Research

Dr Yosuke Sato and his co-authors named Routledge’s authors of the month

fasswebmaster Research, Staff Achievements

Dr Yosuke Sato, Assistant Professor in the Department of English Language and Literature, and his co-authors of The Routledge Handbook of Syntax, Dr Andrew Carnie (University of Arizona) and Daniel Siddiqi (Carleton University, Canada), are Routledge’s authors of the month for November 2014!

Have a look at their interview, where they discuss their inspiration to write the Handbook, what makes it special, and how it represents several perspectives on the study of syntax. You can read the first 30 pages of The Routledge Handbook of Syntax here, and the book, which is a whopping 716 pages, was published in May 2014 and is available from NUS Central Library.

syntax

 

Congratulations to FASS Geography’s Rachel Oh on her Oral Presentation Award!

fasswebmaster Research, Student Achievements

Rachel Oh (FASS Geography, MA student) competed against almost 100 other presenters and won the Best Oral Presentation Award for her talk during the recent 3rd International Symposium on Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Antalya, Turkey.

Her presentation was based on her ongoing Master’s research project, “Restoring abandoned shrimp ponds to mangrove forests: a potential method for sustainable coastal management”. Her achievement also reflects very positively on the highly active mangrove research group (the Mangrove Lab) in TEC/the Geography Department.

Read more about the Mangrove Lab here: http://www.themangrovelab.com/

Photo Credit: NUS Geography Facebook Page

 

LSE-NUS Lecture Series: Prof Brian Farrell speaks at LSE in October 2014

fasswebmaster Events, Research

Cross-Border Cross Referencing: sorting out Indonesian confrontation in the field

On 8 October 2014 in the Alumni Theatre of the New Academic Building at the London School of Economics, Professor Brian Farrell gave a talk titled “Cross-Border Cross Referencing: sorting out Indonesian confrontation in the field”. Chaired by Dr Kirsten Schulze, the talk is viewable on the LSE YouTube channel here. Additionally, slides, audio, and video can be downloaded here.

Abstract: Indonesia ‘confronted’ the establishment of Malaysia in 1963 by waging an undeclared war, which included armed incursions across recognized international frontiers. The lecture will discuss the work of a military historian in the field and explore the role and perspectives of the local populations during this cross-border conflict.

About the Speaker: Brian Farrell is professor of military history and currently head of the Department of History at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the National University of Singapore. His main areas of research interest are the military history of the British Empire, especially in the 20th century; the modern history of empires and imperialism, especially in Asia; the history of Western military power in Asia; and problems related to collective security and coalition warfare. He is currently acting as principal investigator on the major research project Empire in Asia: A New Global History, and serving as Asia-Pacific regional coordinator for the Society for Military History, the largest such professional organization in the world.

Love to explore places in Singapore?

fasswebmaster Research, Student Life ,

Hi everyone!

Need to take a break between revisions and exams?
Looking to explore and learn new things about Singapore?
Got 1hour or so to spare between April 21st and May 4th?

We are looking for paid research subjects to walk a designated trail with our app and a GoPro camera.
For details see our attached advertisement here: NUS Research Study on Understanding Mediated Sense of Place

To sign up, begin by answering a short questionnaire at:
http://bit.ly/1hNK5Qk

For more information, you can also contact Joy Ng (joyngxueqi@gmail.com).

 

Let’s welcome A/P Lim Sun Sun to the Deanery!

fasswebmaster Announcements, Research

A/P Lim Sun SunLet us warmly welcome Assoc Prof Lim Sun Sun who joins the FASS Dean’s Office as Assistant Dean of Research this year!

We caught up with her to find out more about her.

 Please tell us a bit about yourself.
I graduated from NUS with an Honours degree in political science after some of the best years of my life as a student in FASS. I enjoyed what I was learning so much – history, philosophy, political science – each subject was compelling, intriguing and thought-provoking in its own way and I loved them all! it was a wonderful introduction to the social sciences. So after receiving my PhD in Media and Communications from the London School of Economics,  I jumped at the chance to teach in FASS so as to recreate my experience for my students.

I have two young children who keep me busy with their incessant and often mind-blowing questions and observations. I enjoy reading, travelling and experimenting in the kitchen, although not always with good results.

What is your area of research?
I study the social implications of technology domestication by young people and families, charting the ethnographies of their Internet and mobile phone use. My recent research has focused attention on understudied and marginalised populations including young children, youths-at-risk and female migrant workers. I also conduct research on new media literacies, with a special focus on literacy challenges in parental mediation and young people’s Internet skills

Why Communications and New Media?
Our increasingly mediatised society has been greatly enriched by the advent of new communication technologies. These technologies have a potentially transformative effect on the ways in which we live and work, and how we engage with and relate to one another. Communications and New Media studies seeks to understand the impact of such technologies and human responses to such impacts.

Can you share your thoughts about joining Dean’s Office as Assistant Dean for Research?
After teaching in NUS for 10 years and having been involved in departmental service as Deputy Head of CNM, I appreciate this opportunity to serve at the faculty level. I hope to make a difference by helping to enhance the faculty’s research landscape through initiatives that can connect researchers with one another, as well as with their multiple stakeholders. There is also tremendous resonance between my work as Assistant Dean for Research and my involvement in the international academic community. I sit on the Executive Committee of the Association of Internet Researchers and I serve on the editorial boards of Journal of Computer Mediated Communication, Communication, Culture & Critique, Journal of Children and Media, Mobile Media & Communication and the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research. I believe that my new role in the faculty will be challenging but rewarding and look forward to this learning opportunity.

 

Invitation to MAIS 2013: Moving Nusantara Sounds – Malay Religious Beliefs in Song and Rhythm (10 Oct 2013) 6.30pm LT8 FASS

victoria Announcements, Events, Research

The FASS community is cordially invited to attend the Malay Arts and Islam Seminar 2013. This year’s theme is, “Moving Nusantara Sounds – Malay Religious Beliefs in Song and Rhythm.” Invited speakers include, Prof. Margaret Kartomi (Monash University, Australia), Dr. Geoffrey Benjamin (Institute of Southeast Asian Studies), and musician Fadhli Ramlee. Please find more information about the seminar speakers on the attached poster. A light dinner will be served at 6.15pm outside LT8. For catering purposes, please RSVP to Johan (johan@nus.edu.sg) by 8 October 2013.

 Date: 10 October 2013

Location: Lecture Theatre 8, FASS, NUS

Time: 6.30 – 9pm

Call for Abstracts: 14th Malaysia-Singapore Forum, 9-10 Dec 2013

victoria Announcements, Faculty Events, Graduate Studies, Research

Call for Abstracts (DEADLINE:  07 October 2013)

14TH MALAYSIA-SINGAPORE FORUM

Jointly organized by the University of Malaya and National University of Singapore

Date    : 9-10 Dec 2013
Venue : Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Theme : Globalization and its Effects on Society

The organizing committee is pleased to invite abstract submissions for presentations at the 14th Malaysia-Singapore Forum. Topics of interest related to the theme include but are not limited to:

  • Globalization and Migration – examining ways of integration and adjustment vis-à-vis increased human mobility as people seek employment, education, family formation outside their home country.
  • Globalization and Lifestyle – (new) consumption possibilities; hybridity; youth culture and aspirations. 
  • Globalization and Participation – environment/health crises, governance and international policies.
  • Globalization and Economic Resilience – protection of economy against unemployment, hazards etc.

Abstracts must be written in English in no more than 300 words. If abstract is accepted, full paper of about 3,000–3,500 words (no more than 12 pages excluding references, tables and appendices) will be needed for inclusion in the Forum Proceedings. Full paper must follow APA style. Kindly submit your abstract with title and your brief profile all in word document file to Ms Amy Tan Xiang Ru at fastxr@nus.edu.sg                                                                                                                   

The organizers are pleased to cover the airfare and accommodation expenses for presenters at this forum. Priority will be given to FASS faculty and graduate students.

Important Dates:

  • Abstracts Deadline: 07 October 2013
  • Notification to Authors: 10 October 2013
  • Final paper due: 10 November 2013

On behalf of Forum Conveners:

Prof Dr. Md Sidin Ahmad Ishak, Deputy Dean (Postgraduate), FASS, UM

A/P Ho Kong Chong, Vice-Dean (Research), FASS, NUS

Applications now welcomed for the 2014 Lee Kong Chian NUS-Stanford Distinguished Fellowship on Contemporary Southeast Asia

victoria Announcements, Research

The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Stanford University (Stanford) are pleased to announce that applications are welcome between now and 1 November 2013 for the 2014 Lee Kong Chian NUS-Stanford Distinguished Fellowship on Southeast Asia. Interested individuals with backgrounds or positions in the social sciences or humanities are encouraged to apply. Candidates may be of any nationality or seniority.

One or two candidates may be awarded fellowships. A successful candidate will spend one month at NUS and one, two, or three months at Stanford, writing and conducting research on, or related to, contemporary Southeast Asia.  Fellows will also have opportunities to speak and take part in seminars and workshops organized by relevant campus units. In determining the overall length of the fellowship and the sequencing of the stays at each campus, the preferences of the fellow concerned will be taken into account.

Fellowships will normally begin and end within the period from 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015. Each fellowship will cover one roundtrip economy-class airfare from the fellow’s country of residence to NUS (or Stanford), continuing on to Stanford (or NUS), and returning from Stanford (or NUS) to the fellow’s country of residence, and will include a stipend of US$ 7500 per month during the fellowship period.

Applicants should submit the following six (6) items: 
(1) a project statement (not exceeding three pages) that addresses the candidate’s research project’s central analytic question(s), explains its intellectual contribution to scholarship on Southeast Asia, and describes the writing and research envisaged during the fellowship. The statement should also clearly state the specific research outcomes envisaged.
(2) a detailed schedule of the proposed fellowship period including dates of anticipated residence at NUS and at Stanford.
(3) a sample of published, English-language work by the candidate that is directly or indirectly related to the research project.
(4) the candidate’s full curriculum vitae including a list of publications.
(5) full contact information, including email addresses, for three (3) academic referees who should be able, if asked, to evaluate the proposal and the candidate.
(6) full contact information for the applicant including an email address.

Complete applications are due by 1 November 2013.  Results will be announced no later than mid December 2013.

Applications should be sent simultaneously to both NUS and Stanford at these addresses:

NUS – Lee Kong Chian NUS-SU Initiative on Southeast Asia, Research Division, Dean’s Office, FASS, National University of Singapore, The Shaw Foundation Building, 5 Arts Link, Block AS7, Level 6, Singapore 117570
Email: nusstanfordsea@nus.edu.sg; tel: (65) 6516 7035; fax (65) 6773 6878
Website: http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/research/nusstanfordsea/index.html

Stanford – Lee Kong Chian NUS-SU Initiative on Southeast Asia,
Southeast Asia Forum, Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Encina Hall E-301, Stanford University, 616 Serra Street, Stanford, CA 94305-6055, USA
Email: llee888@stanford.edu ; tel: (650) 724 6403; fax (650) 650 723 6530
Website: http://aparc.stanford.edu/fellowships/nus_stanford

‘Forefront Asia’ puts Southeast Asia and NUS at the forefront of Asian Studies

victoria Faculty Events, Graduate Studies, Research

Between August 14-16, FASS was delighted to present Forefront Asia: the Signature Series, an annual meeting for expert dialogues on Asia. Each forum in the annual series consists of focused workshops on topics of critical interest, as well as talks designed for a wider audience of scholars, graduate students and interested members of the public. The first workshop in FASS’s Forefront Asia Signature Series, “The Study of Southeast Asia Today: A Dialogue at NUS”, showcased the latest scholarship on Southeast Asia while creating a forum for dialogue and interaction among FASS colleagues working on this region, together with Southeast Asianists from the region and beyond.

Participants from NUS, the region and beyond

The first keynote speaker was Professor Anthony Reid (Emeritus Professor at ANU), whose talk on “Three Reasons Southeast Asian History Matters” drew on three unique historical, geographical and political facets of the region. Firstly Southeast Asia is unique due to the relative equality and autonomy of its women, especially in production and commerce in the period preceding 19th century modernisation. Secondly Southeast Asia warrants study due to its tectonics and the global climate impact eruptions and earthquakes have caused in the past and will continue to do so. Thirdly the region is unique in how the nation-state is only a relatively new import and so a deeper study of the region reveals how the concept of nation-state need not be the narrative core of a place’s history.

Professor Tony Reid

 

Following several paper presentations, Professor Jonathan Rigg (Durham University/NUS), the second keynote speaker presented his paper titled “Chasing after the wind: A cautionary tale of Southeast Asian success”, which addressed how the very success of the region’s economies has, however, bred new challenges and fresh tensions. These challenges, problems and tensions range from seemingly intractable pockets of poverty, to failures of government and governance, questions over the future sustainability of growth, new issues connected with emerging social maladies, environmental degradation and what some commentators perceived to be a declining quality of life.

On day two, Professor Abidin Kusno (University of British Columbia), the third keynote speaker,  gave his talk on “City of the Dammed” about flooding, or ‘banjir’ in Jakarta.  The talk touched on city planning and architecture while addressing  questions such as consciousness of time, space and politics, environmental justice, flood management, representation, climate change and North-South debates.

In between the other papers of the second day, the Dean was also delighted to officially launch the Faculty’s new PhD in Comparative Asian Studies.

The Dean,Professor Brenda Yeoh prepares to strike the gong while Professor Prasenjit Duara, A/P Maitrii Aung-Thwin, Professor Robbie Goh, A/P SHirlena Huang, A/P Vineeta Sinha, A/P Hendrik Meyer-Ohle and A/P Noor Aisha Abdul Rahan look on.

The third day of the conference concluded with a roundtable for Journal Editors who represented most of the top journals that cover Southeast Asian and the region.