February 15th 2017 marked the 75th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore. On this day, Singapore surrendered to Japan, marking the beginning of the Japanese Occupation which lasted nearly three and a half years. Despite being called the ‘impregnable fortress’, Singapore surprisingly surrendered in a week. In his book “The Defence and Fall of Singapore […]

Never mind the chocolates and the roses. All you need is love and a little bit of social science. This Valentine’s Day, findings from Assoc. Prof. Michelle See et. al (Dept of Psychology) can not only help fan the flames of romance but also ensure that it is a love that lasts. Building upon previous […]

Do social networking websites facilitate delinquent behaviour amongst Singaporean youths? Thanks to the internet, we have formed global communities from the comfort of our homes and offices. However, there are several risks associated with these online social communities that are not so apparent, but necessary to know of in a country like Singapore where almost […]

The growing economies of the Southeast Asia have transformed themselves into middle income countries over the past few decades. Challenging Southeast Asian development: The shadows of success (Routledge, 2016) by Prof Jonathan Rigg (Department of Geography) looks at how the very success of these economies has bred new challenges, novel problems, and fresh tensions. Talking […]

Contemporary worship of the South Indian Hindu goddess Samayapuram Mariyamman in cosmopolitan and urban Singapore does not go against the grain. Instead, local devotees have adequately prepared themselves to sustain traditional worship in a bureaucratic, multi-ethnic and religious environment. In “Bringing back the old ways: Enacting a goddess festival in urban Singapore”, Prof. Vineeta Sinha […]

The political career of Dr. James Puthucheary was marked with quiet controversy. Apart from historic accounts of his defection from the People’s Action Party to join Barisan Socialis, his detention during Operation Cold Store and subsequent exile, little is known of Dr. Puthucheary’s persona. In My Burning Hill (2012), alum Dr. Rosaly Puthucheary (Dept of […]

In the news this week, Chinese newspaper LianHe ZaoBao featured Prof. Kenneth Dean and Dr. Hue Guan Thye’s (Dept. of Chinese Studies) latest publication, Chinese Epigraphy in Singapore 1819-1911 (2017). The two-volume book represents the beginnings of an on-going effort to uncover the life of early Chinese migrants in Singapore. Inscriptions carved on the items […]

If the Hollywood stuff of movie magic and platitudinous happy endings have your nose turned up, why not opt for local film entertainment? Unlike its prodigious competitor, the local film industry decries the typical narrative of an underdog’s success and lacks sufficient funding for awesome CGI and sound effects. Instead, local films promise an “other” […]

To kickstart the new year, we feature Prof Brenda Yeoh, Dr Theodora Lam and Alice Chen’s book chapter, “Urban Dreams in an Island-Nation-City-State” from Singapore Dreaming: Managing Utopia (2016). In this season of resolution and retrospection, Prof Yeoh et al. remind us that our hopes and dreams contribute to Singapore’s cosmopolitan dream. Specifically, the authors […]

‘One Night in Bethlehem’ comes from the book, ‘Butterflies don’t cry and other plays’, by Stella Kon, playwright, novelist, short story writer and poet. Kon, alumnus of the Department of ELL, is the winner of several playwriting competitions in the early 1980s and her works are studied in local and foreign universities. She currently resides in […]