May 18, 2018

There are a growing number of studies focused on Muslim migrants in Singapore, but how exactly are Malay-Muslim migrants out of Singapore adapting to new communities overseas?

Associate Professor Khairudin Aljunied from the NUS Department of Malay Studies will be leading research on how first-generation Muslim immigrants adapt in Western environments through a case study on Singaporean Malay-Muslim communities in Australia. The project, awarded with a Tier 2 MOE Research Grant, focuses on the cities of Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney to develop the concept of “cosmopolitan adaptation.”

“Cosmopolitan adaptation” remains an unexplored strategy for Muslim immigrants in the West, involving the practices of reconfiguring established understandings of Islam to embrace religious practices of other Muslims, as well as expanding present social networks to include Muslims from other nationalities and non-Muslims. This particular study works towards building greater understanding on Singaporean emigration and adaptation strategies. In turn, it sheds light on how a fraction of Singaporeans cope with new environments and the shifts in their conceptions of belonging and identity.

Learn more about this research and other recently awarded Tier 2 projects here.