News

Singaporeans prefer to have just one child, instead of being childless: Study

March 13, 2024

Fertility rates continue to fall worldwide, with more and more individuals choosing to have fewer children or forgo parenthood altogether. Singapore is no exception and currently has one of the lowest total fertility rates (TFR) in the world, with the resident TFR having declined to below 1.0 in 2023. The low birth rate is a …

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‘Man playing five stones at a carnival’ by Kelman Chiang, from SRN’s SG Photobank

Building Chinese Diaspora Resilience and Sustaining Traditional Identities through Promotion of Hokkien Language

March 11, 2024

Led by Professor Kenneth Dean (NUS Chinese Studies), ‘Building Chinese Diaspora Resilience and Sustaining Traditional Identities through Promotion of Hokkien Language’, a US Federal Grant-funded project (via the US Embassies of Singapore and Malaysia), investigates the role of the Southern Min dialect, also referred to as Hokkien or Minnan, within the transformation of Chinese Voluntary …

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Singaporean Women Living in China: The Uneven Burdens of Middle-class Transnational Caregiving

March 4, 2024

International Women’s Day is commemorated annually on 8 March. This celebration empowers women by making their struggles visible, thus advocating for greater equality of the sexes.‘Singaporean Women Living in China: The Uneven Burdens of Middle-class Transnational Caregiving’ (Asian Studies Review, 2022) by Dr Sylvia Ang (Monash University), Associate Professor Thang Leng Leng (NUS Japanese Studies …

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Governing Diverse Cities in Europe and Asia

February 26, 2024

As Asian and European nations prepare to commemorate ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Day on March 1st to celebrate the partnership and dialogue between the continents, it is pertinent to reflect on the urban dynamics of Asia and Europe.   Cities in Asia and Europe are undergoing significant shifts in migration patterns, marked by transnational ties and …

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‘Religious associations’ by Kelman Chiang, from SRN’s SG Photobank

Chinese Voluntary Associations in Transition: China’s Rise and the Remaking of Ancestral Communities in Southeast Asia

February 19, 2024

‘Chinese Voluntary Associations in Transition: China’s Rise and the Remaking of Ancestral Communities in Southeast Asia’, a Ministry of Education AcRF Tier 2 grant funded from 2023 to 2026, investigates the transformation of Chinese Voluntary Associations (CVAs), also known as Huaren Shetuan, in contemporary Southeast Asia. CVAs are non-official and non-governmental community groups that originate …

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Strategic races: understanding racial categories in Japanese-occupied Singapore

February 12, 2024

Singapore celebrates Total Defence Day on 15 February each year, as a reminder of the day Singapore surrendered to the Japanese forces. This marked the start of the Japanese occupation of Singapore, then renamed Syonan-to. Shortly afterwards, the Japanese implemented significant social and economic policy changes, including racial policies towards certain ethnic groups (minzoku). Dr …

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Meritocracy and its discontents

February 10, 2024

As a young island nation, Singapore has taken pride in its meritocratic system. It sees this system as responsible for propelling its growth into an economic powerhouse. Basing people’s worth on their achievements and hard work, instead of their background and status, is one of the defining traits of meritocracy, and it continues to have …

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Singapore and Johor: Deep bonds inspire new wellsprings of growth

February 9, 2024

The connection between Singapore and Malaysia extends far beyond being neighbours. From economic interdependence to bilateral relations, to even being part of the same nation at one point, the relationship between the two countries is complex and multi-faceted. Despite past conflicts, Singapore and Malaysia continue to share a mutually beneficial relationship, with up to one …

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Commentary: How can Singapore keep up with the unique needs of prodigies?

February 7, 2024

Singapore’s education system is notorious for its rigour and quality, with Singaporean students consistently performing well in international assessments, such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). Yet, there are some who surpass the demanding requirements of the education system – most recently, a …

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SRN is Hiring! Call for Undergraduate/Graduate Student Assistants

February 7, 2024

Call For Applications: Student Assistant at the Singapore Research Nexus (SRN) The Singapore Research Nexus (SRN) is a unique academic resource covering the wide range of research on Singapore produced by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS). It can be found at https://fass.nus.edu.sg/srn/. SRN is part of the FASS Research Division and has been …

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