Professor Brenda Yeoh, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, officially launched the Comparative Asian Studies (CAS) PhD programme, during the inaugural Forefront Asia conference on 15 August 2013.
The CAS PhD Programme is one of the few in the world to offer a comprehensive, multi-regional training in Asian Studies at the PhD level. CAS PhD students will have an opportunity to acquire expertise in at least two geographical or cultural areas of Asia and will be expected to attain research level competency in two Asian languages. The intensive, five-year programme will consist of both coursework and field research, supported by generous research and teaching fellowships.
Successful applicants will benefit from FASS’ established tradition in comparative research and teaching on South, Southeast and East Asia that have been a hallmark of its area-studies and disciplinary departments. Featuring over 200 scholars whose research focuses on Asia, the FASS is home to eight interdisciplinary research clusters, extensive Asia-focused library resources, special collections, and language programs that contribute to its exceptional position as leader in the field of Asian Studies.
Associate Professor Maitrii Aung-Thwin, CAS Coordinator, noted that the programme’s location in Southeast Asia would continue to be an important factor for students and scholars who wanted to pursue Asian Studies from within Asia.
The launch was chaired by Associate Professor Shirlena Huang, FASS Vice Dean of Graduate Studies, who was involved in the formulation stages along with Professor Robbie Goh, FASS Vice Dean of International Relations and Special Duties, and Associate Professor Goh Beng Lan, Head of the Department of Southeast Asian Studies. The event also featured two distinguished scholars of Asia: Professor Bernard Arps, Professor of Indonesian and Javanese Language and Culture at Leiden University Institute for Area Studies (LIAS), and Professor Prasenjit Duara, NUS Raffles Professor of Humanities and Director of the Asia Research Institute.
Applications for the CAS PhD Programme are open from May till November every year. Interested applicants can find more information at:
Overview and Admissions:
http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/cas/admissions/requirements.html
Academic Requirements:
http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/cas/curriculum/requirements.html
Enquiries can also be sent to seabox4@nus.edu.sg