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Did you know that Singapore boasts up to 54 surrounding islands, many of which were established through land reclamation post-independence? While most of these islands remain untouched, some play crucial roles in the city-state’s development. Given their relative obscurity and historical significance to most Singaporeans, ‘Urbanising Islands: A Critical History of Singapore’s Offshore Islands’, a […]
What does it mean to age well in a city where living alone is increasingly common? In ‘Ageing in Networks: Living Alone but Connected’ (Ageing & Society, 2025), Associate Professor Vincent Chua (NUS Sociology and Anthropology & NUS Centre for Family and Population Research), Associate Professor Chen-Chieh Feng (NUS Geography), and Professor Elaine Lynn-Ee Ho (NUS Geography & […]
Section 377A, a colonial-era law that criminalised sex between consenting adult males in Singapore, was officially repealed on 3 January 2023. This came after the emergence of a global wave of “backlash politics” in the 21st century, marked by conservative and culturally retrogressive sentiments, particularly in response to the recognition of LGBT rights. Despite Singapore’s […]
From Murakami’s simple egg salad sandwiches in The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle to the apples in Orwell’s Animal Farm, food has long served as a powerful metaphor and metonymy in literary fiction. In ‘Metaphors and Metonymies of Food in Four Asian Texts’ (Anthropocene Ecologies of Food, 2022), Associate Professor Chitra Sankaran (NUS English, Linguistics and Theatre […]
This semester, our “Celebrating Singapore Studies: Sixty Years of Nationhood” campaign has been bringing NUS FASS research alive through thought-provoking events and a brand new video series that looks beyond the official success story to the everyday lives, contradictions, and hopes that truly shape Singapore. Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve enjoyed together so […]
International Relations (IR) scholarship has long grappled with its Western-centric roots, often sidelining regional insights that could enrich the global discourse. In Southeast Asia, particularly in Singapore, there is significant potential for theoretical contributions given the region’s rich history of colonialism, state-building, and economic development. However, the balance between addressing local experiences and conforming to […]
The implementation of the enhanced Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) scheme at the beginning of 2025 will benefit around half a million Singaporeans through increased payouts and expanded coverage. The income eligibility cap for low-wage workers was raised from S$2,500 to S$3,000 a month, providing greater financial support and fostering continued wage growth. During his Budget […]
Check out the photos from our Singapore Heritage Roundtable! The roundtable was chaired by FASS Assistant Dean of Research and Foo Hai Associate Professor in Buddhist Studies Jack Meng-Tat Chia and opened by Ms Melissa May Tan, Director of Heritage Policy & Research at the National Heritage Board. The programme featured four National Heritage Board […]
The increasing role of cities in global governance has sparked debates about how urban centres navigate international relations. With globalisation accelerating inter-city interactions, city networks have emerged as crucial platforms for policy exchange, advocacy, and cooperation. Despite claims that cities are rising as independent global actors, national governments continue to exert significant influence over international […]
As part of the “Celebrating Singapore Studies: Sixty Years of Nationhood” campaign, the Singapore Research Nexus hosted a richly informative Heritage Research Roundtable that featured four National Heritage Board Heritage Research Grant recipients from FASS and brought fresh scholarly light to lesser-known chapters of Singapore’s past. The full video recording is now available here. Programme […]