News
World Senior Citizens Day will be celebrated this year on 21 August. The day raises awareness of the social and physical issues that affect the elderly and recognizes their contributions to society. Singapore, like many other countries, is currently encountering a growing elderly population, with the United Nations estimating that 38% of Singaporeans will be …
On Singapore’s National Day, Associate Professor Albert Lau (NUS Department of History) published an opinion piece questioning Singapore’s search for its national identity. Instead of Singapore’s (“modern”) history beginning in 1819, A/P Lau’s ‘Singapore Bicentennial: Whither the Singapore identity?’ critically examines the revised narrative of Singapore’s 700 years of history, and how that plays a …
Singapore’s 700 year history and the search for a national identity Read More »
Assistant Professors John Solomon and Nurfadzilah Yahaya (NUS Department of History) were speakers at a recent panel discussion about migrant communities and their place in Singapore’s 19th and 20th century history, offering insights into the lesser-known stories and experiences of migrants in Singapore. Their discussion, alongside Malay Heritage Centre curatorial researcher Dr Ho Chi Tim …
Telling the stories of convicts, ordinary folk who built early Singapore Read More »
Associate Professor Elaine Ho’s (NUS Department of Geography) Citizens in Motion: Emigration, Immigration and Re-migration Across China’s Borders (Stanford University Press, 2019), was awarded the American Sociological Association’s “Best Book in Global and Transnational Sociology by an International Scholar” in 2019! In Citizens in Motion, A/P Ho examines how state accounts and narratives of migration …
On 8 August 1967, leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand founded the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Today, ASEAN comprises ten member states, each contributing to ASEAN development. Associate Professor Ho Kong Chong (NUS Department of Sociology), in his chapter, ‘The Dynamics of City State Development and Relations with ASEAN and APT’ …
The Dynamics of City State Development and Relations with ASEAN and APT Read More »
In the lead up to National Day, The Straits Times spotlights 10 new titles for the month of August relating to Singaporean identity and local life. Associate Professor Gerard Sasges’ (NUS Department of Southeast Asian Studies) latest non-fiction work, Hard at Work: Life in Singapore (NUS Press, 2019), co-edited with Ng Shi Wen, a photographer, …
10 Reads for August: Gerard Sasges and Ng Shi Wen’s “Hard at Work: Life in Singapore” Read More »
In line with Singapore’s upcoming National Day celebrations and the ongoing Bicentennial commemoration this year, The Straits Times reported on five historic landmarks that reveal parts of Singapore’s 700-year history. Among these landmarks is Fort Canning Hill. According to Professor John Miksic (NUS Department of Southeast Asian Studies), who was interviewed by the Sunday Times, …
700 years of history presents a wealth of culture and artefacts: Fort Canning Read More »
Most of us will identify ourselves as Singaporeans, call Singapore our home, and celebrate National Day on 9 August. Dr Theodora Lam (formerly NUS Geography) and Professor Brenda Yeoh (NUS Geography), however, are keen to point out the complexities concerning the idea of a fixed ‘home’ and ‘national identity’ in an increasingly globalized world. Their …
Negotiating ‘home’ and ‘national identity’: Chinese-Malaysian transmigrants in Singapore Read More »
The recent revamp of the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) scoring system by the Ministry of Education (MOE) changed the grading system from a T-score system to one with achievement-level (AL) bands. The former grades students relative to their peers and gives a standardised score to each student while the latter grades students against an …
New PSLE scoring system for Foundation level may dampen motivation Read More »
The 26th of July is designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem. Mangroves tend to be an underappreciated marine ecosystem as they lack the aesthetic allure of coral reefs and the enigma of the deep oceans, yet remain one of …