chinese for ‘wisdom’). Dr Peter Tan (NUS English, Literature, and Theatre Studies) explained that in a project on generation names, the majority of the students surveyed didn't have one, noting that modern young parents in Singapore primarily speak English and might view long-term traditions such as generation names as outdated. Instead, Dr Tan suggests that young parents may adapt the tradition within their immediate families, through choosing common characters or initials for their children’s names. The article discusses the varied benefits of generational naming practices. They help families stay connected as family members disperse globally, keep track of important family history, and improve respectful and personal relations between family members. Experts believe that Chinese Singaporeans should make an effort to renew these traditions and continue the jia pu or zu pu. Read the article here: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/now-everyone-is-uncle-or-auntie-fading-of-chinese-naming-tradition-that-shows-generational-ties

As a Malay-speaking Indian Girl of Mixed Heritage, Here’s How I Celebrate Racial Harmony Every Day

IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• In connecting with her Indian heritage, Year 4 English Literature major Darcel Anthony has also found her way to further appreciating the beauty of different cultures.⁠ She elaborates on her life's journey so far in TODAY.

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Click through image below to read this piece.

 

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This article first appeared on TODAY Online on 3 September 2023 and NUSNews on 4 September 2023.

New Career Navigator Series Launched for Young NUS Alumni

IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• The NUS Office of Alumni Relations has launched NUS Be A-HEAD, a new seminar series designed to help graduating students and young alumni make a smooth transition from university campus to the professional world.

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Today’s graduates are entering an increasingly complex work environment, where the idea of the traditional career trajectory has largely given way to one that is less predictable, non-linear, and will require continuous upskilling. Add to this the pace of technological change and industry disruption, and the contemporary workplace can appear both daunting and confusing.

Against this background, the NUS Office of Alumni Relations launched NUS Be A-HEAD, a new seminar series designed to help graduating students and young alumni make a smooth transition from university campus to the professional world.

“One of the greatest benefits of a university education is the alumni network,” said NUS Chief Alumni Officer Ms Ovidia Lim-Rajaram. “With several NUS alumni speakers lined up to share their experiences with their peers, NUS Be A-HEAD is a great example of how our alumni community supports and helps each other succeed.”

Scheduled for an initial three-month run from August to October 2023, the series will delve into various topics related to early-to-mid career growth, addressing some of the largest concerns confronting new graduates today: from finding the right job fit, to grappling with imposter syndrome, navigating difficult professional relationships, and learning how to thrive at work.

The first seminar in the series was held on 23 August at WeWork in Collyer Quay, bringing together close to 50 NUS alumni and graduating students in an event themed around the question of “How Do I Know if I’m on the Right Career Path?”

Featuring Mr Ian Lau (NUS Economics '12), a Director at Brunswick Group, and Ms May Wong (NUS English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies '90), Regional Lead, Talent Acquisition, Barclays Bank PLC, the session highlighted learning points from the speakers’ own careers while providing tips to the audience on interviewing, networking, and learning how to become comfortable marketing themselves.

With both speakers having pivoted to a field different from the one they started in, much of the conversation centred around making the individual determination of whether a job is right for yourself and knowing how and when to move on.

For Mr Lau, this has meant a segue from corporate banking to consulting by way of investor relations, as each experience strategically grew his resume with skills that are relevant and applicable to multiple jobs. “I knew what my career at the bank would look like, the seniority that I would have in five years, and the skills I would attain. [By joining an SME], I was hoping that maybe I would be able to climb the ladder a little faster, get a bit more hands-on training, and more mentorship. And that’s exactly what happened.” What was critical to his development, Mr Lau shared, was remaining “available and present to new opportunities”.

Likewise, having made the transition from journalism to human resources, Ms Wong emphasised the importance of identifying transferrable skills, as well as evaluating one’s interests, talents, as well as lifestyle preferences against any potential position. She also noted the difference between having a job and a career, asking the audience to question whether they have “five years’ experience or five times one”. If they are at a stage where they are no longer able to add anything new to their performance appraisals or their CVs year after year, professional growth may require a new environment or position.

The audience was appreciative of the numerous insights shared by the speakers.

“The session inspired me to think deeper about my existing career, and how I can find my own strength and area of growth. It was also very helpful to hear about strategies and tips to land a new job, especially when pivoting into a different career path,” shared Rebecca Koh (Business '10).

“I think the biggest takeaway is that there is no rubric or matrix for a perfect career path. As your life stage changes, some of your goals and ideals may also change, which is why the so-called ‘right career’ path is always in fluidity,” added Yang Sheng (Arts and Social Sciences '18).

The second NUS Be A-Head event will be held in September.  For more information, please refer to the event website: https://www.nus.edu.sg/alumnet/events/results/nus-be-a-head-survive-or-thrive-at-work.

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This story by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations first appeared in NUSnews on 31 August 2023.

TS graduate Anjana Vasan: On the cover of Henrik Ibsen's A DOLL'S HOUSE (2023)

TS graduate Anjana Vasan is on the cover of a new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House published by Bloomsbury Publishing, UK (2023). The book cover is taken from the publicity poster for the 2019 production of the adaptation. Anjana played the lead role of this adaptation of Ibsen's play in 2019 which ran at the Lyric Hammersmith, London. Recontextualised to 1879 Calcutta, Anjana plays Niru, a young Indian woman married to a British colonial officer. Timeout London had this to say about her performance: "An awful lot rests on the shoulders of Vasan, as Niru. WIde-eyed on the outside, steely on the inside, she’s magnetic as a woman playing a role to make her way in the world – and playing it with such conviction even she struggles to see the truth about her marriage, until the very end. Vasan has a nuance and depth of feeling that does a lot of heavy lifting in a show that sometimes feels caught between Ibsen and Gupta. Here, the fiery postcolonial stuff is more compelling than the feminist stuff, and the two don’t always overlap brilliantly: Niru and Tom’s marriage, while clearly not perfect, nonetheless feels a bit too chipper until the very end. Still, Vasan is fundamentally up to the task of holding the threads together and there’s no denying the boldness of the endeavour – it’s a big, galvanising start to the O’Riordan reign." https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/a-dolls-house-review For her turn as Niru, Anjana was nominated for the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress in 2019.

Gaining Fresh Perspectives on Leadership and Sustainability in Southeast Asia at TF-NUS LEaRN 2023

IN BRIEF | 10 min read

• The TF-NUS LEaRN Programme is NUS Global Relations Office’s signature youth leadership programme, which takes place annually and is sponsored by the Temasek Foundation.
• This year’s programme began in May, where 34 participants from four local universities – NUS, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore University of Social Sciences, and Singapore Institute of Technology – attended workshops, field trips, and presentations on sustainability and leadership in Indonesia.

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For 62 university students across Southeast Asia, the summer holidays were well-spent gaining new perspectives on leadership and sustainability through the Temasek Foundation-NUS Leadership Enrichment and Regional Networking (TF-NUS LEaRN) Programme.

This year’s programme began in May, where 34 participants from four local universities – NUS, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore University of Social Sciences, and Singapore Institute of Technology – attended workshops, field trips, and presentations on sustainability and leadership in Indonesia.

The TF-NUS LEaRN Programme is NUS Global Relations Office’s signature youth leadership programme, which takes place annually and is sponsored by the Temasek Foundation.

Citing the rich cultural diversity and growing opportunities available in Southeast Asia, NUS Associate Vice President (Global Relations) Associate Professor Reuben Wong urged students to broaden their worldview, get to know their Southeast Asian neighbours better, and take active steps toward shaping the kind of society they want to live in.

“This is a great opportunity for youths to learn from one another, share their views, and play an active role in building an innovative and sustainable society. At the same time, it’s a chance for them to forge strong bonds and foster mutual respect and appreciation for the different cultures in the region, especially in an increasingly connected world,” said Assoc Prof Wong (who is also Deputy Head of NUS Political Science).

Sustainability Efforts in Indonesia
Participants from Singapore gained insights into a broad range of sustainability efforts and challenges through engaging discussions with speakers from both the public and private sectors during their visit hosted by Airlangga University in Surabaya.

This was followed by a trip to Sumbawa, in Indonesia’s West Nusa Tenggara province, where they learnt from Sumbawa University of Technology about their efforts to revitalise the agricultural industry through sustainable farming practices. The exposure was reinforced by a visit to the rice paddy fields where participants saw how local farmers engaged in sustainable farming by flooding the rice fields and releasing fishes into the fields to help with pest control.

Additionally, the programme included experiential learning components on local sustainable waste management efforts. For this, students had a go at reforesting work, where they planted trees at Ai Lemak in Sumbawa, and pitched in during a beach cleanup with the locals. To complete the trip, students also experienced Indonesia’s rich culture and heritage through several dance, music and cooking lessons, village tours, and an exciting buffalo race in the paddy fields.

Leadership lessons in Singapore

Fast forward to July, the second and third phases of the TF-NUS LEaRN Programme resumed in Singapore, where the students were joined by 28 other participants from 15 universities across Southeast Asia hailing from countries including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.

They learned about the challenges of being a leader and managing a team through a series of site visits and interviews with leaders from various industries and backgrounds including the founders of trade associations for Singapore’s tech industry, SGTech and social enterprise SGAssist. They also had the opportunity to pitch their ideas and solutions to some of the challenges faced by social enterprises and businesses. In an inspiring dialogue with Ms Oh Siew May, a Singaporean chef and author with cerebral palsy, the participants were enlightened on untapped talent in the community.

“Just because someone is disabled doesn’t mean they are unable to do anything. We can do anything – even climb mountains. My disability will not stop me from doing what I want to do,” Ms Oh told participants. She successfully scaled Mount Kinabalu in 2005, Malaysia’s highest peak, and currently works at Fortitude Culina, a social enterprise that hires people with disabilities.

The students were also treated to a fascinating presentation by urban farmer and founder of local biotechnology start-up, Insectta, and FASS alumna Ms Chua Kai-Ning (NUS English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies '18). They learnt how black soldier fly maggots are used to sustainably produce biomaterials such as chitosan and melanin, which are often used in pharmaceutical products such as anti-microbial sprays, health and skincare products and even organic electronics, in large quantities. Using Insectta’s proprietary extraction technology, biomaterials are extracted and produced in a clean and sustainable manner. These are ultimately used in the manufacturing of environmentally-friendly commercial products.

In the final leg of the programme, participants attended a series of workshops on futures thinking by NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, where they learnt about public policy, futures thinking methodology, and its application on real-world issues. They also attended a panel discussion on sustainability and leadership with industry experts and thought leaders, where they explored innovative approaches and strategies to drive sustainable development in ASEAN.

2040 Vision for ASEAN Countries
Leveraging their newly acquired knowledge and experiences from the intensive TF-NUS LEaRN Programme, students developed sustainability-enhancing strategies and shared their 2040 vision for ASEAN countries. Through engaging skits, creative props, and meticulously hand-crafted dioramas, the students presented their ideas on helping countries in ASEAN achieve sustainability goals in food, agriculture, waste management, education, tourism, and conservation.

Mia Chow Qi Fang, a final-year NUS Landscape Architecture student and fellow LEaRN participant, shared that the programme was crucial in enhancing her intercultural communication skills. “I acquired many valuable skills that go beyond what I typically learn in my regular school routine. The development of soft skills, such as cultural sensitivity and effective communication across diverse cultures, was particularly useful to me. Such skills are vital in today's interconnected world, where it is important for us to be able to understand and collaborate with people from different backgrounds and cultures.”

“The TF-NUS LEaRN Programme was the perfect opportunity for me to not only acquire relevant leadership skills but also try them out in a safe space,” said Brandon New Jun Jie, an NUS Political Science freshman. “The programme’s themes and its carefully curated itinerary of field trips and academic discussions were very well thought through. The focus on sustainability, a field that I was not very knowledgeable about, was the icing on the cake.”

Dao Duy Ha Anh, a third-year engineering student from Hanoi University of Science and Technology, found the different leadership perspectives shared during the programme particularly enriching.

“One highlight of the programme was learning from the various leaders who shared valuable insights on handling feedback, overcoming challenges, and honing important career skills. This is very helpful for me as both a student, and as a working adult in the near future,” he said.

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This story by NUS Global Relations first appeared in NUSnews on 17 August 2023.

Celebrated for their Dedication to Singapore

IN BRIEF | 10 min read

• More than 200 members of the NUS community received the National Day Awards 2023.

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Madam Kay Kuok Oon Kwong, Chair of the Yale-NUS College Governing Board and Former Chairman of the National Healthcare Group, was conferred the Distinguished Service Order at this year’s National Day Awards.

One of four recipients of this year’s top accolade, Madam Kuok was among the more than 200 members of the NUS community honoured at the annual awards, which recognise individuals for their merit and service to Singapore.

The Distinguished Service Order is bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated distinguished conduct.

Madam Kuok was recognised for her steadfast leadership of the National Healthcare Group (NHG) from 2009 to 2021, steering it through major milestones, including its integration with the Alexandra Health System. She was also credited for her critical role in establishing the National Centre for Infectious Diseases and for her stewardship of the NHG in its COVID-19 responses during the pandemic.

As Founding Chair of the Yale-NUS College Governing Board, Madam Kuok provided strategic direction and guidance in various aspects, from curriculum development and faculty hiring to finances and infrastructure. She served on the NUS Board of Trustees for 12 years from 2008 to 2020, providing leadership and vision in charting the University’s strategic goals in education and research, in addition to discharging the Board’s fiduciary duties. For her immense contributions to the University and society, she was presented with the Outstanding Service Award at the NUS University Awards 2021.

Emeritus Professor Lee Eng Hin received the Public Service Star for his role as Chairman of the Bioethics Advisory Committee, which provides the government with recommendations on the regulation of human biomedical research. His appointments at NUS include Emeritus Professor at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine), where he also serves as Senior Advisor to the School’s Division of Graduate Medical Studies. He was the former Dean of NUS Medicine and previously served as Head of the Department of Orthopaedics.

Two other recipients were also recognised with the Public Service Star, given to individuals who have rendered valuable public service or distinguished themselves in various fields. They were Mr Seck Wai Kwong, a member of the INVEST Fund Board of Trustees and Adjunct Professor at the Department of Accounting at NUS Business School; and Dr Toh Mun Heng, Vice President of the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) Central Committee, and Honorary Fellow of the Department of Strategy and Policy at NUS Business School.

NUS University Professor Ho Teck Hua, presently President and Distinguished University Professor of the Nanyang Technological University, was honoured with the Public Administration Medal (Gold) award. Prof Ho served as NUS’ Senior Deputy President and Provost from 2018 to 2023 and was Deputy President (Research and Technology) from 2015 to 2018. As Provost, he oversaw numerous initiatives aimed at promoting greater interdisciplinarity, nurturing innovative teaching and learning methods, and enhancing lifelong education. He was instrumental in attracting and developing high-quality talent at NUS through schemes such as the Presidential Young Professorship, and oversaw the launch of the College of Humanities and Sciences, College of Design and Engineering as well as NUS College, among other accomplishments. He was the Former Deputy Chairman of the Duke-NUS Governing Board from 2018 to 2023 and currently serves as the founding Executive Chairman of AI Singapore and President of the Academy of Engineering, Singapore.

Two other individuals were also recognised with the Public Administration Medal (Gold) award. They were Mr Kenneth Er Boon Hwee, who received the award in his capacity as Deputy Secretary (Planning) at the Ministry of National Development and Former Chief Executive Officer of the National Parks Board; and Mr Kok Ping Soon, Former Chief Executive of the Government Technology Agency. Mr Er is Member of the Governing Board of the Tropical Marine Science Institute at NUS while Mr Kok is Member of the Management Board of NUS-ISS.

Members of the FASS community who received awards include:

Public Administration Medal (Bronze)
• Assoc Prof Michelle M, Lazar, NUS English, Linguistics & Theatre Studies Long Service Medal
• Mr Eric CHEE Kwai Cheong, FASS Graduate Studies Division
• Assoc Prof Bruce Mcfarland LOCKHART, FASS Graduate Studies Division and NUS History
• Mdm LOW Hooi Han, FASS Dean's Office
• Assoc Prof LOY Hui Chieh, NUS Philosophy (and NUS College Vice Dean of Academic Affairs)
• Assoc Prof Saranindra Nath TAGORE, NUS Philosophy
• Mr THACH Ngoh Minh, NUS Centre for Language Studies
• Assoc Prof John WHALEN-BRIDGE, NUS English, Linguistics & Theatre Studies
• Ms WONG Swee Eng, FASS Dean's Office, Graduate Studies Division

Other members of the NUS community who received awards include:

• Mr Philip Lim Feng, Public Administration Medal (Silver) (Bar)  

• Prof Terrance Chua Siang Jin, Public Administration Medal (Silver)  
• Assoc Prof Terence Ho Wai Luen, Public Administration Medal (Silver)  
• Mr Khoong Chan Meng, Public Administration Medal (Silver)  
• Prof Liu Bin, Public Administration Medal (Silver)  
• Assoc Prof Thomas Loh Kwok Seng, Public Administration Medal (Silver)  
• Assoc Prof Peter Pang Yu-Hin, Public Administration Medal (Silver)  
• Clin Assoc Prof Poon Choy Yoke, Public Administration Medal (Silver)  
• Prof Sun Yeneng, Public Administration Medal (Silver)  
• Prof Tan Huay Cheem, Public Administration Medal (Silver)  
• Prof Teo Chung Piaw, Public Administration Medal (Silver)   • Prof Richard Liew Jat Yuen, Public Administration Medal (Bronze)  
• Prof Vathsala Anantharaman, Public Administration Medal (Bronze)  
• Prof Jochen Wirtz, Public Administration Medal (Bronze)  

View the full list here and read the story on last year’s recipients here.

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This story first appeared in NUSnews on 11 August 2023.

Call for Entries to The Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Competition 2023 (Short Story)

IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• The biennial Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Prize is a gift from Dr Sylvia Goh to NUS in memory and recognition of her husband Goh Sin Tub, one of Singapore’s best-known writers. The Competition is open to all members of the NUS community. The closing date for receipt of entries is at 5pm on Monday, 4 September 2023.

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NUS English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies is calling for the submission of original unpublished short stories by staff and students of NUS to The Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Competition 2023 (Short Story). Winners stand to win the following.

1st Prize: $10,000
2nd Prize: $6,000
3rd Prize: $4,000

The biennial Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Prize is a gift from Dr Sylvia Goh to NUS in memory and recognition of her husband Goh Sin Tub, one of Singapore’s best-known writers. The Competition is open to all members of the NUS community. The deadline for receipt of entries is 5 pm, Monday, 4 September 2023.

For details of the competition and the official registration form click here. For further information and clarifications, please write to Angeline.

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Edwin Thumboo Prize 2023

The Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences has awarded the Edwin Thumboo Prize 2023 to three pre-university students for their excellent literary work.

Named after one of Singapore's most prominent poets and scholars, the Edwin Thumboo Prize, aims to promote excellence in the study of Literature at the pre-university level by recognising outstanding literary works by A-level and International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBDP) students of English Literature in Singapore. It is administered by the Department with support from the Ministry of Education (MOE). The Prize, established in 2019, is funded by generous donors, including patrons of the arts and former winners of the Angus Ross Prize.

Winner

Ms Shayna Leng Shuen Rea

Hwa Chong Institution

$200 prize award

Shayna Leng

Shayna's essay on Sylvia Plath and Elizabeth Jennings interrogated with eloquence and vigour the notion of conflict in the oeuvre of both poets.

Shayna shared, "I am always amazed at how words can be woven into stories, and stories stacked into entire worlds that lie within the text of poem, prose, and play. In studying literature, it has been a joy to discover some of these worlds - and I hope I will never stop encountering new ones. Thank you to my parents, who indulged my book addiction with unstinting love; to my teachers Mr Benjamin Hathaway, Ms He Jiawen, Mr Nick Perry, Mrs Geetha Creffield, Ms Karen Kang, Mr Wong Wen Pu, Ms Yao Lingyun, and Ms Gloria Tan, who taught me to love language with unceasing patience over the years; and to my brother and friends, who have humoured me in unending discussions."

Merit Prizes

Two Merit Prizes were awarded to
Chow Zeyi from St Joseph's Institution and
Ms Gwyneth Tan from Catholic Junior College.
They will receive monetary awards of $100 each.

Chow Zeyi

St Joseph's Institution

"Studying Literature is an act of compassion. Every text contains voices that yearn to be heard, and the critic must shoulder the mantle of the empathetic listener. But the ability to be compassionate is in itself a flame that needs to be passed on. I yearn to understand others and their writings because I know the warmth of being understood. And so the flame burning within me was never mine - it has always belonged to my parents, teachers, and friends."

Gwyneth Tan

Catholic Junior College

"I truly thank my family, tutors, and teachers for inculcating my love for Literature since young, and for teaching me to appreciate and apprehend its beauty all the more."

The winners of the Edwin Thumboo Prize were selected through a rigorous selection process. In 2022, government pre-university institutions were invited to nominate one candidate each. The competition attracted entries from 16 institutions.

Each institution had to submit recommendations for their nominated candidates. The candidates were also required to submit a piece of academic writing on a literary text or topic.

Candidates were assessed by a selection panel comprising representatives from NUS and MOE, as well as former Angus Ross prize-winners. The selection panel for this year's Prize included Assistant Professor Heather Brink-Roby from the Department and Mr Aaron Maniam, the 1997 Angus Ross Prize Winner and published poet.

About Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo

Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo is one of Singapore's pioneering poets. An accomplished literary practitioner and critic, he dedicated his life to the composition and study of English Literature.

His work is studied in schools, both locally and abroad, and featured in public places in Singapore. At NUS, Professor Thumboo had served as Head of the Department of English Language and Literature, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and Director of the NUS Centre for the Arts. He has also received numerous awards, including the Book Award for Poetry in English (1978, 1980 and 1994), Southeast Asia Write Award (1979), The Cultural Medallion (March 1980), ASEAN Cultural and Communication Award for Literature (August 1987), Public Service Star (August 1991), the Meritorious Service Medal (2006), and Distinguished Service Award (2008).

Past Winners

2021/22

Prize Winner

Nicholas Yong Yoong-Yao

Raffles Institution

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Merit Awards

Caleb Low

Catholic Junior College

Sarah Zafirah bte Noor Ashikin

St Joseph's Institution

2020/21

Joint Prize Winners

Suneeti Sreekumar

National Junior College

Wong Shao-Yi

Raffles Institution

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Merit Awards

Elise Lauw

Temasek Junior College

Nyang Ying Zhi

Hwa Chong Institution

2019/20

Prize Winner

Loh Su Jean

Raffles Institution

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Merit Awards

Freyja Chu Shuai Wu

Dunman High School

Ng Zheng Yang

Anglo Chinese Junior College

Silvia Suseno

Nanyang Junior College

2018/19

Prize Winner

Gan Chong Jing

Raffles Institution

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Merit Awards

Jane Lee Jia Hui

Dunman High School

Lim Yi Jun

River Valley High School

Yew Jien Huey

Victoria Junior College

Seeing India with New Eyes through a Journey on its Winding Trails

IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• Under the Study Trips for Engagement and EnRichment (STEER) programme, a group of students from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, College of Design and Engineering, and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences embarked on an enlightening two-week journey to India, visiting Kerala, Lamagoan - a town near Darjeeling - and Kolkata.

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Spending nearly two weeks in fairly spartan living conditions, going for days without having a shower, or only having the option of taking a shower with ice-cold water — for many people, going on such a trip would be a daunting prospect.

But it was this modest proposition that prompted 19 NUS students from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, College of Design and Engineering and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences to embark on a 12-day journey to Alappuzha in India’s Kerala state, as well as Kolkata and Darjeeling in the state of West Bengal as part of the Study Trips for Engagement and EnRichment (STEER) programme.

Administered by the Global Relations Office, and led by Faculty members, NUS STEER aims to help undergraduates break existing mindsets about emerging regions through participation in an immersive educational, enrichment and cultural experience. Launched in 2010, it has since expanded to include countries in Asia, Central and Latin America, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Southern Africa.

Led by Associate Professor Tan Lai Yong, a Fellow at the College of Alice and Peter Tan and Residential College 4, the maiden post-COVID STEER expedition saw students engaging the local communities to learn about public health issues on the ground, the effects of climate change, and the livelihood challenges faced by the people there. Taking place from 18 to 30 April 2023, the trip was also one of the experiential learning opportunities offered under the Health and Humanity pathway of NUS Medicine’s Pathway Programmes, an elective programme that seeks to broaden students’ skillsets related to clinical practice and healthcare in the 21st century.

WATCH THE TEAM'S JOURNEY through Kerala, Darjeeling and Kolkata and their first-hand experiences of the diverse social, cultural, and economic environments that make these regions so unique.

Community Development and Healthcare in Kerala
The trip began in Alappuzha, Kerala, a scenic tropical area sometimes known as “Venice of the East”. Being immersed in a different cultural and social setting was refreshing for the team. Through a four-day stay aboard a houseboat, they gained insights on the lifestyle and farming practices of neighbourhoods located in areas only accessible by boat. A highlight of the experience was learning how to handpick, cut and prepare fresh banana leaves to be used as serving plates. Used in this way, the leaves impart a subtle aroma to the food, accentuating the flavours of dishes such as curry, chapati, dal and chutney.

Kerala offered valuable lessons pertaining to healthcare. Prior to the trip, online seminars with infectious disease experts in Kerala prepared the team to comprehend the diversity of the state’s communities as well as the region’s geographical complexity. Against this backdrop, Kerala’s success in battling the COVID-19 pandemic underscored for the team the importance of commitment and trust in matters of public health. The students also caught a glimpse of traditional medical practices like homeopathy and explored the potential for complementary alternative medicine to serve synergistically alongside Western medical providers in delivering healthcare in Singapore.

The interdisciplinary nature of the team also allowed them to broaden their horizons as they shared what they learnt from the different lenses of healthcare, sociology, engineering and innovation.

Community Leadership in Darjeeling
The next stop took students from the below-sea level backwaters of Alappuzha to Lamagaon, a small mountain village in Darjeeling 2000 metres above sea level.

Students were greeted with views of colourful homes across the valleys, the cacophony of cows mooing as they grazed, and on occasion, cold showers when the electricity was cut – a stark contrast from the urban environment in Singapore.

In the absence of public transportation, they embarked on long walks at the crack of dawn and met farmers who formed groups to collect milk from a farmhouse, which was tested to ensure its safety for consumption and later sold at a nearby market. Then it was time to climb a nearby peak to join villagers in planting about 50 walnut, apple and kiwi trees. On days when it rained, they were spared the task of getting water for the saplings. And while some students were drenched in the cold and heavy rain, they were treated to a warm hearty meal consisting of sticky rice stuffed into bamboo stems roasted over an open fire.

A highlight of the trip was interacting with Mr Bishesh, an entrepreneur who runs a homestay. A household name in Lamagaon, he believes in actively contributing ideas to make life in the village better for its people and is known for starting the first school in the village, as well as kickstarting many farming initiatives and self-help groups. On the 10-kilometre hike to a waterfall, students heard from villagers about his efforts to purchase and install pipes in the village to address the lack of running water. During the visit, his contributions were apparent through projects like a grass carp fish farm and a honey bee programme, providing valuable insights about community leadership.

Reflecting on her experience, Year 4 English Literature student Grace Cheong, shared, “Rural areas are beautiful for those who have the financial ability and opportunity to leave. This insight hit me hard as I learned about how monsoon and winter seasons directly affect locals; and how the same mountains we marvel at, are the long roads travelled by the children to go to school each day.”

“Yet, against this backdrop we heard stories of resilience and saw for ourselves the success stories of education, basic amenities, as well as a thriving, diverse community in the process of building sustainable initiatives and raising a generation of sensitive, intelligent youths. This was heartening to witness,” she added.

Immersion in the Rich Heritage of Kolkata
The students then travelled eight hours by train to their third and final destination – Kolkata, previously the capital of the British East India Company. In the wee hours of the morning, they spent time at the Mullick Ghat Flower Market by the Hooghly River, one of the most crowded flower markets in the world. Later, the students visited Victoria Park, the home of Mother Teresa, the late Roman Catholic nun who devoted her life to caring for the destitute and dying in Kolkata, and the used bookstores at College Street just outside Kolkata University. Boasting of Kolkata’s rich heritage, these landmarks gave the students a complete cultural immersion for which to end the trip.

Summing up what the trip meant to him, Year 2 Medicine student A. Ganeshaa, said, “Moving from reading words in our textbooks to listening to the stories of people, this trip unveiled the realities outside our classrooms and added a softer side to our learning. Looking back at our encounters with the locals, we were greeted with so much warmth and hospitality despite being foreigners, and this reminded us that kindness truly knows no borders.”

While the Health and Humanity STEER trip spanned only two weeks, the impact it left on the students was indelible. Many of them are now inspired to extend their service and compassion to the local community and beyond.

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This story by NUS Medicine Year 2 students Teo Jun Wei Tobias and Ng Sue-May first appeared in NUSnews on 1 June 2023.

FASS Honours Alumni for their Profound Impact on Community and Nation

IN BRIEF | 8 min read

• This year’s honourees are Mrs Elizabeth Sam, a prominent banker; Mr Othman Bin Haron Eusofe, an influential unionist; Dr S Vasoo, a passionate social worker; Mr Benny Lim, a dedicated civil servant and policymaker; and Mr T. Sasitharan, a celebrated actor and respected voice in arts and culture – all of whom have dedicated their careers and lives to service and community in different ways.

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The NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) paid tribute to five outstanding alumni for their service and contributions in various capacities towards Singapore’s nation-building, and the growth of the University and Faculty, at the recent 2022 Distinguished Arts and Social Sciences Alumni Awards (DASSAA) dinner.

The DASSAA was established in 2015 to recognise individuals who have made significant contributions to the nation and community, and dedicated their lives to the betterment and promotion of the arts and social sciences. Each of them played important roles in many areas, whether it was in shaping domestic and international policies, the business landscape, the creative environment, or in improving the lives of those around them.

This year’s honourees are Mrs Elizabeth Sam, a prominent banker; Mr Othman Bin Haron Eusofe, an influential unionist; Dr S Vasoo, a passionate social worker; Mr Benny Lim, a dedicated civil servant and policymaker; and Mr T. Sasitharan, a celebrated actor and respected voice in arts and culture – all of whom have dedicated their careers and lives to service and community in different ways.

Speaking at the awards ceremony, NUS Provost Professor Aaron Thean said, “The Faculty has honoured many alumni who have played important roles in many areas, be it in the shaping of local and international policies, the business landscape, the creative environment, or in improving the lives of NUS FASS students and beyond. The achievements of its graduates are one of the best testimonies to the work done by the Faculty.”

“The five outstanding FASS alumni who will be presented with the Distinguished Arts and Social Sciences Alumni Awards 2022 have excelled in their respective fields in public service, politics, finance, education and the arts. Their contributions to Singapore and their continued passion for what they do serves as an inspiration to many of us, especially to the FASS students who will follow in their footsteps and create their own legacies,” he added.

Inspiring the Next Generation of FASS Students

Mrs Elizabeth Sam is one of Singapore’s best-known female bankers. Her career spanned over 40 years, with the first half of it in the public sector where she played a key role in the growth of Singapore as a global financial centre. In 1996, Mrs Sam was awarded the Public Service Star (BBM), Republic of Singapore, for her contributions to the nation’s development as a global financial centre. The following year, she was recognised as one of the top 50 outstanding women globally in finance by Euromoney.

Currently a member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights, Mr Othman Bin Haron Eusofe graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the then University of Singapore in 1964. He was a Founder Member of Yayasan Mendaki which was established in October 1982 to introduce programmes to help Malay students to improve in their educational performance. He continues to serve on the Mendaki Council. Mr Othman was also a key member of the NTUC team on the National Wages Council, and served on several Statutory Boards including the Public Utilities Board and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

Dr S Vasoo, Emeritus Professor in the NUS FASS Department of Social Work, has authored several monographs on social issues and has published various such articles both internationally and locally. He recently co-edited a book, “Singapore Ageing: Issues and Challenges Ahead”. He was awarded the Honorary Life Member of the Singapore Association of Social Workers for his outstanding contributions to social work in Singapore.

Mr Benny Lim is Chairman of the National Parks Board and the Chairperson of the Housing & Development Board. He is also Special Advisor to the Centre for Liveable Cities as well as Special Advisor to the National Security Studies Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) at the Nanyang Technological University. He is also concurrently Chairman of Temasek Foundation CLG and Chairman of Temasek Lifesciences Laboratory IPC. Mr Lim started his career in the public service as a police officer, and went on to develop an illustrious career in the public sector, holding prominent roles in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of National Development and the Prime Minister’s Office, amongst others.

Mr T. Sasitharan, or more fondly known as Sasi to the arts community in Singapore, is widely acknowledged as one of the foremost thinkers and contributors to the development of the local arts scene. A former Philosophy teacher and arts journalist, Mr Sasitharan is a respected voice in discourses on arts and culture. His essays, commentaries and reviews, on the place of the arts in society, the value of culture, actor training, arts education, theatre criticism, aesthetics and creativity, have been published internationally while his speaking engagements have been at universities, conferences and arts forums around the world.

Congratulating the 2022 DASSAA recipients for their achievements, FASS Dean Professor Lionel Wee said, “Your achievements and your journey inspire the next generation of students who will follow in your footsteps. You have paved the way for them to build on your successes, to take risks, and to innovate in ways that will help make our world a better place. I want to congratulate each of the FASS Distinguished Alumni Award recipients. You have made your mark on the world, and you have done so with integrity, compassion, and a commitment to excellence.”

Read the full citation of the 2022 DASSAA recipients here.

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This story first appeared on NUSnews on 10 May 2023.

NUS Open House: More than 7.7M Visitors Drawn to Action-Packed Showcase over 10 Days

IN BRIEF | 25 min read

• NUS Open House 2023 saw a strong showing by visitors eager to find out about the University’s academic programmes, as it returned in from 25 February to 6 March. Some 7.71 million visitors attended the physical and online showcase which involved 3,071 faculty and staff, students and alumni.

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NUS Open House 2023 saw a strong showing by visitors eager to find out about the University’s academic programmes, as it returned from 25 February to 6 March. Some 7.71 million visitors attended the physical and online showcase which involved 3,071 faculty and staff, students and alumni.

Kicking off the 10 action-packed days were the informative virtual talks, webinars, and social media sessions. The on-campus event on 4 March saw packed crowds at the programme booths, talks, special classes, campus tours, student life performances and residential venues despite the heavy downpour. Prospective students gained valuable insights from faculty members, explored the University’s extensive global opportunities, as well as its diverse entrepreneurship platforms and lifelong learning courses, giving them a comprehensive overview of what NUS has to offer.

“I really enjoyed meeting the professors and students who are from the courses I'm interested in as I gained many insights from them on life in NUS and the various possibilities that are open for exploration,” said prospective student Karthika Warrier, an alumna from Raffles Institution who is considering applying to NUS Computing or the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS).

Jasmine Chiam, an alumna from Nanyang Junior College (NYJC) who is interested in applying to CHS and NUS College, agreed. “The programme was well-run despite the fact that it was raining,” she said. “I felt that it was well-curated for students with different interests.”

A draw for many prospective students were CHS, the newly launched NUS College, and the College of Design and Engineering (CDE) – the University’s recent interdisciplinary pathways aimed at meeting the evolving demands of the workforce.

Addressing Shared Challenges with the Humanities and Sciences

CHS, which provides an enhanced undergraduate experience for students of the Faculty of Science (FOS) and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences to pursue breadth and depth across academic disciplines, showcased its Common Curriculum throughout the Open House.

Currently accepting its third intake, it held talks on hot topics such as sustainability, food science and technology, and mental health to demonstrate how students can apply various perspectives to address complex real-world issues.

The panel entitled “Why Sustainability and Climate Change Matter” saw speakers from the Geography, Japanese Studies, Anthropology and English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies departments weighing in on the topic from their respective disciplines. Another session by the Department of Food Science and Technology explained how its programme applies principles from chemistry, biology, engineering and nutrition to address issues such as food safety and security, as well as the careers its graduates can pursue.

In the same vein, the panel “What Mental Wellness and Health Means in the 21st Century” saw speakers from the Social Work, Sociology and Psychology departments discuss perceptions of mental health in society. Dr Lee Jungup, an Assistant Professor in Social Work, pointed out the close relationship between social work and psychology. “Many of our Social Work students consider a double major with Psychology,” she said, noting that social work emphasises the practical while psychology is more theoretical and clinical in nature.

Jasmine, the NYJC alumna, said the various informative talks reaffirmed her decision to apply to NUS. “The NUS College tour as well as the CHS Common Curriculum sharing were particularly informative. They made the programmes seem quite appealing and I am looking forward to applying for both,” she said.

For some like Christian Chua, an alumnus from the NUS High School of Math and Science, attending the Open House talks helped clarify the career options available for the different programmes.

Christian, who is currently considering the Medicine, Pharmacy, and Pharmaceutical Science programmes, attended the Pharmacy talk and booth, where faculty members of different specialisations touched on the various career pathways and the collaborative practices of the discipline.

“It was useful that they discussed the different careers that Pharmacy graduates had gone into so I knew a degree in Pharmacy wouldn't just limit me to community or hospital pharmacy but also to the R&D, drug approval side, or the business side as well,” he said.

Shaping the Future of Design and Engineering
Meanwhile, there was action aplenty over at both the online and in-person Open House by CDE, which is accepting its second intake. Officially launched in November 2021, CDE was a merger of the Faculty of Engineering and the School of Design and Environment, ramping up the distinctive interdisciplinary experience at NUS.

From the Common Curriculum and the multidisciplinary education model, to the Student Exchange Programme and future career prospects, CDE faculty and students shared their insights on a plethora of topics with prospective students.

The talks, such as the one on Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering, also provided valuable information. Prospective students learnt how undergraduates are exposed to a range of interdisciplinary topics with global-scale applications in class, and how NUS engineers are taking on the world’s biggest challenges, such as clean energy.

The talk on Architecture, Industrial Design and Landscape Architecture also saw a large turn-out. Discussing the breadth and depth of CDE’s curriculum, it touched on how students will be equipped to face the 21st-century challenges through their education in CDE.

Kaisyn, who is graduating from Nanyang Polytechnic this year, said, “I appreciated that they covered the basic skills and activities done throughout the curriculum. It allowed me to confirm that the Industrial Design course is relevant to my study and career plan.”

The in-person Ask-Me-Anything sessions with student panels also allowed participants to get their burning questions answered.

Tee Jia Hong, a graduate of Anglo-Chinese Junior College who intends to apply to Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) and attended the student sharing, said, “By listening to the experience from the ISE senior, I am able to get the hang of the academic and co-curricular prospect of being an ISE student.”

Over at CDE’s Rise of the Robots campus tour, participants were given a look at the Advanced Robotics Centre, which displayed projects such as an autonomous wheelchair, an artificial robotic arm, and a haptic feedback machine.

Robert Lim from Singapore Polytechnic, who attended the tour, said, “It was a memorable experience . . . I was able to learn more about what the courses have to offer and what undergrad students have accomplished in NUS.”

Exploring experiential learning

NUS College, Singapore’s first honours college, offered a glimpse of its flagship experiential learning programmes during its online and physical showcase. Faculty members highlighted the Impact Experience programme, where students develop solutions to real-world issues with community partners, and the Global Experience programme, which immerses them in global cities for specially curated courses and field visits based on specific themes.

The college, which is accepting its second intake, also held special classes for prospective students to get a feel of its small-group seminar-style lessons. Dr Ang Yuchen’s special class introduced his field course Biodiversity and Natural History in Singapore, which combines scientific concepts with the visual and language arts and environmental philosophy.

“I found the sample lessons useful in helping me not just get a sense of how lessons are conducted over at NUS College, but also how my potential Profs are like as teachers and facilitators,” said Eugene Teo, an alumnus of Raffles Institution, explaining that small, collaborative discussions was better suited to his learning style. Attending the Open House “also gave me a better understanding of the people I will be interacting with and the environment in which I would be studying in upon entering university life”, he added.

Interactivity was a prominent feature of the Open House. NUS Nursing offered visitors a chance to try basic wound treatment and resuscitation, while NUS Law held moot demonstrations at its Bukit Timah Campus.

Aqirah Bte Azam, who will be graduating from Temasek Polytechnic in May, had the chance to see the Nursing students in action and attended a talk by its alumni. “Hearing their experiences in NUS and their careers have given me the courage to pursue my aspirations in nursing”, she said.

Smorgasbord of Student Life
Visitors also got a taste of the vibrant NUS student life on display. Student clubs and societies, as well as the Hall and Residential College (RC) interest groups, put their best foot forward at the Student Village.

Visitors were wowed by the striking moves of NUS Wushu, the energetic cheerleading displays of King Edward VII Hall’s KE Titans, and the snazzy K-pop dance moves of the Korean Cultural Interest Group. They were also treated to renditions of catchy tunes from Mandopop group NUS CAC Voices, acapella group NUS Resonance, Raffles Hall rock and jazz band RHockerfellas, and many more.

Representatives from the RCs, halls, and houses were present to offer prospective students the inside scoop on the on-campus experience. Complemented by A-Day-in-the-Life videos and 360° virtual tours, the booths, talks, and Ask-Me-Anything panels by student leaders gave participants a sense of the residential options at their fingertips.

“The House Life talk was the most enjoyable and informative event to me since the masters and students really explained to me what living in houses was like, while keeping us engaged through jokes and videos,” said Jia Hong.

Charlotte Toh from Singapore Polytechnic, said the Halls talk helped her better understand the hall culture and admission criteria.

Guided in-person tours of the various halls and residences, such as King Edward VII Hall, Tembusu College, Ridge View Residential College, and Residential College 4, opened a window to the close-knit community of residential life.

Samuel Liu, who graduated from National Junior College, said, “The well-guided tours and booths set up for each RC that I visited gave me a good indication of which RC would be most suitable for my character and goals.”

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This story first appeared on NUSnews on 9 March 2023.

FASS Inspiring Mentor 2022 Award Winners Announced

 

The NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is proud to announce the winners of the 2022 FASS Inspiring Mentor Awards.

Congratulations to:

• Assoc Prof Melvin Yap Ju-Min, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
• Assoc Prof Robin Loon Seong Yun, Associate Professor, Department of English Language and Literature 
• Dr Amazaki Osamu, Senior Lecturer, Centre for Language Studies
• Dr Natalie Pang Lee San, Senior Lecturer, Department of Communications and New Media
• Dr Kamalini Ramdas, Senior Lecturer, Department of Geography

 

The NUS Career Compass 2023

IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• Find out how the University has developed and broadened our curriculum to better prepare our graduates for the swiftly evolving workplace, and how interdisciplinary learning can help students solve complex issues in our society.

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In collaboration with CNA938

How does NUS cultivate highly sought-after talents in the workforce of the future?

Find out how the University has developed and broadened our curriculum to better prepare our graduates for the swiftly evolving workplace, and how interdisciplinary learning can help students solve complex issues in our society.

 

 

 

 

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This story first appeared on NUSnews on 23 February 2023.

CHS at NUS Open House 2023: Download the FASS Essentials on 27 February 2023

IN BRIEF | 10 min read

• On 27 February, get the full download on the essentials of academic programmes, student life, career preparation, overseas opportunities and financial aid at CHS via Zoom in the ‘virtual’ edition of CHS@NUS Open House 2023.

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If you have not already marked your calendars for two dates with the NUS College of Humanities (CHS) during NUS Open House 2023, do it now!

On 27 February, get the full download on the essentials of academic programmes, student life, career preparation, overseas opportunities and financial aid at CHS via Zoom in the ‘virtual’ edition of CHS@NUS Open House 2023. Go to https://bit.ly/CHSatNUSOH2023-Virtual for the full 27 February programme.

Then prepare to come on-campus on 4 March to engage with our award-winning faculty members, advisors and students to experience interdisciplinary education and explore your future vocation. Go to https://bit.ly/CHSatNUSOH2023-OnCampus for the full 4 March programme.

To help you plan your way through the lineup of FASS-specific talks and activities, read on for some of our highlights on 27 February 2023 that ought not to be missed.

Academics at the Forefront
The online edition of CHS@NUS Open House is meant to provide you with as comprehensive a briefing of what CHS, and its component Faculties of Arts and Social Sciences, and Science, have to offer students.

Academics is at the forefront and the day starts with a session devoted to the CHS Core Curriculum (9:00 – 11:00 am), a specially curated interdisciplinary programme that provides unprecedented freedom to choose the pursuit of breadth and depth across a broad spectrum of disciplines. This session will be led by Professor Sow Chorng Haur, Vice Dean (Outreach & Admissions), NUS Faculty of Science (FoS), and Dr Noorman Abdullah, Assistant Dean (External Relations & Student Life), FASS.

The CHS Cross-Disciplinary Programmes
Three one-hour talks devoted to introducing Cross-Disciplinary Programmes (XDPs) offered by CHS will be running concurrently from 11:00 am. One programme FASS offers that embodies the concept of interdisciplinarity is the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics XDP, and the session for that will be led by Associate Professor Luke O’Sullivan (NUS Political Science) in discussion with fellow PPE Joint Programme Committee member, Dr Joel Chow (NUS Philosophy).

"This session is an opportunity to ask questions about the PPE-XDP. Philosophy, Politics, and Economics is a classic combination of disciplines that was first taught in Oxford and has spread globally because of its proven effectiveness. It brings together the ability to think about ideas in abstract and analytical terms, explore their practical implications for society, and model their costs and benefits in quantitative terms,” says Assoc Prof O’Sullivan. “PPE students can expect to develop a unique knowledge base and set of skills that leaves them suited for a wide range of careers in today's complex and fast-changing world."

Attendees are required to come prepared, because in addition to providing an overview of the PPE-XDP, Assoc Prof O’Sullivan expects audience engagement. Join the PPE-XDP session on 27 February at 11:00 am here.

Asian Studies @ CHS
NUS is recognised as a global centre of excellence in Asian Studies, where a multidisciplinary and comparative approach to the study of Asia and its regions is adopted. The session on programmes by the various Asian Studies departments at NUS (2:00 – 2:50 pm) will feature Associate Professor Rajesh Rai (NUS South Asian Studies), Dr Faizah Zakaria (NUS Malay Studies), Associate Professor Tham Shiao Wei (NUS Chinese Studies), Dr Clay Eaton (NUS Japanese Studies) and Dr Mohamed Effendy Abdul Hamid (NUS Southeast Asian Studies).

“You probably hear a lot about how Asia is the largest continent in the world, with the greatest diversity of cultures, philosophies, political thought and economic might, as well as scientific and technological advancement,” says Assoc Prof Rai, offering up a brief on the discussion he will be leading as moderator. “This session will take you through an interdisciplinary journey through history and current affairs to show you just how influential Asia has been a force for change, both positive and negative, on the world’s stage.”

Join this session by clicking here.

Humanities @ CHS
Learn more about the academic disciplines that focus on studying different aspects of the human condition from: Dr Donna Brunero (NUS History); Associate Professor John Whalen-Bridge, Associate Professor Graham Wolfe and Dr Leslie of NUS English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies; and Dr Zachary Barnett (NUS Philosophy).

“Do you: Ponder big questions regarding life, society, and culture? Wonder how language develops? Hold theatrical ambitions? Find yourself curious about connecting the past and present, the local and global?” session moderator Dr Brunero asks rhetorically. “If so, join us as we answer questions regarding our disciplines and share insights into how studying with us at NUS can broaden your horizons.”

To join Dr Brunero and her fellow speakers in this 3:00 - 3:50 pm session click here.

Social Sciences I: Same, Same but Different
This session features Dr Kamalini Ramdas (NUS Geography), Associate Professor Feng Qiushi (NUS Sociology and Anthropology), Dr Elaine Tan (NUS Political Science) and Dr Georgios Georgiou (NUS Economics), and will delve into their respective programmes as well as approaches toward forging a “collective identity”.

Session moderator Dr Kamalini explains. “This panel brings together social scientists from Economics, Geography, Political Science and Sociology to discuss what it takes to develop a collective identity as social scientists,” says Dr Kamalini, who will be working with her fellow speakers toward answering questions such as, “What are the benefits and challenges of a collective approach to learning and research? How might our students benefit from our commitment to engage?”

Click here to join the Social Sciences I (4:00 – 4:50 pm) session.

Social Sciences II: Understanding Social Complexity
Dr Adelyn Lim (NUS Sociology and Anthropology), Associate Professor Irene Ng (NUS Social Work), Dr Nina Powell (NUS Psychology) and Dr Alex Mitchell (NUS Communications and New Media) will be introducing the disciplines offered by their respective Departments, and show how they can each be applied to enable a deeper understanding of our world.

“The world we live in today can feel exciting but also downright contradictory. Global friendships are in many ways easier to make than in the past, yet we see terrorism, violent crime, wars, and enduring social inequality,” says session moderator Dr Lim, who will be discussing in detail with her fellow speakers complex issues thrown up by questions such as, “How did this world come about? Where are we heading in the future?”

To join the Social Sciences II (5:00 – 5:50 pm) session, click here.

Foreign Language Studies: Passport to the World
Meet leading Language instructors Ms Sasiwimol Klayklueng (Thai), Dr Sandhya Singh (Hindi and Tamil), Ms Indianti Tjan (Indonesian), Ms Rungnapa Kitiarsa (Thai) and Ms Sophie Undorf Bouvier (French), who will elaborate on the Minor in Language Studies and Proficiency Certificates conferred by the NUS Centre for Language Studies, which are very much sought after by students looking to enhance their career prospects.

Click here to join the Languages (4:00 – 4:50 pm) session.

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New Professorship in Humanities and Sciences Established with $2M Donation, Boosts Interdisciplinary Education

 IN BRIEF | 10 min read

• The Peggy Wai Chee Leong-Hochstadt Professorship in Humanities and Sciences will further strengthen cross-disciplinary learning at the NUS College of Humanities and Sciences.

A new professorship commencing in August 2023 known as the NUS Peggy Wai Chee Leong-Hochstadt Professorship in Humanities and Sciences will further strengthen cross-disciplinary learning in the NUS College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS).

Established through a $2 million donation from Mr Herman Ronald Hochstadt, an NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences alumnus (NUS Philosophy, '58), it was launched in memory of his late wife, Mrs Peggy Wai Chee Leong-Hochstadt. Birthed from Mr and Mrs Hochstadt’s strong belief in the transformative power of education, it will support education and research in English Language, English Literature, Theatre Studies, History, Philosophy, or Mathematics.

Mr Hochstadt, a former top civil servant, had made the generous donation earlier this year to honour Mrs Hochstadt’s contributions to the NUS Libraries, the NUS community and the library profession in Singapore.

Mrs Hochstadt joined the university library service in 1960 and served as NUS’ first Chief Librarian from 1980 until 1990. She was one of Singapore’s pioneer and outstanding librarians and had made substantial contributions to NUS Libraries and the profession as a whole. Her efforts included overseeing the transformation of NUS Libraries into an innovative hybrid library from a traditional card catalogue and print-based library.

Speaking at an appreciation event held to commemorate the establishment of the professorship on 14 Nov 2022, Guest-of-Honour, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean emphasised the importance of cross-disciplinary education and research.

“Many of the world's ongoing challenges, opportunities, and innovations – from sustainable living to digital finance – now occur at the nexus of different domains and industries… Addressing these issues often require experts from different domains to work together in multidisciplinary teams,” he said.

In expressing his appreciation for the establishment of this new professorship, Professor Lionel Wee, Dean of FASS, thanked Mr Hochstadt’s support for CHS’ efforts to equip students with relevant skills to thrive in the future economy.

Prof Wee said, “NUS recognises that graduates entering the workforce will increasingly require breadth of knowledge, depth, as well as the ability to integrate multiple disciplines to solve complex problems. This is increasingly important in light of an emerging era characterised by discontinuous change, uncertainty and growing complexity.”

Prof Chitra Sankaran, Acting Head of FASS’ Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies (ELTS) where the professorship will reside, said that the new professorship will ensure ELTS stays at the fore of its field and continues to attract top talents to teach and research, providing a strong learning experience for its students.

A portrait of the late Mrs Hochstadt was also unveiled at the special occasion held at the NUS Bukit Timah Campus, attended by close family and friends of Mr and Mrs Hochstadt, NUS President Prof Tan Eng Chye and other senior faculty members.

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This story first appeared in NUSNews on 18 November 2022.

The Half-life of Knowledge

 IN BRIEF | 10 min read

• There is now an indisputable requisite to equip graduates with interdisciplinary knowledge and skillsets. We need both the agile lenses of interdisciplinarity as well as the deep-cutting laser of deep domain expertise. The former trains us to aim and focus the laser, while the latter allows us to cut to the heart of a problem.

| By Professor Tan Eng Chye |

“Teach a person to fish, and you may feed them for three-and-a-half years” may sound less inspiring than “Teach a person to fish, and you feed them for a lifetime”, but the former more accurately reflects the current realities of tertiary education.

Breaking news travels at warp speed, accelerated by social media and instant messaging. In a matter of minutes, news can reach the four corners of the world. Such interconnectedness highlights the leaps made in information technology over the years while underscoring a persistent and inexorable phenomenon – the reduction of the half-life of knowledge.

The half-life of knowledge, coined by Fritz Machlup in 1962, refers to the amount of time elapsed before half of the knowledge in a particular field is superseded or becomes obsolete. Given the speed with which knowledge develops and is shared, it is perhaps not surprising that this value is ever decreasing in many fields.

This phenomenon raises fundamental questions about our university degree programmes. How should a fresh graduate, filled with aspirations to change the world, deal with the harsh reality that a significant portion of their undergraduate training may be rendered irrelevant by the simple passage of time?

Distilling a degree programme is one possible, albeit drastic approach. We can consider equipping students only with evergreen core domain concepts. This training should take less time than our current degree programmes. As and when students require specific new knowledge, or need to upgrade existing knowledge, they can take short courses to bridge knowledge gaps and meet their professional needs. This type of “just in time” learning, also known as micro-credentialing, helps to circumvent the shortened half-life by injecting cutting-edge knowledge at just the right time.

Another less disruptive approach is revitalisation. We can maintain the current degree programme structure, but provide avenues for graduates to return to university in the future. Such short stints of study can follow existing models for bite-sized, self-contained courses, or semester-long study periods undertaken with the support of employers.

One certainty is that university study will cease to be just one stage of life. Instead, “university studies” will become the de facto way of studying, with a person continually refreshing and renewing their knowledge in tandem with or in anticipation of developments in industry, society and the world.

In anticipation of this, we created the NUS Lifelong Learners Programme (or NUS L³), which  promises a 20-year period of student enrolment, from the point of undergraduate or postgraduate admission. In other words, a graduate of NUS can choose to come back to campus to take courses for at least 20 years from the day of matriculation.

Interdisciplinarity
Beyond the way knowledge is acquired, we are also grappling with working in an increasingly VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world. In such a context, can we continue to hold a siloed view of domain disciplines? In training law students, for example, we would be remiss not to show them basic programming, which can allow them to create customised commands to quickly and easily trawl through databases, with millions of legal records, to identify precedents.

Deep domain expertise is like a laser – a focused beam of knowledge that can cut through dense problems. However, real-world issues are increasingly multifaceted and ill-defined, often lacking a clear vulnerable spot at which a laser beam can be aimed.

As a mental experiment, consider the challenge of introducing autonomous electric vehicles to a city. This proposition involves urban design, city planning, the law, and engineering for accessibility. We can form a multidisciplinary team of experts, where each member is a domain expert, to tackle the issue. However, in all likelihood, we will encounter misalignment between domains, simply owing to differences in problem-solving methodology, thinking models or even nomenclature.

If we liken domain training to equipping students with specific lenses through which they can see and focus on information to solve a problem, then interdisciplinarity suggests that we should train students to operate across more than one domain. By educating them in core ideas from multiple domains and providing opportunities to apply their knowledge in authentic settings, students with interdisciplinary training can switch domain lenses as needed, solving problems using novel and unorthodox approaches that transcend domains.

To be clear, we are not advocating for dismantling deep domain training. Rather, we recognise that there is now an indisputable requisite to equip graduates with interdisciplinary knowledge and skillsets. We need both the agile lenses of interdisciplinarity as well as the deep-cutting laser of deep domain expertise. The former trains us to aim and focus the laser, while the latter allows us to cut to the heart of a problem.

NUS strongly believes in providing interdisciplinary pathways for our students. In 2020, we created the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) to provide an enhanced interdisciplinary undergraduate experience for students of the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. CHS undergraduates can choose between deep domain training or the flexibility of interdisciplinary training of varying breadth and depth in modules offered by both faculties. Continuing our efforts to pave more interdisciplinary pathways for students, in 2021, we merged the School of Design and Environment and the Faculty of Engineering to form the College of Design and Engineering. More recently, NUS launched NUS College, Singapore’s first honours college offering pathways to more than 50 majors across a half dozen degree programmes. The aim of NUS College, as explained by its inaugural dean, Professor Simon Chesterman, “[is to offer] broad, interdisciplinary competencies that equip students for life, along with the opportunity to dive deep into areas in which you are passionate.”

To quote Charles Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” Indeed, our experiences with the global pandemic and its effects on education over the past two years have given us the rare opportunity to engage in deep reflection and introspection. Witnessing the breakdown of resistance to adopting and adapting technology for teaching and learning during this time, we should be emboldened to re-examine and revolutionise some of our established, and perhaps outmoded, notions of how to offer higher education.

About the Author

Professor Tan Eng Chye is President of the National University of Singapore. A passionate academic and educator, Prof Tan is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global University Leaders’ Forum, as well as Singapore’s Future Economy Council, which is tasked with driving the growth and transformation of the country’s future economy.

 

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This article was first published in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023 supplement and first appeared in NUSNews on 4 November 2022.

Call for Nominations | FASS Inspiring Mentor Award 2022

IN BRIEF | 3 min read

• We invite NUS FASS members of staff to nominate the colleagues who have served as their truly inspiring mentors - who have gone beyond the call of duty to positively impact their work and life - for FIMA 2022 honours.

Click through image below (or just write to fassmentoraward@nus.edu.sg) to file your nomination.

FASS Launches Podcast Channel to Engage Next Generation

 IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• Featuring a myriad voices from FASS' diverse and dynamic community, FASSTalk is devoted to examining a host of topics ranging from academic life, students' career aspirations to pressing global issues and strategies for their successful resolution.

The NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences has launched an official Podcast channel, FASSTalk. It is devoted to examining a host of topics ranging from academic life, students' career aspirations to pressing global issues and strategies for their successful resolution.

FASSTalk will feature a myriad voices from FASS' diverse and dynamic community of educators, researchers, students, alumni, advisors and supporters from across every industry and sector in the public and private sector.

"NUS Arts and Social Sciences offers the knowledge of 16 Departments covering Asian Studies, the Humanities and Social Sciences, a Centre for Languages, cross-disciplinary programmes and interdisciplinary insights as part of the NUS College of Humanities and Sciences offered in partnership with NUS Science," said FASS Dean Professor Lionel Wee. "This new endeavor, which facilitates longer-format audio and video programming, is an ideal vehicle for sharing our collective understanding - of the depth and breadth of this broad spectrum of knowledge - of how best to prepare our graduates to meet and overcome the complex challenges of their future."

"Our Podcast channel content is freely available globally via the Web, our goal is to serve, inform and engage a global audience, many of whom will be the next generation of world leaders to address complex challenges and develop unique solutions to overcome them," added Professor Wee.

FASSTalk Programming: Series Lined Up, Where to Listen and Download
The inaugural episode, featuring alumna Sneha Sanjay (Theatre Studies and Business Management, '21) - is available here and kicks off the Alumni Series. Subsequent episodes will highlight stories of other FASS alumni and award-winning faculty staff (under the Educator Series), as well as brief pieces on FASS' academic programmes (Snapshot Series), and interviews with senior industry and public leaders.

Tune in, subscribe and download episodes of FASSTalk from your favourite platforms to enjoy our most informative and inspiring podcasts:

• FASS Website: https://bit.ly/fasstalk
• Podbean: https://fasstalk.podbean.com/
• Spotify: https://bit.ly/FASSTalk-Spotify

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NUS FASS Faculty and Alumni Bag Top Literary Awards

 IN BRIEF | 3 min read

• Professor Wang Gungwu (NUS History) and two FASS alumni - Yeow Kai Chai (NUS English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies) and Wong Koi Tet (NUS Chinese Studies) - won in three separate categories, and Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo (NUS English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies) was presented with the SBC Achievement Award at the 2022 Singapore Literature Prize ceremony held on 25 Aug 2022 at the Victoria Theatre..

 

Professor Wang Gungwu and two NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) alumni, Yeow Kai Chai and Wong Koi Tet, won in three separate categories at the 2022 Singapore Literature Prize ceremony held on 25 Aug 2022 at the Victoria Theatre. At the same ceremony, Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo was presented with the SBC Achievement Award by Guest-of-Honour Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, in recognition of his significant contributions to the literary arts scene in Singapore.

The Singapore Literature Prize was established in 1992 by the Singapore Book Council and is Singapore's oldest ongoing literary award in all four official languages. This year's Singapore Literature Prize saw 12 winners picked from almost 200 submissions, with 35 local and foreign judges giving recognition and affirmation to the best literary works by Singapore writers.

Passing Stories on to the Next Generation
University Professor at NUS FASS, Prof Wang, a renowned historian and leading public intellectual, was named this year's Singapore Literature Prize winner for Creative Nonfiction in English. He made history by becoming one of the two oldest winners of the Singapore Literature Prize at 91 years old, along with literary pioneer Suratman Markasan, also 91, who won for Creative Nonfiction in Malay.

Prof Wang co-authored his winning book, Home is Where We Are, with his late wife Margaret Wang, journaling his university education in Singapore and the UK, and the early years of his career as an academic, capturing the excitement, ambition and choices of a generation that saw it their responsibility to build the new nations of Southeast Asia.

Home is Where We Are is the second part of his memoirs after Home is Not Here, an account of his younger days which he spent in three different countries before entering university.

Prof Wang said Margaret and him had hoped that their book will inspire other parents and families to do likewise and write their stories to pass on history, heritage and valuable lessons to the next generations.

Sharing his thoughts on the prize, Prof Wang said, "My family and I are honoured with this recognition. The inspiration for Home is Where We Are came from my late wife, Margaret. She regretted not knowing more about her mother and, 20 years ago, wrote her story to our children. She wrote so well and the children liked her story so much that they turned to me for my story. I eventually did."

"Years later, I was persuaded to publish this story of my childhood as Home is Not Here. My Singapore friends asked why I stopped before my joining the University of Malaya and before meeting Margaret. That led me to frame my book around what Margaret had earlier written," he recalled. "With her agreement and my family's approval, the second book answered the question, 'Where then is home?' with Margaret's answer, 'Home is where we are', and that became the title of the second book."

Prof Wang was conferred the NUS Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters for his dedication to Sinology, remarkable intellect, trailblazing vision, and other public contributions in July this year.

Two Alumni Bag Top Poetry Prizes
Mr Yeow, an NUS FASS alumnus and renowned poet, fiction writer and editor, won the Singapore Literature Prize for Poetry in English. His poetry collection titled One to the Dark Tower Comes, published in 2020, is a personal and collective quest to uncover answers to life, death, grief, happiness, and the violence wrought on one another.

A former journalist, and director of the Singapore Writers Festival from 2015 to 2018, Mr Yeow graduated with a Master of Arts from NUS FASS in 1999. This is his first Singapore Literature Prize win.

Reflecting on his win, Mr Yeow said, "I'm heartened by the recognition for my third book One to the Dark Tower Comes. Much of my own poetics has its foundation in my undergraduate years taking English Language and Literature at FASS, getting inspired by actual poets, including seniors like Boey Kim Cheng and academics such as professors Edwin Thumboo, Arthur Yap, Lee Tzu Pheng and Leong Liew Geok."

"A particular course on Contemporary American Literature by Dr Gilbert Adair was especially life-changing and opened up my eyes to more avant-garde approaches, and so I gave heartfelt thanks to him, and all at the department who have enriched my creative journey," he added.

Fellow NUS FASS alumnus, Wong Koi Tet, took home his third Singapore Literature Prize, this year for for Creative Nonfiction in Chinese for his book, Little Things. The book is a collection of 50 non-fiction pieces of prose published in his personal column in local Chinese daily, Lianhe Zaobao, charting what he cites as his personal journey through the years.

Describing his book, Mr Wong said, "Little Things originated as a column I wrote for the local Chinese newspaper for a period of two years. It is both literally and symbolically about the small objects that are familiar and common to all of us. Though this book won the Singapore Literary Prize, life is not about winning, but as in the title of my book, those little things that we cherish and hold dear to our hearts. Books are one of the little things that matter the most."

Mr Wong had a double win at the 2020 Singapore Literature Prize in both the Fiction in Chinese and Creative Nonfiction in Chinese categories.

A former journalist as well, Wong graduated with a Bachelor's degree with honours in Chinese Studies from NUS FASS in 1998.

A Lifetime of Contribution to Singapore's Literature and Arts Scene
Prof Thumboo was NUS' longest serving Dean of FASS from 1980 to 1991 and was the first Chairman and Director of the University's Centre for the Arts from 1993 to 2005. He is currently Emeritus Professor, a position he has held since retiring from full-time teaching in September 1997. Prof Thumboo was awarded the Distinguished Arts and Social Sciences Alumnus Award by the faculty in 2016 in recognition of his outstanding contributions as a poet, scholar, academic leader and champion of Singapore literature.

The SBC Achievement Award was bestowed on Prof Thumboo at the 2022 Singapore Literature Prize ceremony to mark his achievements not only as a writer but also as an educator and mentor, and his tremendous efforts to help to shape the literary arts scene in Singapore.

Prof Thumboo has been hailed the unofficial poet laureate of Singapore and was the first recipient of the Cultural Medallion for Literature in 1979, widely recognised as the pinnacle arts award for dance, theatre, literature, music, photography, art and film in Singapore.

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This story first appeared in NUSNews on 2 September 2022.

Issue 7 of Margins is out now!

Dearest ELTS community, Issue 7 of Margins is out now! We’re excited to share with you a collection of brilliant, introspective writing by Chua Han Au, Kevin Khoe, Lune Loh, Ryan-Ashleigh Boey, Ryan Tan, and Viola Chee. As well as being the student journal’s first un-themed (and untitled) issue, this latest compilation of innovative undergraduate scholarship explores unbridled alterity. Individually, each of Issue 7’s articles consults established texts and contexts using a brand new pair of reading glasses. Collectively, they ask what it means to look afresh at that which has already been encountered before; they think about ways to do so, and reflect upon the ethical dimensions of performing critical re-looking. Click here to read Margins! You can read the issue in your desktop browser or download a PDF. Sincerely, The Margins Team *Visit our website or connect with us on Facebook! *Reach us with any questions you might have at marginsjournal@gmail.com. Cover art generated using DALL·E 2.

Discovering Invisible Rules Behind the World’s Languages

 IN BRIEF | 10 min read

• NUS Presidential Young Professor Michael Yoshitaka Erlewine hopes to build a community of scholars dedicated to the study of understudied languages of Southeast Asia.

As an Assistant Professor of Linguistics in the Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies, Presidential Young Professor Michael Yoshitaka Erlewine studies how human language conveys complex meanings, with an emphasis on the grammars of understudied languages of Southeast Asia. His most recent papers investigate aspects of Burmese, Pangasinan (Philippines), Rejang (Indonesia), and Vietnamese.

He first discovered what would soon be his career while in high school; he pointed out to his French teacher that Mandarin, French and English all seem to have surprising similarities that connect them. His French teacher then encouraged him to look into linguistics.

"When we study the grammars of very different languages of the world, we notice many recurring patterns and principles in how they express complex thoughts. This is an important discovery." Asst Prof Erlewine said. "At the same time, to a certain extent this is not surprising, because ultimately, these are all humans that are doing these things. You don't teach children these grammatical rules, but they still can pick it up."

But where languages diverge from one another can also be fruitful to study. Better understanding the precise ways in which languages vary can lead us to refine our theories of the human capacity for language.

Studying endangered languages

After completing college in 2007, Asst Prof Erlewine spent a year in Taiwan as part of the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Programme. Fresh out of the University of Chicago, he would assist with teaching English in local elementary schools in a rural aboriginal village near Hualien for the year. The town's people were predominantly Atayal, the third-largest indigenous group in Taiwan. Though the country has over 80,000 Atayal people, far fewer can speak the language fluently, with younger generations choosing to speak Mandarin or Hokkien instead.

For fun, Asst Prof Erlewine decided to learn Atayal from an elder who did not mind entertaining an enthusiastic foreigner. So, for the year, he learnt Atayal from simple children's textbooks that he would buy in Taipei. His teacher had previously worked with foreign linguists, which explained why he was not averse to spending his time teaching a new college graduate the language.

Asst Prof Erlewine recalls that he one day thought about what motivated his teacher to cooperate with these academics. "He said: 'In a generation or two, maybe no one will speak this language. But if by others studying it and describing it, we have something that can be passed down, then that is something that I could feel pride in'.

"That stuck with me and certainly made me interested in going down this route of doing work on understudied languages," Asst Prof Erlewine said.

Learning from native speakers

Research often requires intensive fieldwork where linguists directly interact with native speakers, trying to tease out the nuanced rules that govern their language. Finding communities of such speakers is often challenging and, Asst Prof Erlewine believes, luck-based. "There is no magical formula for finding speakers. A lot of the time, research is directed by what languages you find yourself having access to," he said.

Asst Prof Erlewine remembers how he started a three-year research project on Toba Batak - a minority language spoken in northern Sumatra - after meeting a Batak colleague at NUS. "She took me to her Batak church that meets in Singapore and I went a few times. There were maybe less than 50 congregants," said Asst Prof Erlewine.

From that serendipitous meeting, he would go on to regularly meet with a couple of them over the next few years. "You start from scratch, just trying to learn things about this language, and it is really these individual relationships that we end up having to build," Asst Prof Erlewine explained.

Fieldwork has also taken him out of the country to remote locations. It once took him to Dharamsala, a city surrounded by cedar forests near the edge of the Himalayas and the home of the largest Tibetan community outside of Tibet. Asst Prof Erlewine spent two summers in Dharamsala learning and studying Tibetan. "It was very stimulating to hear something that felt very remote early on, and something that felt very rare, all around you - spoken by people just living their life," he said. He would sit in local cafés and be surrounded by the sounds of a language that is spoken by less than 0.1 per cent of the world. The memory serves as a constant reminder of how vast the field of under-studied languages really is.

Building a community of scholars in a young field
Many languages of Southeast Asia continue to be understudied in theoretical linguistics, including national languages such as Burmese and Thai, as well as languages spoken by minorities within those countries. Researching such languages is a behemoth task that Asst Prof Erlewine understands he cannot do alone.

"I put a lot of energy into, not just my own research directly, but in trying to build a community of scholars doing this kind of work," he said. Since he joined NUS in 2015, Asst Prof Erlewine has worked alongside and supervised young linguists who go on to pursue PhDs, publish in international journals or present at international conferences. "It is very exciting and fulfilling to be able to raise young students and young scholars who go on to do really good work on these languages of Southeast Asia," he said.

Impact of climate change on languages
The task of researching these languages will only increase in the next century. "Thinking about the study of language in the next 50 years, the story is going to be about climate change, and the changes to people's living situations as a result of environmental changes," he said.

He believes that climate change will displace huge populations of people who escape from droughts, wars and other disasters. And migration inevitably would mean language contact as diasporic people begin to live alongside one another - bringing with it, language change, especially in Southeast Asia.

When reading one of Asst Prof Erlewine's papers, one can see the mathematical concepts being invoked to describe language systems with empirical precision. But the researcher himself says that he never forgets what lies at the heart of his work. "The intellectual work that I do can be abstract to some degree, but ultimately, our focus is about people and the human experience," he explained.

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This story first appeared in NUSNews on 11 August 2022.

Dylan Chng Wins the Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Prize

The Honours Thesis is a research project undertaken by some 4^th-year ELTS majors. This year, our student Dylan Chng was awarded the Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Prize for his Honour Thesis on “horror storytelling.” We speak to Dylan about his thesis and future plans. What is your thesis about and what are one or two ideas in your thesis that you are happy with? I wrote about collaborative horror storytelling on various social media. My thesis posited that the horror engendered by creepypastas, r/NoSleep, and other similar transmedial formats is unlike that of “conventional” horror literature. Whereas readers typically encounter the latter as books and at relative distance, social media horror pronounces a more immediate, participative experience, mediated both by digital network technologies and the human relationships we form thereby. Through close readings of comments sections, my thesis proposed a theory of how this socially mediated horror concomitantly simulates the reader’s (and author’s) “descent” into the horrific world of the text and the horrific textual world’s “leakage” into reality. Out of everything, I’m happiest with a one-liner in my conclusion proposing the possibility of a methodology whereby to contemplate transmedial reading via a notion of interface—that is, of the human reader and the entirety of the digital text, whatever this implies.   How did you come to choose this topic? I grew up reading horror and effectively migrated alongside these horror stories into cyberspace; to literary scholarship, the virtual campfire remains exciting terra incognita. I was primarily curious about why horror stories seemed somehow more horrific on the Web—scarier and realer—than in books. Literary training told me it might be something to do with the medium: Web users produced and consumed horror stories in ways that interacted curiously with the innately esoteric Web/Net infrastructure. The HT was an opportunity to pursue this inkling rigorously.   Can you share about your experience of writing the thesis? Writing the thesis wasn’t easy, but nothing you’re invested in ever truly is. It was exciting both to explore the limits of my ideas and to imagine how they might develop in the future. For me, it was all this latent possibility—and the desire to make the most of it—from which the pressure emerged. I think that’s great.    What advice would you give to students who also wish to write a thesis? Three key principles: organised work begets organised thought, your supervisor is part of your support system (thank you Dr Beryl Pong!), write about what you enjoy.   You will be graduating this year. What are your plans for the future?  I hope to start graduate studies by 2024; I have plans for research synthesizing topics in literature, new media, transhumanism, and the digital humanities. Currently, I’m working on an online art history course as a Department of History Research Assistant. I’m also juggling various personal and (semi-)professional projects. Things are hectic but also exciting.   What is your biggest takeaway from your time in NUS?  Technically, I’ll be here for another year, but when I eventually make a move, I’ll cherish most the vibrant connections I’ve made with vibrant minds, including my teachers.

FASS Students Dominate 2022 USP Awards

 IN BRIEF | 10 min read

• NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) students have topped 9 out of 14 prize categories in 2022 University Scholars Programme (USP) Awards, achieving the USP Overall and Domain Prizes for academic excellence.

 

Students of the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) in the University Scholars Programme (USP) have topped 9 out of 14 categories at the 2022 USP awards, including the Joanna Wong Medal, NUSS Medal for Outstanding Achievement, Izzudin Taherally Prize, Chan Bibe bte Syed Mohd Shah Prize, Albert Teo Prize, Tin Chew Hong Prize, Syed Ahmad Khan AMU Memorial Prize and Sung Kah Kay Memorial Prize. FASS students have also swept the USP Overall and Domain Prizes, with Philosophy, Politics, and Economics major Nickson Quak Jun Hao (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics) taking Best Overall Performance, in addition to sharing top spot with his compatriot Terence Mah (Psychology) under Best Performance in Science and Technology.And to stamp FASS’ dominance in this year’s awards, Archana Dhinakar Bala (Economics) – winner of the Joanna Wong Medal and the Syed Ahmad Khan AMU Memorial Prize – served as valedictorian for the USP commencement ceremony.

In full, the list of FASS winners of this year’s USP awards are.

Joanna Wong Gold Medal Award
Presented to the graduating student from USP who best embodies the ethos of the programme—demonstrating academic excellence and commitment to co-curricular activities.
Winner: Archana Dhinakar Bala (Economics) NUSS Medal for Outstanding Achievement
Presented to the graduating USP student with outstanding all-round achievements, who demonstrates academic excellence as well as significant participation in NUS students activities and/or impactful contribution in community service/voluntary work, preferably in leadership capacities.
Winner: Teow Jun Hao (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics) Sung Kah Kay Memorial Prize
For the graduating USP student who best exemplifies scholarship and academic excellence, and who demonstrates leadership in independent and interdisciplinary scholarship.
Winner: Yip Sze Kay (Majors: English Literature and Philosophy, Minor: French) Izzuddin Taherally Prize
For the graduating USP student who is well-rounded and has exemplified academic excellence and demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting interfaith dialogues or activities related to social harmony.
Winner: Ahmad Zaki bin Yazid (History) Chan Bibe Bte Syed Mohd Shah Prize
For the graduating USP student who is well-rounded and has demonstrated academic excellence as well as a strong commitment to wide-ranging learning through co-curricular acivites, or to community service.
Winner: Rachel Teng Ying Xin (Sociology) Albert Teo Prize
For the well-rounded graduating USP student who has exemplified academic excellence and demonstrated a strong passion for entrepreneurship or innovation in the social or business sector.
Winner: Peng Yun Ting (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics) Tin Chew Hong Prize
For the graduating USP student who is well-rounded, has exemplified academic excellence, and demonstrated strong commitment to community service preferably in the areas of eldercare, ageing or gerontology.
Winner: He Shiying (Major: Global Studies, Minor: Public Health) Syed Ahmad Khan AMU
For exemplifying academic excellence and reflecting a strong commitment or made a significant contribution to South Asian studies and culture.
Winner: Archana Dhinakar Bala (Economics) USP Prizes: Overall and Domain
For graduating USP students who have demonstrated academic excellence in USP modules.

• Best Overall Performance
  Winner: Nickson Quak Jun Hao (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics)

• Best Performance in Humanities and Social Sciences
  Winner: Belle Koh Rae Qi (Psychology)

• Best Performance in Science and Technology
  Winners: Nickson Quak Jun Hao (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics) and Terence Mah Cai Jun (Psychology)

Congratulations to all for their stellar achievements!

NUS Confers Honorary Degrees on Prof Tommy Koh and Prof Wang Gungwu

 IN BRIEF | 10 min read

• The University also celebrates the achievements of 13,975 graduates from the NUS Class of 2022; Philanthropic gift to establish new professorship in humanities and sciences.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) today conferred its highest honour on two outstanding scholars and alumni: Professor Tommy Koh and Professor Wang Gungwu. They received honorary degrees from Mr Po'ad Mattar, NUS Pro-Chancellor, at the Main Ceremony of NUS Commencement 2022, which kicked off a series of 28 graduation ceremonies held over 10 days from 6 to 17 July.

The NUS Class of 2022 comprises 13,975 graduates: 7,571 students will receive Bachelor's degrees and 6,404 will receive graduate degrees.

Prof Koh was presented with the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws, in recognition of his significant accomplishments, contributions and impact on NUS and globally in various areas including international law, diplomacy, arts, culture and heritage, and nature and the environment, and his distinguished services to Singapore.

Prof Wang was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters, in recognition of his significant accomplishments and impact on NUS and globally in academia and education, his outstanding scholastic achievements and his contributions towards highlighting NUS as a significant research venue for multiple fields in Southeast Asia.

They joined some 200 graduates from the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) who also received their degrees at the Main Ceremony held today.

NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye said, "We are immensely proud to confer honorary degrees on two exceptional NUS alumni - Prof Tommy Koh and Prof Wang Gungwu - who fully embody the ethos of NUS. In their lifelong pursuit of knowledge and excellence, they have made a deep and lasting impact on Singapore and globally in their respective fields. NUS is truly grateful for their many years of dedication and service."

Addressing graduates from the Class of 2022, Prof Tan encouraged them to take hold of the great possibilities and rise above the uncertainties in a world of dynamic change. "I am fully confident that the graduates of NUS today share the same ethos of excellence and service as the community of generations past. In time to come, you will undoubtedly make your own unique contributions, and become the vanguard in elevating our collective prosperity and well-being."

This year, NUS will also be presenting pioneer graduates from 17 programmes (Please refer to the Annex 1 for the list of programmes).

2022 Honorary Doctor of Laws Recipient - Prof Tommy Koh

Prof Koh has dedicated his professional life to NUS, to Singapore, and to the world. He was a member of the first cohort of law students at the then University of Malaya - NUS' predecessor institution - from 1957 to 1961. With graduate degrees from Harvard and Cambridge, he joined NUS Law and went on to serve as Dean, later chairing the Faculty's Advisory Board for a decade. He has also served as Director and Chair of the Institute of Policy Studies (1991-2009) and Chairman of the Centre for International Law (2009-2022). He has also served as Rector of Tembusu College (2011-2022) and the Chairman of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum's Advisory Committee (2015-2022). Prof Koh was appointed as Emeritus Professor in April 2022 in recognition of his distinguished careers at the faculty and outstanding contributions to the field of law.

In addition to this extensive service to NUS, he has also played key roles for Singapore, including as Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1968-1971, 1974-1984), and Ambassador to the United States (1984-1990). He was founding Chairman of the National Arts Council (1991-1996), Chairman of the National Heritage Board (2002-2011), and founding Executive Director of the Asia-Europe Foundation.

Prof Koh has also had a transformative role globally, including through his presidency of the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1981-1982) and chairmanship of the Preparatory Committee for and the Main Committee at the 1992 Earth Summit. He has received many honours, including an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Yale University (1984), the Elizabeth Haub Prize for Environmental Law (1996), the UNEP Champion of the Earth Award (2006), and the Great Negotiator Award from Harvard (2014).

Please refer to Annex 2 for the citation.

2022 Honorary Doctor of Letters Recipient - Prof Wang Gungwu

Prof Wang is a leading figure in Sinology, a renowned public intellectual, and a visionary leader and administrator.

Professor Wang received his Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and Master of Arts degrees from the University of Malaya in Singapore. In 1957, he completed his doctorate on North China with University of London. His teaching career took him from the University of Malaya (Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, 1957-1968, Professor of History 1963-68) to The Australian National University (1968-1986), where he was Professor and Head of the Department of Far Eastern History and Director of the Research of Pacific Studies. From 1986 to 1995, he was Vice Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong.

In NUS, Prof Wang served in various leadership roles, including the Director of East Asian Institute of NUS (1997-2007), and Chairman of the Governing Board of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (2005-2017). As a highly regarded scholar, his views and expertise have proven to be invaluable to policymakers and diplomats.

In 2007, Prof Wang was conferred the title of University Professor by NUS for his outstanding leadership to the University and community, and in 2009, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters to mark Cambridge University's 800th anniversary. In 2020, Prof Wang was awarded the Tang Prize in Sinology for his "trailblazing and dissecting insights on the history of the Chinese world order, overseas Chinese, and Chinese migratory experience". In the same year, he received the Distinguished Service Order in Singapore.

Please refer to Annex 3 for the citation.

About the NUS Peggy Wai Chee Leong-Hochstadt Professorship in Humanities and Sciences
NUS also announced a generous gift by its illustrious alumnus and former top civil servant Mr Herman Ronald Hochstadt to establish the Peggy Wai Chee Leong-Hochstadt Professorship in Humanities and Sciences at FASS. Named after the late Mrs Hochstadt who was the first Chief Librarian of NUS, the University is privileged to honour her leadership and contributions to the NUS Libraries and to the NUS community.

Building on Mr Hochstadt's strong belief in the transformative power of education and in line with the spirit of cross-disciplinary learning at the NUS College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS), the new professorship will attract and support leading professors in the fields of English Language, English Literature, Theatre Studies, History, Philosophy, or Mathematics, further enriching and enhancing teaching and research in CHS.

Mr Hochstadt has been a long-time supporter of FASS and has previously set up the Hochstadt Scholarship in the Humanities in FASS in 2014. In 2019, NUS conferred on Mr Hochstadt the Distinguished Alumni Service Award, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to public service, and unwavering support for the NUS community.

This article first appeared in NUSNews on 6 July 2022.

Commencement 2022: Kickstarting a Season of Celebration and Achievement

 IN BRIEF | 10 min read

• NUS celebrates the milestone accomplishments of 13,975 graduates through 28 in-person ceremonies.

A long-awaited season of celebration is officially under way, with the inaugural ceremony of Commencement 2022 marking the milestone achievements of some 200 Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) graduates, and seeing the conferment of two Honorary Graduates, Professor Tommy Koh and Professor Wang Gungwu.

Taking place at the University Cultural Centre, the ceremony kicked off bright and early on 6 July to an effervescent buzz of anticipation from the graduates and their loved ones, inaugurating a total of 28 in-person ceremonies to be held over the following 10 days.

In keeping with the Commencement traditions and the proud ceremonial heritage of NUS, the ceremony showcased the pageantry of the Ceremonial Procession, the fanfare, and playing of the National Anthem, all culminating in the highlight of the ceremony-the presentation of graduates. Graduates from the Class of 2022 celebrated their achievements amid the applause of family and friends, a momentous apogee of their time in NUS.

Speaking at the ceremony, NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye reflected on the qualities needed for graduates to thrive in today's dynamic environment: an attitude of resilience and adaptability to overcome challenges, and a willingness and boldness to view problems as opportunities, exercise creativity, and apply their skills and knowledge to create solutions.

"For the Class of 2022, you are crossing the threshold into a wider world of dynamic change and great possibilities, but also of discomforting uncertainty," he said.

"But I am fully confident that the NUS graduates of today share the same ethos of excellence and service to community of generations past. In time to come, you will undoubtedly make your own unique contributions, and become the vanguard in elevating our collective prosperity and well-being."

Contributions to Law, Nature and Culture: Prof Tommy Koh
Two illustrious NUS alumni were also honoured as Honorary Graduates for the Class of 2022-lawyer and diplomat Professor Tommy Koh, and historian Professor Wang Gungwu.

In recognition of his dedication as a practitioner-scholar and decades of service to the University, Singapore, and the world, Prof Koh, who wears many hats including Ambassador-at-Large at Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Special Advisor of the Institute of Policy Studies, and founding Rector of NUS' Tembusu College, was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws.

Highlighting three areas on which he has focused his energies - law, nature, and culture - Prof Koh said, "I chose to study law, not to enrich myself, but to pursue justice and to promote the rule of law."

He also spoke about his work concerning nature and the environment, including chairing the 1992 Earth Summit, being patron of the Nature Society, and helping NUS establish the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum as its founding Chairman. "My vision is to live in harmony with nature.  My agenda is to promote sustainability in all our endeavours," he added. "I am [also] glad that I have been able to play a very small role in transforming Singapore, from a cultural desert to a cultural oasis."

Delivering the citation for Prof Koh's conferment, Professor Simon Chesterman, Vice-Provost (Educational Innovation) and Dean of the NUS Faculty of Law and NUS College, referred to Prof Koh's "academic milestones [which] are but one strand of the rich tapestry of his professional life", as well as his leadership and guidance in education at NUS, and his eminent contributions to state and environmental diplomacy.

An Inspiring Story Worth Retelling: Prof Wang Gungwu
Prof Wang, one of the world's foremost experts on the Chinese diaspora and Sino-Southeast Asian historical relations, was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters, the latest in a long list of accolades that includes the prestigious Tang Prize in Sinology, and the Distinguished Service Order of Singapore.

Reflecting on his time as a student of the University in colonial Malaya, Prof Wang said: "You can imagine how happy I am to be a graduand again with my alma mater. The university gave my generation a good start in life. It went on to adapt to the rapid changes of our time. In so doing, it has come out better and stronger."

He spoke about the "inspiring story worth retelling" of how the University had set out and followed its own aspirations, becoming a major centre of learning by being actively connected to the world, as well as regularly reinventing itself.

"The way our university strives to keep our humanity always in our sights is something to be very proud of. I hope that all of us graduating today, no matter where life leads us, will never hesitate to help our university to enhance this capacity to advance our human condition," Prof Wang stressed.

Prof Lionel Wee, Dean of FASS and co-Dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences,  who delivered the citation on Prof Wang's conferment, lauded the latter as "an eminent figure and brilliant mind" who has made manifold contributions as a leading figure in Sinology, a renowned public intellectual, and a visionary leader and administrator at leading academic institutions around the world.

"This doctorate symbolises the meaningful connections between Professor Wang and the University, and it celebrates the long-standing contributions and value that Professor Wang's scholarly insights bring to Singapore, to Southeast Asia and, indeed, to the world," he said.

Parsing the Path Forward
Infusing the celebrations with a spirit of introspective gratitude, Valedictorian Mr Nickson Quak, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours (Highest Distinction) in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics said, "As varied as our journeys may have been, each and every one of us graduates here could have only made it thus far because of the unwavering support that our parents, our families, our loved ones, and our friends have so generously afforded us."

His words further summarised the spirit of determination and community that will carry graduates onwards in their lives: "If [the journey ahead] appears daunting to you, I say to you: fret not… because when you look to your left and your right, you see the resilient men and women who, forged by the challenges brought upon by the global pandemic, will always offer you a helping hand."

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This story first appeared in NUSNews on 6 July 2022 as part of NUS News' coverage of Commencement 2022, which celebrates the achievements of our 13,975 graduates through 28 in-person ceremonies. For more on Commencement, look out for our upcoming graduate profiles, check out the official Commencement website, or look up (and tag) #NUS2022 and #NUSFASS on NUS' and FASS' social media channels!

FASS’ Assoc Prof Irving Goh Appointed to National Humanities Center Fellowship

 IN BRIEF | 10 min read

• Associate Professor Irving Goh (NUS English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies) will be joining the renowned National Humanities Centre’s intellectual community as he pursues work on his project, 'Living On After Failure'.

Associate Professor Irving Goh (NUS English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies) has been selected for a fellowship at the National Humanities Center (NHC), one of the world's leading institutes for advanced study and the only independent institute of its kind dedicated exclusively to the humanities.

“I am absolutely honoured to be named a fellow at the NHC. I also feel very lucky as I have failed in other applications for other fellowships, so I know how difficult it is to be awarded such a prestigious one. I definitely do not take for granted this wonderful opportunity,” shared Assoc Prof Goh, whose application numbered among the 592 submissions this year.

Assoc Prof Goh joined NUS in 2017 as President's Assistant Professor of Literature and was a recipient of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences 2021 Award for Excellent Researcher. He is the author of The Reject: Community, Politics, and Religion after the Subject, which was in 2015 awarded one of the Modern Language Association’s major prizes: the 23^rd Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Prize for the Best Book in French and Francophone Studies. His current primary research interests are in affect theory, autotheory, World Literature theories, contemporary Anglo-American literature, and questions of race. He has published articles in Angelaki, Cultural Politics, Arizona Quarterly, MLN, and diacritics, among others.

Assoc Prof Goh’s NHC fellowship begins the coming 2022/23 academic year, and he will join 32 other fellows as part of the Center's intellectual community as he pursues work on his project, Living On After Failure.

“Living on after Failure is a proposal to think about failure as failure, which is to say, to take, accept, recognise or acknowledge failure in all its negativity. I doubt we have ever dared to confront failure directly. Instead, we tend to turn failure into something else, especially its opposite, which is success. As such, we have not thought about failure in any serious or rigorous manner,” said Assoc Prof Goh.

“But I argue that doing so can tell us something about forms of living pertaining to those whose existences are overwhelmed with a sense of failure, and we must recognise that these are equally legitimate forms of living and should not be bracketed or disregarded.”

Founded in 1978, the NHC admits around forty fellows every year, who are chosen from hundreds of international applicants representing a broad range of humanistic scholarship. Fellows spend a full year dedicated to research and writing without any teaching obligations, all while being able to share ideas in seminars, lectures, and conferences at the Center.

On this unique opportunity to share insights and criticism with other scholars, Assoc Prof Goh remarked, “One of the observations made in my project is that each person experiences failure and its aftermath differently. It is important to highlight this difference so that failure is not reduced to some flat, homogeneous phenomenon. In this regard, I am keen to hear from other fellows at the NHC on their individual senses of failure and the gestures they adopt that help them live on after failure.”

Since its inception, the NHC has welcomed over 1,500 scholars who have published around 1,700 books. Many of these studies have proven to be influential in their fields and been recognised for the quality of their scholarship and writing, generating new knowledge and furthering understanding of all forms of cultural expression, social interaction, and human thought.

As Assoc Prof Goh joins this esteemed fellowship, he shares what he hopes readers might take away from Living On After Failure. “One never knows what readers will make of any book, to be honest. But if there’s one thing that I wish readers would do after reading the book, it would be to truly listen to those who are experiencing failure, allowing them to articulate as much and as best as possible the senses of failure that overwhelm them. What is to be done, in listening, is to provide them with a discursive and affective space in which they can elucidate, in their own terms, their sense of existence that is inextricably implicated with failure.”

This article first appeared in NUSNews on 23 June 2022.

Edwin Thumboo Prize 2022

The Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences has awarded the Edwin Thumboo Prize 2022 to three pre-university students for their outstanding literary work.

Named after one of Singapore's most prominent poets and scholars, the Edwin Thumboo Prize, aims to promote excellence in the study of Literature at the pre-university level by recognising outstanding literary works by A-level and International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBDP) students of English Literature in Singapore. It is administered by the Department with support from the Ministry of Education (MOE). The Prize, established in 2019, is funded by generous donors, including patrons of the arts and former winners of the Angus Ross Prize.

Winner

Mr Nicholas Yong Yoong-Yao

Raffles Institution

$200 prize award

Nicholas Yong

Nicholas's essay "Truth and Reality in Andrew Marvell's Selected Poems and Philip Sidney's Astrophil and Stella compared how the two Renaissance poets explored the relationship between humanity's two realities - earthly existence and aspiration towards a higher spiritual realm.

In a video interview, he credits his parents, teachers from primary school to JC, and friends for playing a significant role in inculcating his love for reading and his passion for the arts. He also shares why he believes literature and the arts is important in society, and how these can be made accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

Nicholas has read his script at the Eat My Shorts play reading event at the Singapore Late Night Festival in 2017 and read his poetry at the Spotlight on the CAP Poets poetry reading event as part of the Poetry Festival SG 2018. He served as an Exco member of Project Vitamindz, where he led and carried out enrichment encompassing arts, language and the humanities for under-privileged primary school students from 2020 to 2021. He also served as a member of the National Gallery Singapore's inaugural youth arts collective Kolektif by organising and rolling out public arts programmes for the Light to Night Festival 2021.

Merit Prizes

Caleb Low

Catholic Junior College

Ms Sarah Zafirah bte Noor Ashikin

St Joseph's Institution

Two Merit Prizes were awarded to Mr Caleb Low from Catholic Junior College and Ms Sarah Zafirah bte Noor Ashikin from St Joseph's Institution. They will receive monetary awards of $100 each.

The winners of the Edwin Thumboo Prize were selected through a rigorous selection process. In 2021, government pre-university institutions were invited to nominate one candidate each. The competition attracted entries from 13 institutions.

Each institution had to submit recommendations for their nominated candidates. The candidates were also required to submit a piece of academic writing on a literary text or topic.

Candidates were assessed by a selection panel comprising representatives from NUS and MOE, as well as former Angus Ross prize-winners. The selection panel for this year's Prize included Assistant Professor Heather Brink-Roby from the Department and Ms Amanda Chong, published poet and playwright, lawyer and advocate.

About Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo

Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo is one of Singapore's pioneering poets. An accomplished literary practitioner and critic, he dedicated his life to the composition and study of English Literature.

His work is studied in schools, both locally and abroad, and featured in public places in Singapore. At NUS, Professor Thumboo had served as Head of the Department of English Language and Literature, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and Director of the NUS Centre for the Arts. He has also received numerous awards, including the Book Award for Poetry in English (1978, 1980 and 1994), Southeast Asia Write Award (1979), The Cultural Medallion (March 1980), ASEAN Cultural and Communication Award for Literature (August 1987), Public Service Star (August 1991), the Meritorious Service Medal (2006), and Distinguished Service Award (2008).

Past Winners

2020/21

Joint Prize Winners

Suneeti Sreekumar

National Junior College

Wong Shao-Yi

Raffles Institution

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Merit Awards

Elise Lauw

Temasek Junior College

Nyang Ying Zhi

Hwa Chong Institution

2019/20

Prize Winner

Loh Su Jean

Raffles Institution

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Merit Awards

Freyja Chu Shuai Wu

Dunman High School

Ng Zheng Yang

Anglo Chinese Junior College

Silvia Suseno

Nanyang Junior College

2018/19

Prize Winner

Gan Chong Jing

Raffles Institution

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Merit Awards

Jane Lee Jia Hui

Dunman High School

Lim Yi Jun

River Valley High School

Yew Jien Huey

Victoria Junior College

ELTS alumnus with Rhodes Scholarship has a dream to teach

ELTS alumnus with Rhodes Scholarship has a dream to teach Darcel Anastasia Al Anthony

With a Rhodes Scholarship under his belt, ELTS alumnus Brendan Loon aspires to be a teacher to give back to the community. (Photo: Brendan Loon)

Brendan Loon is the NUS Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies’ first and only Rhodes Scholar. Established in 1903, the Rhodes Scholarship Programme is the oldest international graduate scholarship programme in the world, and considered one of the most prestigious of its kind. The Rhodes Scholarship enables outstanding and talented young people from around the world to receive full sponsorship to study for almost any full-time course at the University of Oxford. Since its inception, the Scholarship has sought to nurture a global community of fellow leaders—distinguished by their intellect, concern for others, energy to lead, and focus on public service—whose fellowship, friendship and mutuality would be put in service of the better interests of humanity. Singapore resumed the conferment of one Singapore Rhodes Scholar per year in 2018, after a 14-year hiatus. Given his enduring and stellar track record of academic and community leadership, Brendan was named the nation’s Rhodes Scholar for 2020. He then matriculated into the University of Oxford, where he undertook a Master of Studies in World Literatures in English while residing in the heart of Oxford at Jesus College. Brendan has thus joined the select company of only a handful of NUS alumni to have ever received the Scholarship — including the likes of NUS Professor of Physics Andrew Wee, who formerly served as NUS Vice President (University and Global Relations) and historian Thum Ping Tjin. “I see it as no basis for hagiography or hubris. To be grafted into such a heritage as to stand alongside and amongst Rhodes Scholars, and then further still to be counted as one, presents one a bounden duty: to bear this blessing in a spirit of humility, in service of others,” commented the 25-year-old. The Rhodes Scholarship is not the first scholarship Brendan has received. In 2016, Brendan was awarded the Public Service Commission Scholarship (Teaching Service) to study for a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature at NUS. An English Literature major who excelled in both the arts and academics, Brendan had an enriching and holistic four years at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. A resident of the College of Alice and Peter Tan, Brendan leveraged the College’s focus on active community engagement to read modules under the University Town College Programme that further nurtured his commitment to serving others and engaging with social issues. He also participated in campus student life through being part of his house’s dragon boat team in the College’s Inter-Neighbourhood Games, and scriptwriting for CAPT Theatre. “NUS provides much space for students to curate your own learning. The curriculum is not structured to put students through the paces of any particular regime, as a cohort. Depending on the diversity, frequency and intensity of your module selection, you could find yourself taking modules with final-year students as your classmates, even in your second year. And this would probably be true on many occasions, in fact. As iron sharpens iron then, this should spur you on to mature faster as an academically-responsible scholar, academically-rigorous critical thinker, and independent learner — to keep pace with seniors who are now, functionally, your peers,” observed Brendan. Even from an early age, Brendan came to view teaching as his calling and vocation. He recalls having to conduct self-directed learning for ‘O’ Level English Literature during his time in secondary school. His chosen subject combination meant that he was unable to attend any timetabled English Literature classes offered in school. With his literary passion lending him the drive and discipline to keep going, though, Brendan studied independently and collaboratively with a small group of two other fellow students who were also without a teacher. All three of them ultimately went on to attain an A1 grade in the subject. Brendan now cites this as one such key experience that led him to want to become a teacher — so that other students like him would not have to do as he did. He has since fervently gone on to do just that, aiding even more students in similar predicaments who lack the resources to support their ambitions and aspirations. Brendan undertook teaching stints in ‘A’ Level English Language and Linguistics at Anglo-Chinese Junior College; ‘O’ Level English Language and Literature in English at Bukit Merah Secondary School; and English at St Paul Methodist School in Timor-Leste. He also worked on curriculum and policy issues at the English Language and Literature Branch and the University Policy Branch under the Ministry of Education. Beyond being an educator, Brendan hopes to give back to the community by being a mentor to youths. In 2016, he co-founded the non-profit organisation Advisory to empower youth to make career and further education choices through professional mentorship, professional competencies training, industry learning journeys, industry engagement events and a repository of personalised career information. “We wanted to ensure that there would be a full spectrum of programmes that all students could undertake progressively, at their own pace and in their own areas of interests, that did not hold against them their having come from different backgrounds, educational histories, families, schools and personal circumstances,” said Brendan. Brendan is no stranger to mentoring young people too, with a decade’s worth of experience in The Boys’ Brigade as both a captain at the company-level and a committee member at the national-level. In these capacities, he is responsible for stewarding the personal development of between hundreds to thousands of students, with a focus on enabling and enhancing their character formation, commitment to service, intellectual curiosity and social engagement. For his work in Advisory and The Boys’ Brigade, Brendan was recognised in 2021 as a Global Top 50 Finalist for the Chegg and Varkey Foundation’s inaugural Global Student Prize, out of thousands of nominees worldwide. In spite of how far he has come, Brendan continues to remember where he has come from. He looks back fondly and with much gratitude on his time at NUS, especially his interactions and relationships with teachers like Professors Philip Holden and Robbie Goh; Associate Professors Anne-Marie Thell, Chitra Sankaran and John Phillips; and Dr Er Yanbing, Dr Gilbert Yeoh and Dr Tania Roy. Brendan continues to keep in touch with many of his teachers — and is proud to refer to them now as his mentors, and to some also as friends. “(My teachers) have been critical to my own intellectual development and personal formation. Personally and professionally, I have received much from—and therefore owe much to—this academic community at NUS for its ethical education, humanistic vision and social mission. These are legacies I hope to and am humbled to honour,” remarked Brendan. After completing his National Service, Brendan will begin his career in the public service as a teacher, and later join the Public Service Leadership Programme. In this new capacity, Brendan can look forward to continuing his good work of inspiring future generations, as an educator, a friend, a leader and a mentor. In rare moments of downtime, Brendan plays the organ, piano and Pokemon (though it has been a while since he played Pokemon competitively); and reads widely across disciplines — most recently having completed Ibn Khaldun’s The Muqadimmah; Adrienne Mayor’s Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines, and Ancient Dreams of Technology; and Yossef Rapoport’s Islamic Maps.

NUS CHS Open House 2022: Discover #Interdisciplinary Education!

 IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• The NUS College of Humanities and Sciences is hosting its Open House 2022 next week and all prospective students who have received offers are invited!
• A two-day hybrid programme – 11 May on Zoom (and viewable on CHS’ Facebook page) and 14 May on several locations across the NUS Kent Ridge campus, specifically the areas around the Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS), and the Faculty of Science (FoS) – CHS Open House 2022 aims to address all concerns a prospective undergraduate may have before committing to academic at the University and College.
• Highlights include opportunities to engage, discuss and explore academic pursuits, career development and student life at the College with key faculty and administrative staff and leadership — live and in person.

The NUS College of Humanities and Sciences is hosting its Open House 2022 next week and all prospective students who have received their offers are invited. As the deadline for them to accept their offers is looming, CHS has put together a programme aimed at answering all the questions they may have and clarifying all their concerns as much as possible.

Marking a cautiously calibrated return of the University to the normalcy of hosting large on-site events, this year’s CHS Open House is a two-day hybrid programme: 11 May on Zoom (and viewable on CHS’ Facebook page) and 14 May on several locations across the NUS Kent Ridge campus, specifically the areas around the Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS), and the Faculty of Science (FoS).*

11 May 2022 (Wednesday): The Essentials, Online
This a series of comprehensive information sessions (on Zoom and livestreamed on Facebook Live) covering everything new undergraduates need to know to get the most out of their education journey with CHS, including the:

• CHS Core Curriculum
• College’s three challenging but rewarding cross-disciplinary programmes
  • Data Science and Economics (DSE-XDP)
  • Environmental Studies (BES-XDP)
  • Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE-XDP)
• myriad Learning Pathways laid for you
• versatile career development programmes designed to prepare you for the future workplace
• CHS Student Experience—eye-opening and busy, yet energising and enriching

Speakers and panelists include CHS Co-Deans, Vice-Deans, key faculty staff members, career preparation and student services leader.

For more information and links to the 11 May sessions, click here.

14 May 2022 (Saturday): Get Personal, On Campus
The College is calling for prospective students to come on site, visit where they could well be spending their undergraduate years very soon, and speak to their future instructors and potential mentors. The full-day programme – running in key FASS and FoS locations across the NUS campus – offers:

• entry to witness and even participate in talks/lectures and panel discussions presented and hosted by award-winning instructors on a variety of academic subjects, interdisciplinary topics and specialised research areas
• face-to-face engagement with faculty, admin and student representatives from ALL Departments and student organisations under CHS, and opportunities to explore academic, financial aid and student activity options with the people in the know
• consultation with the career development teams of CHS
• guided Walking Tours across the facilities of FoS and FASS

For more information on the activities planned for 14 May, click here.

Discover Your #Interdisciplinary Future @ CHS
This Open House is the last chance for prospective students to learn more about the complete #interdisciplinary educational experience that they can expect at CHS. One that opens up a world of possibilities and equips them with skills and knowledge across the humanities, social sciences, physical sciences and applied sciences. One that inspires, cultivates and prepares them to work across diverse industries and sectors, with multidisciplinary teams, to solve some of the most complex wicked problems facing the world today — from social inequality to food shortage, unsustainable development and global warming. And one that grooms them to be the leaders of public institutions and private enterprise tomorrow.

* Campus shuttle bus services will be made available on 14 May to all visitors for easier movement across campus, which extends to Kent Ridge MRT.

 

FASS Alumni Honoured for Sterling Contributions to Nation and Society

 IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• The NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) honoured five eminent alumni on 29 April 2022, presenting each with a FASS Distinguished Arts and Social Sciences Alumni Award 2021.
• The outstanding alumni were:
  • Mr Peter Tan (Japanese Studies, ’92), Singapore’s Ambassador to Japan
  • Mrs Josephine Teo (Economics, ’91), Minister for Communications and Information and Second Minister for Home Affairs
  • Mr Haresh Sharma (English Language and English Literature, ‘90), Resident Playwright of The Necessary Stage
  • Ms Denise Phua (English Language and Political Science, ‘83), Mayor of Central Singapore District
  • Mr Low Thia Khiang (Chinese Studies, ‘81), former Secretary-General of the Workers’ Party

It was all smiles as five eminent alumni from the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) took to the stage on 29 April to receive the FASS Distinguished Arts and Social Sciences Alumni Award 2021.

The outstanding alumni who took home the honours were:

• Mr Peter Tan (Japanese Studies, ’92), Singapore’s Ambassador to Japan
• Mrs Josephine Teo (Economics, ’91), Minister for Communications and Information and Second Minister for Home Affairs
• Mr Haresh Sharma (English Language and English Literature, ‘90), Resident Playwright of The Necessary Stage
• Ms Denise Phua (English Language and Political Science, ‘83), Mayor of Central Singapore District
• Mr Low Thia Khiang (Chinese Studies, ‘81), former Secretary-General of the Workers’ Party

The 2021 awards ceremony had been postponed to this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“These five individuals have contributed to Singapore in distinctive ways, and their passion, perseverance and pursuit of excellence serve as an inspiration to current and future generations of FASS students,” said NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye.

“NUS is proud to have them as our alumni, and I hope they will continue to maintain close ties with their alma mater and with FASS. There is much we can do together, to nurture and inspire the next generation of Singaporeans to realise their potential.”

Echoing similar sentiments was FASS Dean Professor Lionel Wee who added that the five epitomise the spirit of service to the community. They play pivotal roles in Singapore and globally, through the arts, shaping of policies, diplomatic relations and community engagement.

The Honourees and their Contributions to Nation and Society
Mr Peter Tan has over three decades of foreign service experience under his belt. He has served with distinction in various capacities on issues related to areas including Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, Europe and the United Nations since joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1992. He has vast diplomatic experience with regard to Japan, having previously served in the Singapore Embassy in Tokyo as First Secretary, as Counsellor, as well as Acting Minister-Counsellor and Deputy Chief of Mission. Mr Tan was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Silver) in 2008 for his contributions.

Playing a critical role in policymaking is Mrs Josephine Teo who is Singapore’s Minister for Communications and Information, Second Minister for Home Affairs, and Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity. She is also a member of the National Jobs Council and the Future Economy Council. Mrs Teo was the Minister for Manpower from May 2018 till May 2021, and previously served in the Prime Minister’s Office and other heavyweight ministries like Finance, Transport and Foreign Affairs. She has been a member of Parliament (MP) since 2006.

A critically-acclaimed playwright known for his socially-conscious plays, Mr Haresh Sharma began writing plays during his undergraduate days. As Resident Playwright of homegrown theatre The Necessary Stage, he has written more than 120 plays which have been staged in over 20 cities. His play on mental illness, Off Centre, was the first Singapore play selected by the Ministry of Education as a Literature text for the GCE N- and O-Levels. A 2015 Cultural Medallion recipient, Mr Sharma was also the first non-American to be awarded the prestigious Goldberg Master Playwright by New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2011.

Ms Denise Phua gave up a successful corporate career in 2005 to become a full-time special needs volunteer before joining politics in 2006. An MP for Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency (GRC), she is best known for her advocacy for those at risk of being left behind in Singapore. She is one of the key architects behind three 5-year Enabling Masterplans for the Disabled in the country, and she is the President of Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) and Chairman of Autism Association Singapore – both being established autism charities. She supervises the Pathlight School – Singapore’s first autism special school which she co-founded – and helped start The Purple Parade, an annual parade to support inclusion.

Making his mark in politics is former politician Mr Low Thia Khiang who served as Secretary-General of the Workers’ Party between 2001 and 2018. He was one of two opposition MPs between 2001 and 2011 and was the de facto opposition leader between 2006 and 2018. Following the 2011 General Election, Mr Low became one of five elected opposition MPs of Aljunied GRC – and went on to represent the Bedok Reservoir–Punggol division between 2011 and 2020. Mr Low stepped down as the MP for Aljunied GRC prior to the 2020 General Election, making him Singapore's longest serving opposition MP with 29 years in service.

The Journey with FASS and Beyond
Dinner guests were treated to videos of the awardees who shared about their FASS experience – how it has shaped their lives and careers thereafter – as well as their career milestones.

Both Mr Sharma and Mr Tan shared fond memories of spending time in the libraries and reading rooms, as well as the invaluable friendships that blossomed beyond the classrooms in FASS. For Mr Sharma, NUS played a pivotal role in his theatre journey. He explained, “There was the huge support structure all around me, from the lunchtime performances where we could perform, to my lecturers and tutors, who when they found out that I was interested in Singapore theatre and literature, started encouraging me.”

Reminiscing on her university “days of freedom”, Ms Phua appreciated the considerable latitude afforded to her to select subjects that she loved and pick the lecturers she wanted to learn from. FASS, she shared, had helped hone her ability to think critically, developed her confidence to speak up, and made her realise the importance of finding solutions to problems to make a difference.

Established in 2015, the Awards recognise individuals for their distinguished scholarship and exemplary service to the Faculty, the University and Singapore. These outstanding recipients have made significant impact in various fields locally and internationally, which has contributed to the betterment and promotion of the arts and social sciences.

Click here for more info on this year’s award recipients.

This article first appeared in NUSNews on 29 April 2022.

Conserving her Heritage Language

 IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• Dr Nala Lee – NUS alumna (NUS English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies, B.A. '06, M.A. '09) and Assistant Professor of Linguistics – who is Peranakan Chinese by birth, tells us more about her language documentation work on her heritage language, Baba Malay.

For Dr Nala Lee, the topic of language endangerment is one that is close to the heart. The NUS alumna and Assistant Professor of Linguistics is Peranakan Chinese by birth and her heritage language is Baba Malay, which has been critically endangered since the 1980s.

Reflecting on her childhood, when Baba Malay was already facing the brunt of endangerment, Dr Lee shared: “When I was much younger, I did not know I was Peranakan Chinese because it was naturalised that we would do certain things in very different ways.”

She continued, “The older members of the family would wear the sarong kebaya, whereas other families would dress up in cheongsams for Chinese New Year. We would be hearing older members of the family speak Baba Malay and not other Chinese dialects or languages. It was only much later that I realized that we were Peranakan Chinese and a very different being from other Chinese groups in Singapore.”

It was this connection with her heritage, together with community and family support, that led her to eventually choose to focus on Baba Malay for her PhD in Linguistics dissertation at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.

Contributing hope for Baba Malay
Since 2011, Dr Lee has been carrying out language documentation work on Baba Malay. She has documented and archived hundreds of hours of Baba Malay conversations and stories, and the work continues. She adds, “I am archiving into perpetuity so that younger generations can listen to what Baba Malay sounds like, and hopefully, it would pique their interest in the language.”

Her Baba Malay grammar has also been used as the basis for pedagogical work to revitalise the language.

She also teaches a language documentation class at the Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies, formerly the Department of English Language and Literature. “I teach tools with which language documentation can be carried out for any community, such as those for dictionary making and transcription, so that students who are interested are able to go home and document their own heritage language.”

This article first appeared in NUSNews on 22 April 2022.

The Auditory English Lexicon Project: A multi-talker, multi-region psycholinguistic database of 10,170 spoken words and nonwords

In the late 1990s, there were concerns of a decline in Singapore’s standard of English. This was attributed to Singaporeans’ penchant of using Singlish in casual conversation, which is grammatically incorrect and not commonly understood among foreigners. To reverse this problem, the Speak Good English Movement was launched on 29 April 2000 to discourage the use of Singlish and encourage Singaporeans to adopt a universally correct form of English. ‘The Auditory English Lexicon Project: A multi-talker, multi-region psycholinguistic database of 10,170 spoken words and nonwords’ is a project by Associate Professor Winston Goh, Associate Professor Melvin Yap, and Ms Qian Wen Chee (all NUS Department of Psychology). In this psycholinguistic experiment, participants are required to indicate whether the audio word or non-word (pseudowords) that they are introduced to is a legitimate word or a non-word. From there, behavioural data on reaction times and error rates can be collected. Six tokens of each stimulus were recorded (in .wav format) using native speakers of American, British and Singapore English, with one from each gender. The audio was played out to participants to gather data on intelligibility norms and auditory lexical decision accuracies and latencies. Through the experiments, the team developed a database of 10,170 spoken words and spoken nonwords. It includes a mix of lexico-semantic variables and structural indices for the words and nonwords, as well as participants’ individual difference measures (age, gender, language background, and proficiency). Altogether, the database contains 122,040 sound files and over 4 million behavioural data points - the largest multi-talker database of spoken words and nonwords to date. It is accessible from this website: (https://inetapps.nus.edu.sg/aelp/). Read the article here.

#DiscoverFASS@CHS 2022 | Watch Masterclasses Here!

As part of the #DiscoverFASS@CHS campaign leading up to our Open House in May this year, we are holding Masterclasses presented by three of our award-winning Faculty members, and streaming them 'live' online here. Masterclasses by Award-Winning Faculty
Experience lessons led by our dynamic faculty members. See schedule below.

0930 - 1000	Prof William Bain The Wisdom of Liars and the Ethics of War
1030 - 1100	Assoc Prof Deborah Shamoon Animé and the Japanese
1130 - 1200	Dr Maiya Murphy Theatre as Aesthetic Art and Social Tool

Prof William Bain, NUS Political Science

The Wisdom of Liars and the Ethics of War

War is widely thought to be estranged from moral judgement-the language of right and wrong. In time of war self-interest and necessity quickly overcome moderation and restraint; and the call of the nation-or some other community-justifies conduct that would be unacceptable in all other contexts. The strong do what they will and the weak suffer what they must. In this masterclass I will sketch out the conventional ethics of war in modern international relations. One might object that moral judgement is, in fact, a charade, a mask behind which hypocrisy lurks. I respond to this objection by arguing that liars and hypocrites provide the best evidence of authentic moral judgement in time of war.

William Bain is Professor of international relations in NUS Political Science. His research and teaching focuses on questions and theories of world order, international ethics, and religion and international relations. His most recent book, Political Theology of International Order, argues that dominant ways of imagining international order are properly understood as a worldly application of a theological pattern that originates in the Middle Ages.

Assoc Prof Deborah Shamoon, NUS Japanese Studies

"I said Anime, but There's Hardly Been Any Movement!": Understanding Limited Animation

What is Japanese about anime? How do we discuss anime in an academic context? This lecture will give a brief introduction to the history of anime and explain the limited animation techniques that give anime its distinct look and feel. We will also discuss the way that form affects content, how cost-saving measures in animation gave rise to a national style, and why certain tropes get repeated in anime narratives. This lecture will change the way you look at anime, and introduce you to key concepts in anime studies, including superflat, database consumption, and the media mix.

Associate Professor Deborah Shamoon(NUS Japanese Studies), who is originally from the United States, received her PhD in Japanese Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and taught at the University of Notre Dame before coming to NUS in 2012. Her areas of specialisation are cultural studies and gender studies. She has published books and essays on Japanese manga, anime, literature and film. She teaches modules on Japanese popular culture, art history, and literature. of international relations in NUS Political Science. His research and teaching focuses on questions and theories of world order, international ethics, and religion and international relations. His most recent book, Political Theology of International Order, argues that dominant ways of imagining international order are properly understood as a worldly application of a theological pattern that originates in the Middle Ages.

Dr Maiya Murphy, NUS English, Linguistics & Theatre Studies

Theatre and Performance on Stage and in the World

This class explores how performance can be understood as aesthetic art and social tool. By taking the concerns and approaches of the performing arts seriously, we will examine how theatre and performance can reflect human behaviour and shape social life. We will consider the diversity of performances across time and place, some unique skills and intelligences embedded in artistic technique, and recent exchanges between theatre and science. Through drawing together the realms of imagination and everyday life, this class demonstrates some key ways in which performance helps us teach ourselves how to better live in our world.

Dr Maiya Murphy works at the confluence of performer training, theatre making, movement, and cognitive approaches to understanding theatre. She is the author of Enacting Lecoq: Movement in Theatre, Cognition, and Life(2019). Her work has also appeared in Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences, Constructivist Foundations, Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, New Theatre Quarterly, Theatre Survey, Practice as Research in the Arts and Beyond (Robin Nelson, ed.), The Routledge Companion to Jacques Lecoq (Mark Evans and Rick Kemp, eds.), and The Oxford Handbook of Dance and Theater (Nadine George-Graves, ed.). She is an Assistant Professor in NUS Theatre Studies (Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies) and makes theatre with her collective, Autopoetics.

Watch Masterclasses!

Sixteen NUS Programmes in Global Top 10

IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• Programmes include those from Arts and Social Sciences, Computer Science, Design and Engineering and Science – demonstrating the University’s strengths across its different colleges, faculties and schools, according to the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject.
• FASS courses among the World's Top 10 (in their respective subject areas) include Anthropology, Geography, Linguistics, Politics & International Studies, and Sociology.

Sixteen of the University’s academic programmes have been placed in the top 10 worldwide, according to the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject.

These programmes include those from Arts and Social Sciences, Computer Science, Design and Engineering, and Science – demonstrating the University’s strengths across its different colleges, faculties and schools.

“We are delighted that NUS continues to be among Asia’s best universities. We are in the top 10 in 16 subject areas in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022. NUS is also in the top 10 in two (of five) broad categories - Engineering & Technology and Social Sciences & Management - in the same rankings,” said NUS Senior Deputy President and Provost Professor Ho Teck Hua.

“This is high international recognition of our world-leading faculty, talented students, staff and alumni, and will serve as strong encouragement for all of us at NUS."

NUS takes pole position as Asia’s best university, sharing the top spot with the University of Tokyo. Both universities have 37 programmes ranked in the top 50.

The QS rankings provide independent comparative analysis of the performance of 15,200 individual university programmes at 1,543 universities across the world. The programmes are across 51 academic disciplines and five broad faculty areas.

“The consistent improvements made by Singaporean institutions in our rankings result from a decade of investment and strategizing,” said Mr Ben Sowter, Research Director at QS.

He noted that NUS has the largest endowment of any university in Asia today. “Advantaged by this long-term preparation for their financial futures and by a relentlessly international outlook, Singaporean higher education is going from strength to strength,” added Mr Sowter.

Education to prepare students for a post-pandemic world
Graduates are expected to be agile and adaptable in the post-pandemic world order. In training students to connect the dots across diverse disciplines, NUS has embarked on educational innovations centred on interdisciplinarity and experiential learning.

The establishment of the College of Humanities and Sciences and the College of Design and Engineering has allowed NUS to deliver future-focused interdisciplinary education at scale, while offering students flexibility to pursue multiple pathways and specialisations. The result: an education that offers both breadth and depth.

This will be reinforced with the inaugural intake at NUS College – Singapore’s first undergraduate honours college – in the new academic year. The college will welcome a diverse community of students from across 50 majors including Humanities and Sciences, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Business, Computer Science and Law. These undergraduates will come together to pursue experiential and interdisciplinary learning in an immersive residential environment.

This article first appeared in NUSNews on 6 April 2022.

ELIZA: Finding Love and Human Connections Through Algorithms

IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• Presented by NUS Centre For the Arts as part of the ExxonMobil Campus Concerts series, Eliza was directed by Associate Professor Maria Teresa Soto-Sanfiel (NUS Department of Communications & New Media, and Principal Researcher at the NUS Centre for Trusted Internet and Community) and was staged live from 24 to 26 February at University Cultural Centre Theatre.
• Written by Professor José Ignacio Latorre (Director, Centre for Quantum Technologies) – Eliza seeks to explore how relationships between man and robot could unravel, and with that, the central premise of the production: Is artificial intelligence (AI) capable of love?

The lights dimmed, and onstage sat a humble collection of props: a wooden bench, a couple of books, a broomstick and dustpan. Unfolding amidst this innocuous mise-en-scène, Eliza – written by Professor José Ignacio Latorre (Director, Centre for Quantum Technologies) – sought to explore how relationships between man and robot could unravel, and with that, the central premise of the production: Is artificial intelligence (AI) capable of love?

The play tells the story of Adam, a lonely man seeking companionship through a series of robot helpers, each becoming increasingly human-like. Rejecting earlier versions, Adam finally falls in love with Désirée, the third prototype, who seemingly reciprocates Adam’s confessions and advances. As Adam progresses to Eliza, the next – and final – iteration of his artificial companion, the play leads audiences to uncomfortable revelations about Adam and Eliza, ending on a cliffhanger that takes audiences back to the play’s central premise. While the play, by design, did not provide specific narrative closure, it certainly led audiences to question what constitutes artificiality and intelligence, as well as why and how people express love.

A production with such lofty philosophical aspirations could have easily fallen flat, but was adeptly brought to life through spellbinding performances by lead actors Jayesh Melvani (24, Faculty of Law) and Tinotenda Zimhunga (20, Yale-NUS College), respectively playing Adam and a series of robot helpers, including the titular character Eliza.

Tinotenda’s dynamic and disciplined delivery was undeniably a highlight of the production. She transitioned seamlessly through a multitude of AI “prototype” personae, each one becoming more complex and technologically advanced than the last, with their own unique personality and mannerisms. In counterpoint to Tinotenda’s character, Jayesh’s portrayal of the human Adam provided a relatable point of reference that complemented Tinotenda’s shifts in character, as he ranged from seeking intimacy, to being intimidated by a superior being, and to falling in love.

In a post-performance dialogue session, Professor Latorre shared that the play was inspired by a Massachusetts Institute of Technology-created AI algorithm codenamed “Eliza”, which was designed to be able to relate emotionally to humans. He observed that people were attributing human-like emotions to AIs, as humans seemed increasingly robot-like, remarking, “Human predictability might pave the path to programming advanced AI that will provide us with company, given the right balance of care, confrontation and friendship”.

It is this fundamental tension between the nature of humanity, and the weight that humankind places on appearances, visual and verbal cues in distinguishing between organic and artificial, that drives the play’s premise and successfully challenges the audience’s ideas of humanity, AI, and emotion. “If you can't distinguish between a machine and a human when exchanging messages, then we have to view that algorithm as intelligent,” claimed Eliza during the play, ”What matters, Adam, is not being real, but being indistinguishable from something real."

Presented by NUS Centre For the Arts as part of the ExxonMobil Campus Concerts series, Eliza was directed by Associate Professor Maria Teresa Soto-Sanfiel (NUS Department of Communications & New Media, and Principal Researcher at the NUS Centre for Trusted Internet and Community) and was staged live from 24 to 26 February at University Cultural Centre Theatre. You can find out more about ExxonMobil Campus Concerts here.

By Nur Azzahra Binte Kamal, NUS Centre for the Arts

This story first appeared on NUSNews on 11 March 2022.

Open House 2022 Engages and Excites

IN BRIEF | 30 min read

• The ever-popular NUS Open House hit new heights this year, attracting over 8.61 million visitors – a 26.2 per cent increase from the 6.83 million visitors that attended last year's online Open House.
• From 26 Feb to 5 Mar, visitors crowded the websites, livestreams, webinars and social media sessions hosted by the University's colleges, faculties and schools. There was something for everyone, and the event covered everything from academic courses to student life and entrepreneurship programmes.

The ever-popular NUS Open House hit new heights this year, attracting over 8.61 million visitors – a 26.2 per cent increase from the 6.83 million visitors that attended last year's online Open House.

From 26 Feb to 5 Mar, visitors crowded the websites, livestreams, webinars and social media sessions hosted by the University's colleges, faculties and schools. There was something for everyone, and the hybrid event covered everything from academic courses to student life and entrepreneurship programmes.

While much of the engagement happened online, prospective students got to meet NUS students and staff face-to-face for the first time since the pandemic started.

The physical Open House, held one sunny Saturday on 5 Mar, included numerous booths showcasing the University’s wide-ranging academic options and vibrant student life; sample classes and talks to get a taste of varsity life; and tours of the different colleges, faculties, and schools.

Prospective students gave the hybrid format a thumbs-up.

Joshua Chua, an alumnus of Anderson Serangoon Junior College, appreciated the online sessions and felt the physical Open House was a huge differentiating factor.

“The (physical) Open House really gave me a good image of what living and studying at NUS could look like by virtue of being an in-person event as opposed to it being virtual, so I'm really grateful to NUS and everyone involved for having this opportunity during the pandemic,” he said.

On her part, Hwa Chong Institution alumna Elsie Woo, who attended both the online and in-person sessions, said, “The experience was really welcoming and wholesome, and really exposed me to NUS as a whole.”

Showcasing the country’s first honours college

One of the highlights this year was the NUS College, Singapore’s first honours college. It will accept its first batch of students this year.

Prospective students were treated to online webinars on the College’s distinctive curriculum, its global pathways, and its focus on hands-on experiential learning. In more intimate breakout rooms, staff and student volunteers readily answered questions about student life and academic pathways. By having a home college or faculty – say Business or Science – while simultaneously being enrolled at NUS College, students will be able to get an educational experience that is as broad as it is deep.

The in-person activities featured a tour of the facilities and residential options that NUS College students would be able to enjoy.

Elsie Woo was one of many students drawn to NUS College’s unique offerings.

“I attended a few webinars, including introductory talks for NUS College and Food Science and Technology,” said Elsie, who also visited many booths in-person.

“The sessions were very well-planned and the seniors were extremely helpful and patient.”

Nanyang Polytechnic alumnus Koh Jin Yuen focused his time on NUS College, attending the College’s guided tour and virtual sharing sessions.

“The NUS College tour was informative as I got to ask the facilitators about their experiences. I think the curriculum is very meaningful,” said Jin Yuen.

“The Open House helped to deepen my understanding of how NUS College works, and allowed me to better understand the lifestyle of a student from NUS College.” He is intending to apply for the Information Systems programme offered by NUS Computing, as well as NUS College.

Ramping up interdisciplinary offerings

Exciting developments in the realm of interdisciplinary education—a major theme that NUS has been championing—were foregrounded at the Open House, with the College of Design and Engineering (CDE) also taking in its inaugural cohort. A result of the merger of the Faculty of Engineering and the School of Design and Environment, CDE is set to transform the NUS educational experience.

Across five galleries and 19 sub-categories, including Architecture, Industrial Design, Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Civil Engineering, visitors were presented with an informative display of the wide range of courses and programmes that will be on offer in the new College.

Raffles Institution alumna Grace Zai, who visited the Designing the Future exhibition and galleries, said, “The Engineering galleries were very informative as I could ask questions I had about the course, as well as student life, and get a clearer picture of what I would be studying and doing. It helped me make a more informed decision on my choices.”

Grace is considering applying to Engineering Science and Architecture, as well as Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering with a specialisation in robotics.

There were also panel discussions, both online and in-person, where faculty and current students interacted with prospective students to share their experiences and answer questions about the new interdisciplinary curriculum.

“As a prospective student, I got to see first-hand the school facilities, as well as the accommodations. My experience was pretty enriching and enlightening because I could ask the professors questions I had in mind and learn more about the courses,” said Timothy Tay, a graduate of Victoria Junior College who visited the SDE gallery on Sustainable Innovations.

“For example, I did not realise Project Facilities Management (PFM) was recently changed to Infrastructure Project Management (IPM). The professor explained that students will now graduate with a BEng degree rather than a BSc degree,” he recalled, referring to the first interdisciplinary full-time undergraduate programme to cover engineering, design, management, technology, building science and law modules.

Information was also available on the vibrant student life of the College’s various clubs and societies, as well as career programmes that enable students to better understand their interests and what it takes to marry that with industry skills and experience.

“The NUS Open House provided me with a more informed perspective on the courses offered in NUS. The various booths set up and run by students allowed for quick chats about what the courses have to offer. The responses by the students and professors were engaging and genuine, which I found informative in making my choice for courses in NUS,” said Kalepu Sai Sri Akshath, who attended CDE’s online and in-person events with his family and is intending to apply to Computer Engineering.

Drone-sensing demonstrations and the Solar Roof Tour, 5G Lab Tour, and BEEHUB Tour further showcased the College’s manifold facilities. Visitors also got a first-hand experience of NUS’ very own net-zero energy building through tours at SDE4, itself a product of both architecture and engineering, and the first of its kind in Singapore.

A marriage of the humanities and sciences

Continuing in the vein of interdisciplinarity and equipping students with a multifaceted, integrated toolbox of skills to thrive in the future economy is the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS), which will be accepting its second intake this year.

Seminars about the CHS Core Curriculum were available at the Open House, as well as informative masterclasses that covered a vast range of interdisciplinary topics.

The Data Science and Economics masterclass saw Assoc Prof Lim Tiong Wee and Assoc Prof Chen Ying (Statistics & Data Science, Faculty of Science) and Dr Denis Tkachenko (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) break down the complexities of the digital economy with real-life examples, and explicate its relevance to Singapore’s Smart Nation goals.

The new Data Science and Economics (DSE) cross-disciplinary programme will be the first of its kind in Singapore to integrate knowledge across these two disciplines.

“I got to understand how data science and economics complement each other,” said Russell Hor, a graduate of St. Joseph's Institution who has finished National Service and is enrolling in CHS this year.

Vanille Goh, who graduated from Anglo-Chinese Junior College and attended the Geography and Environmental Studies masterclasses, said, “[The masterclasses] provided me with a good overview of how passionate the lecturers were and how each course will adequately prepare me for what I would want to do in the future.”

Nanyang Junior College alumna Wen Xinyue also appreciated the in-person masterclasses, adding that they gave her a first-hand glimpse into studying humanities at the university level.

“I am interested in studying English, and from the English Language and Literature masterclass on Gender, Sexuality and Language, I learnt about how entrenched gender roles and stereotypes can be within the language we use,” she shared.

Meanwhile, over at the “Insights into Southeast Asia from the Martial Arts Perspective” masterclass, Dr Mohamed Effendy of NUS Southeast Asian Studies presented prospective students with a riveting intellectual and visual treat, demonstrating how useful unique perspectives on the region’s myriad communities can be gleaned by studying them through the lens of the martial arts. Students saw the concepts brought to life – witnessing first-hand an exciting live demonstration by practitioners of pencak silat – of how Southeast Asian warriors of old defended themselves using a wide array of techniques and weapons.

Action aplenty

There was action aplenty among other faculties. NUS Business School’s programmes included a 360 live tour, as well as live chats with the BBA Deans on the different majors offered by the School. Its in-person sessions included sharing sessions by the BBA Deans, BIZCareers advisors, and student ambassadors.

Year 4 Accountancy and Finance undergraduate Calvin Chur was one such student volunteer, serving as an emcee for the online Open House and sharing in-person on 5 Mar about life at the Business School.

“It was a tiring, but extremely fulfilling day engaging with prospective students, learning about their concerns with regards to entering a new phase of life and trying to address those concerns,” said Calvin. “In fact, many of their concerns mirrored those that I had as a fresh A-level graduate attending the NUS Open House back in 2016 – and I am glad that I could offer insider insights to help them make an informed decision at this major milestone of their lives.”

Year 4 Real Estate undergraduate Natasha Liem, another student volunteer who served as an emcee, added, “There was quite a large number of viewers for the panel and a prospective student actually sent me a message on Instagram to enquire more about real estate from a student's perspective. I think the panel went well!”

For NUS Business School Executive (Marketing & Outreach) Ms Casey Jean Grant, it was an eye-opener to experience the whole planning process.

“Most of the students and parents were very curious and excited about the prospect of coming to NUS Business School,” she added. “Their excitement definitely rubbed off on us and made the rest of us excited to share about our School.”

With frontline healthcare workers being in the spotlight these couple of years, there was plenty of interest in NUS Dentistry, NUS Nursing, NUS Medicine, and Duke-NUS Medical School. Live demonstrations were conducted and prospective students got a taste of what it would be like to be a dentist, nurse or doctor.

Serving up a slice of campus life

Whether on the screen or in the flesh, visitors to the Open House also witnessed the rich and vibrant student life beyond the classroom that NUS is known for.

Besides holding talks to acquaint visitors with the wide range of co-curricular activities available, student clubs and societies rose to the occasion at the Student Village showcases to feature a spectacular smorgasbord of music, dance and sporting performance across the eight days that Open House was on. Visitors were serenaded by soulful tunes by the NUS Jazz Band and wowed by the moves of NUS Kendo Club. They were also treated to cheerleading displays, snazzy dance performances by NUS Funkstyle and BreakiNUS, catchy renditions of contemporary pop and choral music by the a cappella group Resonance, and the dulcet tones of TheNUSChoir and the NUS Mandopop group Voices.

"It was really lively with dozens of booths as well as live performances put on by really talented students! It truly allowed me to understand the culture here and makes me want to be a part of it after experiencing first hand,” Vanille Goh shared.

Students and hall masters from the halls and residences also conducted informative residential life talks, A-Day-in-the-Life-Of vlog sessions and Ask-Me-Anything sessions to help students interested in on-campus living understand its manifold aspects like academic programmes and pastoral care.

These were complemented by in-person tours of King Edward VII Hall, NUS College, Ridge View Residential College, Tembusu College, RC4, and Pioneer House, NUS’ newest housing model, giving participants a real taste of the sense of community and camaraderie that comes with residential life in NUS.

Joshua Chua, who also participated in the RC4 tour, said, “The RC4 tour was definitely a highlight because the tour guide, as with most staff and students, was welcoming and frank, which eased my nervousness.”

Matthew Yeow, an alumnus of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) who attended both online and in-person sharing sessions by student residents of the Residential Colleges, said, “During the physical Open House, I had the opportunity to find out a lot more about the residential colleges and what made them distinct from halls. Furthermore, I also got to find out more about the individual residential colleges and their communities, as well as the additional modules they took.”

“As a prospective student, I think the Open House was executed effectively through both the online and physical mediums. Having the opportunity to come down and visit the University and talk to the current students gave me a better understanding of student life in NUS,” he added.

This story first appeared on NUSNews on 8 March 2022.

New Courses for the New Economy

IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• NUS is offering a number of new programmes to prepare graduates for the future, including the much-anticipated Major in Anthropology, and Minor in Interpreting by the NUS Department of Chinese Studies.

The University’s key theme of preparing undergraduates for the workplace of the future will be further enhanced with the launch of new majors, minors and degree specialisations in the upcoming academic year. About 10 new courses are on the cards.

New programmes from the NUS College of Design and Engineering (CDE), NUS Faculty of Science, NUS School of Computing, and NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences will cover areas such as Artificial Intelligence, technology, data science, sustainability, globalisation. They will add on to the interdisciplinary offerings by the flagship NUS College, Singapore’s first honours college welcoming its first cohort in August – as well as those by the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS).

“The overall goal of all our education reform efforts is to advance a university curriculum that prepares students well for a Fourth Industrial Revolution world and workplace,” said Professor Bernard Tan, NUS Senior Vice Provost (Undergraduate Education).

“Our education, focused on both breadth and depth, ensures that our graduates are held in high regard by employers. Last year, more than nine in 10 NUS graduates secured a job within six months of their final examinations.”

 

New majors and minors

Bachelor of Engineering (Infrastructure and Project Management)
Offered by CDE’s Department of the Built Environment, this degree will equip graduates with the knowledge and interdisciplinary skills to excel in the multifaceted built environment. This is the first interdisciplinary full-time undergraduate programme to cover engineering, design, management, technology, building science and law modules. Major in Anthropology
Offered by the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences to all CHS students, this major will study the range of human diversity, accounting for how people in different times and places have developed into distinctly different societies. The degree will expose students to a vast variety of different beliefs and health practices, economic and political systems, material culture, and even different notions of beauty, the environment, food, family, and the good life.

Anthropology is much sought after for the sort of training it offers its students – a ground up approach to developing deep understanding on just about every aspect of the human condition. Students will be equipped to better understand and deal with the chaos, uncertainty, and ambiguity that characterises the contemporary age.

Second Major in Sustainable Urban Development
Offered by CDE’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, it aims to train the next generation of urban problem-solvers. They will be equipped with interdisciplinary knowledge and skills to create sustainable urban environments in the context of the changing climate. Open to all NUS undergraduate students, this major is stackable to students’ primary major in their chosen field, and can be completed in four years with no additional academic workload. Second Major in Nutrition
This will be offered by the Faculty of Science to all CHS students, including those reading Food Science and Technology as the primary major. It is designed to equip students with knowledge in human nutrition, providing them with the necessary foundation to develop a cross-disciplinary perspective along the food supply chain – from farm to fork to health. Minor in Interpreting
Multilingualism is a defining characteristic of Singapore’s multi-ethnic, immigrant society. With four official languages and with English as the working language, translating and interpreting between each of the mother tongues and English has always been a prominent feature of Singapore society. Against this backdrop, the NUS Department of Chinese Studies has placed as one of its core objectives, the training of graduates with strong Chinese-English bilingual skills who can become leaders in the translation and interpreting arenas.

This new Minor will allow students a related alternative to translation, or as an affiliated Minor to Translation which is already being offered at the Department.

 

New specialisations

Three new specialisations will be offered by the NUS School of Computing:

Specialisation in Digital Product and Platform Management
This will be offered to students pursuing the Bachelor of Computing (Information Systems) Degree. They will build up a repertoire of knowledge and skills sought after by both technology companies and the digital immigrant companies that are fast adopting the product- and platform-centric technology and business operating models. Specialisation in Intelligent Systems Solutioning
Students pursuing the Bachelor of Computing (Information Systems) Degree can also take this new specialisation to learn to implement and apply intelligent system solutions buttressed by the new technologies of Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and Augmented Reality. They will learn to apply these new technologies in software engineering, and to implement and manage intelligent system solutions. Graduates will be able to take on job roles in intelligent systems engineering and solutioning. Specialisation in Machine Learning-based Analytics
This new specialisation for Bachelor of Science (Business Analytics) students will enable students to tap into the analytics capabilities of Machine Learning, a sub-field of Artificial Intelligence. They will learn to rapidly and automatically develop models that can quickly and accurately analyse massive, complex data sets, in order to help businesses unlock the value of corporate and customer data and enact decisions that keep them ahead of the competition. Graduates will be able to take on careers in the rapidly-growing business and data analytics field, among others.

 

New modules

Aside from the new majors, minors and specialisations, a number of new modules are being offered. For instance, the NUS School of Computing is starting a Digital Ethics and Data Privacy module to educate students on this pertinent and pressing issue.

The NUS Faculty of Law is introducing two modules – one on Law & Technology and one on Data Literacy – as technology and data are increasingly being key drivers for the legal industry.

Find out more about the courses offered by the University, and explore this year’s Open House. Here are four things to look out for at the Open House.

 

This story first appeared on NUSNews on 24 February 2022.

NUS Open House 2022: Interdisciplinary Offerings, In-person Activities and More!

IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• NUS Open House 2022 is back with opportunities for prospective students to meet NUS professors, students and alumni face-to-face, after two years of connecting virtually.
• Running from 26 February through 5 March, NUS Open House 2022 will begin with a comprehensive line-up of informative activities, including the online segment, during the week leading up to the physical Open House, which takes place on Saturday, 5 March from 9 am to 7 pm across NUS’ campuses in Kent Ridge and Bukit Timah.

NUS Open House 2022 is back with opportunities for prospective students to meet NUS professors, students and alumni face-to-face, after two years of connecting virtually.

The physical event will take place on Sat, 5 Mar from 9am to 7pm across NUS’ campuses in Kent Ridge and Bukit Timah. This will be preceded by a comprehensive line-up of informative activities during the week leading up to the physical Open House.

Including the online segment, NUS Open House 2022 takes place from 26 Feb to 5 Mar. Here’s a heads-up on four things to check out:

1.       Exciting interdisciplinary offerings

NUS College, Singapore’s first honours college, was formed by the merger of the University Scholars Programme and Yale-NUS College. Offering an immersive, experiential and interdisciplinary educational journey, it will welcome its first batch of students this year. Students will have a home college or faculty, say, Business or Engineering, while simultaneously being enrolled at NUS College. There, they will have the opportunity to enjoy a holistic interdisciplinary curriculum that is complementary to their major.

Another option for interdisciplinary learning can be found at NUS College of Design and Engineering. The College offers a programme that prepares students for the future through interdisciplinary learning and robust research in the fields of engineering and design. At the College, students are given the flexibility to build and design their own learning experience.

The NUS College of Humanities and Sciences, the enhanced undergraduate experience for students of the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences and the Faculty of Science, is accepting its second intake this year. The College offers 13 Common Curriculum pillars consisting of modules such as scientific inquiry, humanities, digital literacy, design thinking, artificial intelligence and many more exciting options. These are complemented by majors and minors spanning the arts, humanities and sciences, such as global studies, philosophy, theatre and performance studies, quantitative finance, data analytics and pharmaceutical science. Students can pick and choose modules to create a customised curriculum that matches their interest and aspirations.

To ensure that graduates are ready to take on leading roles in the New Economy, NUS constantly develops new courses. Here are this year's new offerings.

2.       Meeting you in person - again

After two years of meeting virtually, the NUS community is excited to get together in real life with prospective students once again!

You can look forward to an enlightening schedule of in-person activities including a tour of the Centre for Healthcare Simulation by NUS Nursing; tours of residential living options such as Tembusu College, CAPT (College of Alice & Peter Tan), and RC4; a live demonstration of a moot court session and tour of the NUS Bukit Timah campus by NUS Law; tours and a showcase of NUS College; as well as a live question-and-answer session with Duke-NUS Medical School.

3.       Webinars, talks, live chats, hotlines and more

Get a taste of life as an NUS student, even before the physical event. A host of insightful webinars, talks, question-and-answer sessions, live chats, hotlines, and virtual tours have been arranged starting 26 Feb to give you a head start on topics such as admissions, student life, and on-campus living, as well as programmes offered by NUS College, the College of Design and Engineering, the College of Humanities and Sciences, Business, Music and many more.

Obtain behind-the-scenes knowledge from NUS student ambassadors and the NUS Students’ Union on the rich student life available at NUS, and be serenaded by NUS Choir and NUS Jazz Band.

Professors will be on hand to share information on their respective programmes, and you’ll even have a chance to sit in on classes. Have a question that is not covered by the briefing? No sweat! There’ll be chat sessions with NUS Admissions, professors and students from selected programmes during which you can get your queries addressed.

Click here for the list of virtual and in-person activities for NUS Open House.

4.       Exciting student life

NUS offers a myriad options for a rich student life, and NUS Open House is the perfect place to start exploring the possibilities. Many alumni recall their NUS days fondly, remembering not only the academic progress they made, but the camaraderie forged with friends from clubs, societies and on-campus residences.

Throughout the period of the online Open House and during the physical event, representatives from various student-led groups will speak on topics including hall life, clubs and societies, as well as campus performing groups. Take part in a live session with music and dance groups, embark on a virtual residential tour, and more.

We’re looking forward to seeing you online from 26 Feb and in-person on 5 Mar!

This story first appeared on NUSNews on 23 February 2022.

FASS Inspiring Mentor 2021 Award Winners Announced

The NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is proud to announce the winners of the 2021 FASS Inspiring Mentor Awards.

Congratulations to:

• Prof Jack Qiu Linchuan, Professor, Department of Communications and New Media  
• Assoc Prof Loy Hui Chieh, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy 
• Assoc Prof Robin Loon Seong Yun, Associate Professor, Department of English Language and Literature 
• Dr Michael Yoshitaka Erlewine, Assistant Professor, Department of English Language and Literature
• Dr Nina Laurel Powell, Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology

Winners of AY2020-21 Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards Unveiled

The NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is proud to announce the 37 winners of the Faculty Teaching Excellence Award for their work in AY2020‐21, 16 of which have also been nominated for the Annual Teaching Excellence Award(ATEA) and Annual Digital Education Award (ADEA).

Special thanks are due to members of the Faculty Teaching Excellence Committee–Dr Susan Ang (English Language and Literature and Chair of FTEC), A/P Loy Hui Chieh (Philosophy; FASS Vice‐Dean), A/P Lim Wee Hun, Stephen (Psychology), Dr Gilbert Yeoh (English Language and Literature) and Mrs Chen Ing Ru (Centre for Language Studies)–for their efforts in shortlisting and nominating the winners.

NAME	DEPARTMENT
Mr Appriou Yannick Francois	Centre for Language Studies
Ms Baranska, Malwina	Centre for Language Studies
Ms Klayklueng, Sasiwimol	Centre for Language Studies
Ms Morita, Kazuko	Centre for Language Studies
Dr Chaidaroon Suwichit	Communications and New Media
Dr Hong Renyi	Communications and New Media
Dr Mitchell, Alexander Ian	Communications and New Media
Dr Shobha Avadhani	Communications and New Media
Mr Tan Kai En	Communications and New Media
Dr Timothy Wong Chong Ji	Economics
Dr Vu Thanh Hai	Economics
A/P Michelle M. Lazar	English Language & Literature
Dr Miguel Escobar Varela	English Language & Literature
A/P Starr Rebecca Lurie	English Language & Literature
A/P Thell Anne Marie	English Language & Literature
Dr Roy, Tania	English Language & Literature
A/P Chang Tou Chuang	Geography
A/P Daniel Adam Friess	Geography
Dr Gretchen Christina Coffman	Geography
Dr Kamalini Ramdas	Geography
Dr Kenney-Lazar Miles Richard	Geography
Dr Teo Sheng Kiat, Shaun	Geography
Dr Donna Maree Brunero	History
Dr Lawrence, Kelvin	History
Dr Sayaka Chatani	History
Dr Beddor, Robert Speeter	Philosophy
Prof Bain, William Ward	Political Science
Dr Dunya Deniz Lepori	Political Science
Dr Jia Lile	Psychology
Dr Nina Laurel Powell	Psychology
Dr Wong Shi Hui Sarah	Psychology
Dr Peace Wong Yuh Ju	Social Work
Dr Chua Hui Ching, Emily	Sociology
Dr Elliott Edward Prasse-Freeman	Sociology
Dr Jennifer Emily Estes	Sociology
Dr Noorman Abdullah	Sociology
Dr Radics, George Baylon	Sociology

Congratulations to them all!

FASS Announces New Additions to Leadership Team

IN BRIEF | 2 min read

The NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is pleased to announce recent new appointments to the Faculty's leadership team.

Three eminent members of the Faculty received new appointments to the Deanery at the beginning of this year:

• Professor Joseph Park (English Language and Literature)
  Vice-Dean (Undergraduate Studies)
• Dr Zhang Yang (Economics)
  Associate Dean (Undergraduate Studies)
• Dr Noorman Abdullah (Sociology)
  Assistant Dean (External Relations and Student Life)

We wish them the very best with their new portfolios. Click here to visit the FASS Deanery page.

NUS Bags Major PR Award for College of Humanities and Sciences Campaign

One year since the official inauguration of the NUS College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS), the publicity campaign for the new College has gained recognition at the recent Public Relations in the Service of Mankind (PRISM) Awards.

The University bagged a Distinction Award in the category “Outstanding Campaign by a Non-Government Organisation or Not-For-Profit Organisation” for the launch and publicity of the interdisciplinary College.

The award recognises NUS’ effective communications regarding the necessity of an interdisciplinary education to faculty members, prospective students and their parents, alumni, employers, and members of the public.

The campaign also underscored what CHS offers students in a world plagued by complex challenges that require integrated interdisciplinary approaches. The campaign included the launch event, student profiles, social media, and CHS collaterals and media assets in the form of CHS-specific infographics, news and FAQs.

The campaign also included a video series on interdisciplinarity, a podcast series by the teaching team of the common curriculum Humanities module, and stakeholder endorsement in the form of testimonials from students and alumni of NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) and the NUS Faculty of Science (FoS) who have pursued interdisciplinary studies. A successful admissions publicity campaign was run, including the 2021 NUS Open House which drummed up interest in the College with student and employer panels, small group tours, and student chat rooms.

The accolade from PRISM, which coincides with the one-year anniversary of the official inauguration of CHS, bears testament to the concerted effort on multiple fronts of the campaign by various stakeholders, including the Communications teams from FASS and FoS, the NUS Office of University Communications and communications agency AKA Asia.

“The award comes as a truly wonderful one-year anniversary gift to all our colleagues involved in the CHS campaign,” said NUS Chief Communications Officer Ms Ovidia Lim-Rajaram.

“It is gratifying to know that our efforts to kickstart a meaningful, groundbreaking programme at the College are paying off, and that the journey to promoting an interdisciplinary, 21st-century educational experience at NUS is off to a great start.”

Communications at CHS is co-led by Mr Nisar Keshvani, Associate Director for Strategic Outreach and Communications at FASS, and Ms Janice Quah, Associate Director for Corporate Communications at FoS.

“The campaign award, a result of the synergy and collaboration across diverse University faculties and departments, epitomises the spirit of interdisciplinarity that CHS values, and the idea of capitalising on each other’s strengths to achieve the best outcomes,” Mr Keshvani said.

Ms Quah added, “It has been a challenging journey but seeing our communications ideas collectively come to fruition is truly fulfilling! The validation of the hard work motivates us to continue raising the bar, to sustain the impactful profiling of CHS to students and stakeholders.”

Recognising the best in public relations

Celebrating 44 winners across 27 categories, the PRISM awards ceremony was held on 15 Dec by the Institute of Public Relations Singapore (IPRS), the only accrediting body for public relations practitioners in Singapore. The Guest of Honour was Mr Tan Kiat How, Minister of State at the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI).

Acknowledging the challenges of a shifting communications landscape, Mr Tan said, “MCI recognises the importance of excellence in public relations and communications across all sectors of the economy.”

“The campaigns up for awards today show how all of you have worked around these challenges and continued to achieve excellent levels of reach and impact.”

Held biennially since 1987, the PRISM Awards is one of the oldest and most prestigious awards in the industry, celebrating Singapore’s brightest stars in the communications and public relations industry. It is judged by a panel of established business leaders and senior practitioners, recognising and honouring organisations and individuals for excellence in public relations and communications.

Ms Koh Juat Muay, President of the IPRS Council 2021/2023 said, “The winning entries and the winners this year reveal a singular story – the resilience of our people, the ingenuity of the campaigns and strength of the organisations that continues to thrive in an evolving local and global communications landscape.”

“IPRS is privileged to hold PRISM Awards 2021 and share in the pride of profession demonstrated by our people and in the brilliance of their campaigns. Our winners truly embody the meaning of PRISM and that is Public Relations In the Service of Mankind,” she added.

This story first appeared in NUSNews on 21 December 2021.

Results of the Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Prize 2021 - DRAMA

 Department of English Language & Literature

National University of Singapore

  The Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Prize 2021 – Drama

We are very pleased to announce the results of the Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Competition 20212 – Drama. Congratulations to the prize winners!

1st Prize ($10,000):

Danial Matin B Zaini for “Circle Around a Square”

 

2nd Prize ($6,000):

Soh Kai Xin for “Eclipse”

 

3rd Prize ($4,000):

Firqin Binte Sumartono for “ADILA”

 

Honourable Mention:

Felix Cheong Seng Fei for “Inconvenience of Minor Parts”

 

The prize winners will be notified by email and will be required to attend the Award presentation.  Details of the event will be provided closer to the date.

The biennial Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Prize was established by the late Dr Sylvia Goh with an endowed gift to the Department of English Language and Literature at the National University of Singapore in memory and recognition of her late husband, Goh Sin Tub, who was one of Singapore’s best-known local writers.

Goh Sin Tub and Dr Sylvia Goh are both alumni of the University of Malaya (UM), one of NUS’ predecessor institutions. The Prize commemorates Goh Sin Tub’s life, achievements and support for education.

The genre for this Competition is Drama. Subsequent competitions will feature other literary genres. The competition is open to all members of the NUS community at the time of submission of entry.

The closing date for the competition was 31 August 2021. Nineteen qualifying entries were received.

Judging Panels

The judges are Associate Professors Ismail Talib and Graham Wolfe (Department of English Language and Literature, NUS), Ms Grace Lee-Khoo (BA Honours Class of 2009 Theatre Studies, Founder of Access Path Productions and an Applied Theatre Practitioner) and Mr Philip Kwame Boafa (PhD student in Theatre Studies).

An Interview with Emeritus Prof S. Vasoo and Assoc Prof Winston Goh on The Strange Start of Psychology at the National University of Singapore

The Strange Start of Psychology at the National University of Singapore (NUS Department of Psychology, 2021), showcases the history of the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences' Department of Psychology, Singapore's oldest psychology programme. The programme, which kicked off during the 86/87 academic year at the Department of Social Work (renamed the Department of Social Work and Psychology), became a department in 2005.

Author Dr John Michael Elliott (1945-2019), who was at the time a psychologist at the then Ministry of Social Affairs, joined the programme six weeks after it began and retired in 2018.

As the book explains, in Singapore, historically psychology was viewed more as clinical work that supported psychiatry, and mental health care was deprioritized. Instead, during the island's colonial era, patients requiring mental health treatment were institutionalized in The Insane Hospital, which commenced operations in 1841 with 30 beds. This hospital evolved into The Lunatic Asylum (1862, 100 beds), followed by The New Lunatic Asylum (1887, 300 beds), and then the Mental Hospital in 1928, which became Woodbridge Hospital in 1951.

 

In 1993, Woodbridge Hospital moved to Buangkok Green, becoming the Institute of Mental Health's new inpatient facility.

There was a definite need for trained psychologists in Singapore, as well as a programme to train them, since, post-independence, all psychologists in the country completed their education abroad. When the NUS psychology programme got started in July 1986, however, the discipline was still often seen as non-Asian and more as medical training than a social sciences course, and also as a luxury in the realm of social work. The Department of Social Work was an ideal place for the new programme, Dr Elliott notes, as it would contribute to the department's own development, enabling it to offer an honours degree in social work and psychology.

 

 

The NUS psychology programme's initial cohort had 72 students and 1 staff and grew rapidly. There are currently around 900 students in the introductory psychology module and 220 honours graduates annually. At its inception 35 years ago the programme offered a three year general degree with a competitive fourth year honours degree. In 1989, 50 students received a general degree, 11 of whom went on to get an honours degree. Today, the department's own clinical psychology master's programme graduates approximately 15 annually, and psychology graduate students can also obtain a Master of Social Sciences or PhD.

The NUS Department of Psychology ranks 16 out of 303 on the Quacquarelli Symonds list and psychology is a well recognized and respected course of study in Singapore. Many graduates go on to engage in psychological work in the public sector, such as in Singapore's Ministries of Health, Defense, Home Affairs, and Social and Family Development. A number of graduates are also employed in private sector positions involving psychological work like human resource management and marketing, or in private practice in the fields of clinical, counselling, and industrial-organisational psychology, among others.

 

We discussed the The Strange Start of Psychology at the National University of Singapore, which has an online launch on Friday, 10th December at 11 am, with Associate Professor Winston D. Goh, the current NUS Department of Psychology Head, and Emeritus Professor S. Vasoo, who led the then NUS Department of Social Work and Psychology from 1987 to 1999.

 

 

 

 

 

A/P Vasoo Q & A

1. What were your most memorable experiences developing the new psychology programme during your term leading the NUS Department of Social Work and Psychology?

I have been teaching students and working with academic staff for about 50 years. In the course of these years, I always encouraged and advised them not to look back on events that had surpassed them. This is because memorable matters would not come back and one would not be able to deal with the bygones. No point spending time lamenting over things that have gone past as it can be emotionally costly and tiring. I always encourage students and academic staff to look ahead on events that will be forthcoming as these can be managed as they unfold and are within their control. I am of the opinion that various human issues that we can grasp at hand are largely solvable as long as we persistently tackle them with empathy. It is only with good empathy that we can have clearer insights to deal with human issues and relationships.

 

I recall that one of the challenging tasks that I had to deal with as the Head of the Department of Social Work and Psychology was to quickly recruit a group of Psychology academic staff to deliver the undergraduate psychology programme in 1986. I had selected staff with diverse psychology training such as a developmental psychologist, a cognitive psychologist, a social psychologist, an experimental psychologist, a clinical psychologist, and a psycholinguist. You can imagine with these varied backgrounds coming together to agree on a basic undergraduate curriculum was not easy. Each of them had different hobby horses to ride, which was understandable while mind-boggling, as there were protracted views within the group and at times heated arguments that I had to mediate. I brokered a deal as a non-partisan and drew a consensus among the different psychological academic personalities for the need to develop a top-notch undergraduate psychology programme based on the best psychology departments in the United Kingdom and United States. The foundation laid for the early phase of the psychology programme saw the fruition of some of our top psychology scholars in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. I am indeed proud to witness that some of these accomplished scholars have become lead anchors of the NUS Department of Psychology and later appointed Heads. The nurturance of these top scholars have helped stabilize the psychology programme and provided succession of leadership. They also supported the Deanery of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

 

2. What can psychologists learn from social workers, and what can social workers learn from psychologists?

To put it simply, both psychology and social work are non-identical twin disciplines with each having to deal with human behaviour and social issues. As a psychologist, one has to understand human behaviour and the cause of such behaviour, and as a social worker, one has to understand the cause of social and human problems and then enable people to find ways to problem solve. Both disciplines deal with human and psychosocial issues, and human behaviour requires a multidisciplinary focus. I would say that no single discipline is adequate to solve human life course issues. I must add that a good psychologist will require social work lenses and a competent social worker needs to have helpful psychological lenses. As one will appreciate, we are all human beings and are ecologically bounded. Therefore both psychological and social work analyses are critical to better appreciate human behaviour and social interactions, and these can contribute to effective human and social problem solving.

 

3. What do you see as the most notable impacts in practice of social work and psychology in Singapore so far and in the future?

Psychology graduates as well as social work graduates are making robust contributions in public service, private enterprises, and non-governmental organisations. Psychologists hold highly respectable positions in areas such as clinical services, rehabilitation, health, human resources, education, the armed forces and the police, besides others. Increasingly, psychologists are needed to contribute psychological solutions to strengthen our psychological defences against various societal crises.

Likewise, social workers are also appointed in highly regarded positions in fields such as social services, rehabilitation, health, social research, counselling and mental health, education, the armed forces, and childcare, among others. Both psychologists and social workers have so far given valuable suggestions and inputs to policy changes to the care and protection of children, youth, and women, and in the support of the vulnerable and the promotion of inclusiveness of people with special needs.

Singapore like the rest of the world will be confronted with serious social and ecological changes, including the consequences of unabated climate change. In view of these changing scenarios, our future psychologists will have to be equipped with psychological skills in assessing the impact of human behaviour on mitigating issues related to the environment and climate change as well in order to have good insight into the social and psychological consequences of an ageing Singapore community. Trainee social workers can be better equipped with social analytical skills, which will make them more versatile in predicting specific vulnerable sectors of the community. Thereby, the future social workers can enhance their community problem solving capacity by building more support networks to build a socially healthy community. Specifically, more attention can be paid by both social workers and psychologists to deal with the social and psychological implications of the growing social divide between the haves and have-nots, and find more innovative ways to deliver services to enable the less well-off to move up.

 

A/P Goh Q & A 

1. What are some of your fondest memories of Dr John Elliott, first as a teacher, and later as a colleague?

John encouraged critical thinking and we always had very illuminating discussions during his tutorials (see photo on page 28); of course, tutorials at that time only had between 5 and 7 students, so very difficult to hide! He was quite a tough marker though - never got an A from him for my term papers; but then again, As were given out very sparingly during that period (and there were no CAs at that time; the term paper grades were not counted). As a colleague, he was always willing to give advice to young hires, and his experience helped me immensely in the crafting of exam questions when I first started helming my own modules. I also remember he was very particular in signing or agreeing to legal documents - he once refused to upload materials into IVLE (the forerunner of LumiNUS) because he felt NUS did not provide enough protection for staff.

 

 

2. What motivated you to study psychology at NUS as an honours and then Masters student, and what prompted you to return to the department to teach and carry out research projects?

I was in the pre-med programme in junior college, so the path seemed straightforward for me. But I started reading about psychology as a course in various government information booklets and thought this was more interesting than medicine - I also didn't do well at the A levels, so perhaps this was fate telling me to take another path. However, this meant you had to go overseas as there was no psychology programme offered locally and my parents could not afford an overseas education. So when I was accepted in FASS, I was set to major in the closest one at the time - Sociology. I didn't start right away as I had to serve National Service; and in my second year of NS, I found out that NUS had started a psychology programme (again, fate may have been looking out for me!). Fortunately, I did well enough in the aptitude test (required then) to be allowed to major in Psychology. Everyone was hoping to do Honours, and at the time, you had to be invited, so I was elated when the Department of Social Work and Psychology offered me Honours, no motivation required. As for the Masters, I worked as an RA after completing my Honours, so I wanted to see if a research and academic career appealed to me, and decided to do my Masters while I was a TA for the Department. After that, NUS funded my PhD overseas on a staff development scheme, so I was obligated to return to serve a bond. In a sense, NUS Psychology has been my home since I started as an undergrad student, for I never left!

 

3. What future plans are in the works for NUS Psychology and how do they connect to the need for scholars and practitioners of the discipline in Singapore and the region?

Top psychology departments in the world are very well resourced with research spaces, laboratories, and facilities; so we hope to move in that direction and provide all of our research-active staff dedicated lab spaces to do research that will benefit Singapore and the discipline in general. We will also need to see how many more students (we have always been one of the more in-demand majors since inception) will want to be Psychology majors with the advent of the College of Humanities and Sciences, and perhaps develop various teaching innovations to serve an even more expanded student body (the days of 5-7 pax tutorials, or a 10-student Honours cohort in my year, are long gone). But we have very good educators in the department, so I am not worried about that. Our Clinical Psychology Masters programme is also in very high demand, given the focus on mental health needs nowadays. So we will need to see how we can support training for manpower needs in the public and private sectors in terms of workshops for associate psychologists, in additional to training people to be professional clinical psychologists.

 

Thank you very much for your time and answers, Prof Vasoo and A/P Goh! Readers can learn more about the history of the NUS Department of Psychology here. Catch the book launch on Friday December 10th at 11 AM by registering via Zoom.

 

mar/gins: Call for Submissions

Margins is gearing up for its seventh issue and we need your work once again!

Why submit? As students, we write on the margins of professional research. Our papers and theses—the products of much devoted labour—hardly see the light of day once TurnItIn and LumiNUS get hold of them. But you can save your brilliant work from the exile of your hard drive or the cloud by letting us give your ideas a voice outside the classroom.

If you’ve got a paper you’re especially proud of, a daring alt-take too risqué for class, a poetic incision on something you learned, photos or even footage of your blood, sweat, and tears, send it to us and let us, as your peers, celebrate you.

You’ve already encountered your peers’ exciting ideas in Issue 6. Now it’s your turn.

Head over to our website or our Facebook page to find out more! You may view our submissions guidelines here, and please do email us at marginsjournal@gmail.com with any questions you might have.

We look forward to receiving your submissions!

— The Margins Team

LESSONS FROM THE DREAM FACTORY

IN BRIEF | 4 min read

• Alumni entrepreneurs from the NUS Overseas Colleges programme share the profound influence the experience has had on them.

A WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES Since the pioneer batch of 14 NUS students headed to Silicon Valley in 2002 as part of a partnership with Stanford University, the NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) programme has grown to more than 15 cities, from Shenzhen to Stockholm. Melding start-up internship with academic studies at partner universities, the programme is considered a rite of passage for aspiring entrepreneurs. Six NOC alumni share their experiences of the programme, and the insights gained from it.

Engineering ’21

Mr Ang Yi Shuan

Postgraduate at NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (GRIP)

Arts and Social Sciences ’21

Ms Cordillia Ann Tan Mei Yu

Director of Pitstop Tyres

Engineering ’20

Mr Dobariyapatel Hardik Kishor

Co-founder of Factorem

Business ’20

Mr Mohamad Shijudeen Bin Bajar Rahman

Co-founder of Carfix

Design and Environment ’19

Ms Toh Ann Cher

Co-founder of Homebase

Arts and Social Sciences ’21

Ms Yeoh Wanqing

Co-founder of Hatch

WHEN DID YOU LEARN OF THE NOC PROGRAMME AND WHAT MADE YOU APPLY FOR IT?

Toh Ann Cher: As Real Estate students, we didn’t get a lot of information on NOC, but I learned about it while I was in Year 2 and got interested because it was a year-long programme that allowed me to work and study at the same time. I have always been interested in the China market and decided to head to Beijing in September 2016 to get an immersive experience of its work culture. While my internship at Xiaomi didn’t quite relate to my course, it wasn’t difficult to convince my parents (that it would be a valuable experience) — though I didn’t tell them about it until two months before my departure! The fact that Tsinghua University is a highly-regarded institution was a saving grace.

Dobariyapatel Hardik Kishor: I saw university as a place to try things out to know what is right for me — NOC was one of those exploratory experiences. While I did think of starting my own business, I always figured I would first get myself a corporate job to build experience and credibility. However, joining NOC and working for a small company with three co-founders, who when in doubt might simply turn to Google for answers, changed my way of thinking altogether.

Ang Yi Shuan: I first learned about NOC as a Year 1 Computer Engineering student through a roadshow. I knew that I didn’t want to go into a corporate role upon graduation and joined NOC in 2020 to learn about the tech ecosystem in Shenzhen, see how companies there are driven by R&D, and learn the ins and outs of one of China’s most powerful manufacturing and tech clusters.

Cordillia Ann Tan Mei Yu: I am a Linguistics major and both my mother and I always thought I would become another “Ms Tan” in a school. Then, in the welcome week for Year 1 students,  I attended an NOC information session. Under the impression that it was about internships — and not knowing what entrepreneurship was about — I asked for an internship and was given a posting within weeks. Thus began a crazy journey where I, even as an intern, ended up representing my company for roadshows in Korea and Australia. I went on to do the NOC programme in Shanghai from 2018 to 2019, where I was placed in the world’s largest accelerator venture capital investment company, and was sent for business meetings in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. I spent another three semesters in N-House (ENterprise House, an entrepreneurship-themed residence managed by NOC) where I was a senior resident assistant. I also interned at BLOCK71 (NUS Enterprise’s tech ecosystem builder and global connector for the start-up community), so my NOC journey was very long! After graduation, I worked at blockchain accelerator Tribe, but have since left in view of starting my own business. It is the biggest decision I’ve ever made — and one that was influenced by my time with NOC.

Yeoh Wanqing: I heard about NOC during a talk, but never really prioritised it on my student chart as a Global Studies undergraduate. It was during my second year that I considered it: I was volunteering in a social enterprise that places young people into jobs, saw a lot of meaning in my work and wanted to continue doing this. In a quest to find a sustainable solution, I turned to entrepreneurship and joined NOC to find businesses with a strong social element. I went to Stockholm and the CEO of the company was an NOC Stockholm alumnus who tried to place me in situations where I would gather more knowledge and insights that were relevant to what I wanted to do.

Mohamad Shijudeen Bin Bajar Rahman: I had gone for an academic exchange in Year 3 and found living abroad really fun. So I thought I would try working abroad too, and chose New York as it was, to me, the coolest city. I only went for the NOC programme in Year 4, from 2018 to 2019. It was something that I did, in a way, for fun. I had always been interested in entrepreneurship, though it was just something at the back of my mind. Most Business students want to go into the finance industry after graduation, but the NOC experience changed my views, and I went on to start my own company.

WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU FACED?

Cordillia: Finding a place to stay within two weeks of landing in a new country was certainly challenging! Also, we had to juggle internship and academic requirements: attending our entrepreneurship classes, writing that idea journal, coming up with a 30-page business case, conceptualising our own mini start-up… It was a lot of stuff jam-packed into 11 months. Mapping out the modules to meet our Unrestricted Elective (UE) requirement was also a challenge. I managed to complete a Linguistics module at Fudan University.

Wanqing: As a Global Studies major, I had a very difficult time trying to match my modules, especially since the NOC programme wasn’t something which I initially planned to take part in.

Shijudeen: Apart from the culture shock, I kept feeling that I wasn’t good enough to be there. At my internship, I was surrounded by younger colleagues who were already senior associates, yet here I was as just an intern wondering what I had been doing all these years! But it made me work harder to match up to everybody, although it took some time.

WHAT WERE THE BIGGEST LESSONS LEARNT? 

Shijudeen: In my previous internships, I had expected the boss to tell me everything, and would wait for instructions from the top. But in New York, my bosses would ask for my opinions and solutions during meetings. It was a shock but I eventually overcame it, and over time I was given so much responsibility that half the people didn’t know I was just an intern! Through the experience, my attitude towards work changed; I became proactive to get the most out of my year-long experience. It also changed my view of problem-solving: it taught me to take charge and just “do the right thing”, as one of the co-founders would say. As someone who is running my own business, I realise I don’t have to know all the answers — as long as I have the right people with me, we will be able to solve problems.

Ann Cher: We often think that Singapore is fast-paced but it does not compare to Beijing, so I had to ramp up during my time there. While I was at Xiaomi, the start-up culture was still very strong and when faced with a problem, my boss would tell us to just tackle it quickly. Once, he asked for my take on an issue and I prepared a full presentation deck — as I would in school. The next day as I was about to run the deck by him, he stopped me and said, “No, just go for it. The faster you try, the faster you fail, the faster we can move on.” I took this spirit back with me and I feel that it gave me an edge when I left my job and started my own business.

Yi Shuan: I didn’t think that entrepreneurship could be taught. But NOC disproved this notion with its support structure, modules, coaches and mentors. It was not an academic way of teaching but an experiential way to learn how to identify opportunities. One of the most important skills I learnt was how to conduct market validation. With the tools and framework to identify opportunities, a growth mentality and knowledge on creating and capturing value, I’ve gone on to start my own platform to help music students, having faced obstacles myself while taking up the Trinity ATCL diploma in piano. Another learning point from the NOC experience is the importance of relationships. The founders of the start-up I interned at in Shenzhen were from Cyprus, and had arrived in China not speaking a word of Mandarin. Yet they made it a point to learn the language and build relationships, to the extent of sharing what some might consider “trade secrets” with competitors. I was baffled at first, but later realised that this was how they built trust and earned social credit.

WOULD IT BE RIGHT TO SAY THAT THE NOC EXPERIENCE HAS LED MANY OF YOU TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING TODAY — AS WELL AS HOW YOU DO IT?

Hardik: While working on engineering projects, I always saw the effort hardware engineers had to put in to find fabricators who could get things done on time and correctly. We just accepted it as “how things are supposed to be”. But while I was in Toronto for the NOC internship, I saw how a platform worked to connect American suppliers to American manufacturers and decided to create the same for the Asian market. With a couple of batch mates, we pitched the idea of Factorem during NOC and before we knew it, revenue started coming in — and we realised that we were building a business!

The NOC experience also showed me the feasibility of starting a company. When in Toronto, I realised a lot of final-year students had already started their companies about two to three years prior. Their rationale was that since they were young with little financial or family commitments, they had little to lose. Then, when I attended events in Silicon Valley, I realised you don’t have to be a super-brilliant Nobel Prize winner to start your own company: you just need to be somebody with an idea, and who is prepared to give your all to make it work.

Wanqing: Previously, I had this idea that entrepreneurs are hustlers who never see the light of day. But the start-up I was working at had a very chill atmosphere with an emphasis on work-life balance — in fact, they insisted that staff knock off at 5pm! I came to appreciate entrepreneurship as a mindset: one that isn’t afraid to challenge and improve the status quo. I took it as a spirit that I could bring to any organisation, and I applied it to how things are done at my social enterprise, Hatch. Working in Stockholm also showed me a different model to doing business. Sweden drives a lot of business through trust and interpersonal relationships: there is a trust that your partners will get things done — and done well — and this trust is built through knowing each other as people, rather than just another worker. A lot of their work meetings involve just catching up on each other’s lives, changes in the family… anything but business! This resonated with me especially, for it is similar to how things get done in the social impact space.

THE SPIRIT OF ENTERPRISE

The total valuation of BLOCK71 Singapore start-ups stands at $7.05 billion, equating to almost a quarter of the total valuation generated by Singapore start-ups in 2020.

BLOCK71 Singapore has engaged more than 350,000 people over the last 10 years via community platforms.

DOES BEING PART OF THE NOC ALUMNI — WHICH INCLUDES SOME HIGHLY-SUCCESSFUL INDIVIDUALS — CREATE PRESSURE TO PERFORM OR IS IT MORE A SUPPORT NETWORK TO TAP INTO? 

Ann Cher: It has been drilled into us over and over again that only one per cent will succeed, so there really is that pressure. We go in with a lot of confidence and focus on the growth process, but if we have to close, we will just have to bite the bullet and move on to something else. Even if we aren’t the next Jeffrey Tiong now, we might still get there in another time and in another industry.

Cordillia: Rather than be stressed by the success of others, we are encouraged by their performance. Furthermore, we can also tap into their expertise. The NOC community is very supportive and happy to speak to any member within the group.

Yi Shuan: NUS also offers a lot of support for NOC alumni — for example, NUS GRIP nurtures NOC alumni to be deep tech entrepreneurs. Apart from access to market databases, we also receive guidance, funding and mentoring.

Ann Cher: Indeed, when I conceived my business idea a year ago, NOC was the first place I turned to. Their team guided me along, by pointing out the grants available and linking me up to the relevant government agencies. It is comforting to have a community that I can reach out to and fall back on.

ARE THERE ANY IMPROVEMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE TO THE PROGRAMME?

Cordillia: While juggling work and study could be challenging, the modules augment the experience and teach us what we do not learn on-the-job, thus I feel that the modules should definitely remain. However, I think it would be good if there could be greater flexibility in terms of module-mapping. Now with a Southeast Asian programme, it would also be amazing if there is a track for the students to move from a regional to a global experience.

Yi Shuan: While speaking to friends in other NOC colleges, we realised that we were having very different experiences. It would be good to promote cross-college interactivity and get to hear the experiences of students at other NOC colleges in different cities.

Wanqing: I do feel that I would have appreciated more touch points with students at other colleges. I knew that the participants at other Southeast Asian colleges would visit one another, but I wish we at NOC Stockholm could do likewise! Another aspect that I feel could be improved upon is support for those who want to start something directly after NOC, but do not know how to do it, as we would be returning to school and having to balance our coursework with other commitments. While we do have access to the NOC network and mentors, there is still uncertainty. It would be beneficial if we can speak to somebody who understands the risks we are taking, or have some form of career coaching from entrepreneurs.

Hardik: NOC showed us the first steps to becoming entrepreneurs, but as Wanqing said, one might still not know how to start upon returning home. I, for one, did not map my Final-Year Project to my NOC project. Between balancing my academic work and planning my start-up, I had people telling me to forget about school and focus on my business — but I still wanted to learn more of the academic stuff. It would be good if there are talks on this topic, not just for final-year students returning from NOC, but even for freshmen, so that they receive the guidance early.

This story first appeared in the AlumNUS (Issue 127, Oct-Dec 2021).

Mind Your Language

 

IN BRIEF | 4 min read

• Education entrepreneur Ms Rilla Melati (NUS Theatre Studies, ’96) is reimagining the way Malay is learnt.

 

Ms Rilla Melati is a pioneer of Malay speech and drama programmes for schools in Singapore, and the founder of Mini Monsters, which reinvents the way the language is learnt. She is also a popular author of several Malay and bilingual children’s storybooks and has written scripts for many Malay children’s TV shows since the 1990s. Her name might ring a bell for children who grew up in the 1980s. That’s because she was a cast member of one of local television’s most popular children’s shows, Aksi Mat Yoyo.

Ms Rilla's prowess as a storyteller comes to life as she describes her childhood in the 1980s. “I was surrounded by the Malay language. It was on the radio, on television, in my books,” the 48-year-old recalls, adding that she spoke nothing but Malay at home. These conditions led to a lifelong love and passion for the Malay language.

Four decades on, she observes that a similar passion for the language is missing in today’s youths. “To them, Malay has become just a ‘Mother Tongue Language’ — something they learn in school for the sake of exams,” she explains. “Regrettably, there is no longer a visceral connection to the language.” When asked about the reasons for this change, she points to the general lack of creative local Malay content that is age-appropriate and a curriculum that used to focus too heavily on the technical aspects of the language. “Compare this to when I was a kid — it’s completely different now. Now it’s something you score in, not something you speak in.”

VALUABLE LESSONS

These are the things that Ms Rilla is trying to change with Mini Monsters, an educational venture that is charting new learning strategies to help young ones — and the young at heart — learn and relearn the Malay language. It does this through a popular enrichment programme for schools, where Ms Rilla and her team enliven the learning of the language through music and movement, drama and locally-authored storybooks. “These are things I learnt as a member of the inaugural batch of NUS Theatre Studies, and they are very powerful tools,” she explains, adding that they can be used across all age groups and proficiency levels.

It’s something she knows very well herself — as a child, she was a cast member of the popular Aksi Mat Yoyo television show, which ran from 1982 to 1992. Recalling those days of early fame, she says, “My weekends were spent on the show. I remember going to Caldecott Hill before the sun rose and then leaving only after it had set.” Still, the hard work was worth it as she was able to learn from the greats of Malay entertainment at the time, including Nona Asiah, a Cultural Medallion winner and mother of the late Iskandar Ismail, himself a Cultural Medallion winner. “It was the perfect blend of entertainment and education.”

That’s precisely what Ms Rilla hopes to do with Mini Monsters. Starting the venture was also a way of instilling in her son, now 20, the same appreciation for and comfort with the Malay language that she enjoys. “Some of the learning materials he had in school were very foreign to him because they were imported from the region. The main characters in the stories had errands like feeding the chicken or goat — which would not make much sense to a student in Singapore! So when children can’t relate, they tend to tune out.”

SUCCESS WITH ADIL

Realising that there was a dearth of localised Malay content, Ms Rilla decided to take the plunge and make Mini Monsters a publisher as well. After this, she began writing a series of books in the Malay language, known as the Siri Aksi Adil (Adventures of Adil) collection. Loosely based on her son, the series follows the adventures of Adil, an inquisitive five-year-old Singaporean Malay boy, along with his friends and family. It also teaches the values of tolerance and acceptance, by suggesting that Adil lives in a single-parent household — and is no less loved because of it. It’s a theme that draws on Ms Rilla’s own experience as a single parent. “I want kids who may be in such situations to know that it’s okay.”

Alongside this, Ms Rilla never loses sight of her goal of fostering a greater appreciation for the Malay language. Each title in the Adil series ends with a bilingual Malay-English glossary. In her words, she wants this to be “an entry point for children who might be distant from their mother tongue to appreciate and understand the Malay language better”. And the series has been recognised for doing just that: in 2018, Payung Datuk Adil (Adil’s Grandfather’s Umbrella) won the National Arts Council’s Anugerah Persuratan (Malay Literary Award) for Children’s Literature. She credits her parents for the win, especially her father, who was a Malay language teacher for more than 40 years. “He was my editor and helped me go through draft after draft, making it better each time.”

The success of Mini Monsters is apparent from its rapid growth, both in terms of size and services. More than a decade ago, Mini Monsters started out as a two-person, two-table set-up for an educational outreach arm of a television production company. Today, it has expanded to include a junior academy – Mini Uni; as well as MonstarsTV — a bilingual children’s digital portal. Mini Monsters has also grown from being a provider of Malay enrichment programmes to schools, to a leading bilingual Malay-English edutainment institution recognised for producing high-quality educational materials with the perfect mix of cross-media engagement for its young audience. To Ms Rilla, this expansion was a way of ensuring the longevity of her vision. “If we were too small, we wouldn’t be able to go where we want to go and keep doing it for years to come. That’s why the expansion was important.”

 

Text by Koh Yuen Lin. This story first appeared in The AlumNUS (Issue 127, Oct-Dec 2021). 

Championing Conscious Consumerism

 

IN BRIEF | 4 min read

• Ms Bianca Tham (NUS English Language & Literature and University Scholars Programme, ’17) isn’t naive about the impact she can make on the environment — but that doesn’t curb her enthusiasm one bit.

Ms Bianca Tham is a self-professed “freegan” — a term that describes people who reject unfettered consumerism and try to reduce waste by retrieving and reusing discarded items. She gained fame on the Internet two years ago for diving through dumpsters in search of clothes and other goods, but these days, she uses her role as an educator to build a more sustainable Singapore.

820 million — that’s how many plastic bags are used in Singapore’s supermarkets every year, according to a study by the Singapore Environment Council. Rising against this seemingly endless tsunami of polyethylene is Ms Bianca Tham (Arts and Social Sciences ’17), who makes it a point to bring her own reusable bag when getting groceries. But how then will we throw away our trash (the other big use of supermarket plastic bags), we ask her, using a question often lobbed at environmentalists. “We have to get creative,” suggests Ms Tham, 27. “I have a rule at home: no wasting of other kinds of plastic bags. So everything from bread bags to the large plastic bags that toilet rolls come in — they can all be used to throw away trash.”

In the grand scheme of things, it may be argued that the impact Ms Tham is making is negligible — after all, even if she were to make 365 trips to the supermarket every year, she would only save about 1,000 bags, which barely makes a dent. And all the good work she does is sometimes negated by her own mother, who admits to taking the occasional plastic bag for its convenience. But Ms Tham is not one to be easily discouraged. “It’s coming from a place of principle: as a consumer, I don’t want my purchases to affect our environment negatively. I don’t let myself be affected by how big or small the impact I am making is — if I were, I would be discouraged every time I went down to the recycling bin since it’s often contaminated with non-recyclables. But I still recycle religiously because I want to be the change I want to see.”

AN ONGOING JOURNEY

This principle of conscious consumerism continues a journey that began for Ms Tham in secondary school, when she saw videos of how animals were used to test cosmetic products. “I steered clear of those companies but as I grew up, I learnt that every industry has an unethical side that I did not want to support,” says Ms Tham, a Social Studies teacher.

That discovery prompted her to consider not just what she bought but also how much she bought. “I was a shopaholic,” she admits, revealing that she would buy clothes, seemingly in autopilot mode, whenever she stepped into a mall. Disturbed by this, she decided to quit shopping for a year, going cold turkey during her university days. “It was painful but that one year made me so mindful of my habits. I also became mindful of the brands around us — I did some research and found that I did not want to be supporting them because of their labour and environmental practices.”

She adds that it can be challenging to be a discerning consumer in today’s climate, as corporates can “greenwash” themselves to appear more sustainable than they actually are. “So if you’re going to base your decisions on a slogan or an ad they have, don’t,” she says. “Read up on their mission statements and environmental impact reports to make sure they really are as sustainable as they claim to be.” This means sometimes buying goods that are more expensive — but she is fine with this as she values knowing just what her money is going towards.

RALLYING HER PEERS

Ms Tham stresses that being a discerning buyer does not have to be an expensive or lonely pursuit. She championed “freeganism” during her time at NUS, going so far as to run an event devoted to it. Her belief in the ‘power of free’ led to the creation of a ‘free market’ during her undergraduate days, where NUS students and staff could share their talents, skills and goods with the community for free. That event, aptly titled ‘Laissez Faire’, remains a highlight of the University Scholars Programme calendar.

Ms Tham has also gained notoriety for being a “dumpster diver” — which refers to the act of digging through trash to find goods that can still be used. One of her most prized finds is a glass bowl she found in a dustbin near her home. Describing it as being perfect “except for a thin film of dust”, she uses it as a fruit bowl in her home today. “But only after we gave it a thorough wiping down,” she adds quickly.

NEW ARENAS OF CHANGE

These days, Ms Tham admits that the demands of work make it difficult for her to meaningfully engage in activities like dumpster diving. Still, she finds opportunities to make a difference wherever she can — which is more often than not in the classroom. “Today’s Social Studies curriculum encourages teachers to discuss current affairs like sustainability. Character and Citizenship Education classes also allow me to do this,” she explains.

Being an educator for the past three years has shown her that Gen-Z may not be as eco-friendly as they are sometimes made out to be. “I’ve heard that notion before,” she shares. “But in reality, they are still very driven by trends. For example, there was a period when reusable straws and food containers were very popular because of influencers on TikTok. But when that trend died down, students gradually reverted to using disposables again.”

Despite this, Ms Tham’s can-do spirit continues to shine as she seeks to build the same love for the environment that today’s young share for TikTok dance crazes and memes. She looks for creative solutions to tackle these issues: for instance, in 2019, she engaged Swapaholic, an e-commerce platform that allows users to swap clothes, to run a lecture for her students. “They were really engaged and saw that there are alternatives to the ‘buy, buy, buy’ lifestyle we are used to,” she reflects. Her career in education also allows her to pursue a lifelong passion for interacting with youths. “I get energised by them,” she says. “I grew up in a single-parent household, so I especially empathise with youths from vulnerable backgrounds. I want to give them options in life by being a parent away from home for them, guiding them as they go through their education.”

Text by Keenan Pereira. This story first appeared in The AlumNUS (Issue 127, Oct-Dec 2021). 

Bringing Shakespeare in Asia to the World

IN BRIEF | 4 min read

• NUS Department of English Language & Literature Associate Professor Yong Li Lan, who was also co-chair of the WSC Local Organising Committee, leveraged the Asian Shakespeare Intercultural Archive (A|S|I|A) to enhance the 11^th World Shakespeare Congress programme significantly, highlighting the value of digital archives in the new normal of virtual events/conferences, home-based learning, and work-from-home arrangements.

When the 11^th World Shakespeare Congress (WSC) had to move online due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NUS Department of English Language & Literature Associate Professor Yong Li Lan, who was also co-chair of the WSC Local Organising Committee, immediately saw the potential in using the Asian Shakespeare Intercultural Archive (A|S|I|A) to enhance the WSC programme.

An invaluable resource: The Asian Shakespeare Intercultural Archive
A|S|I|A is a publicly accessible online archive of Shakespeare performance materials from East and Southeast Asia, based in the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Led by Assoc Prof Yong since the project started in 2008, A|S|I|A has won three successive research grants from MOE to contribute to Singapore’s dynamic role as a bridge between cultures. The archive is intended for scholars, practitioners, teachers, students, and general audiences. It currently contains over 60 Asian Shakespeare productions in 17 languages, and the archived productions include full-length video-recordings of performances, original scripts, programmes, and publicity materials donated by theatre companies. The A|S|I|A partners conceive the archive as a model of intercultural knowledge that brings together several areas: Theatre Studies, Comparative Asian Studies, Shakespeare Performance, Translation and Digital Humanities. It is a multinational project involving a team of over 60 scholars, translators, theatre practitioners, designers, and programmers around the world, including undergraduate and graduate students mostly from the Department.

Beyond its archival and research roles, A|S|I|A also functions as a teaching resource, and it is used in university courses in Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. All production scripts are translated into English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, and there is extensive data on the productions such as its creators, dates and venues; art/forms, languages and staging; receptions and reviews; and historical and cultural references.

Assoc Prof Yong uses the archive in her “Shakespeare and Asian Performances” module as the primary resource for teaching materials, as well as the medium, method and ethos of relating to Asian Shakespeare performances.

“The collection of 62 performance recordings in A|S|I|A, simply by being assembled and translated, can be compared in detail in ways that a live spectator travelling between the performance locations could not accomplish,” she shared.

All the world’s a digital stage: staging the first Digital Asian Shakespeare Festival

The opportunity to share this wealth of resources came in July 2021, at the first ever online WSC. Often likened to the Olympics of Shakespeare studies, WSC events feature numerous theatrical performances, keynotes, roundtables, panels and seminars, so being reduced to a series of typical Zoom sessions would have resulted in a poorer event.

Assoc Prof Yong, together with Dr Alvin Lim and Dr Eleine Ng, were able to utilise A|S|I|A’s productions, networks, and copyright permissions to screen Asian Shakespeare performances, enabling the WSC to hold its first ever Digital Asian Shakespeare Festival.

WSC delegates were treated to 10 performances, mostly drawn from A|S|I|A, by renowned and emerging directors in East, South and Southeast Asia. The organisers also brought in the directors of the screened performances to hold interactive watch parties, where a director used curated clips from their performance to speak about their creative concept and process in adapting Shakespeare. If physical performances had been staged in Singapore, there could not have been as many performances, nor would it have been possible to hold such interactive sessions with the directors.

The festival and its watch parties proved to be a hit at the 2021 WSC, providing a special opportunity to understand how and why Asian practitioners bring Shakespeare onto their own stages. Delegates commented that this was a rare privilege and an original feature in this WSC.

This successful use of A|S|I|A highlights the increasing value of digital archives in the new normal of virtual events/conferences, home-based learning, and work-from-home arrangements.

“Our experience in A|S|I|A with working digitally to present performances online and above all our relationships with directors could be turned in a new direction. As the pandemic has seen the value and usage of A|S|I|A rise exponentially with the need for digital archives, using an A|S|I|A production in a teaching syllabus can foster interest and engagement in each other’s cultures, promoting inclusivity through the shared use of Shakespeare,” said Assoc Prof Yong.

This story first appeared in NUSnews on 1 October 2021.

 

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NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences' 18th Dean Takes Office

IN BRIEF | 2 min read

• Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Professor Lionel Wee, and other members of the Deanery take on their leadership roles today.

Professor Lionel Wee has assumed the position of Dean of the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) and Co-Dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) as of today, Friday, 1 October 2021. Prof Wee takes over the helm from Professor Robbie Goh, who is now the Provost of the Singapore University of Social Sciences.

Before becoming FASS' 18th Dean, Prof Wee was the Faculty’s Vice Dean of Research (2014-2021) and is a Provost's Chair Professor of Linguistics with the Department of English Language and Literature, which he headed from 2010 to 2014.

“It is an honour to be given the opportunity to helm the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The Faculty has achieved much since its founding nearly a century ago, continually evolving to anticipate and address the needs and challenges of a changing society," said Professor Wee.

"Together with the Deanery, colleagues, and students of the FASS, I am confident that we will continue to make breakthroughs in both education and research. While these benchmarks are important, diversity and inclusion are priorities for me, and essential pillars of every organisation. My plan is to further emphasise and ensure our staff and students feel empowered and safe in the Faculty in the coming years," he said.

New Appointments to the Strong Leadership
Beginning their new roles with the FASS Deanery today are:

• Associate Professor Elaine Ho (Geography) as Vice Dean (Research). She was previously Assistant Dean (Research).
• Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat (Communications and New Media) as Assistant Dean (Research).

The following members of the Deanery will continue to serve in their respective positions:

• Associate Professor Melvin Yap, Vice Dean (Undergraduate Studies)
• Associate Professor Valerie Wee, Vice Dean (Undergraduate Studies)
• Associate Professor Bruce Lockhart, Vice Dean (Graduate Studies)
• Professor Chen Yi-Chun, Vice Dean (International Relations and Special Duties)
• Associate Professor Loy Hui Chieh, Vice Dean (External Relations and Student Life)
• Mr Mark Teng, Director of Administration
• Associate Professor Sidharthan Maunaguru, Assistant Dean (Undergraduate Studies)
• Dr Zhang Yang, Assistant Dean (Undergraduate Studies)
• Dr Jinna Tay, Assistant Dean (Undergraduate Studies) – recently appointed to the Deanery on 1 July 2021.
• Associate Professor Nicholas Hon, Assistant Dean (External Relations and Student Life)

 

Issue 6 of Margins is out now!

Dear fellow undergraduates, Issue 6 of Margins is out now! We’re excited to share with you the brilliant writing of Allison Hoe, Darcel Anastasia Al Anthony, Dan N. Tran, Tan Wei Lin, and Timothy Wan in Margins’s latest issue entitled “A New World”. The issue rallies a diversity of literary thought at the boundaries of the undergraduate literary classroom. Despite the issue’s title, we ultimately find ourselves in possession not of a map toward any one sort of new world, but an intimating sketch of its myriad possibilities—a sketch which is concomitantly frank about the uncertainties any foray into novelty must confront. Finally, the point of the issue is not to offer any sort of roadmap into whatever future lies ahead. Rather, our purpose is to offer specific directions on how to get lost, and then a reminder to enjoy it. Click here to read “A New World” now! You can read the issue in your desktop browser or download a PDF. Sincerely, The Margins Team *Visit our website or connect with us on Facebook! *Reach us with any questions you might have at marginsjournal@gmail.com. Cover art by EN alumnus Justin Tiang © 2021, www.tiangpong.com

New NUS Dean of Arts and Social Sciences Appointed

IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• Professor Lionel Wee will be appointed the new dean of the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) and co-dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences from 1 October 2021.

• Prof Goh, who has served as the Dean since 2017, will be taking a leave of absence from the University, but will continue to contribute in the Singapore education sector as the new Provost at the Singapore University of Social Sciences from 1 October 2021.

The University today announced the appointment of Professor Lionel Wee as the new Dean of its Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) and Co-Dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences. Prof Wee will take over the helm from Prof Robbie Goh as the Faculty’s 18th Dean from 1 October 2021.

Currently FASS Vice Dean of Research and Professor of Linguistics in the Department of English Language and Literature, Prof Wee was appointed Provost’s Chair Professor in July 2017 for his outstanding scholarly achievements.

After graduating from NUS in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours) degree majoring in English Language and Sociology, Prof Wee embarked on an academic career, joining the University as a Teaching Assistant with the Department of English Language and Literature. He was awarded the NUS Overseas Graduate Scholarship where he pursued his PhD in Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley. Prof Wee was appointed as a Lecturer upon his return to Singapore in 1995, and rose the ranks to full Professorship in 2012.

“NUS is pleased that after a rigorous global search, Prof Lionel Wee has been selected to be the next Dean. He is passionate about high quality education and research, and has an excellent understanding of FASS and the University, having served in numerous leadership roles at the department, faculty and university-levels. I am confident that he will bring the Faculty to new heights of international excellence,” said NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye.

Besides serving as Vice Dean of Research at FASS from 2014 to present, Prof Wee was also the Head of the Department of English Language and Literature from 2010 to 2014. He had also contributed on various committees such as Chair of the FASS Faculty Promotion & Tenure Committee II, Chair of the University Mid-Term Advisory Report Committee, and Member of the University Promotion and Tenure Committee. In recognition of his dedicated service and contributions to NUS and education in Singapore, Prof Wee was awarded the National Day Awards Public Administration Medal (Bronze) in 2020 and the Long Service Medal in 2018.

“I am excited and honoured to be given this opportunity to lead my alma mater as its next Dean. Having spent more than three decades at FASS, both as a student and a faculty member, I have experienced firsthand the selfless commitment of my colleagues and impressive insights our students bring to the study of the arts, humanities and social sciences. I am confident that together, we can continue to make significant contributions to society while enhancing our Faculty’s standing as one of the leading humanities and social sciences faculties in the world,” said Prof Wee.

Besides his passion in linguistics, Prof Wee feels very strongly about animal welfare and is also very much an avid city traveller, although the pandemic has put quite a damper on travel in the past year or so. He also enjoys the cafes, a habit which he picked up during his time as a graduate student in Berkeley. Students and colleagues at FASS may have many a times seen Prof Wee deep in thought at the cafes across the NUS campus. He is very much focused in developing a particular idea or argument once he is seated down and would need to walk around before he can move on to another new idea.

Prof Wee has published widely in international and local journals, and also sits on the editorial boards of a number of academic journals and publications, including Applied Linguistics, English World-Wide, Multilingual Margins, The Journal of Asian Linguistic Anthropology, the “Cambridge Elements: World Englishes” book series, and the “Multilingualisms and Diversities in Education” book series. He is a well-respected scholar with research interests in the areas of language policy (especially in Southeast Asia), the grammar of Singapore English, metaphorical discourse, and general issues in sociolinguistics and pragmatics.

Prof Goh, who has served as the Dean since 2017, will be taking a leave of absence from the University. However, he will continue to contribute in the Singapore education sector as the new Provost at the Singapore University of Social Sciences from 1 October 2021.

Prof Goh said, “It has been a privilege and honour to serve as Dean of one of Singapore’s largest and most historied Faculties. I am grateful to my talented colleagues for all their hard work. I believe that together, we have brought the Faculty to new heights of excellence in teaching, research and service. I look forward to the work of creating new programmes and nurturing talent in my next role as Provost of the Singapore University of Social Sciences, and hope that I will also be able to forge new ties and collaborations between the two universities."

Having spent more than three decades at the University, Prof Goh has taken on numerous administrative and leadership roles outside of the Faculty. He was Deputy Director of the NUS Centre For the Arts from 1996 to 1999, and Deputy Director of the Asia Research Institute from 2008 to 2010.

“On behalf of the University, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to Professor Robbie Goh for his dedication and strong stewardship in leading NUS FASS. Under his visionary leadership, the Faculty has made significant contributions to the advancement of education and research in the humanities and social sciences. During his leadership, the FASS 2.0 Industry Tracks programme was started to enhance the employability of its graduates. New multidisciplinary initiatives such as the Philosophy, Politics & Economics programme were also established. The Faculty has also expanded collaborations with industry and further strengthened its high international reputation,” added Prof Tan.

This story first appeared on NUSnews on 13 August 2021. The full press release is here, and Professor Lionel Wee's biography is here.

From Careers for a Lifetime, to a Lifetime of Careers

IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• The top skills desired by employers will include critical thinking, analysis, problem-solving and self-management skills such as active learning, resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility.

What does the future of work look like? In this evolving world, new occupations and roles which did not previously exist continue to emerge, while certain traditional skills and jobs continue to become obsolete.

Increasingly, employers are looking beyond academic credentials and placing more emphasis on transferable skills. At the same time, the gig economy, which consists of remote and distributed work, continues to grow.

The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) The Future of Jobs Report 2020 (October 2020) highlighted a few key trends.

First, technological adoption of cloud computing, Big Data and e-commerce in many businesses will accelerate the transformation of jobs, skills and entire industry value chains. 85 million jobs are expected to be displaced by a shift in division of labour from humans to machines by 2025, while 97 million new roles may emerge.

Second, online learning and training boomed during the pandemic. The shift was a watershed moment, and there is no turning back for many industries. The pandemic also brought into sharper focus the importance of lifelong learning, with more employees upskilling and reskilling to stay relevant in the volatile job market. More workers are now pursuing personal and professional development, especially in digital skills.

Last but not least, the top skills desired by employers will include critical thinking, analysis, problem-solving and self-management skills such as active learning, resilience, stress tolerance and flexibility.

What skills do employers seek?

Many of these in-demand skills highlighted in WEF’s report corroborate CFG’s Industry Insights Survey (2020). Drawing on insights from career events, industry surveys and engagements, CFG’s survey cited a similar list of soft skills that are becoming increasingly imperative at the workplace.

These are abilities learnt through life experiences that are impervious to change, and relevant across all professions and workplaces. They are attributes we take with us when we embark on job pathways in the New Normal - which are shifting from one defined career over a lifetime, to a series of dynamic and rapidly changing careers.

Our survey clusters these abilities into two main categories: Personal Qualities and Workplace Traits.

Personal qualities

Many employers are looking for individual cognitive abilities such as problem-solving, learning agility and pattern-recognition. They are also seeking graduates who are equipped with design and computational thinking, as well as proficiency in quantitative analysis.

They want graduates who are able to look at problems from different perspectives, to solve complex problems in real-world environments. For example, can a customer service issue be resolved with a combination of user interface design changes, IT infrastructure automation and manpower staffing? What are consumer consumption patterns and behaviours telling us?

Employers also seek character traits such as curiosity, resilience, empathy, proactivity, leadership and adaptability. These traits are predictors of future potential, and potentially determine career longevity and progression. For example, are you curious to learn what other teams or functions are doing beyond your job scope and discover potential synergies? Are you adaptable to changes in your project scope, and possess a “can-do” attitude in the face of obstacles?

Workplace traits

Besides personal qualities, employers are also looking for graduates who possess certain desirable workplace traits. These include good communication and presentation skills, cultural sensitivity and a global mindset. Graduates with business acumen, who are able to influence and negotiate, and are competent in managing different teams and projects, are much sought after.

These attributes mirror the realities of the modern workplace, where teams and projects are becoming more diverse, cross-functional, cross-cultural and business-driven. For example, can you work with a diverse team of colleagues towards achieving a common objective? Can you visualise your organisation’s business potential in an overseas market or a new customer segment?

The call to CHS students

In CHS, you will acquire interdisciplinary knowledge and skills by learning how to draw connections, links and insights across diverse disciplines.  It is this important foundation of interdisciplinarity that will better prepare our students to become problem-solvers in an uncertain world beyond the pandemic.

Even as the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation, data is now the new asset that enables businesses to enhance efficiency and augment the ability of their teams to deliver greater value. CHS will focus on competencies like data literacy and design thinking, skills that are now in high demand by industries seeking to unlock value from Big Data.

Beyond academics, internships are one of the best ways to hone workplace experience. When you are on vacation, aim for at least two (if not more) internships, preferably one with an overseas employer. Immerse yourself in co-curricular activities, which provide hands-on opportunities to gain skills such as leadership, teamwork and project management. These experiences in your resume and portfolio will place you in a better stead with employers.

Enhancing employability, preparing for careers

CHS students will have a dedicated Career Advisor, who will guide you through the process of developing a personal career plan. You will be pre-assigned a career preparation module, Career Compass, closely following CFG’s four-year Career Readiness Roadmap which provides a formal framework for your career planning during your undergraduate journey.

You will be enrolled in Career Catalyst, a foundational freshmen module that identifies your core strengths and enhances your profile towards securing an internship. As you progress to Years Two/Three and your final year, you can also sign up for our Career Booster workshops or Career Advancement Webinar Series (CAWS).

Article contributed by the Centre for Future-ready Graduates (Ms Joan Tay, Director and Career Advisors Mr Ryan Ang and Mr Ng Buck Seng)

This story first appeared on CHS on 29 July 2021.

NUS CHS Case Competition: Driving EV Adoption in Singapore

IN BRIEF | 1 min read

• The just-released problem statement for NUS CHS' inaugural Case Competition – Encouraging electric vehicle (EV) ownership in Singapore – is an important real-world topic of especial relevance to us all, as the nation is driving toward a future of electric mobility that is essential to the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

Are you interested in translating your innovations to reality by applying interdisciplinary knowledge and skills?This is now possible with the inaugural College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) Case Competition, launched on 26 July.

The competition is specially designed for NUS students, and enables participants to synthesise ideas and perspectives from different disciplines to solve complex, real-world challenges.

The competition themes, “Sustainability” and “Technology and Us”, are highly topical today. The problem statement - Encouraging electric vehicle (EV) ownership in Singapore - is an important real-world topic, even as Singapore ushers in a future of electric mobility as a key piece of the puzzle in the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

At the virtual launch, our competition partners - the Ministry of Transport, KPMG and Schneider Electric -  discussed plans by the Singapore government to usher in the future of EV, Schneider Electric’s vision of a 100% electric mobility future with net-zero carbon emissions and upcoming trends in mobility solutions identified by the advisory arm of KPMG.

Participants will have the opportunity to attend mid-term workshops in mid-August, which provide important domain knowledge, including engineering and design, and communications skills.

The project submissions will be judged in the final round of the competition on 20 September by representatives from our competition partners. They will also be sharing their EV domain expertise with the participating teams throughout the competition.

The launch was attended by more than 100 participating teams (close to 200 individual attendees) from across NUS.

Find out more about the competition here and read the problem statement here.

 

Strong Interest in Interdisciplinary Learning With High Acceptance Rates

IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye discusses the University’s recent interdisciplinary initiatives – the setting up of the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) and the new Common Curriculum for the Faculty of Engineering and the School of Design and Environment – and the importance of lifelong learning in ensuring that students are adaptable and future-ready.

In today’s volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world, staying stagnant is never an option. Now, more than ever, universities have to prepare students to thrive in a fast-changing and unpredictable post-COVID reality through an interdisciplinary education.

Just ask the incoming batch of freshmen, who have given a thumbs-up to the University’s recent interdisciplinary initiatives – specifically, the setting up of the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS), and the new Common Curriculum for the Faculty of Engineering and the School of Design and Environment.

During the admissions exercise this year, 71 per cent of those who had applied to these programmes as the first choice accepted the offer. Among the incoming batch of freshmen, over 4,000 will be exposed to an interdisciplinary education. By August 2022, NUS hopes to push this number to more than 6,000.

“We are quite heartened that the applicants have responded very well,” said NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye, as he spoke on the new changes in NUS’ curriculum. “They are receptive to the flexibility that they will have. No more are you confined to one discipline.”

Prof Tan noted that the world faces many wicked problems that cannot be solved with only one discipline.

He cited COVID-19 as a wicked problem, requiring more than just medical sciences to solve. “Even with the right medical knowledge, many countries had difficulties handling COVID-19 and its spread,” he noted.

The pandemic, in fact, prompted NUS to ramp up efforts in remodelling its educational philosophy and pedagogies to prepare its graduates for this dynamic reality.

At the centre of these reforms is the push for lifelong learning, as well as the shift towards interdisciplinary education to ensure students are adaptable and future-ready.

A lifetime of learning

While universities used to prepare their graduates for a single job, this approach is fast becoming obsolete. Today, graduates will change jobs at least 10 times over the course of their lifetime.

In line with this trend, NUS has been future-proofing its education to prepare students for lifelong learning.

“A student’s enrolment is valid for 20 years from the point they enter the university,” Prof Tan explained. “We want to remove the conception that university is only for four years. You can always come back to (NUS) to learn new skills and knowledge.”

For instance, the NUS Lifelong Learners (L3) programme upskills alumni through a wide array of skill-based, industry-relevant courses, carefully tailored to focus on emerging skills identified under SkillsFuture such as data analytics or digital literacy.

The process of returning to NUS for further studies is also made seamless. If a student does not complete a second major or degree in their initial four years, they are welcome to return to the university to read the necessary remaining modules even after graduation.

Towards interdisciplinary learning

Recognising the benefits of interdisciplinary learning, NUS is rolling this out to more students.

This started with the launch of CHS, which brings together the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Science.

In the upcoming semester, CHS will admit 2,200 students and they will take a new Common Curriculum within their first three semesters – consisting of integrated modules with a problem-based pedagogy.

Similarly, a Common Curriculum has been introduced for the Faculty of Engineering and the School of Design and Environment to encourage knowledge transfer between the two complementary disciplines.

For instance, NUS’ very own net-zero energy building at SDE4 is a product of melding both architecture and engineering – the first of its kind in Singapore.

“The building’s beautiful architectural design alone doesn’t contribute to it being net-zero energy. What you have is a lot of deep engineering work embedded into it. It shows that architects have to work very closely with engineers in order to achieve this,” explained Prof Tan.

With interdisciplinary learning, the proportion of Unrestricted Elective modules a student can take has also been increased to up to 30 per cent, encouraging students to have two or more specialisations.

In the four faculties that now have an interdisciplinary common curriculum, this works out to more than 700 possible double major pairings, 1,700 major-minor pairings, and 100,000 major with double minor combinations.

Expanding choices for students

Ultimately, these educational innovations create greater flexibility for students to curate their own curriculum.

They will no longer have to make an immediate commitment to a single discipline. Instead, they are given time to decide on their academic calling through the common curriculum.

These efforts are central to NUS’ flagship role as a creator, integrator and propagator of knowledge.

Looking ahead, the structural barriers between faculties will further dissolve, allowing students to build even broader connections between disciplines.

“Right now, we have 70 majors and 80 minors, but we may actually have more as we go along. We start with a minor. If there’s enough interest, we push it to a second or full major. The possibilities are endless especially as we move online,” said Prof Tan.

This story first appeared on NUSnews on 26 July 2021.

Creating New Internship Opportunities: Engaging Employers to See Value in Humanities and Social Sciences

IN BRIEF | 4 min read

• Mr Jonathan Sim, instructor from the Department of Philosophy, describes how he engaged with local employers to open internship opportunities to humanities and social sciences students who would not previously have been considered.

 

Humanities and social science majors are frequently misunderstood, in Singapore as in many other parts of the world. The value of their education is regularly questioned, and many employers are unaware of the value such majors can bring to the table. They prefer to hire graduates with more explicitly “practical” degrees for jobs that humanities and social sciences students could excel in.

As a result, humanities and social sciences students are not typically considered for many organisations and roles, despite offering relevant and useful skills.

So when developing an internship module, I began reaching out to organisations to create internship opportunities in such roles, to boost receptivity to hiring students from these disciplines. This enabled potential employers to better understand how students in subjects they might have previously overlooked can fill gaps in their talent pool.

Compounding the issue is that many humanities and social sciences students are unaware of the diversity of careers available to them and tend to limit themselves to roles stereotypical of their majors. There is a good reason for this. When these students apply for non-stereotypical roles, they are often turned down due to having an “impractical” major.

I regularly hear employers and people in the corporate sector lamenting the lack of creativity and critical-thinking and communication skills in their industries. These key capabilities are needed to challenge assumptions, innovate and improve processes within organisations. Employers’ lack of awareness of the value of humanities and social sciences is preventing them considering this potential talent pool.

Starting an internship module

I teach a module on data analysis and philosophical reasoning to hundreds of students each semester. With so many students under my charge, I was inspired by the idea that education is more than just about imparting knowledge. Rather, it is about facilitating growth in one’s students by providing them with opportunities for challenge and development.

As a result, I decided it would be worthwhile to experiment with an internship module where I approach employers, explain the value my students can bring to their organisation and ask them to offer temporary roles not typically filled by humanities and social sciences majors. A model designed to be mutually beneficial to both employers and students.

Here are my key lessons in how to do this:

Start by approaching contacts working in human resources (HR) and ask them to link you up with senior management or with department heads of your target companies. I initially spoke to friends in HR and some of them linked me up with HR professionals from other organisations.

Provide reassurance that you will be guiding and mentoring the students throughout the programme. My credentials as a university educator meant employers were generally open to exploring this strategic partnership.

Prepare and present a pitch clearly describing what value and skills your students can bring to the companies where you wish to secure internships. I explained how my students were excellent in data analytics, coding and problem-solving, and their training in humanities and social sciences meant they could bring unique perspectives thanks to creativity and critical thinking. Having worked with the students for one semester already, I could also vouch for their character, including attributes such as work attitude, independence and willingness to learn.

Discuss the job scope and be honest and realistic about what your students can and cannot do. I helped advise the hiring managers on my students’ capabilities, based on what I had taught them, and sometimes this meant suggesting new items in the job scope that the organisation may not have considered.

Invite students to apply for the roles available by submitting their CVs, then interview shortlisted candidates. I found interviews useful to get a better understanding of what students wanted to do and what they hoped to achieve during the internship. The application process also provided an opportunity to work with students to improve their CVs and interview skills before they spoke to employers.

Try to match students with internship roles that will best suit their personality, skills and career aspirations.

During the internships, check in on students regularly and ask them to share any challenges, so you can help them troubleshoot any issues. My role was more like an adviser pointing them to resources or giving life advice on how to handle novel social or professional situations.

Ask the students to write reflections centred on how their training in humanities and social sciences can be applied to the work they do as an intern. This helped me gauge the extent of their learning but also nudged students towards deeper reflection on their discipline to see its value and relevance in the work they did. It was very eye-opening to see concrete examples of how students found connections and applications between their studies and their work.

Benefits to organisations and students

These collaborations have proven mutually beneficial. They allow participating organisations to develop strategic partnerships with the university, helping employer branding and making it easier for them to attract talent.

At the same time, the student interns become living proof to employers that their major makes them as good as, if not better than, some students from more “practical” disciplines. The internships help inform humanities and social sciences students that they can take on roles they never thought were open to them.

We have completed one round of internships with organisations such as Henkel, a German multinational chemical and consumer goods company, and Azendian, a local AI data analytics start-up.

Students were pleased with the chance to take up roles they would not have ordinarily pursued, or been given a chance to try, in areas such as supply chain and logistics management, database management and data analytics for marketing. The internships provided profound insights on how they can apply the skills from their majors in ways that allow them to craft a niche in such roles.

The first round of placements seems to have persuaded employers to be more receptive when it comes to hiring humanities and social sciences students, as they have asked for more interns in subsequent iterations.

This is just the beginning, and there is a lot more that we can achieve in our capacity as university faculty by engaging with local organisations and employers. We can work to create more internship opportunities and help employers better understand the capabilities of our students across multiple disciplines here in Singapore and further afield.

This story first appeared on Times Higher Education on 21 June 2021.

Commencement 2021: Special Message of Congratulations to the Classes of 2020 and 2021!

IN BRIEF | 3 min watch

• FASS Faculty and students congratulate the Classes of 2020 and 2021 and wish them all the best as they go out to change the world for the better!

“We believe in you. I believe in you. Go out there, do us proud. Make the world a better place.” — Associate Professor Loy Hui Chieh, FASS Vice Dean of External Relations and Student Life FASS, joint committee member of the NUS Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) programme, and also Faculty member of staff at the NUS Department of Philosophy.

Faculty and students talk about what life has been for them this past year, what they miss about campus life, and extend words of advice and congratulations to the graduating Classes of 2020 and 2021.

This video features Assoc Prof Loy and Dr Lohsnah Jeevanandam, Senior Lecturer, NUS Department of Psychology, as well as students from the graduating Classes of 2020 and 2021: Alvarez Brielle Clavel ('20); Somesh s/o Sailesh ('20); Douglas Ong ('20), Christina Chen (Doctoral Class of '20); Ng Qian Qian ('21); and, Lai Wei Na ('21).

Meet the Neighbours: The Seven Animals You’ll Spot in NUS

IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• NUS is not only a second home for staff and students, but also a place for a wide range of biodiversity to call home. Mr Athanasius Koh, a management trainee with the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) and FASS Political Science alumnus ('21) tells us about the interesting animals he has spotted around campus. 

Beyond the lecture theatres, classrooms and student hangout spots, it is hard to miss the lush greenery that surrounds NUS. This has made the campus environs not only a second home for staff and students, but also a place for a wide range of biodiversity to call home.

These habitats are here to stay too. Emphasising NUS’ commitment to preserving its rich biodiversity, fighting climate change and being an environmentally responsible campus, the “Planting 10,000 Trees” initiative launched by NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye in 2018 saw 500 mature trees planted throughout the campus, as well as 9,500 saplings nurtured in the NUS nursery. In addition, a strict policy to protect existing trees was also implemented.

Mr Athanasius Koh, a management trainee with the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) Corporate Communications team for the past six months, and avid nature photographer, takes regular photo walks exploring these habitats. Mr Koh, who is also from the FASS Class of 2021, shares about the interesting animals he has spotted along the way.

Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris)

A collared kingfisher perched on a tree at AS8. (Photo: Mr Athanasius Koh)

Dressed in beautiful blue feathers and a broad white “collar” around its neck, the collared kingfisher is a vocal bird spotted about campus with its series of harsh “kee-kee” notes, described by some as a maniacal laugh.

The collared kingfisher has also been quite the icon in Singapore’s history, gracing not only stamps but even the now decommissioned $10 note as part of The Bird Series Currency Notes from 1976 to 1984.

Look out for the collared kingfisher’s outstanding blue plumage as it rests atop trees and lamp posts. This sharply dressed celebrity is an easy spot around FASS and NUS Faculty of Engineering.

Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus)

 Male red junglefowls proudly flaunt their dark green tail feathers and black primary feathers. (Photo: Mr Athanasius Koh) 

Even if you have never personally caught sight of the resident FASS red junglefowl, you are more than likely to have heard its signature “cock-a-doodle-doo” around the faculty. Often confused for the domestic chicken, the red junglefowl is in fact its wild ancestor.

According to a study led by NUS ornithologist Associate Professor Frank Rheindt, the red junglefowl can be quite easily distinguished from the domestic chicken. Male red junglefowls proudly flaunt their dark green tail feathers and black primary feathers while females have distinguishing grey legs and sport black primary feathers.

While it remains a mystery why it crosses the road, the red junglefowl and its loud presence has certainly captured the attention of students and staff alike.

Plantain Squirrel (Callosciurus notatus)

A plantain squirrel resting on a tree behind AS4. (Photo: Mr Athanasius Koh)

Scurrying and leaping from tree to tree, the plantain squirrel is an adorable sight if you are lucky to observe one at rest or enjoying its meal. This active animal is one of the most common mammals in Singapore and can be identified by distinctive black and white stripes on the sides of its body and its long bushy tail.

These physical features might have you thinking what a beautiful squirrel it is, and you are not alone! In fact, Callosciurus, the plantain squirrel’s taxonomic group, translates to “beautiful squirrel”.

Blink and you just might miss this nimble creature, but the plantain squirrel can be commonly found on the trees around NUS such as at the NUS Faculty of Science. Listen out for the rustling of leaves and you just might come face-to-face with this lovable rodent.

Rose-Ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)

A rose-ringed parakeet perches on a branch after breakfast along the AS6-AS8 walkway. (Photo: Mr Athanasius Koh)

Often moving in flocks and squawking in unison, the rose-ringed parakeet is a loud presence in NUS. Sporting a bright green plumage, orange beak and blue-tipped tail, males also have an added pink collar around their neck in their third year.

The rose-ringed parakeet was introduced to our green spaces as escaped pets. Native to the Indian subcontinent and northern Southeast Asia, it is a resilient bird that has thrived even in locations as far as Europe!

A bird that you might hear before you see, the rose-ringed parakeet has been spotted on sunny mornings at FASS’ Lovers’ Park and along the walkway between Blocks AS6 and AS8 grabbing its breakfast.

Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier)

The Yellow-vented Bulbul is easily distinguishable from its black eye-mask, olive-brown back and yellow undertail (Photo: Mr Athanasius Koh)

One of the most common birds in Singapore’s many green spaces besides the mynah, the yellow-vented bulbul is an easy spot with its black eye-mask, olive-brown back and wings and most strikingly, yellow undertail.

An unfussy fellow, the yellow-vented bulbul has been observed to feed on a variety of small fruits and insects. In addition, it can sometimes be seen carrying strips of man-made waste like plastic bags and tissue paper to be used as nesting material. You might have heard its distinct chirps before, without knowing that it was the yellow-vented bulbul, but now you can keep an eye out for them too! Spot them in shrubs and trees around campus, such as the patch of greenery right outside NUS Press at Block AS3.

Changeable Lizard (Calotes versicolor)

Adult male changeable lizards develop an orange-coloured head and black patches over their cheeks during the mating season (Photo: Mr Athanasius Koh)

Often mistaken for the chameleon, the changeable lizard definitely is not one at all, but that does not stop it from changing its colours when it needs to! Usually brownish to greenish yellow with faint stripes along its body, adult males develop an orange-coloured head and black patches over their cheeks during the mating season.

As common as this rapid reptile is, you might be surprised to know that it is not native to Singapore. It is believed that it was accidentally introduced in the 1980s and has since populated in numbers, aggressively displacing the native green crested lizard (Bronchocela cristatella).

While the changeable lizard is somewhat adept at camouflaging, its timid nature means that you are more likely to find it scurrying away the moment there is a slightest disturbance, rustling up the grass. They can be seen all around campus such as at the FASS Fragrant Plant Garden or outside The Deck.

Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris)

An oriental pied hornbill perches on a tree outside of AS7, Shaw Foundation Building. (Photo: Mr Athanasius Koh)

The oriental pied hornbill has certainly made an impactful comeback to Singapore’s shores. Once thought to be locally extinct, the large bird can be identified by its casque atop its beak as well as its black and white plumage.

Along with other “celebrity wildlife” like the otters in Singapore, the oriental pied hornbills’ return to the mainland can be largely attributed to conservation efforts by the National Parks Board, Wildlife Reserves Singapore and the local research community. These efforts include providing sufficient mature trees for hornbills that favour nesting in tree holes.

Spotted across a number of locations in Singapore, NUS is no exception. It has been spotted in University Town and around FASS Block AS1 as well as the trees outside AS7, Shaw Foundation Building.

Now that you have met some of the interesting wildlife that have called NUS their home, be sure to keep an eye out for our neighbours in nature between classes! Do appreciate them from a safe distance and refrain from feeding them.

This story first appeared on NUSnews on 17 June 2021.

 

NUS CHS Case Competition: Solutions for Tomorrow

IN BRIEF | 1 min read

• The NUS College of Humanities and Sciences has launched the Case Competition Series. Register your interest now!

The NUS College of Humanities and Sciences has launched the Case Competition Series, which seeks to encourage undergraduate and post graduate students to apply their curriculum learning to tackle complex real-world challenges that require interdisciplinary approaches to their solution. The students, who are expected to work in teams comprising members from across different disciplines, will be presented with a complex problem (to be shared at the start of the competition in late July), and given four weeks to build their cases in consultation with participating industry and Faculty advisers before their presentation for the first round of judging. Scan the QR code below or just click here to register your interest as team leader for this competition now. More details will be released to participants next month.

 

mar/gins: Call for Submissions

Dear fellow undergraduates,

Margins is back and we need papers!

But who are we, you ask? Margins is a student-run literary journal launched in 2013 to celebrate ELL students’ works and foster a stronger sense of pride among the department’s majors and minors. After a brief hiatus during the onset of the pandemic, we’re back with a brand-new look, a theme to match the times, and PRIZES.

Why submit? As undergrads, we write on the margins of professional research. Our papers and theses—the products of much labour—hardly see the light of day once Turnitin and LumiNUS get ahold of them. They disappear into archives—physical, digital, emotional—and . . . that’s it. To this we say, “NO MORE!” It’s time to give our efforts a voice outside our curricula proper. If you’ve got a paper you’re especially proud of, an alt-take that didn’t make the cut for a classroom submission, a poetic incision on something you learned, photos or even footage of your blood, sweat, and tears, send it to us and let us, as a student-focused community, celebrate YOU.

Head over to our website or our Facebook page (or view the attached Call for Submissions) to find out more! You can also email us at marginsjournal@gmail.com with any questions you might have.

We look forward to receiving your submissions!

Sincerely,

The Margins Team

 

Cover art by EN alumnus Justin Tiang © 2021, www.tiangpong.com/

Honouring five outstanding alumni from Arts and Social Sciences

IN BRIEF | 3 min read

• Five exceptional NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) alumni from diverse backgrounds were lauded at the annual FASS Distinguished Arts and Social Sciences Alumni Awards 2020 in a simple presentation ceremony on 30 April at Swissotel The Stamford.

(From left to right): FASS alumni Mr Yatiman Yusof, Mr Niam Chiang Meng, Ms Lim Sau Hoong, Mr Ravi Menon and Dr Liang Wern Fook have made singular contributions to the areas of the arts, education, media, finance, policy and community development.

Five exceptional NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) alumni from diverse backgrounds were lauded at the annual FASS Distinguished Arts and Social Sciences Alumni Awards 2020 in a simple presentation ceremony on 30 April at Swissotel The Stamford.

All have left their distinct mark in the wide-ranging fields that they serve. They are namely:

• Mr Yatiman Yusof (Geography and Malay Studies, ’72), Non-Resident High Commissioner of Singapore to Kenya
• Mr Niam Chiang Meng (Economics, ’83), Chairman of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)
• Ms Lim Sau Hoong (Chinese Studies, ’83), Founder, Former CEO and Executive Creative Director of advertising agency 10AM Communications
• Mr Ravi Menon (Economics, ’87), Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
• Dr Liang Wern Fook (Chinese Studies, ’89 and Master of Arts, ’92), Writer, musician and educator

Congratulating the award recipients, FASS Dean Professor Robbie Goh said, “Ms Lim Sau Hoong, Dr Liang Wern Fook, Mr Ravi Menon, Mr Niam Chiang Meng and Mr Yatiman Yusof, have made singular contributions to the arts, education, media, finance, policy and community development. Not only do their wide-ranging achievements bring pride to the FASS family, but I believe that it also attests to the disciplinary range, intellectual curiosity and critical thinking that are the hallmarks of the FASS educational experience.”

This disciplinary diversity, Prof Goh elaborated, would soon be enhanced by FASS’ partnership with the NUS Faculty of Science in the NUS College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) where students would be able to choose any major that is offered by both faculties. He added that this would be a major boost to FASS students’ educational experience as “the CHS common curriculum will prepare students for a disruptive world – by giving them a compulsory grounding in essential skills such as writing and communication, data literacy, digital literacy, design thinking and AI.”

Our alumni and their contributions

Present at the ceremony were (clockwise from top left): FASS Dean Prof Robbie Goh; Mr Menon; Dr Liang; Mr Bernard Toh, Director of NUS Alumni Relations; Mr Niam; Ms Lim; Mr Yatiman; and NUS President Prof Tan Eng Chye.

A teacher and a journalist early on in his career, Mr Yatiman served key government appointments including as a Member of Parliament and Senior Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the then-Ministry of Information and the Arts, before his retirement in 2006. In addition to being Singapore’s non-resident envoy to Kenya, Mr Yatiman is a Board Member of the Singapore Press Holdings Foundation and the Chairman of the Malay Language Council of Advisors.

Contributing extensively to the public sector too was Mr Niam who served in the Ministries of Finance, Trade and Industry, Health, Law, and Information, Communications and the Arts – including Permanent Secretary appointments in several of these Ministries. He also served at the National Population and Talent Division, and the National Climate Change Secretariat. Aside from his current MPA chairmanship, Mr Niam is also the Chairman of Gardens by the Bay Pte Ltd and MediaCorp Pte Ltd.

A heavyweight in the media, marketing, and advertising industry, Ms Lim’s creative leadership of 10AM Communications has garnered over 300 prestigious global awards including The One Show, the Clio Awards, and the Communication Arts. Identified for her unique creative talent, Ms Lim was Visual Advisor to the Planning Committee for the 2008 Beijing Olympics’ Opening Ceremony and headed the Shanghai World Expo 2010 Singapore Pavilion Advisory Panel. In 2007, Ms Lim was awarded the President’s Design Award and was named Designer of The Year for her extensive contributions to media, marketing and culture in Singapore.

Prior to his appointment at MAS, Mr Menon served as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Deputy Secretary at the Ministry of Finance. A recipient of the Singapore Government’s Meritorious Service Medal and Public Administration (Gold) Medal, he has served on boards in the public, private, and people sectors. He is currently Chairman of the Institute of Banking and Finance, and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Singapore Indian Development Association.

A singer-songwriter, poet and academic in Chinese literature and language, Dr Liang is a respected cultural figure and pioneer of Xinyao – a movement of locally composed Mandarin pop songs from the 1980s. To date, Dr Liang is the only artist who has received the National Arts Council’s Young Artist Award (Literature) and the prestigious Cultural Medallion (Music) across different art genres. He was also honoured recently with the Singapore Chinese Cultural Contribution Award for his outstanding contribution to the promotion, enrichment and development of Chinese Singaporean culture. His canon of work includes over 15 publications of literature, more than 200 songs, and two Mandarin musicals – a number of his most important works were written and composed during his university days.

On receiving the awards

Also present at the event was NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye who presented the awards to the five alumni. Invited guests were also treated to videos of the award recipients who shared about their university days in FASS and their career highlights.

Recalling the moment he received news of the award, Mr Yatiman humbly shared, “To be frank, I’m quite surprised when I was told about it. And I thought there are hundreds, if not thousands of people who are more suitable to receive this award. I’m just a small worker in the community, not doing much in my lifetime. I think there are many others. So, for those who’ve been working hard for the good of the community, I take this award as recognition of their effort too.”

Mr Niam recalled some of his best memories were during university days where he learnt a lot about networking and life skills. It was also where he found his life partner. He said, “It is a privilege to be given this award. I would like to thank NUS and the organising committee for bestowing this honour on me and the other recipients…it means a great deal.”

Taking the form of a rising star, the alumni award represents the inspiration these individuals bring to society through their brilliant contributions towards the Faculty, University and Singapore.

Established in 2015, the Awards recognise individuals for their distinguished scholarship and outstanding service to the Faculty, the University and Singapore. These outstanding recipients have made significant impact in various fields locally and internationally, which has contributed to the betterment and promotion of the arts and social sciences.

Previous recipients of the Awards include luminaries such as former President Mr S R Nathan, Emeritus Senior Minister and former Prime Minister Mr Goh Chok Tong, former United Nations Under-Secretary General Dr Noeleen Heyzer; Permanent Member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights Mr Abdullah Tarmugi; and Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings Limited Mr Ho Kwon Ping.

Click here for more details on this year’s award recipients.

This story first appeared on NUSnews on 6 May 2021.

 

Edwin Thumboo Prize 2021

The Department of English Language and Literature has awarded the Edwin Thumboo Prize 2021 to four pre-university students for their exceptional performance in the study of literature.

Named after one of Singapore's most prominent poets and the Department's Emeritus Professor, the Edwin Thumboo Prize seeks to encourage excellence in the study of Literature at the pre-university level by recognising outstanding literary works by A-level and International Baccalaureate (IB) students of English Literature in Singapore. Established in 2019, the annual Prize is administered by the Department with support from the Ministry of Education (MOE), and is funded by generous donors including patrons of the arts and former winners of the Angus Ross Prize.

Joint Winners

Suneeti Sreekumar
(National Junior College) Wong Shao-Yi
(Raffles Institution)

Suneeti Sreekumar

Suneeti's essay explored the themes of inadequacy and the quest for affirmation in J.M. Coetzee's Age of Iron and Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.

Suneeti said, "I owe it all to my parents for impressing on me from young the value of reading widely and for supporting all my endeavours. I'd like to thank both the NJC English and Language Arts Departments. I would like to give special thanks to the following teachers Ms Carmen Ng, Ms Sylvia Soh, Mrs Marianne Tan, Ms Eleanor Neo and Mr Chua Chin Yang for contributing to my love for the written word across six years of studying literature." She added, "Studying literature has completely changed my outlook on life and literature to me has always been about being surprised by deceptive simplicity."

Wong Shao-Yi

Shao-Yi's essay examined the liminal qualities of sleep and imagination in Shakespeare's The Tempest.

Shao-Yi expressed her gratitude to her teachers at RI, Ms Lye Su Lin, Mrs Nicola Perry and Ms Melissa Tan, sharing "They taught me to appreciate the poem, the play, the novel, in all their beauty and they helped me to grow into a more confident writer and perceptive reader. Most of all, they put their faith in the earnest dorky kid who loved and will always love literature. I can't thank them enough. I'm also thankful to my parents for reading to me before I could and reading next to me ever since then. Every family has a special place and I'm so glad my parents made ours the bookstore."

Merit Prizes

Elise Lauw (Temasek JC)

Nyang Ying Zhi (Hwa Chong Institution)

Two Merit Prizes were awarded to Ms Elise Lauw from Temasek JC and Mr Nyang Ying Zhi from Hwa Chong Institution.

The Edwin Thumboo Prize winners were selected through a rigorous process. The competition attracted entries from 12 pre-university institutions, including those offering the IB Diploma Programme.

Candidates were assessed by a selection panel, comprising representatives from NUS and MOE, as well as former Angus Ross prize-winners. The selection panel for this year's Prize included Associate Professor Anne Thell from the Department and the 1997 Angus Ross Prize Winner, Mr Aaron Maniam.

Said Mr Maniam, "The Edwin Thumboo Prize was established to celebrate outstanding achievements in the study of English Literature at the pre-university level; this year's winners have truly lived up to these aims. Even being nominated is an achievement in itself, since each school is asked to nominate only their top performer. The interviews involved analysing two unseen poems, discussion of an essay submitted by each student, and an exploration of general issues regarding literature and its role in societies. While every candidate was strong, the judges were particularly impressed by our four winners' combination of lucid analysis and deep enthusiasm for their subjects."

He added, "Their analysis of the poems and depth of argumentation in their essays shone through. We hope that all four of the top students realise that they are working at an intellectual level that is rare even in university settings, showing remarkable agility of mind and rich, spontaneous responses in the wide-ranging literary discussions we engaged in. Their conviction, poise and rigour made them truly phenomenal and a pleasure to interview."

Associate Professor Michelle Lazar, Head of the NUS Department of English Language and Literature said, "We continue to be impressed by the quality, the range of intellectual approaches to understanding the literary texts, and the sophistication of the students' writing and analysis. We thank our partners from MOE and the pre-university institutions for working with us to promote the study of and love for literature."

About Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo

Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo is one of Singapore's pioneering poets. An accomplished literary practitioner and critic, he dedicated his life to the composition and study of English Literature.

His work is studied in schools, both locally and abroad, and featured in public places in Singapore. At NUS, Professor Thumboo had served as Head of the Department of English Language and Literature, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and Director of the NUS Centre for the Arts. He has also received numerous awards, including the Book Award for Poetry in English (1978, 1980 and 1994), Southeast Asia Write Award (1979), The Cultural Medallion (March 1980), ASEAN Cultural and Communication Award for Literature (August 1987), Public Service Star (August 1991), the Meritorious Service Medal (2006), and Distinguished Service Award (2008).

Past Winners

2018/19

Prize Winner

Gan Chong Jing

Raffles Institution

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Merit Awards

Jane Lee Jia Hui

Dunman High School

Lim Yi Jun

River Valley High School

Yew Jien Huey

Victoria Junior College

2019/20

Prize Winner

Loh Su Jean

Raffles Institution

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Merit Awards

Freyja Chu Shuai Wu

Dunman High School

Ng Zheng Yang

Anglo Chinese Junior College

Silvia Suseno

Nanyang Junior College

Singapore through the years: A digital cartographic record

IN BRIEF | 3 min read

• Professor Taylor and Associate Professor Feng Chen-Chieh, along with their department colleagues at NUS Geography, created Historical Maps of Singapore, an online resource hosted by NUS Libraries that provides a series of maps of different scales dating from 1846 to 2010.

A plan of Singapore town and the adjoining districts produced by John Turnbull Thomson, a Government Surveyor, and published by J.M. Richardson in London in 1846.
From quiet colonial backwater to thriving city-state, Singapore has undergone rapid transformation over the last 200 years or so.

If you are interested in finding out how the Central Business District has developed since the 1828 Jackson Plan or have a general interest in the country’s ever-changing landscape, do check out Historical Maps of Singapore, an online resource created by NUS Geography and hosted by NUS Libraries.

Historical Maps of Singapore provides a series of maps of different scales dating from 1846 to 2010. The maps have been carefully converted to a digital format and georeferenced to facilitate cross-comparison.

The work was funded through a Strategic Initiative award from NUS, and both the Singapore Land Authority and Ministry of Defence kindly provided permission for the maps to be made available online.

NUS Geography faculty members who worked on the project included the Head of Department Professor David Taylor, as well as Associate Professor Feng Chen-Chieh.

“Maps are extremely important resources, and not only for geographers. Maps are time-stamped windows not only on the ever-changing landscapes they represent in reduced form but also on the minds and values of the map-makers and those who they thought might be interested in the results of their endeavours,” said Prof Taylor.

“For example, the 1873 map shows the locations of 29 police stations, but only one hospital ~ was crime really a much greater concern than health in late 19th century Singapore?  Making the maps available in digital form opens them to a wider audience and to new forms of analysis.”

(From left to right) The changing landscape of the Telok Ayer Basin from 1860 to 1993.
The online resource is being used in teaching by NUS Geography, and has proved particularly valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic when teaching was moved largely online.

The digitised maps have also been used in research. For example, geographers have used the maps as a basis for plotting changes in Singapore’s coastline and the extent to which coastal habitats such as mangrove forests have been lost, while researchers at NUS Chinese Studies have plotted changes in the locations of Chinese temples and kampungs – and in some cases their disappearances.

The Historical Maps of Singapore web-based resource has been made as straightforward as possible to use. Once on the website, users may select the maps that they are interested in and zoom in and out, revealing higher or lower levels of detail. They can also arrange several maps on top of one another as layers, and search for common features on the different maps. Layer swipes can also be done to compare different maps.

Clicking on the metadata, one can also view a description of the map, provenance and citation. These maps can be exported and viewed in Google Earth, QGIS or ArcGIS as layers. These features provide researchers and students from a range of disciplines with the analytical and visualisation tools needed to carry out more detailed studies of the digitised maps.

Users may swipe to compare the maps over different years.
Prof Taylor added, “The popularity of the Historical Maps of Singapore web-based resource has not surprised me. Singapore has changed so much in a relatively short period of time.

“Maps are one way of capturing and evaluating those changes. But they are capable of providing much more than a simple record of change. I hope that we are able to add to the current collection of digitised maps and associated resources in the coming years as we move increasingly into an era where geospatial information underpins so much of what we do and who we are”.

This story first appeared on NUSnews on 22 April 2021.

 

#DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 | Sign Up for Masterclasses, Learn All About Our Majors

As part of the #DiscoverFASS@CHS campaign leading up to our Open House in May this year, we are holding 'live' Masterclasses presented by three of our award-winning Faculty members, and our Departments are hosting 'live' Q&A sessions for prospective students. These are opportunities not to be missed if you wish to know all you need to know about classes here and the myriad programmes available to you if you are a part of the FASS community. Masterclasses by Award-Winning Faculty
Experience lessons led by our dynamic faculty members. Roasted Fetuses and Corpse Magic: An Introduction to Supernaturalism in Southeast Asia
Presented by Associate Professor Irving Johnson, Department of Southeast Asian Studies
The class aims to foreground the fascinating world of beliefs in supernaturalism that pervade Southeast Asian lives. Many of us enjoy telling and listening to creepy stories, watching horror movies on Netflix or dabbling in the esoteric. In this masterclass, we will look at some of the beliefs that structure constructions of the supernatural in modern Southeast Asia. The class revolves around a series of interrelated questions that seek to discover commonalities in popular belief systems and their prominence in the region, linking supernaturalism to larger issues of power, gender and politics. Evidence and Promise Making
Presented by Assistant Professor Zachary Barnett, Department of Philosophy
Promise-making is an important part of life. We make promises to our friends, families, and significant others, and they make promises to us. We will look at a puzzle that arises when we think about "promising against the odds": How should I feel about making a promise, if I know that most of the people in my exact situation end up breaking that promise? For example, suppose that I promise to quit smoking cigarettes. At the same time, I know that most people who sincerely promise to quit smoking do not actually succeed on their first attempt. Should I believe that I will be the exception to the rule? If not, am I justified in making the promise in the first place? And if I do make the promise, should my friends and family believe me? These questions arise in many different contexts, ranging from the superficial to the serious, involving addiction or relationships. Making Sense of Self-Awareness and What That May Mean
Presented by Dr Peace Wong Yuh Ju, Department of Social Work
In this talk, Dr Wong will attempt to broaden our understanding about ‘self’ and what that may mean to us. It is not uncommon for students in wanting to gain greater self-awareness with the attempt to learn more about one’s beliefs/feelings in relation to the observed world around us. Yet, how do we deepen our understanding of ‘self’, given that we are both familiar with who we are, and yet at times finding ourselves baffled by our reactions, and wondered why we respond in a certain manner? We will briefly discuss the various influences that may impact our values and beliefs, as well as consider what knowing your ‘self’ may mean to you.

To register for Masterclasses, click here. 

Live Q&As with our Departments 
Meet key Faculty and student representatives of every FASS Department and major programme in their respective Zoom meeting rooms and ask them specific questions about the requirements, content and value of the programmes they offer.

Department of Chinese Studies

The Chinese Studies Department provides training in diverse areas of Chinese Studies and Chinese Language, with the aim of preparing students for employment in a wide range of sectors. Graduates are offered career opportunities as professionals in the educational and business sectors, academia, the translation service industry and the mass media.

Join the Department's #DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 'Live' Q&A session on 21 April (2-4 pm) here.

In the meantime, visit the College of Humanities Programmes page for more details on what this Department offers.

Department of Communications and New Media

Communications and New Media (CNM) at the National University of Singapore is the only Department in Southeast Asia that offers media studies, interactive media design, cultural studies, and communication management with a focus on new media.

Join the Department's #DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 'Live' Q&A session on 21 April (2-4 pm) here.

In the meantime, visit the College of Humanities Programmes page for more details on the programmes offered by this Department.

Department of Economics

The Department of Economics has an established reputation as one of the largest and leading departments of Economics in the Asia-Pacific region. Faculty members’ research areas span a wide range of economic fields, with strength in the core areas of microeconomics, macroeconomics and econometrics, as well as in particular fields such as game theory and industrial organization, labor economics, education, financial economics, and growth theory and development with special reference to Asia.

The Department's #DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 'Live' Q&A session on 21 April (2-4 pm) here. This session includes discussion of the Data Science and Economics Cross-Disciplinary Programme (DSE-XDP).

In the meantime, visit the College of Humanities Programmes page for more details on the programmes offered by this Department.

Department of English Language, Literature and Theatre Studies

The Department of English Language, Literature and Theatre Studies houses three undergraduate majors and three graduate programmes. The English Language major offers an education in linguistics, the study of human language. The undergraduate programme in English Literature is designed to provide a broad foundation in reading and analysing texts of all kinds. And, the Theatre Studies curriculum delivers education in all areas of theatre and performance history, production and interpretation.

The Department's #DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 'Live' Q&A session on 21 April (2-4 pm) here.

In the meantime, visit the College of Humanities Programmes page for more details on the programmes offered by this Department.

Department of Geography

Modules in the Department of Geography are organized along four areas of enquiry: environmental processes and change; global political economy; society and culture; and regional specializations (with a focus on Asia). The Department also offers a Field Studies module in which students travel to countries in the region such as Thailand and Malaysia where they conduct field work and collect research material over a 3-5 week period. Home-stays and visits to local universities and key sites of interest are part of the overseas learning experience it delivers.

The Department's #DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 'Live' Q&A session on 21 April (2-4 pm) here. This session includes discussion of the Bachelor of Environmental Studies Programme (BES-XDP).

In the meantime, visit the College of Humanities Programmes page for more details on the programmes offered by this Department.

Department of History

The Department of History offers training at undergraduate and graduate levels, and its teaching and research expertise lies primarily in the history of Southeast and East Asia, but there is strong selection of module offerings in European, American, and military history, as well as the history of art, business, religion, science and technology.

The Department's #DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 'Live' Q&A session on 21 April (2-4 pm) here.

In the meantime, visit the College of Humanities Programmes page for more details on the programmes offered by this Department.

Department of Japanese Studies

Founded in 1981, the Department of Japanese Studies is one of the largest area studies departments devoted to the study of Japan in the Asia-Pacific region, and offers BA, MA and PhD degrees in Japanese Studies taught by specialists with qualifications from leading universities around the world.

The Department's #DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 'Live' Q&A session on 21 April (2-4 pm) here.

In the meantime, visit the College of Humanities Programmes page for more details on the programmes offered by this Department.

Department of Malay Studies

The Department of Malay Studies actively engages in research on a wide range of issues concerning the Malay world from a multi-disciplinary perspective, promotes exchanges with centres of Malay studies worldwide, and encourages the development of new and alternative approaches to the understanding of Malay history, economy, politics, society and culture.

The Department's #DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 'Live' Q&A session on 21 April (2-4 pm) here.

In the meantime, visit the College of Humanities Programmes page for more details on the programmes offered by this Department.

Department of Philosophy

The Department of Philosophy is one of Asia’s leading centres for philosophical education and research. It is the top English-language philosophy program in Asia, and the inaugural Asian member of the Australasian Association of Philosophy. The faculty members have a broad range of interests spanning diverse philosophical traditions, offer a philosophical education spanning diverse philosophical traditions.

The Department's #DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 'Live' Q&A session on 21 April (2-4 pm) here. This session will also include discussion of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Cross-Disciplinary Programme (PPE-XDP).

In the meantime, visit the College of Humanities Programmes page for more details on the programmes offered by this Department.

Department of Political Science

The Department of Political Science offers modules in comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and public administration. It also houses the Global Studies Programme, a new, multidisciplinary field of inquiry that examines the processes and effects of globalisation across political, economic, social and cultural domains around the world.

The Department's #DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 'Live' Q&A session on 21 April (2-4 pm) here. This session includes discussion of the Global Studies Programme.

In the meantime, visit the College of Humanities Programmes page for more details on the programmes offered by this Department.

Department of Psychology

The Psychology programme at NUS aims to equip students with knowledge in the key areas of psychology (such as human biological processes, developmental processes, social processes, cognitive processes, mental health and adjustment of individuals) as well as an understanding of the applications of psychology. It also develops skills for undertaking studies of behaviour, including statistical skills and the use of computers for data analyses.

The Department's #DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 'Live' Q&A session on 21 April (2-4 pm) here.

In the meantime, visit the College of Humanities Programmes page for more details on the programmes offered by this Department.

Department of Social Work

The main objective of the undergraduate General and Honours degree programme offered by the Department of Social Work is to equip its graduates for entry into the social work profession at the direct-service level. Students are exposed to social service visits, skills laboratory training, fieldwork placements and module projects, among other applied learning methods.

Go to this Department's #DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 'Live' Q&A session on 21 April (2-4 pm) here.

In the meantime, visit the College of Humanities Programmes page for more details on the programmes offered by this Department.

Department of Sociology

The Department of Sociology is a diverse, dynamic and innovative research and teaching unit with strong expertise in research on Southeast Asia, East Asia and South Asia as well as on Singapore society. One of the largest Sociology departments in the world, it offers comprehensive undergraduate, honours and graduate programmes, led by a group of dedicated and creative researchers and educators.

The Department's #DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 'Live' Q&A session on 21 April (2-4 pm) here.

In the meantime, visit the College of Humanities Programmes page for more details on the programmes offered by this Department.

South Asian Studies Programme

South Asian Studies, as offered by the South Asian Studies Programme (SASP), focuses on the region comprising India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. At the undergraduate level, students are offered a range of modules in economics, religious and cultural studies, history, international relations, philosophy, politics and gender studies. The aim is to provide graduates of the programme with a broad understanding of the region from different points of view - knowledge that will be useful in dealing with this changing region in the 21st century.

The Department's #DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 'Live' Q&A session on 21 April (2-4 pm) here.

In the meantime, visit the College of Humanities Programmes page for more details on the programmes offered by this Department.

Department of Southeast Asian Studies

The Department of Southeast Asian Studies is located in the Asian Studies Division of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and offers distinctive programmes for anyone interested in studying Southeast Asia, from the undergraduate to the PhD level.

The Department's #DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 'Live' Q&A session on 21 April (2-4 pm) here.

In the meantime, visit the College of Humanities Programmes page for more details on the programmes offered by this Department.

Centre for Language Studies

The Centre for Language Studies was established in 2001 to serve the foreign language needs of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and has today over 80 full-time and part-time faculty members. It teaches thirteen different languages - Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Spanish, Tamil, Thai and Vietnamese - to app. over 3,300 students per semester and thus helps them acquire a very valuable economic and social resource in today's world of growing globalisation and internationalisation.

The Department's #DiscoverFASS@CHS 2021 'Live' Q&A session on 21 April (2-4 pm) here.

In the meantime, visit the College of Humanities Programmes page for more details on the programmes offered by this Department.

The Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Prize 2021 - DRAMA

The Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Prize 2021 - DRAMA

The biennial Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Prize was established by the late Dr Sylvia Goh with an endowed gift to the Department of English Language and Literature at the National University of Singapore in memory and recognition of her late husband, Goh Sin Tub, who was one of Singapore’s best-known local writers.

Goh Sin Tub and Dr Sylvia Goh are both alumni of the University of Malaya (UM), one of NUS’s predecessor institutions. The Prize commemorates Goh Sin Tub’s life, achievements and support for education.

The deadline for submission of entries is Tuesday, 31 August 2021 at 5pm.

The results will be announced on 15 December 2021 at the NUS websites https://fass.nus.edu.sg/ell/news/.

Award

The following prizes will be awarded:
First Prize: $10,000
Second Prize: $6,000
Third Prize: $4,000

Only one prize per recipient will be awarded.

In the event that there is no deserving prize winner, the Department of English Language and Literature has the discretion not to award any prizes for this competition.

Rules of the Competition

1. The competition is open to all members of the NUS community (including the NUS High School of Mathematics and Science) at the time of submission of entry.

2. Entries for this competition are in the form of one-act plays that are meant for stage performance. Maximum word limit is 15,000 words. The performance time of the play should be between 20 to 45 minutes. The word count does not include the title page, list of characters, list of acts and scenes, and the synopsis.

3. Entries must be original and must not have been published or accepted for publication anywhere, whether online or in print. Entries must also not have been performed or scheduled to be performed, and must not have been broadcast on radio or television.

4. Entries that have had a workshop or reading will be considered.

5. Entries that have won prizes in any competitions are not eligible for this competition.

6. The same entry must not be submitted for another competition until the results of the Goh Sin Tub Competition have been released.

7. Entries must be written in the English Language.

8. All prize winners will be notified and required to attend the Award presentation. Details of the event will be provided closer to the date of the Award Ceremony.

9. The competition will be judged in a two-stage adjudication process: (a) shortlisting of 20 entries and (b) selection of winners. At each stage, there will be a panel of at least three judges, comprising faculty members, a student representative and alumni of the Department of English Language and Literature.

10. The decision of the judges is final.

Guidelines for Participants:

A. Manuscript Format:

1. The manuscript must begin with the title page (page 1), followed by a list of characters (page 2), a list of acts and scenes (page 3), and a synopsis (page 4).

2. The entry must be in arial font size 11 and double-spaced with one inch margins on all sides.

3. The manuscript must be printed on single-sided A4-sized paper. An electronic copy on a CD must be submitted as well.

4. The title of the entry must be specified on the top right hand corner of each page.

5. The page number must be specified at the bottom right hand corner of each page in the following format: “pg x out of xx” (eg pg 1 out of 20).

6. The word count must be included at the end of the entry.

7. Apart from the title of the entry, no other information (eg name, address or any identifying indication) that may lead to the identification of the participant, should be evident in the entry.

B. Submission Process:

1. All entries must include the following:

a. A soft copy of the Official Registration Form (in Microsoft Word)

b. A soft copy of the entry (in Microsoft Word)

c. A soft copy of staff card or matriculation card (in pdf)

2. These must be emailed to ellanga@nus.edu.sg by Tuesday, 31 August 2021 at 5pm:

3. Incomplete or late entries will not be accepted and appeals will not be entertained.

NUS Undergraduates Push the Frontiers of Engineering and Design

IN BRIEF | 5 min read

• When one explores uncharted territory, things can go wrong. Training undergraduate students to solve complex challenges is precisely the aim of the Innovation & Design Programme (iDP) at NUS Engineering. It was established in 2009 to give students a holistic education, and the opportunity to collaborate with industry partners to work on real-world problems.

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Having their 3D-printed gadget destroyed by a parrot, getting a mysterious phone call from a robot in the middle of the night, or spending their Christmas countdown debugging a crashed computer on a deserted rooftop - NUS students taking the Innovation & Design Programme (iDP) have been “there”.

When one explores uncharted territory, things can go wrong. Training undergraduate students to solve complex challenges is precisely the aim of the iDP at NUS Engineering. It was established in 2009 to give students a holistic education, and the opportunity to collaborate with industry partners to work on real-world problems.

Indeed, everything seemed to be going wrong for iDP student Michael Sutanto one night. He was alone in his room trying to debug a piece of software in a robot that makes phone calls over wi-fi, and he was facing difficulties. He almost wanted to give up when, suddenly, he was startled by an incoming call on the robot.

“I just tapped the reject button out of surprise,” said Michael, who majors in Mechanical Engineering. “At that point, no one was supposed to be able to call the robot except one of my team-mates, who told me he did not make the call. I never found out who or what was on the other end of the line. It seems our robot worked too well!”

Michael is in a team of iDP students working on “Ah Bot”, a moving robot with a touch screen that keeps an elderly person company. It has functions like videos, music and “memory jogging”, where the user is shown old family photos or the like. It also helps family members monitor and communicate with the elderly user remotely. The robot has a 3D laser scanning device that detects the user’s presence, and motorised wheels that allow the robot to steer towards the user.

Developed in collaboration with Sengkang General Hospital, Ah Bot helps fill in when a human companion is unable to be physically present. Dr Puneet Seth, a Senior Consultant at the Department of Emergency Medicine at the hospital, said that family members he spoke to in the course of his duties were increasingly concerned about their elders being alone for extended hours as the younger ones were out working.

Interdisciplinary learning as the way forward

The iDP welcomes undergraduate students from different disciplines in NUS, not just Engineering. That is exemplified by Ah Bot team member Shirley Wang, who majors in Theatre Studies at NUS Arts and Social Sciences.

She was tasked to design the elderly-friendly user interface for Ah Bot, which is simpler and more interactive than a smartphone. As the team puts it, the user engages the smartphone, but this robot engages the user. On how her experience in theatre helped with this, Shirley explained, “From applied theatre practices, you can see what kind of interaction you could possibly devise with the robot that might be effective for seniors.”

Meanwhile, another group of students has invented a wearable device that could save lives in hospital emergency rooms.

Many critical emergency patients need constant monitoring of their heart condition using electrocardiogram (ECG) machines. But this is not always possible, as hospitals have limited numbers of these bulky and expensive machines.

To address this, the iDP students invented a wearable ECG machine not much bigger than a smartphone. Instead of processing the data within the device, which would make it bulky, it sends the data through the Internet to a cloud server that analyses it using machine learning. The computers can detect subtle patterns in the ECG that indicate abnormal conditions requiring immediate medical attention, and automatically alert the doctor.

Team member Joshua Seetoh, who majors in Chemical Engineering, said they worked closely with doctors at the National University Hospital and as a result, they were able to quickly discover and fix problems.

For example, they discovered early on that the ECG signal was being drowned out by electromagnetic interference from hospital equipment, so they thickened the shielding on the device and improved their signal processing algorithms to filter out the noise.

They also modified the wiring from being hard-soldered to the device to being detachable with crocodile clips. This prevented tangling and cut the time needed to put on the device from five minutes to two minutes.

The students are planning to apply the same concept to acoustically monitor patients’ breathing rate.

The virtues of community involvement

At the iDP, giving back to the community is a key theme. One project that is very much in that mould is a hydroponics system that is high-tech, yet accessible to non-commercial users.

The system has three levels of kang kong, caixin, lettuce and other vegetables growing in a liquid medium, with a moving camera that takes pictures of the crops and sensors to monitor environmental conditions and nutrient levels via an app. The students said hydroponics kits for individual consumers currently do not offer this degree of automation and customisation.

It was an opportunity for NUS Computer Engineering student Benjamin Chong to learn practical skills in mechanical engineering, such as the uses of items called countersunk hex nuts. At the same time, NUS Mechanical Engineering student Nicol Lam explored the unfamiliar realm of horticulture through experimentation with the growth requirements of different plants.

There were also memorable episodes, such as spending the night of Christmas eve on the rooftop of Block E2A, with a beautiful panorama of Singapore’s harbour, while frantically trying to rescue the hydroponics from a computer crash.

But ultimately, the greatest satisfaction came from working with people living in the residential district of Teban Vista to grow the hydroponic crops in their neighbourhood.

One resident who was originally sceptical of hydroponics was impressed that it actually worked, while others enthusiastically posted photos on social media after harvesting and cooking their very own hydroponic vegetables.

Lending a helping hand to animals

Some iDP projects give animals a helping hand. One instance is the mysterious black dome-shaped object that suddenly appears one day in an enclosure housing Javan Mynas at the Singapore Zoological Gardens. This mysterious object is for monitoring the health of birds.

A tasty morsel of food sits in an opening on the side of the dome. Suspicious at first, the bird stays clear of the setup until its human handlers leave the enclosure, and then the automatic camera takes a picture as it alights on the perch in front of the food bait.

Unbeknownst to the bird, the perch is a weighing scale, while a sensor scans the radio frequency identification (RFID) tag on its leg. If the bird’s weight is more than 30 per cent lower than when it was last measured, the door of the cage surrounding the dome system snaps shut, and an alert is sent to the bird keeper’s smartphone app, warning that that bird’s health needs attention.

The students said this kind of system will save zoos considerable labour to manually catching and weighing animals and could reduce keepers’ exposure to dangerous animals.

However simple the system may seem, it was not easy putting it together. In the beginning, the group was plagued by erratic data and sometimes complete failure of the detector to register a reading. Team member Benjamin Chan, who majors in Computer Engineering, said, “The results were on and off and we didn’t know why. It can work one day, and when we come back the next day it doesn’t work!”

This went on for a month before they finally fixed it by redesigning the system with separate components that each performed a particular operation, which made it easier to trace and fix problems.

But that was not the end of their troubles. One day a rogue Macaw got into the myna enclosure and broke the bird perch that had taken the students seven hours to 3D-print.

Yet, it is through these experiences that iDP students at NUS gain valuable experience in tackling the real-world problems they will face after they graduate. The director of iDP, Associate Professor Loh Ai Poh, said, “iDP students all have their fair share of ups and downs. It is through these cycles of success and failure that they grow to be confident and to believe that success will always triumph if they persevere. We have a great programme that nurtures students, not just in multi-disciplinary learning, but also in providing a safe environment for self-discovery, and at the same time, learn good engineering skills. Not many engineering programmes around the world facilitate engineering education in this manner!”

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This story  first appeared in NUSnews on 30 March 2021. 

Dr Susan Ang: Training Students to Grapple with Complications and Complexities

IN BRIEF | 3 min read

• Dr Susan Ang, Assistant Professor at NUS English Language and Literature, talks about the "randomness...involved" in her choice of career, and shares her approach to teaching and perspectives on learning.

“All teachers are the sum of all other teachers who have ever taught them. And when you’re being taught, you’re not just being taught by me, you’re being taught by all the teachers who ever taught me,” said Dr Susan Ang Wan-Ling, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of English Language and Literature.

With this reflection, Dr Ang shares the honour of her illustrious achievements as an outstanding educator with those who came before her. As the recipient of the 2014 Outstanding Educator Award, an eight-time awardee of the Faculty Teaching Excellence Award between the years 1997 and 2013, a yearly recipient of the Annual Teaching Excellence Award from 2003 to 2007 and again in 2016 and 2017, and a member of the NUS Annual Teaching Excellence Award Honour Roll (2007 and 2017), Dr Ang has clearly left a rich legacy in shaping the lives of NUS students.

Yet, her path towards choosing English Literature as an academic pursuit and, through that, a career as an educator, came about somewhat by chance. Dr Ang recalled, “A lot of randomness was involved.”

English Literature was a subject she was good at and interested in, partly thanks to a secondary school teacher who noticed her potential in the subject. Later, a letter from immensely impressed Cambridge examiners praising her exceptional A-Levels English Literature paper led the Public Service Commission to offer her a scholarship to complete her undergraduate degree in English Literature in Cambridge. Her journey as an educator would begin when she joined NUS upon returning home, in 1993.

Recollecting her experiences as an educator, Dr Ang said, “It’s evolved from when I came in as a fresh PhD, thinking my job was to teach content and scrambling to stay one step ahead of the students, and moving to the point where I realised it was more important to teach them how to think and analyse and write.” Years of interacting with students have convinced her that the essential purpose of teaching is to help them be aware of what they are doing and aiming for, and why it works or doesn’t.

Dr Ang’s emphasis on various ways of knowing finds a fitting extension in John Keats’s concept of negative capability, or the ability to dwell in a realm where there is no certain knowledge and be comfortable with it. She elaborated that this concept, as referenced in her conversations with students, prompts us to think further of ethical and viable ways to fill up the knowledge gap.

Narrating the story of Kent Weekes, the American Egyptologist who deliberately left some rooms in the Ramesseum untouched so that the unknown contents could be processed through future methodologies and forms of thinking, Dr Ang commented, “That’s incredibly generous, but also exemplary of a willingness to dwell in a state where knowledge hasn’t yet come in to fill the gap. How he leaves the rooms untouched is indicative of his views on how the gap may be best filled – by leaving that filling to others.”

Beyond the cerebral, it is the passion in her students that holds a special place in Dr Ang’s heart. “I’m moved by their interest,” she said, musing that one of her greatest joys is seeing students gradually growing in competency and interest in the discipline.

Highly valuing academic integrity as well, she recounts an unusual and warming story of a student, one of the best in her cohort, who had received a low grade on a test because she had omitted to observe one of the rubrics. When the opportunity to retake the test was offered to the whole class, this student opted not to do so. Puzzled, Dr Ang pushed her for an answer, upon which she explained that she was personally proud of her work despite being aware of its flaws, and would like the test score to share a part of her grade and count as part of what she had done that year. Such courage and conviction to stand by one’s work is inspiring to Dr Ang.

Training students to grapple with the complications and complexities in school and life is key to Dr Ang’s teaching philosophy. As students engage with difficult concepts, they also learn to not be afraid, to be intelligent in confronting the difficult, to be undamaged by failure, and to have the character to stick things out. These takeaways shape all aspects of the student’s life and are required to thrive in any field, even if they cannot be easily quantified.

Strength of character extends too, to the capacity to show goodness and kindness to others. Dr Ang reminisced, “I’ve come across students prepared to spend time teaching their weaker classmates, encouraging them without patronising them, and helping them work through arguments. I love that.”

Conveying her hopes and dreams for past and present students while they move through and beyond life in NUS, Dr Ang has one simple wish: that they live happy, enlarged and fulfilled lives, and get to realise their dreams.

“Like any parent, I just want the best for them,” she concluded. “That they should have the opportunities they crave, and be happy.”

This is the first installment of a series on outstanding educators at NUS (A Class of Their Own) by NUSnews and first appeared on 15 January 2021.

FASS Alumna Georgette Tan Receives Lifetime Accolade at SABRE Awards

On 24 September 2020, Georgette Tan (Arts and Social Sciences, ’82), was conferred a lifetime accolade at the virtual Asia-Pacific Superior Achievement in Branding, Reputation & Engagement (SABRE) Awards.

Tan was previously Senior Vice President of Communications at Mastercard, where she managed external and internal communications across the Asia Pacific for over 18 years. She also led Mastercard’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes which focused on education and development programs for children and female empowerment across the region.

“Obviously you go into your careers and do what you do, not because you think you’re going to win an award at the end,” said Tan on receiving the Individual Achievement SABRE Award.

“The role, the job, the satisfaction of a job well done, and the impact you have on the lives of people and your organisation, that's your reward.”

While she was humbled by the recognition, Tan maintained that communications is not an individual role as she also paid tribute to all the people she has worked with throughout her professional journey.

Supporting community involvement

An advocate of giving and volunteering, Tan said it is never too early or too late to start, urging students, young graduates and mid-career professionals alike to actively seek opportunities for community involvement.

At present, Tan is the President of United Women Singapore (UWS), a women’s organisation with a primary mission of advancing gender equality, female empowerment and building the pipeline of future women leaders through education, economic empowerment and advocacy.

Tan also sits on the board of the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) and is chair of BoardAgender, an SCWO initiative focused on increasing the number of women in board positions. Additionally, she serves on the Taskforce on Family Violence which is co-chaired by the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Tan, who graduated from FASS with a degree in English Language and Literature, made the switch to the non-profit sector after a decades-long career in the communications industry spanning public service and the corporate world, citing the evolving nature of the non-profit landscape as a driving factor.

“You need to have a commercial lens, understand how best to market yourself, how to use social media and understand the power of partnerships, because it is a crowded landscape and you cannot do it alone,” she added.

“I felt I was ready to take all my skill sets and years of corporate training and channel that to the non-profit space.”

Championing female empowerment and anti-violence

Currently as President of UWS, Tan is focusing her energies on accelerating female empowerment and anti-violence efforts through education and advocacy programmes.

According to Tan, more girls and young women should be encouraged to take up Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in school and in their careers, so as to pave a way for gender equality in these fields.

“The idea is to level the playing field between the genders and eventually get more women into STEM roles which are male-dominated,” Tan explained. “In that process, with more women in engineering, innovation, sciences and math, we would also see a narrowing, and ultimately eradication, of the gender pay gap that exists today.”

UWS is in its seventh year of running Girls2Pioneers, an outreach programme in schools targeting girls primarily aged 10 to 16 and from disadvantaged backgrounds, encouraging them to pursue STEM in their higher education and careers.

Based on research that UWS had conducted this year, Tan said that a number of findings stood out: firstly, more girls than boys actually find STEM subjects easy; secondly, families tend to support boys more than girls in taking up STEM subjects; and lastly, it is critical for girls to have role models to look up to.

“So it’s not a capability issue, it’s a confidence issue,” Tan stressed.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic providing disruptions to the programme, UWS has been steadfast in moving some of its facets onto digital platforms.

According to the UWS website, over 28,000 girls have benefitted from the programme since its inception in 2014, where they undergo hands-on workshops and camps, as well as go on field trips to corporate offices where they get to interact with female professionals in science, technology and engineering fields.

By the end of the year, UWS plans to launch a mentorship programme where small groups of girls are matched to a mentor from these industries, so that they can gain first-hand insight and guidance and understand the role that these women play at work.

At the same time, UWS champions anti-violence, which has become more pertinent during the COVID-19 pandemic as more families are cooped up at home leading to a rise in domestic violence.

UWS has created GenSafe Workspaces, a programme that helps employers recognise the early signs that their staff or colleagues may be subjected to domestic violence at home, and know how to respond, or which agencies they can refer them to.

Besides working with victims of domestic violence and their immediate support network at work, Tan believes that it is crucial to educate young boys about anti-violence and healthy masculinity.

“The idea is to get (boys) early, to (help them) rethink what masculinity is, value the role women play in the household and society at large, and things like consent and respect. Breaking the cycle of domestic violence starts with the boys,” Tan said.

Applying corporate skills for the community

Looking back on her time at the National University of Singapore, Tan admitted she has slight regrets for not taking up any leadership roles then, but said that she made many good friends and memories during her undergraduate days here.

Urging students to break out of their comfort zones, Tan shared her piece of advice: “Don’t be afraid, don't hold yourself back, get involved, do diverse things. It’s only when you try out new things that you realise what you're really good at or what your true passion point is.”

With the changing outlook of the non-profit sector, Tan reiterated that there are many ways to get involved.

“A lot of people now go into skills-based volunteering and make use of their corporate abilities,” she explained. “You can be a great web designer, marketeer, communications practitioner, auditor, HR person, or digital specialist. The non-profit sector needs all these corporate skill sets.”

Road to Gautam’s PhD Journey

Meet Gautam, an awardee of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) Dean’s PhD Fellowship. The FASS Dean PhD fellowship is one of the highest honors awarded to the top few incoming PhD FASS Students, with a cap of maximum three recipients annually. Recipients of the FASS Dean’s PhD Fellowship will attain an extra year worth of funding in addition to the NUS Research Scholarship. In this feature, Gautam will be sharing more about himself and his research project.

As a teenager I searched novels for sentences that felt true, and later grew fond of stringing together moments in my writing. Before starting my PhD at NUS, I was working on a creative writing MA at NTU. The MA thesis traced my prodigal-son journey to the US, hiding hurt of migrating from small-city India to Singapore as a tween. Where that story was a chance to travel past dysfunctional bits of the global as I came to terms with Singapore, the PhD allows me to ask more methodically what may replace that which I have critiqued.

My research then is focused on ways of reframing Indian Ocean histories of migration and environmental transformation to allow for alternate terms of belonging in global cities like Singapore, Bangalore, and Dubai. Having grown up a Malayali migrant into the Tamil-majority Indian-diaspora experience in Singapore, I focus specifically on these two South Asian language-diasporas and their attempts to make Malaya and the Persian Gulf home over the last century. I look for historical commonalities between post-nineties migrants like myself, and the pre-Cold-War generations I moved into, hoping to find terms which may persuade the latter to more systematically extend generosities to future migrants.

With the Tamil and Malayali diasporas, I am particularly fascinated by how their movement and terms of stay in the last century have been shaped by the oil-driven industrialization of ex-colonies. And how these patterns of industrialization and emissions will likely shape future movement (forced and voluntary) out of monsoon-fed coastal regions of South India, vulnerable to climate disasters, toward global nodes. In the narration of these movements, I see English as a key language of translation between two diasporas and three regions, navigating patterns of industrialization shaped by Cold War policies and the dance between British and American interests in the Indian Ocean. I also hope the study of two diasporas may create a framework that can be applied more broadly from Philippines to Myanmar to Egypt.

Within the discipline, my proposed essay collection adapts Amitav Ghosh’s explorations of the histories of climate change, migration, and global capital, from a predominantly Bengali standpoint to a South Indian context. Archival material from a Ghosh-inspired historian’s work, Crossing the Bay of Bengal, connecting South India and Malaya, form the basis for the creative strands. While the essay form extends Ghosh’s discussions within The Great Derangement about the suitability of different literary forms when tackling climate change. My project also tries to insert itself into the gap Rob Nixon highlights between traditions of postcolonial ecocriticism and North American environmental writing.

Undertaking this project at NUS is a rare chance to be close enough to issues to change my mind. To be able to fly Scoot to Madurai, take a bus up to Penang, spend weekends at regional archives, learn Tamil, work closely with local experts on these themes, and build relationships that can shape knowledge. NUS’s joint-programme with King’s College also provides an opportunity to work with creative nonfiction faculty and access the colonial archives in London. At a time, when research on Asia is often written out of faraway universities, when Anglophone writing from the peripheries is often studied separately from regional language literatures, and writers are increasingly reliant on the university for jobs, the time and freedom the NUS PhD allows to pursue a question in this region through a hybrid critical-creative thesis, is precious.

(Contributed by Gautam)

Poetry Shortlist | Singapore Literature Prize 2020

We are pleased to announce that Professor Edwin Thumboo’s poetry collection, A Gathering of Themes (Ethos Books, 2019), has been shortlisted for the Singapore Literature Prize 2020! Professor Thumboo is one of Singapore’s foremost pioneer poets. After more than a decade since his last anthology, Still Travelling (Ethos Books, 2008), he brings to us a new work that features 109 poems, covering a wide range of topics including love, religion, history and nationhood. In time his words fly. ‘A special moment’. We wish Professor Thumboo all the best!   The virtual awards ceremony is on 27 August 2020, 8pm. You can tune in to the ceremony on Facebook! Find out more about the shortlisted titles here: https://bookcouncil.sg/singapore-literature-prize/shortlists/category/poetry-English Get A Gathering of Themes here: https://www.ethosbooks.com.sg/products/a-gathering-of-themes Read about the collection here: https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/edwin-thumboo-releases-new-poetry-collection-at-age-85

Eminent NUS historian Professor Wang Gungwu receives prestigious Tang Prize

The 2020 Tang Prize in Sinology has been awarded to Professor Wang Gungwu, University Professor at NUS Arts and Social Sciences and one of the world's foremost experts on the Chinese diaspora.

Announced on 20 June 2020 by the Tang Prize Foundation, this prestigious award was conferred on Prof Wang in recognition of his trailblazing and dissecting insights on the history of the Chinese world order, overseas Chinese, and Chinese migratory experience.

As a leading scholar on Sino-Southeast Asian historical relations, Prof Wang developed a unique approach to understanding China by scrutinising its long and complex relationship with its southern neighbours. His erudition and critical discernment have significantly enriched the explanation of China’s changing place in the world, traditionally developed from an internalist perspective or in relation to the West.

Prof Wang said, “It is a great honour to be awarded the Tang Prize in Sinology. When I was a student, Sinology was part of Oriental Studies and associated with classical studies, guoxue (国学) in China, Hanxue (汉学) in Japan and Europe. It was centred on ancient philology as the foundation for the study of literature, philosophy and history. The four previous awardees, Yu Ying-shih at Princeton, Ted de Bary at Columbia, Shiba Yoshinobu at Tokyo and Stephen Owen at Harvard, started with the study of classical Chinese. Yu and de Bary went on to enrich our knowledge of intellectual history while Shiba did the same for social and economic history. Although Owen is best known for his contributions to literature, his work on literary theory has illuminated key features of the historical imagination.”

“I am a historian who believes that China’s present cannot be separated from her total past. Living all my life outside China, I am fascinated by the way China had fallen and risen several times. Each time that happened had made a difference to the course of world history. For us to understand why that could happen requires us to go beyond the humanities to the social sciences. I am gratified that modern Sinology now recognises the centrality of shi (史) in Chinese civilisation,” he added.

One of Asia’s most important intellectuals

Prof Wang Gungwu has been University Professor at NUS Arts and Social Sciences since 2007, and Emeritus Professor of the Australian National University since 1988. He is Foreign Honorary Member of the History Division of the American Academy of Arts and Science and former President of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. Prof Wang received his BA and MA from University of Malaya (UM) in Singapore, and PhD at SOAS, London.

Spending much of his life immersed in different cultures gives Prof Wang diverse personae as a scholar. He is an “insider” in the academic tradition of Chinese Confucianism and British elite education, and an “outsider” in the interpretation of China’s perception of the world. His original approach to understanding China from the southern perspective is in part a natural choice given his personal experience. This same experience provided him with abundant inspiration in his formative years as he matured into an authoritative voice in the analysis of China’s worldview.

Besides being an outstanding scholar, Prof Wang has been an inspiring educator since he embarked on an academic career first at UM and subsequently at the Australian National University, before making his mark as Vice Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong from 1986 to 1995, Chairman of the Institute of East Asian Political Economy from 1996 to 1997, and Director of the NUS East Asian Institute from 1997 to 2007.

At 89 years old, Prof Wang is still very prolific as a scholar. “I am writing on Chinese hopes and fears following China’s opening and reforms, focusing on the period after the People’s Republic of China’s entry into the United Nations in October 1971,” he shared.

And when asked how COVID-19 has impacted him, Prof Wang said, “COVID-19 has moved me away from my routines and made me parcel my life more carefully and take into account how much time I might have to get my work completed.”

The biannual Tang Prize consists of four categories, namely Sustainable Development, Biopharmaceutical Science, Sinology and Rule of Law. It aims to promote the interaction and cooperation between cultural and technological research so as to find a 21st century path to the sustainable development of the world.

See citation for the prize.

This article was first published on 22 June 2020 in NUS News at https://news.nus.edu.sg/highlights/eminent-nus-historian-professor-wang-gungwu-receives-prestigious-tang-prize.

NUS awards Edwin Thumboo Prize 2020 to four Pre-University Students for Outstanding Literary Work

The Department of English Language and Literature at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences will be awarding the Edwin Thumboo Prize 2020 to four pre-university students for their outstanding literary work.

Named after one of Singapore’s most prominent poets and scholars, the Edwin Thumboo Prize, aims to promote excellence in the study of Literature at the pre-university level by recognising outstanding literary works by A-level and International Baccalaureate (IB) students of English Literature in Singapore. It is administered by the Department with support from the Ministry of Education (MOE). The Prize, established in 2019, is funded by generous donors, including patrons of the arts and former winners of the Angus Ross Prize.

The winner of the Edwin Thumboo Prize 2020 is Ms Loh Su Jean from Raffles Institution, who will receive a monetary award of $200.

Her essay on Shakespeare evinced a thorough and dedicated pursuit of scholarly knowledge and individual insight. The panel praised her exceptional work, which embodied both intellectual capacity and depth. Ms Loh demonstrated similar poise and discernment during her interview when she had to analyse and compare two unseen poems – one of which was by a Singapore poet. She navigated poetic complexity with immense conviction, rigour and detail, and presented an insightful reading of the poems.

When informed of the results, Ms Loh said, “I owe this to each and every one of my literature teachers, who showed me how to look at the world with inspiration and discover its beauty in the written word. To my mother, who read to me before I could: thank you for filling my childhood with books, libraries, and a love for stories. None of this would be possible without you.”

Three Merit Prizes will also be awarded to Ms Chu Shuai Wu Freyja from Dunman High School, Mr Ng Zheng Yang from Anglo Chinese Junior College, and Ms Silvia Suseno from Nanyang Junior College. They will receive monetary awards of $100 each.

The winners of the Edwin Thumboo Prize were selected through a rigorous selection process. In 2019, government pre-university institutions were invited to nominate one candidate each. The competition attracted entries from 13 institutions.

Each institution had to submit recommendations for their nominated candidates. The candidates were also required to submit a piece of academic writing on a literary text or topic.

Candidates were assessed by a selection panel, comprising representatives from NUS and MOE, as well as former prize-winners. The selection panel for this year’s Prize included Dr Susan Ang from the Department and the 1997 Angus Ross Prize Winner, Mr Aaron Maniam. In identifying the winners, the selection panel looked particularly for an excellent grasp of the written word, and a sensitivity to its significance as a creative endeavour.

Associate Professor Michelle Lazar, Head of the NUS Department of English Language and Literature, was impressed with the quality of the entries and expressed the Department’s gratitude to the donors who initiated and donated to the Edwin Thumboo Prize. She said, “We are very encouraged by the number of nominations received this year, the diverse topics of the submissions – ranging from Shakespeare to Bob Dylan – and the sophistication of writing and analysis of many of the entries. We are grateful to our partners in education from MOE and the pre-university institutions for working with us to promote the study of and love for literature.”

About Professor Edwin Thumboo

Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo is one of Singapore’s pioneering poets. An accomplished literary practitioner and critic, he dedicated his life to the composition and study of English Literature. His work is studied in schools, both locally and abroad, and featured in public places in Singapore. At NUS, Professor Thumboo had served as Head of the Department of English Language and Literature, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and Director of the NUS Centre for the Arts. He has also received numerous awards, including the Book Award for Poetry in English (1978, 1980 and 1994), Southeast Asia Write Award (1979), The Cultural Medallion (March 1980), ASEAN Cultural and Communication Award for Literature (August 1987), Public Service Star (August 1991), the Meritorious Service Medal (2006), and Distinguished Service Award (2008).

North American Victorian Studies Association (NAVSA) Annual Conference 2019 Undergraduate Research Event

 

A mid-term overseas excursion involving almost sixty hours of travel can be no mere flight of fancy. From 17 to 19 October 2019, I was very privileged to be at the North American Victorian Studies Association’s (NAVSA) annual conference in Columbus, Ohio. I was there with the support of the English Language and Literature department at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and under the mentorship of Professor Kevin A. Morrison from Henan University, whom I met during a module on Victorian Literature and Culture that he had conducted as a Visiting Professor to NUS. Dr Morrison had nominated me to present a project at NAVSA 2019’s Undergraduate Research Event. Months of research following my acceptance into the programme, which found me stealing time from my vacation and coursework to read anything from Victorian lyric poetry to nineteenth-century animal welfare brochures, eventually yielded the theme of this project: “Rethinking Victorian Anthropocentricism: The Avian Poetics of Thomas Hardy, George Meredith and the Rossettis.”

Part of the research programme for undergraduates at NAVSA 2019 included a workshop. This was an opportunity for us to pitch our projects to one another, to refine our arguments against our peers’ evaluation. We also shared insights and experiences related to the challenges of preparing for the upcoming presentation. We spoke at length, for instance, about the difficulty of handling the specific genre we were assigned to work with: the academic poster. To compress reams of research into a mere five hundred words or so plus a handful of images was infinitely more demanding than a five thousand-word paper might have been. Yet the prevailing realisation was that such limitation could only be the impetus for radical creativity. Brevity boasts its own poetry. What was truly inspiring in the work of my peers was its sheer felicity and acumen: everybody was bold, open and in earnest about what they were sharing. I was deeply impressed, for example, by Hannah Calderazzo’s presentation titled “Unfeminine Legacies from Wilkie Collins’s The Woman in White to Victoria Cross’s Six Chapters of a Man’s Life,” which skilfully and imaginatively unpacked the transactions between nineteenth-century sensation fiction and classical tragedy. Hannah was extremely well-read and fluent in her knowledge of the period. Like every other participant at the conference, she was deeply in possession of her own niche, and proudly, unapologetically so.

In many ways it was the people who made the occasion. This was especially true during the undergraduate poster session, held on the third and final day of the conference. Our posters were arranged along corridors adjacent to seminar rooms in the Hilton Columbus Downtown where the conference was being hosted. Interested participants could approach individual presenters to talk about their projects. Here, I was quite overwhelmed by the encouraging feedback I received. Dr Maha Jafri from Sewanee, for example, summoned such tremendous energy to engage with my readings of Hardy, Meredith and the Rossettis; she also shared valuable information about where I might look up archives related to the work of Meredith (a writer whose work, we both agreed, suffers its own somewhat maligned, critically underappreciated dogmatic brilliance). I also got to test my interpretations of poems by Christina and Dante Gabriel Rossetti against the expertise of Professor Elizabeth K. Helsinger, whose work I had read when conducting my own research. Part of the difficulty of establishing an ecological reading of the Rossettis concerns how one might evaluate the theological preoccupations of their work. In simple terms, it’s difficult to say precisely that when, for instance, Christina Rossetti in “A Birthday” writes “My heart is like a singing bird / Whose nest is in a water’d shoot,” she is being as aware of the bird itself as she is with its symbolic properties. It was therefore immensely motivating to hear Professor Helsinger say, in agreement with my own intuitions, that, “Yes, I do think she sees the bird.” The poster session resonated, in sum, both effectively and affectively; it built my confidence and helped me sharpen my own critical perceptions.

I’ll finish this post with a thought that returns me home. Many of my fondest memories of NAVSA 2019, strangely enough, don’t come from Columbus at all. These include: the enthusiastic and unconditional support of my family; endless matrices of email correspondence with Dr Morrison on the details of the project, which he tirelessly and meticulously guided me through; Professor Lazar and Professor Sankaran’s warm encouragement before my trip; Dr Susan Ang’s illuminating discussions on Hopkins, Keats and Shelley; Ms Angeline Ang’s kindness and patience in guiding me through the administrative work of requesting conference funds; expedient emails from CLB containing articles requested via DDS that were essential in helping me define and refine my project; Dr Jennifer McDonell’s expert feedback on my ideas and poster design; Dr Michael Hollington’s hugely supportive response to my queries about his own work on Dickens and to my project; talks with Stasha Wong on environmentalism, animals and various things ecological; philosophical gymnastics with Tan Wei Lin on dialogism and Derrida; discussions with Joycelyn Lee Yuet Zhen on Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s “Sudden Light,” phonemes and the IPA chart. It’s this community of people back to whom I must trace the roots of the sweetness of my experience of NAVSA 2019, and so I do, with great wonder and gratitude.

Submitted by 3rd-year undergraduate Justin Goh.