STEP UP Programme! – [For final year students of AY2012/2013]

STEP UP Programme Info Session

 Date/ Time: 27 Feb, 5pm to 6pm OR 28 Feb, 12pm to 1pm

(You only need to attend ONE session)

Venue: Yusof Ishak House, Level 2, Training Room 1

Click HERE to register for the briefing session

Light refreshment will be provided at the end of the briefing

 Click here for more details.

We will try our best to accommodate your schedule and will contact you again just before the CORS system opens.

For enquiries, please contact us at careers@nus.edu.sg / 6516 1385.

SRN hosts Symposium on ‘Creativity in Singapore’

Gwee, Huzir and Ho Chee Lick share a light moment

On Friday 17th February the Singapore Research Nexus (SRN) was delighted to host a fascinating symposium titled ‘Creativity in Singapore’. The afternoon provided a unique opportunity for local celebrated writers and researchers to discuss Singapore and how it fares as an environment for creative writers and those researching creativity Singapore.

First up was the  premiere screening of the FASS-produced documentary film ‘Writers Engaging the Social’  which is now available for viewing via NUS YouTube. Please click here to view: http://youtu.be/yxggMumdQnU

The 40 minute film, directed by the poet and critic Gwee Li Sui  features four writers, all FASS alumni, who write in each of Singapore’s four official languages. They are Rasiah Halil, Lee Tzu Pheng, Ting Kheng Siong and Vadi PVSS. Each of the writers shares with Gwee their take on the meaning of literature, poetry and theatre and on how Singapore wrestles with its own historical and social constraints in relation to the literary arts.

The four writers from top left clockwise: Ting Kheng Siong, Rasiah Halil, Vadi PVSS and Lee Tzu Pheng

Following the screening the audience enjoyed a ‘Post-Screening Conversation’, chaired by the playwright Huzir Sulaiman who helped to field questions from the audience about creativity and writing in Singapore.

Rasiah entertains the panel, with Lee Tzu Pheng and Vadi to her left

After the afternoon break it was the turn of our own FASS Faculty to present their papers on how our research ‘engages the creative’. First up was A/P Lonce Wyse from the CNM department whose talk on ‘Creativity, Interdisciplinarity, and the New Relevance of the Arts’ showed how it is really a false dichotomy to uniformally separate the two and view each as an equal and distinct means or end. Rather, Prof Wyse showed some intriguing recent examples of how the two can meet to create extraordianry pieces of hybridity.

Second to present was A/P Maria Kozhevnikov (Department of Psychology)who shared her findings on the relationship between creativity and visualization. The study showed that ‘object visualization’ relates to artistic creativity, and ‘spatial visualization’ relates to scientific creativity, while both are distinct from verbal creativity.

The third speaker was Dr John DiMoia, Assistant Professor in the History Department, who looked at the historical example of Stanford University compared to the case of what Singapore as a country has done and might do to encourage attributes and practices of creativity among the members of its scientific community.

Last to present was A/P Ho Kong Chong (Department of Sociology) who looked at the wild and unruly side of the creative economy and how work-styles associated with this form of production are closely tied to particular types of urban environment, for example parts of Little India and Geylang. These ungentrified portions of Singapore enjoy low rents and centrality while offering a vibrant and more liberal and hence ‘creative’ environment.

Maria Kozhevnikov, Lonce Wyse, TC Chang, Ho Kong Chong and John DiMoia

The second session concluded with a vibrant Q&A session leaving many to agree that the symposium offered a diversity of perspectives on Singapore and its evolving relationship with the creative.

For more information on the speakers and particpants please click here to read their bios and abstracts: Creativity in Singapore Symposium booklet

Graduate Studies Fair in USP, Wednesday, 22 Feb 2012

Date : Wednesday, 22 Feb 2012 ( Do note that this is during recess week )

Venue : Chua Thian Poh Multi-Purpose Hall, Cinnamon College, UTown

A map of where our college is located can be found here.

 

Schedule

3.30pm: “Overview of postgraduate studies in the US” by Karen Kaylor – US Education Information Center

4.15pm: “Overview of postgraduate studies in the UK” by Susan Tan – British Council

5.00pm: “University presentation by London Universities”

  • University College London
  • Imperial College
  • King’s College and
  • London School of Economics

 

Please register HERE, by 22 February.

(indicate in the “Remarks” column if you are attending only a specific talk)

 

This talk is open to ALL NUS undergraduates, so do share this with your friends.

Enquiries can be directed to Daniel or Jo


MODEL NATO YOUTH SUMMIT 2012 (MoNYS)

Model NATO Youth Summit is be the largest simulation of the NATO decision-making process in Europe, to be held in Brussels, from the 8th to 13th of July 2012. This first edition’s central theme is the “Political responsibility through leadership, innovation and strategic thinking in the XXIst century”. MoNYS 2012 will bring together 29 delegations, representing 221 participants from both Europe and North America.

As the home to the NATO Headquarters, Brussels will be hosting participants from:

  • Central and Eastern Europe (Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Moldavia, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Ukraine) ;
  • Balkan and Caucasus (Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Serbia, Turkey) ;
  • North Europe and the Baltic states (Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden) ;
  • Western Europe (Belgium, Italy, France, the Netherlands, United Kingdom) ;
  • North America (Canada, US)
  • 21 Individual application from Africa, Asia, Australia and Latin America.

This project aims to achieve diversity, continuity and sustainability. MoNYS 2012 will take place in the capital city of the European Union, and benefits from the fruitful cooperation with the NATO Headquarters in Brussels and Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). The conference serves as a platform for young delegates with different backgrounds, to share their ideas and network. During this six-day event, students will have the chance to broaden their views on different political approaches, while getting to know each other’s cultures better.

MoNYS 2012 addresses the topics of smart defence, military capabilities, emerging security, fight against cyber attacks, missile defence shield and partnership action plan with the Caucasus countries. The ultimate goal is to deepen NATO’s decision-making process, while creating a platform for students to enhance their consensus-reaching skills, alongside mastering the art of negotiation. Together we embark on the path towards a more peaceful and tolerant world, where citizens are in search of humankind’s ultimate goals: world peace, global security, economic prosperity, scientific improvements and worldwide literacy.

Contact Details:

Elisabetta Giromini

Head of the HR Department – MoNYS 2012

elisabetta.giromini@natoyouthsummit.org

individual@natoyouthsummit.org

 

http://www.natoyouthsummit.org

https://www.facebook.com/MoNYS.2012

https://www.twitter.com/MoNYS2012

Dr. Stephen Lim and research team conferred Best Research Paper at international psychology conference

Dr. Stephen Lim with CBP2012 Program Chair

A recent research project titled “Attentional Focus on What’s Motivationally Relevant Aids Performance at High Exercise Intensities” accomplished by Senior Lecturer Dr. Lim Wee Hun Stephen and student researcher Mr. Loh Kep Kee won, among all international research entries, the prestigious Best Research Paper Award at the Annual International Conference on Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology (CBP 2012) held on 13 and 14 February in Singapore this year.

This work first begun as part of Mr. Loh’s honours-level research in the Department of Psychology at the National University of Singapore under Dr. Lim’s supervision. Following his graduation, Mr. Loh currently pursues a Masters degree in Cognitive Neuroscience at University College of London.

Mr. Loh Kep Kee

 

Dr. Lim comments on this winning work: “People are increasingly becoming interested in leading healthy lifestyles. Marathons, for instance, have become a tourist attraction, and we hear of many who would travel across continents yearly just to participate in a variety of runs. This work started with an ambition to enhance exercising behaviors among non-elite sportsmen in ways unknown before. We are very proud to be the first research team in the world to discover a novel dimension underlying sports cognition which, when applied, can boost exercising behaviors across general populations. We are excited to have set new directions and standards for future research examining behavioral cognition.”

Conference Program Chair Dr. Miles Whittington described Dr. Lim’s work as “having extremely important implications for the scientific community”. This is not the first time that Dr. Lim and his research team had gained international recognition for their outstanding achievements. Last year, Dr. Lim and his students won the coveted Best Student Paper Award at EuroCogSci2011. Moving forward, Dr. Lim intends to continue training student researchers, some of whom he hopes will become stake-holders of scientific research in the long run.