News
Singapore saw a surge in the rate of COVID-19 infections towards the end of 2023 and residents were encouraged to start wearing masks again in crowded places to prevent the spread of the disease. Mask-wearing has normalised in the past few years, becoming commonplace in schools and workplaces. As a result, children have had to …
Effects of face masks on language comprehension in bilingual children Read More »
Singapore has been touted as one of the world’s most well-planned cities, with a focus on not only public infrastructure but also on its natural environment. As envisioned by Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore has transformed into ‘a city in a garden’, a unique urban setting that accommodates a diverse range of inhabitants, from mosquitoes to …
Singaporean Creatures: Histories of Humans and Other Animals in the Garden City Read More »
As the world prepares to commemorate International Education Day on the 24th of January, emphasizing the pivotal role of education in fostering global development and understanding, Singapore’s geography syllabus is a testament to this global vision. As the geography curriculum evolves, it seeks to promote critical thinking about power dynamics in human-environment relations, emphasizing social …
The urban landscape of Southeast Asia is rapidly evolving, with cities becoming focal points of innovation, development, and imagination. As cities grow and transform, they become embodiments of visions of the future that are influenced by discourses of urban planning and historical pathways of development. But how do these sites of urban planning reflect and …
Capitals of the Future: Place, Power, and Possibility in Southeast Asia Read More »
The frequent act of complaining has been characterised as a defining trait of Singaporeans, from moaning about the incessant heat and humidity, to grumbling about rising inflation or increasing the Goods and Services Tax (GST). While complaining is commonly understood to be a negative way of speaking, there might be another side to complaining that …
Commentary: Is Singapore’s complaint culture helping us or hurting us? Read More »
As climate change continues to drive temperatures around the globe steadily upwards, Singapore finds itself in a precarious situation. Doubly hit by greenhouse gas emissions and the urban heat island (UHI) effect, it faces a problem of high temperatures that promise to continue soaring beyond livable standards. Further increasing temperatures promise to be detrimental to …
Cooling Singapore 2.0 – Digital Urban Climate Twin Read More »
On 1 January 2018, the Singapore government announced the establishment of a Singapore Bicentennial Office under the Prime Minister’s Office to commemorate 200 years of Singapore history, beginning from Raffles’ founding of Singapore. This way of remembering Singapore’s history has been contested in various ways. In ‘Stamford Raffles and the “Founding” of Singapore: The Politics …
On 23 December 2013, the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the National Arts Council (NAC), and the Singapore Land Authority announced plans to make two walls along Rail Corridor available for street artists to develop their work. In 2014, the NAC established the Public Art Trust with funding from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, which …
Wall dressed up: Graffiti and street art in Singapore Read More »
Dongzhi, the Winter Solstice, is traditionally celebrated by ethnic Chinese all over the world. However, an increasing number of Chinese Singaporeans no longer understand its cultural significance or partake in the festivities. This is part of a growing trend of Singaporeans feeling disconnected to their ethnic roots and a decrease in Singaporeans’ proficiency in their …
Salvaging Mandarin Education in Singapore Through Community Read More »
As the world observes International Migrants Day on 18 December, Singapore is once again reminded of its dependence on migrant labour, as well as the issues surrounding migrant workers in the city-state. Dr George B. Radics (NUS Sociology and Anthropology) reckons with the state of precarity that migrant labourers live in in Singapore, and delves …