News

Migrant Workers in Singapore and the Politics of Recognition

December 20, 2021

Migration is a commonplace phenomenon in a globalised world, as people move in search of better opportunities for economic and social improvement. Created by the United Nations, International Migrants Day on 18 December recognises the human rights of all migrants. In the same vein, Assistant Professor Hong Renyi (NUS Department of Communications and New Media) […]

Is it frivolous to learn Korean to appreciate Squid Game and K-drama shows?

December 19, 2021

In ‘Is it frivolous to learn Korean to appreciate Squid Game and K-drama shows?’ (Channel News Asia, 2021), Dr Daniel Chan (NUS Centre for Language Studies) argues that learning new languages for entertainment purposes should not be dismissed as being frivolous. With the rise in popularity of Korean entertainment culture all around the world came […]

Migration and Marriage in Asian Contexts

December 17, 2021

Migration and Marriage in Asian Contexts (Routledge, 2021), edited by Assistant Professor Zheng Mu (NUS CFPR and Sociology) and Professor Jean Wei-Jun Yeung (NUS CFPR and Sociology) and originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, analyses how Asian migrants adapt and assimilate into their host societies, and how […]

Chineseness and the Cold War: Contested Cultures and Diaspora in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong

December 16, 2021

Chineseness and the Cold War: Contested Cultures and Diaspora in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong (Routledge, 2021), edited by Associate Professor Xu Lanjun (NUS Chinese Studies) and Associate Professor Jeremy E. Taylor (University of Nottingham), explores the different notions of “Chineseness” during the Cold War through the examination of specific case studies of the “Chinese […]

MOE Investigates Complaint that Teacher sought Sugar Daddy on Controversial Website Sugarbook

December 15, 2021

    Sugarbook, a website that allows its users to sell their time and companionship for money, has once again come under public scrutiny after a complaint was lodged against a Ministry of Education (MOE) teacher who was allegedly discovered on the website advertising herself as a potential ‘sugar baby’. The teacher has since resigned, […]

Generating a virtual tour for the preservation of the (in)tangible cultural heritage of Tampines Chinese Temple in Singapore

December 14, 2021

On 14 December 1992, the Tampines Chinese Temple was officially opened by then Minister for Communications and Development Mr Mah Bow Tan. The temple is used to house deities from nine Chinese temples located nearby, which had to be demolished to make way for further development of the Tampines area. Virtual tours are envisioned to […]

Safeguarding the Culture and History of Pencak Silat in Singapore: An Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Malays in Singapore

December 13, 2021

  Singapore won seven gold medals at the 18th World Pencak Silat Championships during the 13th to the 16th of December 2018. This was the country’s best-ever showing at the competition, which is widely considered to be the pinnacle of competitive events in the regional sport. In addition to being a sport and a form […]

Opposing Power: Building Opposition Alliances in Electoral Autocracies

December 9, 2021

Assistant Professor Elvin Ong (NUS Department of Political Science) will soon be releasing a book with the University of Michigan Press, as part of the Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies series, titled Opposing Power: Building Opposition Alliances in Electoral Autocracies. The book argues that opposition party leaders’ perceptions of regime vulnerability and inter-party dependency shape […]

Summit Atmospheres: Aviation Diplomacy and Virtual Infrastructures of Politics

December 7, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on Singapore’s aviation industry. Singaporeans lament their missed vacations and opportunities for travel. Transporting cargo via air freight, which was once considered routine, now poses its own set of logistical challenges because of strict public health restrictions. We are increasingly aware of Singapore’s reliance on its aviation […]

Dissecting Social Media Narratives to Reveal Voluntourism Ideologies

December 2, 2021

Mandated by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, International Volunteer Day (IVD) is annually commemorated on 5 December. The UN Volunteers programme organises a campaign each year to promote IVD, recognising the initiatives of volunteers and volunteering organisations. IVD also provides an opportunity to share new volunteering projects and garner support from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), […]