NUS Sociology and Anthropology Inter-Varsity Graduate Students Symposium 2026

A “frontier” can be said to demarcate a geographic boundary or a physical and territorial limit which separates the wilderness from beyond it from the civilisation it encloses (Saraf, 2020). Simultaneously, to borrow a line from Johnson et al’s (2011) study of borders, frontiers are not mere “fixed lines”, but can also be seen as “processes, practices, discourses, symbols, institutions or networks through which power works” (62). Of interest is also how frontiers may refer metaphorically and symbolically to spaces and parameters encompassing particular fields of knowledge and knowledge production (Dogan, 2000; Kinney, 2014). To say that a “new frontier” is always in reach in Sociology and Anthropology acknowledges that the peripheries of the disciplines are constantly expanding, evolving, and embracing new breakthroughs.

This year’s inter-varsity symposium’s theme New Frontiers in Sociology & Anthropology foregrounds contemporary transformations and discusses emergent theoretical concerns while opening a space for methodological innovation and reflexive critique, via the discussion of current research undertaken by Graduate Students in NUS, NTU, SMU, SUSS, and SUTD.

Singapore’s universities host vibrant graduate communities in Sociology and Anthropology, yet meaningful inter-institutional engagement among students remains limited. As research questions increasingly cut across disciplines, institutions, and publics, there is strong value in building a collaborative intellectual ecosystem where graduate scholars can exchange ideas, test emerging research, and cultivate scholarly networks early in their careers.

The conveners of this symposium cordially invite the Graduate students of NUS, NTU, SMU, SUSS, and SUTD who are pursuing their Master or PhD in Sociology or Anthropology to present a paper or poster submission engaging with the symposium’s main theme vis-à-vis the following sub-themes: