I had a chance to go to two PhD schools this year—the Copenhagen Winter School in Sociolinguistics in March, and the Paris Interdisciplinary Summer School in Language and Economy in August. These are two competitive PhD schools in sociolinguistics, which gave me the opportunity to meet a few of the most prominent scholars in my field. I presented the preliminary findings of my PhD project, which examines the discourses of integration of ‘new citizens’ in Singapore.

Copenhagen Winter School in Sociolinguistics

The Copenhagen Winter School was a five-day event organised by the LANCHART Center and the Department of Nordic Research of the University of Copenhagen. Lecturers discussed contemporary concepts and frameworks in sociolinguistics while student participants presented their PhD projects. As a relatively young field, sociolinguistics is filled with many new concepts and theories, which makes PhD schools that aim to clarify and highlight contemporary concepts such as this worth going for.

I was very fortunate to have had a chance to consult with the faculty members and student participants about my PhD topic. Given that most of us came from different countries, I was able to get a cosmopolitan perspective on my topic. Many of the students and faculty members also conduct research on the relationship of language and migration, and watching their presentations made me appreciate the complexities of this field even more. Watching presentations about Copenhagen migration made me realize that while Copenhagen and Singapore seem to be very different from each other, they still have many interesting similarities given that both cities are experiencing immigration-related challenges.

The organisers of the winter school also made sure that we had enough time to enjoy Copenhagen. They took us out to dinner in different parts of Copenhagen almost every night, and they also treated us to nice Danish beers (Tuborg> Carlsberg, in my opinion!) on a few nights. These social events also gave us even more opportunities to discuss our projects with the faculty members, which was a nice complement to the intense lectures and presentations that we had during the day.  The Danish winter may have been too punishing especially when you bike around the city without gloves, but the warmth of the organizers’ welcome more than made up for it anyway.

Paris Interdisciplinary Summer School in Language and Economy

Five months after the Copenhagen Summer School, I went back to Europe for the Paris Summer School in Language and Economy. This two-week summer school was sponsored by the Collegium of Lyon, France in collaboration with the Réseau Français des Instituts d’Etudes  Avancées (RFIEA), and was organised by two prominent sociolinguists, Prof Salikoko Mufwene of the University of Chicago and Prof Cécile Vigouroux of the Simon Fraser University.

As someone who studies the intersection of migration and language, I learned a lot from this summer school. The summer school brought economists and linguists (faculty members and student participants) together in an attempt to bridge the gap between these two disciplines, given that they are actually related to each other. This interdisciplinary perspective was quite a unique experience for a sociolinguist like me as it allowed me to improve not only the depth but also the breadth of my understanding of the two disciplines on the level of theory and method. The diversity of the participants of the summer school was really impressive. Similar to the Copenhagen winter school, this diversity resulted in thought-provoking discussions and interactions.

All the students were billeted in the Cité International Universitaire de Paris, which was the Parisian counterpart of the NUS University Town. Each “house” in Cité International was designed after the architecture of the country that it is supposed to represent. We stayed in the Portuguese House, where we met many Portuguese students who study in Paris. My classmates and I hung out almost every night over nice dinners and good French wine as we discussed our own experiences as PhD students. We also got to travel around Paris together during the weekend, as we all tried and failed to pick up French.

Back in Singapore with a wider perspective

These PhD schools were very enriching and enjoyable. As I learned about the works of other people, I also began to appreciate how nice it is to discuss Singapore with a very wide audience. Sharing insights about my current research here in Singapore in these PhD schools was very memorable, especially when people told me that they now know more about Singapore, and Asia as well. The friends that I made and the academic connections that I had in these schools are definitely something that I would remember as I write my dissertation.

Raymund Vitorio
Department of English Language & Literature

“The decision to pursue my doctoral studies at this late stage was a conscious one. I felt ready to pursue something that would be challenging but also satisfying in the rigour it required of me. An alumnus of NUS, I knew I would be stretched and was ready for the journey ahead. It has not been an easy one but definitely very satisfying and rewarding for all aspects of scholarly life: learning, leading, and serving.

I have learnt not only from the courses I undertook as part of the modular requirement but also beyond. I have learnt equally from courses I audited voluntarily on campus as well as the Overseas Education Programs and summer courses I’ve had an opportunity to attend due to the extensive affiliation programs that NUS has with partner universities globally.

The support offered by the faculty for overseas fieldwork has enriched my research and deepened my perspective. Additionally, the opportunity to participate at overseas conferences has allowed access to feedback from experts and from colleagues working in similar areas elsewhere.

The opportunity offered to represent graduate students of my department has taught me the importance of teamwork and mutual support that a community can offer and the difference it can make to members in their academic trajectories.

Finally, tutoring on faculty courses has been a ‘learning experience’ as much as it has been a ‘teaching experience’. I have gained much from the students I’ve come in contact with and feel better prepared to enter the world of academia.”

Ritu Jain
Graduate Student, South Asian Studies Programme
Recipient of the Graduate Students’ Teaching Award

Netty Haiffaq Binte Zaini Mattar recently received the Maurice Baker Prize which is presented to the best graduate in the Department of English Language and Literature. The prize was first awarded in July 2010 to the recipient who has “achieved sufficient academic merit”.

For Netty, being an English student has always been a part of her nature. She has been teaching English Literature upon the completion of her Bachelors 14 years ago.

“I love how the study of literature opens you up to the world of human experience, the complexity and diversity of it,” she says.

“It’s a challenging subject that requires not only the study of literary texts, but also of cultural theory, philosophy and history, which gives you a broad knowledge base, and versatile skill set. It encourages you to engage with the big social and political issues of the times, and to think deeply and creatively about how things are connected, which is important and exciting,” she adds.

Hence the graduate PhD programme with the Department of English Language and Literature was an apparent choice for her. The department is academically diverse and recognised for the quality of its teaching. The abundance of available resources and financial support offered also makes for a conducive environment in which she has been able to develop her research in interesting ways.

The crux of it itself has been inspired by her supervisor, Professor Rajeev Patke whose guidance helped to sharpen her research skills and fine tune her research interests.

His guidance, coupled with various activities that the department organised – seminars, workshops, graduate tutoring programme, supported conference participation – further encouraged her development.

She also attributes her award to her committee members Dr Susan Ang and Dr Chitra Sankaran who have given their time so readily during the course of study.

Of course, challenges were inevitable as well.

The mother of two says, “Looking after my children alongside research has undoubtedly been challenging but you get through it by being flexible, making adjustments, and remaining committed. I am also blessed with an amazing support network, namely my husband and family. In addition, my supervisor has been very supportive with regards to my balancing work with domestic responsibilities.”

Indeed, the adjustments that she had to make had paid off with the receipt of the award and vast academic opportunities that has opened up.

With regards to her future plans, she says, “Right now, I am enjoying my time with my kids, but I continue to write and explore my research interests. I would like to pursue a career as an academic and perhaps teach at a university.”