highlights

FASS Psychology Student Mr Elvis Tan Wins National-level Singapore Psychological Society Gold Medal

fasswebmaster Staff Achievements, Student Achievements

elvis-dr-lim

We are delighted that our CDP (Concurrent Degree Programme) student Mr. Elvis W. S. Tan has snared the coveted Gold Award conferred by the Singapore Psychological Society at the national-level Student Research Awards on 1 October 2016, on the basis of his ongoing Integrated Thesis research mentored by Dr. Stephen Lim, Director of the NUS Cognition and Education Laboratory. This was a joint research venture with the Division of Cognitive Psychology in Education, Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University.

The researchers comment: “Here, we explored the role of cognitive processes — global versus local processing styles — in students’ academic risk taking tendencies. Participants first read a short passage, which provided the context for their subsequent academic risk taking decisions. Following which, participants undertook the Navon’s task and attended to either global letters or local letters only, i.e., were either globally- or locally-primed. The effects of priming on academic risk taking were then assessed using a perception-based measure (Experiment 1) and a task-based measure (Experiment 2). Experiment 1 provided preliminary evidence, which Experiment 2 confirmed, that globally-focused individuals took more academic risk than did locally-focused individuals, after controlling for participants’ need for cognition (how much they enjoy effortful cognitive activities). Additionally, the inclusion of and comparisons with a control group in Experiment 2 revealed that locally-focused participants drove the observed effects. The theory of predictive and reactive control systems (PARCS) provides a cogent account of our findings. We discussed future directions and practical applications in education.”

The winning research, titled “The influence of global-local processing styles on academic risk taking”, has recently been accepted for publication in The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology (Impact Factor: 2.130).

Elvis shares his research experience: “Research – the notion of testing our ideas fairly and rigorously – is a truly integrative experience. The process of research is arduous, exciting, and humbling all at the same time. It has taught me to move forward with a sense of confidence and humility – not only in the field of research, but also in education and in life. Whilst research may seem like a primarily independent endeavour, this journey is fondly shared with mentors, family, friends, and eager participants. I would like to dedicate this award to the giant in my academic journey, Dr. Stephen Lim, for his dedication, guidance, and inspiration.”

We extend our congratulations to Elvis and Dr. Lim!

FASS Commencement Class Giving 2016

fasswebmaster Student Achievements
Back Row (left to right): Phua Pei Pei (ERSL staff), Jenny Tang (ERSL staff), Lui Yong Sheng, Sin Xin Yi, Swee Cheng Wei, Navin Vijay Wadhwani, A/P Loy Hui Chieh (Vice Dean, ERSL), Kenrick Chin Seated (left to right): Alicia Chua, Karen Ang, Clement Law
Back Row (left to right): Phua Pei Pei (ERSL staff), Jenny Tang (ERSL staff), Lui Yong Sheng, Sin Xin Yi, Swee Cheng Wei, Navin Vijay Wadhwani, A/P Loy Hui Chieh (Vice Dean, ERSL), Kenrick Chin
Seated (left to right): Alicia Chua, Karen Ang, Clement Law

FASS won the Top Achievement Award and Leap Award in this year’s Inter-faculty competition for the annual Commencement Class Giving campaign. The awards give recognition to the Faculty for the overall participation rate and the biggest improvement in participation rate of our undergraduate and postgraduate students respectively. This is the first time since the competition started in 2011 that FASS has won the Top Achievement Award for attaining the highest participation rate among faculties with over 1,200 graduating students.

The annual giving campaign is an initiative by NUS Development Office (DVO) that runs across the campus in a spirit of friendly competition to inspire commencing students to support bursaries or student programmes for their juniors. It is a collaborative effort with the External Relations and Student Life Division (ERSL) at the faculty.

The Leap Award is one of the two new categories that was added to the competition this year. The other new category is the Outstanding Achiever Award, which gives recognition to the top five fundraisers among more than 100 class champions campus-wide. We are proud to share that our Class Champions, Sin Xin Yi (Psychology) and Navin V. Wadhwani (Geography) came in 1st and 4th respectively for the Outstanding Achiever Award. On his experience as Class Champion, Xin Yi said: “After getting over the initial awkwardness of asking my friends and batch mates for their donations, I became more comfortable striking conversations with people I did not know, and telling them about the Campaign and how meaningful it would be to contribute to the Bursaries to support their juniors in financial aid.”

As a Class Champion, Navin was grateful for the opportunity to reaffirm old friendships with his fellow majors and make new ones with fellow Class Champions from FASS and other faculties. He said: “At the end of the day the Champions are just the final link in the chain, the heart of the Giving campaign are the donors and graduates themselves. Their contributions, no matter large or small, add up to something much bigger and meaningful in the long run.”

It is heartening to see an increasing number of Class Champions over the past few years. The Champions has made great and worthwhile effort to encourage their cohort to raise funds for the FASS Student Advancement Bursary in the midst of their own honours theses and assignments. These Class Champions will assume the role of Class Ambassadors after their graduation, and we look forward to continue working with them to enhance the connectivity among the alumni as well as with FASS.

We would like to thank the following Class Champions for their commendable efforts:

  1. Lim Bee Leng (Chinese Studies)
  2. Hsu Chen (Chinese Studies)
  3. Dominic Pang Jing Ping (Japanese Studies)
  4. Karen Ang Yunn Harn (Japanese Studies)
  5. Nurain Bte Mohammed Zulkepli (Malay Studies)
  6. Saraln Udomkichdecha (Southeast Asian Studies)
  7. Alicia Chua Mei Yin (English Language)
  8. Elliot Marcell Tan Yen Yun (English Literature)
  9. Chan Mun Keet Walter (Theatre Studies)
  10. Wang Shu Qin Sandy (History)
  11. Siti Rasyidah Bte Shiek A H (History)
  12. Adeline Chang See Mun (European Studies)
  13. Leong Jie Xiang (Philosophy)
  14. Esther Phua Ying Li (Philosophy)
  15. Toh Di Di Andy (Communications and New Media)
  16. Lee Sian Kang Philip (Communications and New Media)
  17. Teh Tien Li Cheryl (Communications and New Media)
  18. Kee Hwee Leng Amanda (Communications and New Media)
  19. Tey Shou Heng Jason (Economics)
  20. Swee Cheng Wei (Economics)
  21. Lui Yong Sheng (Economics)
  22. Jeslyn Tan Yi Ting (Economics)
  23. Sin Yueh Taur Anita (Geography)
  24. Navin Vijay Wadhwani (Geography)
  25. Zheng Zhangxin (Environmental Studies)
  26. Shaun Tay Yue Ming (Political Science)
  27. Law Yong Xiang Clement (Political Science)
  28. Kenrick Chin Jin Rui (Political Science)
  29. Christopher Chia Sheng Hui (Political Science)
  30. Muhammad Khairul Bin Abdul Rahim (Global Studies)
  31. Sin Xin Yi (Psychology)
  32. Soh Chang Yuan (Psychology)
  33. David Seah Teck Wai (Social Work)
  34. Chan Jianhong (Social Work)
  35. Damien Wong Li Jian (Sociology)
  36. Chang Siong Wei Angelique (Sociology)

Congratulations to our IFG 2016 FASS Participants!

fasswebmaster Student Achievements, Student Life

Congratulations to the FASS Inter-Faculty Games 2016 participants for the excellent finish! They clinched second position overall and achieving a total score just one point short of the winning Faculty. In addition, they came in first place for seven events—including Men’s Volleyball, Women’s Handball, Table Tennis and even DOTA (a multiplayer battle arena video game)!

We are very proud of the enthusiasm and initiative they put into representing the Faculty in the sport/game they excel at, and greatly appreciate the hard work they have put in towards this achievement.

Click here for the full list of IFG 2016 results.

‘The Value of a Humanities and Social Science Education’ Roundtable Discussion

fasswebmaster Announcements, FASS in the News

The FASS curriculum revision was introduced on 7 September, in conjunction with a roundtable discussion titled “The Value of a Humanities and Social Science Education” organised by the Faculty. Mr Ong Ye Kung, Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) was the Guest-of-Honour for the event, which was attended by about 300 NUS students, teachers as well as prospective students, employers and alumni.

The panel consisted of distinguished FASS alumni – Prof Kishore Mahbubani, Dean, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS; Prof Wang Gungwu, University Professor and Chairman, East Asian Institute at NUS; and Ambassador-at-large Prof Chan Heng Chee, who is also a member of the NUS Board of Trustees. The discussion was moderated by another FASS alumnus, Mr Paul Tan, a prolific and accomplished writer and Deputy CEO of the National Arts Council. The panel addressed some of the key qualities associated with a broad-based humanities and social science curriculum. They also shared their thoughts on how humanities and social science training will help graduates navigate the complex and inter-related challenges to society that we will face in the future.

The panelists were also candid about their personal choices to study the humanities and social sciences. Prof Chan’s first love was literature, but she switched to political science after novels like The Quiet American and War and Peace inspired her interest in international diplomacy and politics. Prof Wang, whose father taught him Classical Chinese at home during the Japanese Occupation, also shared that he joined the Faculty of Arts at the University of Malaya because of his passion for literature. He later became a historian, believing that the knowledge of history is pertinent for understanding the present. Prof Mahbubani, fascinated by the inquisitive nature of philosophy that encouraged him to question rather than blindly accept existing knowledge, made the switch from majoring in economics to philosophy.

Despite pursuing their academic interests without knowing what career options lay ahead of them, all three of the panelists agreed on the immense value of an education in the humanities and social sciences. Prof Chan shared that her training in the humanities helped her conduct diplomacy successfully with the skillful use of language, allowing her to find the right words to convey gratitude, displeasure, disappointment, etc. Prof Mahbubani shared how he applied logical thinking when he made convincing arguments that resonated with the international diplomats during his time at the UN. They also reminded the audience that good communication, writing and critical thinking skills are not only useful in diplomacy but also in business and the real-world application of technology. Above all, the value of a humanities and social science education is not merely functional but it also helps the student understand one’s society and the very meaning of life and existence.

Mr Ong offered his perspective about the value of the humanities and social science education. He said: “[T]he employment outcomes of FASS have been strong, because there is depth and breadth in Singapore’s economy, which needs a variety of talent from different disciplines… FASS students may not be functional hires to do the jobs of accountants or engineers, but they can be inspirational hires, who have the ability to communicate, cope with ambiguity, thrive in diversity, and make a difference to the organisation.”

In closing, he urged students and their parents not to worry too much about the career prospects when choosing their fields of study. He said: “If you have a passion for the humanities or social sciences, just go for it.”

 

© NUS FASS | Photography by Lionel Lin © NUS FASS | Photography by Lionel Lin

© NUS FASS | Photography by Lionel Lin © NUS FASS | Photography by Lionel Lin© NUS FASS | Photography by Lionel Lin © NUS FASS | Photography by Lionel Lin © NUS FASS | Photography by Lionel Lin © NUS FASS | Photography by Lionel Lin © NUS FASS | Photography by Lionel Lin © NUS FASS | Photography by Lionel Lin

FASS Curriculum Revision: More choices and flexibility

fasswebmaster FASS in the News, FASS Press Releases

The National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) has revised its curriculum in a move to further enrich the undergraduate experience in the Arts and Social Sciences academic disciplines and to better prepare students for the future of work. The curriculum revision was introduced on 7 September, in conjunction with a roundtable discussion titled “The Value of a Humanities and Social Science Education” organised by the Faculty.

Undergraduates who are admitted from Academic Year 2016/2017 onwards will benefit from the latest curriculum revision, a process that began in 2014. The revisions were carefully deliberated and structured with the aim of strengthening the foundation for first-year students, providing more breadth for these students to explore their interests, while continuing to ensure depth in the major disciplines.

Prof Brenda Yeoh, Dean of FASS, said, “The education landscape has evolved rapidly over the last five years. A good, rigorous university education needs to be forward-looking to remain relevant to real-world settings and prepare students for the future of work. This latest revision to the Arts and Social Sciences curriculum is hence timely, after much deliberation and consultation with faculty members, students and employers. The revision retains and augments the hallmarks of the curriculum – flexibility, breadth, and depth – while it enhances students’ overall educational experience.”

“Increasingly, many of our students are taking up a second Major and signing up for internships under NUS Overseas Colleges and other programmes. Many of them have to extend their studies by six months to a year to take up these valuable opportunities. The revised curriculum will allow our students to pursue their interests and achieve a more all-rounded learning experience at NUS and also graduate on time,” Prof Yeoh added.

The last major revision to the Arts and Social Sciences curriculum took place more than 10 years ago. Over the years, regular reviews were conducted to ensure that the curriculum remains relevant to industry needs and market demands.

Key changes to the NUS Arts and Social Sciences undergraduate curriculum

Three key changes have been introduced to the NUS Arts and Social Sciences undergraduate curriculum – introduction of two new compulsory core modules on writing and communication; restructuring of the requirements for Majors and Electives; and formalisation of internships into the undergraduate curriculum.

  • Two new compulsory core modules on writing and communication
    Two core modules – “Writing Academically: Arts & Social Sciences” and “Public Writing and Communication” – have been introduced to boost students’ skills in writing, expression, and communication. These modules cover writing, presentation and speaking skills, which are core competencies essential to effective and successful communication. As new ideas and knowledge continue to evolve at the workplace, NUS Arts and Social Sciences graduates will benefit from possessing these enduring communication skills, regardless of their chosen profession.

These modules will be conducted for about 1,600 freshmen entering the Faculty each year through lectures via the Massive Open Online Course platforms and two-hour weekly seminars comprising up to 15 students per class.

  • Restructuring of the requirements for Majors and Electives
    The curriculum has also been restructured to allow greater flexibility for undergraduates pursuing a broad-based education to explore other interests such as to take up double majors and internships, within the normal candidature period of four years.

Under the existing curriculum, Arts and Social Sciences students who pursue a single major Honours degree need to fulfil five modules under University Level Requirements, three Faculty Core modules, 23 modules under the students’ selected major, and seven modules under Unrestricted Electives.

The revised curriculum will be restructured as follows:

(a) Expansion of Unrestricted Electives (UE) Space
Students can now have an option to take up a maximum of nine UE modules(equivalent to 36 modular credits). Those who prefer more breadth in their learning can make use of the two additional module spaces to pursue non-major or cross-faculty modules, while students who prefer to delve deeper into their majors could take up two more modules in their major disciplines. All single-major students will need to achieve at least 28 modular credits or seven modules under UE.

(b) Expansion of Faculty Core Modules
The number of core modules that students need to pursue has been increased to five modules to include the two new modules on writing and communication.

(c) Restructuring of Major Space
To accommodate the expanded Faculty Core and UE space, the minimum major requirements have been reduced from 23 modules to between 19 to 21 modules under the revised curriculum. While giving students the flexibility to pursue more broad-based subjects, the Faculty has ensured that the graduation requirements for major disciplines still puts its undergraduate programmes on par with established universities overseas.

  • Internships formalised as part of the curriculum
    Internships prepare students for work upon graduation and give them the opportunity to engage potential employers to translate their internships into job opportunities.

Under the existing curriculum, students who major in social work are required to undertake internships as part of their course. Discipline-related elective internships are also available for 10 other courses including theatre, philosophy and communications and new media. Each year, about 170 Arts and Social Sciences students go on these credit-bearing discipline-related internships. In addition, about 400 to 500 students pursue various non discipline-related internships, without credits, annually.

By formalising internships as part of the undergraduate curriculum, the Faculty hopes to encourage more students to accumulate valuable work-related experience prior to graduation. Under the revised curriculum, students may earn up to 12 modular credits (equivalent to three modules) by enrolling in the following internship modules:

(a) FASS Exposure Internship (two modular credits)
These internships are work assignments of at least 65 hours. Students can take up the internship at any time during their candidature period.

(b) FASS Internship (four modular credits or equivalent to one module)
Students who opt for this internship can choose to carry out the work assignment on a part-time basis during the regular semester (between 12 to 16 weeks) or on a full-time basis during vacation (between 8 to 12 weeks during special terms).

(c) FASS Extended Internship (eight modular credits or equivalent to two modules)
Students who pursue this internship will carry out the work assignment over 12 to 16 weeks during the regular semester.

The second and third options may be combined for an internship that lasts for up to six months. Modular credits accumulated through the above internships can contribute towards the fulfilment of the Unrestricted Electives requirement.

The above revisions to the curriculum will apply to the latest intake of students who are admitted into the Faculty in August 2016.

 

Click here for the Straits Times report on the curriculum revision.

Click here for the speech by Mr Ong Ye Kung, Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) at the launch event.

 

 

FASS Geography Students Win at GENC 2016

fasswebmaster competition, Student Achievements, Undergraduate ,
The team (from left) Liu Weiting, Jiang Xiaoshuang Grace, Raqibah Binte Abdul Razak & Fatin Farzana Binte Mishwan
The team (from left) Liu Weiting, Jiang Xiaoshuang Grace, Raqibah Binte Abdul Razak & Fatin Farzana Binte Mishwan

FASS would like to congratulate the NUS team comprising of FASS Geography students, Liu Weiting, Jiang Xiaoshuang Grace, Raqibah Binte Abdul Razak and Fatin Farzana Binte Miswan, on winning the Grand Prize at the Geoscience Exhibition and Competition (GENC) organised by the University Technology Petronas! The Prize consisted of a Trophy, Certificates of recognition and a cash prize of RM1000.

The team of four geographers beat 26 other participating teams from universities in South East Asia, which is a commendable feat especially because the NUS team were exposed to geology through only one or two modules.

The competition, held on 19 and 20 July 2016, consisted of two parts: the first part was a team oral presentation and the second involved putting up an exhibition of a poster, related material evidences and videos on the same theme. The NUS team name was “SENTOSA 4G SECRETS” and their work was based on the rocks of Sentosa (the one and only rock outcrop in Singapore that is accessible to general public and exposed only at low tides).

FASS Psychology Student Adalyn Heng Wins 2016 University Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Prize

fasswebmaster Student Achievements

FASS Highlights_OURP 2016-PhotoWe are delighted that Adalyn Heng from the Department of Psychology has been selected by the NUS as the sole FASS winner of the 2016 Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Prize (OURP), on the basis of her recent honours thesis research mentored by Dr Stephen Lim, Director of the NUS Cognition and Education Laboratory.

The researchers comment: “In educational settings, the ability to ask good questions is critical. In this study, we explored the extent to which retrieval practice can enhance learners’ ability to generate higher-order questions. Participants were randomly allocated to one of two learning groups, wherein they either studied a text per se (S_S_) or used a combination of repeated studying and repeated retrieval (SRSR). They returned a week later and generated questions based on the text which they had studied. We observed that participants in the SRSR group asked significantly more higher-order questions than did those in the S_S_ group. This observation has important implications for how we might improve classroom engagement and learning in the real world.”

In addition, Adalyn shares her research experience: “I have learnt the importance of reflection in the research process. At times, making progress on research requires one to take a step back to reflect on and reconnect with one’s initial purpose of embarking on the project. For example, the research process is often fraught with various methodological challenges, ranging from selecting (or developing) experimental materials, specifying the experimental task and conditions, to deciding what statistical tool to use to analyze the data. In addressing these methodological challenges, it is important to stay connected to the overarching purpose of the research and to not lose sight of the larger picture, which in this instance, is to ultimately enhance pedagogical practices. I owe what I have achieved thus far to Dr Lim’s patience and generosity in mentoring and nurturing me. I am beyond grateful.”

We extend our congratulations to Adalyn and Dr Lim!

Prof Mohan Dutta Selected as 2016 ICA Applied/Public Policy Communication Researcher

fasswebmaster Staff Achievements ,

mohan_duttaProf Mohan Dutta, Head of the Department of Communications and New Media and NUS Provost’s Chair Professor, was selected as the 2016 ICA Applied/Public Policy Communication Researcher. The prestige is awarded by the International Communication Association (ICA), which is an academic association for scholars interested in the study, teaching, and application of all aspects of human and mediated communication.

“The Applied Research Award honors a scholar or group of scholars who has or have produced a systematic and outstanding body of research that addresses a significant communication problem of relevance to a public representing one or more groups of stakeholders relevant to a division(s) or interest group(s) of ICA. Individual or collaborative applied research programmes which include community engagement, group and organisational interventions, or advocacy and/or political policy work at the local, national, international and/or global levels are all appropriate candidates for this award.”

Prof Dutta received the award at the 66th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association held in Fukuoka, Japan on 11 June 2016.

Our heartiest congratulations to Prof Dutta!

“Intergenerational Transfer, Human Capital and Inequality”

fasswebmaster Events, FASS in the News

Tuesday, 31 May 2016

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The International Sociological Association (ISA) Research Committee 28 on Social Stratification & Mobility (RC28) conference on “Intergenerational Transfer, Human Capital and Inequality” was held for the first time in Southeast Asia from 26 to 28 May 2016. It was hosted by the FASS Centre for Family and Population Research (CFPR).

In his opening address, Guest-of-Honour Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies, touched on the issues of social mobility and social inclusion.

Keynote speaker, Dr Noeleen Heyzer, Social Scientist and Former United Nations Under-Secretary-General, spoke on “Harnessing Human Potential for a Sustainable, Secure Future of Shared Prosperity” and pointed out that the “Asian miracle” has lifted many from poverty, yet widened the inequality gap.

Click here to read the article.