Month: December 2011
FASS Holds International Workshop on Children-at-Risk
FASS has just held a unique workshop targeted at sharing ways on how to help children in the region at risk due to poverty and other threats to their welfare. Jointly organised by the Centre for Social Development Asia (CSDA) in the Department of Social Work and the Family, Children and Youth Cluster at FASS, discussions were held over the 16th and 17th of December on campus.
The workshop, themed around Childhood Poverty and Child Protection, brought together a select group of academics and practitioners who presented papers covering eleven countries in the Asia-Pacific region on children-at-risk. In her opening remarks, Dr Rosaleen Ow, head of the Social Work Department at NUS, remarked that due to regional economic and population changes, ever more families are at risk and more children are affected, hence the need for this workshop. Dr Ow noted that in recent years her department is approaching such issues more from an intergenerational perspective. This means that problems faced today within families are often linked to what has happened potentially several generations ago, and only by dealing with such issues will the problems cease to persist. Dr Ow also shared that her department has always had an interest in working with children and will continue to do so as it heads into its 60th anniversary in 2012.
The organizer of the workshop, Dr Irene Ng, from the Social Work department commented that the targeted workshop is focused on sharing best practices and ideas that can be applied to programmes in countries around Asia. A publication bringing together the papers as either a book or a special edition journal is expected.
For the full workshop programme please click here: http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/fcy/newsevents/Children-at-Risk%20Workshop%20Programme-draft29Nov.pdf
Professional Communication: Principles and Practice (ES2007S)
Sign up now for Professional Communication: Principles and Practice (ES2007S)
Why?
Are you tired of sitting quietly in big lectures without an opportunity to speak out? Do you feel the need to interact with others and become a more effective communicator?
ES2007S is the course for you! It will prepare you for effective communication in various social settings, but most especially, in the workplace. Thus, you will:
- learn about good practices for effective writing, speaking and presenting;
- prepare for a job search or graduate school application by building a professional portfolio;
- contribute to a course facebook page as a means of sharing links with classmates;
- create a blog for reflecting on your learning and discussing your ideas;
- learn for the real world through a “hands on” problem solving & proposal process.
By the end of the course, you will be able to plan, construct and express nonverbal and verbal messages clearly and convincingly that are fitting to audience, context and purpose.
Join us today for a life-changing educational experience! Remember >>> ES2007S
FASS Lunchtime Seminar Series AY11/12 – Semester One
For the first instalment of the FASS Lunchtime Seminar Series this semester (19 October 2011), Professor Chua Beng Huat from the Department of Sociology gave us insights into “Pop Culture and ‘Soft Power’ Competition in East Asia”. Speaking at the FASS Faculty Lounge, Prof Chua highlighted the significance of pop culture in the export industry of East Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China and Hong Kong—drawing attention to the “positive influences” that pop culture can have on the attitudes of the audience in target/importing countries. Against this backdrop, Prof Chua’s presentation focused on the role of Television Drama Series in the current state of ‘soft power’ competition or ‘cultural diplomacy’ among China, Japan and Korea.
Professor Bao Zhiming from the Department of English Language and Literature was the invited speaker for the second instalment of the FASS Lunchtime Seminar Series this semester (9 November 2011). Prof Bao discussed “How to Mix Languages”, using Singlish talk about time and action as his illustration. Specifically, the presentation demonstrated how Singlish time talk is the Chinese talk carried out through English words. The session ended with numerous questions and comments on similar examples of such merging of languages.
Act Now! Call for the 2012 Innovation & Enterprise Award is Open.
Act Now! Be recognised for your innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Call for the 2012 Innovation & Enterprise Award (I&E Award) is now open.
You can apply or nominate an NUS staff /ex-staff, student or alumni for either the Outstanding NUS Innovator Award or the Promising NUS Start-up Award. Please visit the NUS Entrepreneurship Centre page or click here for more information.
The closing date for nominations/applications to the I&E Award 2012 is 15th February 2012.
For any enquiries, please email: ieaward@nus.edu.sg.
Why choose NUS?
Simply put, I chose NUS because I knew Professor Brenda Yeoh and Associate Professor Shirlena Huang were based there. I had read a number of their publications while writing my Masters’ thesis, which made me think NUS may be the perfect place to find guidance for my intended research. Furthermore, Singapore’s location was another asset, as my fieldwork would bring me to both Japan and the Philippines. Last but not least, the availability of scholarships was an important factor, as I would not have been able to pursue a PhD without such financial support.
My experience studying in PKU
The DDP at PKU has given me the opportunity to experience and appreciate different approaches to linguistic research. Although one semester might be too short to fully integrate their research methodology into one’s knowledge, one can gain a rough idea and thus mitigate certain shortcomings of our own methodology.
On personal level, the DDP has allowed me to broaden my experience and to gain a new perspective on one’s own country. As Beijing is a place where people from all over the world meet, it has given me the chance to breakdown some of the stereotypes about other countries and their people. Friendships were formed and maintained even after leaving the university. These relationships, insights and outlooks have formed a critical part of the study abroad experience.
The DDP was truly a wonderful and rare opportunity for learning and character-building. Having the multi-lingual and multi-cultural experience of studying in the two high-ranked universities in Asia will definitely improve one’s professional potential. I am glad that I have made the right choice!
Karen Tao Lok Sum
Current MA student from the Chinese Language Department
FASS, National University of Singapore
Duke-NUS Pre Med Track Now OPEN for application
The NUS “Pre-Med” Track provides a unique opportunity to better prepare you for admission to graduate medical programs like the DUKE-NUS graduate medical school. The Duke-NUS Doctor of Medicine Program is designed to train clinician scientists who will contribute to medicine through research and cutting edge patient care.
Admission into graduate medical programs can be highly competitive and there is a substantial commitment of time and resources needed to become a health care professional. Graduate Medical schools are generally interested in individuals who are broadly educated & well rounded in achievement while pursuing rigorous course loads. In the “Pre-Med” track, students will be assisted in a process of exploring, preparing, evaluating and applying to graduate medical programs.
APPLY BEFORE 15th DECEMBER 2011
To apply, please complete the application form and email to engbox31@nus.edu.sg with the subject heading “PRE-MED Application space<STUDENT NAME>space<STUDENT ID NUMBER>space<FACULTY/DEPT.>” by 15 December 2011. Shortlisted applicants will be called for interviews in early January 2012.
In the following semester, students selected for the track will read a specially designed “pre-med” seminar module and encouraged to read some foundational subjects. At the end of the semester, the students will be assessed based on their academic achievements, passion, motivation and curiosity before they are allowed to continue in the “Pre-Med track” from the second year of study.
Please see here for further details of the “Pre-Med” track.
Learn more about the Pre-Medical Scholars Program and Duke-NUS
Upcoming Webinar
Duke-NUS will be hosting an info webinar session to give you an overview of the Pre-Med Program and the PMP Seminar series. This is a great time to meet Dr Craig Stenberg (Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Admissions) virtually to ask him questions on the program and also how the PMP intergrates with the programs at Duke-NUS.
If you want to find out how the Pre-Med Program the program can be a better fit for you, please sign up to learn how!
Date: Tuesday, 13 Dec
Time: 4pm
Login to: www.bitly.com/premed13Dec
Please login 5 mins before 4pm
To Register, please email admissions@duke-nus.edu.sg stating “Pre-Med” in the subject title.
For more details, please check our ‘Events‘ Tab on our Facebook page.
To see Student Bios, Videos and Student Life/Activities, click here for more details.
The Warwick in Africa Summer 2012 – Mathematics Teaching Program in South Africa
Application is now open for 2nd and 3rd year students for The Warwick in Africa Summer 2012 Program. Information about this programme is available here. The application deadline is December 23, 2011.
MoE scholars who have undergone a teaching attachment are strongly encouraged to apply. IRO funding is available!
There will be an Information Session and Assessment Interview conducted by Warwick University on December 12, 2011.
What: Information Session and Assessment Interview
When: 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm, December 12th, 2011
Where: Library Theatrette 1
Please RSVP here. Registration will close at 6pm December 11, 2011.
20 Years of the Malaysia-Singapore Forum
- Participants from FASS, University of Malaya and FASS, NUS on day one of the Forum
FASS is delighted to be hosting the 13th Malaysia-Singapore Forum here at NUS, marking 20 years of networking and collaboration between the two Arts and Social Sciences Faculties of University of Malaya (UM) and NUS respectively. The UM delegation was warmly welcomed by Dean of FASS, Prof Brenda Yeoh who referred to the special historical ties between the two universities and to the collegiate relations that have built over the years between faculty and students involved in the Forum.
The Forum is held every two years at alternating campuses and this year focused the two day discussions on the subject of ‘Nation-State and Development’. Faculty and graduate students from both universities have presented on themes covering development, gender, literature, ethnicity, history and identity. To mark this special anniversary FASS NUS has produced a short film with photo archives from past fora and interviews with academics from both universities.
The film can be viewed by clicking here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCb2dPitpYg