News
As Singapore marks 60 years of nationhood, this video explores how understanding our past helps us imagine more inclusive futures. It highlights how NUS FASS researchers bring attention to the everyday lives of those often left unheard, showing how these ordinary experiences quietly shape Singapore. Read more about the four publications featured in this episode […]
Early language development research has found that infants begin with a broad understanding of the physical world and their conceptual knowledge becomes increasingly specialised according to their native language as they grow older. This process is known as perceptual narrowing, whereby during the first year of life, infants undergo developmental changes which reduces their sensitivity […]
As India and Singapore celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations and the 10th anniversary of their bilateral strategic partnership this year, it is important to reflect on the deep historical and cultural ties that have long connected these two nations. Most conspicuously seen in its 14th century Sanskrit name, Singapura, Singapore’s pre-colonial history is rich […]
As Singapore marks 60 years of nationhood, this video explores how understanding our past helps us imagine more inclusive futures and highlights how NUS FASS researchers study the complexities beneath Singapore’s celebrated “success story.” Read more about the four publications featured in this episode using the link above each publication. https://fass.nus.edu.sg/srn/2025/05/15/beyond-technocratic-statecraft-contentious-politics-and-singapores-third-leadership-transition/ Goh, D. P. S. […]
The September 11 terror attacks profoundly impacted international politics, leading to a 20-year-long War in Afghanistan that concluded with the U.S. withdrawal in August 2021. In ‘Reflecting on America’s Withdrawal From Afghanistan: The View From Southeast Asia’ (Armed Forces & Society, 2023), Associate Professor Terence Lee (NUS Political Science) delves into the implications of the […]
In ‘Hard rivalry for Buddhism’s soft power’ (Asia Times, August 2025), Associate Professor Jack Meng-Tat Chia (NUS History) explores how Buddhist relics, rituals, and networks have become tools of diplomacy across Asia. While the spotlight often falls on India and China’s competition for influence, Chia draws attention to Singapore’s quieter but no less significant role […]
China’s ever-expanding Belt and Road Initiative, characterised by substantial investment in countries and international organisations along the former Silk Road, has generated extensive literature on its large-scale infrastructure projects. However, Professor Kenneth Dean (NUS Chinese Studies) argues that alternative networks in Southeast Asia, such as Chinese temples, regional, clan, and trade associations that connect Southeast […]
Many university modules have traditionally adhered to a fixed lecture-tutorial format, culminating in written examinations. However, Associate Professor Ong Ee Cheng (NUS Economics) has reimagined this approach by uniquely designing a labour economics module centred on narrative inquiry for the final project. Narrative inquiry involves translating verbal information into stories that enhance understanding of a […]
The COVID-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the life and health of human beings worldwide. While the official death toll of the pandemic was reported to be 6.84 million by February 2023, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that underreporting and indirect deaths might have brought the total to 14.9 million by 2021. This […]
At the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic, when wide-scale measures such as social distancing, lockdowns, and home quarantine orders were implemented, migrant workers (MW) were seemingly sidelined, with many lacking access to the robust national healthcare system or medical assistance. The arrival of the second wave of COVID-19 transmissions in 2020 cast a spotlight […]