News
Does changing the law change how society talks? In “NUS study: Legal reforms shift public discourse on social issues, but institutional and societal conditions determine lasting change” (NUS News, 11 August 2026), Associate Professor Kokil Jaidka (NUS Communications and New Media) discusses new research on how legal reforms around same-sex relationships shape public discourse in […]
Chinese medicine first arrived in Singapore alongside early waves of Chinese migration into Southeast Asia. Although many local practitioners received training in China, they gradually adapted their practices to suit the local context, giving rise to what is now known as Singapore Chinese Medicine (SCM). Rather than being a replica of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), […]
Many are familiar with Singapore’s independence on 9 August 1965 – currently celebrated as Singapore’s National Day. However, fewer people remember 16 September 1963, when Singapore merged with Malaya, Sabah, and Sarawak to form the Federation of Malaysia, a political experiment that lasted less than two years but profoundly shaped Singapore’s statehood. This period has […]
Who gets to decide what counts as heritage? In “From Product to Process: Community Heritage-Making in Singapore” (Cultural Connections, 2025), Associate Professor Hamzah Bin Muzaini (NUS Southeast Asian Studies) examines how heritage-making in Singapore has shifted from a largely state-led project to a more participatory process involving communities, grassroots groups, youths, and everyday heritage enthusiasts. […]
The opening of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link in 2027 is expected to transform cross-border travel and increase demand for transport within Johor Bahru. However, persistent road congestion could prevent feeder buses from becoming a reliable alternative to private cars. In ‘Why Johor Bahru Should Roll Out Congestion Pricing When RTS Opens’ […]
World Suicide Prevention Day is observed annually on 10 September with the aim of rallying organisations, governments, and the public around the message that suicide is preventable. The triennial theme from 2024 to 2026, ‘Changing the Narrative on Suicide’, seeks to raise awareness about the importance of reducing stigma and encouraging open conversations to prevent suicides. […]
Singapore’s reputation for neutrality and trust has long been an asset to its strong economic position, but what happens if this reputation slowly becomes exploited and unravelled? In ‘Fake recruiters and elite capture: “Singapore Washing” gets even riskier amid heightened geopolitical tensions’ (Academia SG, August 2026), Associate Professor Chong Ja Ian (NUS Political Science) argues […]
As globalisation and urbanisation accelerated in the late 20th century, cities began playing an expanded role on the international stage, giving rise to city diplomacy — a practice involving relations among cities, nation-states, NGOs, and corporations. Singapore exemplifies this trend, uniquely positioned as both a leading global city and a sovereign nation-state. This dual identity […]
Singapore’s limited land requires difficult choices between infrastructural development and environmental conservation. The proposed redevelopment of a large portion of Maju Forest to build public housing has brought this tension into recent focus, drawing petitions with tens of thousands of signatures, heated online discussions and parliamentary questions over whether alternative sites could be considered. Against […]
Singapore’s tropical climate, exacerbated by the growing effects of climate change, has seen its annual mean temperature rise by 0.24°C per decade between 1984 and 2022. With existing research highlighting the substantial impacts of ambient heat on public health and individual productivity, Dr Li Hongyan (NUS Energy Studies Institute), Associate Professor Liu Haoming, Associate Professor […]