Writing on sustainable development and environmental studies education

Professor of Social Sciences (Environmental Studies) Michael Maniates contributed the chapter ‘Teaching for Turbulence’ to State of the World 2013: Is Sustainability Still Possible?, the annual publication of the leading sustainable development research organisation, Worldwatch Institute.

His chapter called for large scale changes to industry and everyday life to combat environmental dangers and stressed the need for a refocusing of undergraduate environmental studies education to help achieve this.

Exploring colonial history and postcolonial writing

In his book Modernist Literature and Postcolonial Studies, Professor of Humanities (Literature) Rajeev Patke examined the interface between modern arts and colonial history, highlighting developments in postcolonial writing as an effect of Western modernity.

Presenting his research worldwide

In 2013 alone, Assistant Professor of Science (Physics) Shaffique Adam was invited to speak at over 10 international conferences including the prestigious 20th International Conference on the Electronic Properties of Two-Dimensional Systems and the American Physical Society March meeting in Denver, USA, where he gave a tutorial session.

Changing the colour of butterflies’ wings

A team led by Associate Professor of Science (Biology) Antónia Monteiro were the first scientists to change the colour of butterflies’ wings by artificial selection. Over six generations, the butterflies’ wings were modified from brown to violet. The interdisciplinary team included physicists and evolutionary biologists, and published their findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Researching belief in indigenous spirits in Thailand

Assistant Professor of Social Sciences (Anthropology) Andrew Alan Johnson spent two years conducting fieldwork in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for his book about belief in indigenous spirits, Ghosts of the New City: Spirits, Urbanity, and the Ruins of Progress in Chiang Mai.

Publishing on astrology in ancient Rome

Senior Lecturer of Humanities (Literature) Steven J Green published the monograph Disclosure and Discretion in Roman Astrology, focusing on the importance of astrology in the reign of Augustus, the first emperor of ancient Rome, as well as a discussion of astrological poet Manilius’ key work Astronomica.

Researching subcultural beliefs relating to the oil industry

For his book Peak Oil: Apocalyptic Environmentalism and Libertarian Political Culture, Assistant Professor of Social Sciences (Environmental Studies) Matthew Schneider-Mayerson studied a mid-2000s subculture who believed that the maximum rate of crude oil extraction was about to be reached. He explored their belief that an inexorable decline in oil production would then follow, resulting in economic, social and political chaos.

Exploring the relationship between Marxism and queer cultures in China and Taiwan

Associate Professor of Humanities Petrus Liu’s book Queer Marxism in Two Chinas looked at the relationship between Marxism and queer cultures in China and Taiwan, challenging the idea that they were incompatible. For this work, he was shortlisted for the 28th Annual Lambda Literary Awards and also received a fellowship at the ICI Berlin Institute for Cultural Enquiry.

Studying methods of reducing the spread of influenza in households

Assistant Professor of Science Alex Cook was part of a team that studied methods of reducing the spread of influenza in households. This work was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Organising a conference to examine ancient Chinese manuscripts

In April 2016, the College hosted the inaugural Conference on Excavated Manuscripts in Chinese Classical Studies, led by Professor of Humanities (Chinese Studies) and Tan Chin Tuan Professor of Chinese Studies, Scott Cook. Scholars from around the globe attended the nine panels, hearing over twenty speakers present their work.

Serving as a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy

Professor of Social Sciences (Urban Studies) Professor Jane Jacobs was elected by the British Academy as one of 20 new Corresponding Fellows from overseas universities, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to research in urban and cultural geography.

Discovering a chemical fear response in medaka fish

Assistant Professor of Science (Neuroscience) Ajay Mathuru discovered that medaka fish respond to a chemical released by injured members of their own species. This fear response warned the fish that a predator may be nearby. Assistant Professor Mathuru’s research was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Investigating blockchain technology

Assistant Professor of Science (Computational Sciences) Aquinas Hobor collaborated with his student Hrishi Olickel (Class of 2018) on a paper exploring blockchain technology. They co-presented the paper at the 23rd Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Conference on Computer and Communications Security held in Vienna, Austria in October 2016.

Contributing to scholarship on the Japanese artist Takehisa Yumeji

Assistant Professor of Humanities (Art History) Nozomi Naoi was recognised by the Takehisa Yumeji Studies Association for her contribution to scholarship on the modernist works of Japanese artist Takehisa Yumeji. In 2015, Dr Naoi co-curated the first exhibition of the artist’s works outside of Japan, co-writing the accompanying catalogue which was the first English-language scholarship on Yumeji’s art.

Leading research on social neuroscience and its implications for models of health

Assistant Professor of Social Sciences (Psychology) Jean Liu ran the Social Neuroendocrinology Research Group (aka Synergy Lab) at the College, often collaborating with students to study social neuroscience and its implications for models of heath. One study examined ‘phubbing’ where people prefer to use their handphone rather than interacting with others in person.

Arranging a conference to examine the Russian Revolution from an Asian perspective

Associate Dean of Faculty (Faculty Development) Professor Naoko Shimazu co-convened the conference The Asian Arc of the Russian Revolution: Setting the East Ablaze? to examine the Russian Revolution from the perspective of Russia’s Asian population and neighbouring Asian countries. Participants from around the world presented alongside Yale-NUS faculty.

Receiving a National Geographic Society research grant

Assistant Professor of Science (Environmental Studies) Eunice Tan was awarded the prestigious National Geographic Society research grant to study stick insects’ ecology and behaviour in the wild.

Recommending action on global climate change

Assistant Professor of Social Sciences (Environmental Studies) Angel Hsu co-authored a report recommending that national governments increase cooperation with regions, cities and businesses in the fight against climate change. Two students, Xie Yihao (Class of 2017) and Yeo Zhi Yi (Class of 2020), were part of the research team.

Developing new defences against tsunamis

Professor of Science (Environmental Studies and Geophysics) Brian McAdoo, Instructor of Humanities (Documentary, Photojournalism and Visual Communication) Tom White and Lecturer of Humanities (Visual Arts) Yanyun Chen formed an interdisciplinary science and humanities team to create the Virtual Reality for Disaster Resilience (VR4DR) platform. In order to help develop tsunami defences, the platform presented 3D models and 360-degree videos of vulnerable areas in Padang, Indonesia.

Examining the literature of 18th century migrant groups in the Mekong delta

Poetic Transformations: Eighteenth-Century Cultural Projects on the Mekong Plains by Associate Professor of Humanities (History) Claudine Ang was a book-length study of literature produced by Vietnamese and Chinese migrant groups who settled in the Mekong delta in the 18th century.

Publishing on how representations of time have shaped politics

Associate Professor of Social Sciences (Politics) Nomi Claire Lazar’s book Out of Joint: Power Crisis and the Rhetoric of Time explored the relationship of clocks and calendars to politics.

Examining the beliefs of Japanese sex workers about their work

Healing Labour: Japanese Sex Work in the Gendered Economy by Assistant Professor of Social Sciences (Anthropology) Gabriele Koch argued that Japanese sex workers thought of sex as a feminised form of care (‘healing labour’) that was integral to the well-being and productivity of Japanese men.

Publishing a study of the political philosophies of Thomas Hobbes and Benedict de Spinoza

Assistant Professor of Humanities (Philosophy) Sandra Field’s book Potentia: Hobbes and Spinoza on Power and Popular Politics challenged the effectiveness of popular power as a solution to injustices in society, highlighting some potential negative outcomes.

Contributing to the application of Bayesian analysis in biomedicine

Professor of Science (Mathematical, Computational and Statistical Sciences) Maria De Iorio was elected as a Fellow by the International Society for Bayesian Analysis, recognising her outstanding contributions to the application of Bayesian analysis in biomedicine.

Tackling inequality in vaccine distribution

Assistant Professor of Science (Mathematical and Computational Science) Michael Gastner collaborated with student Yen Ching Yau (Class of 2022) to study the unequal distribution of influenza vaccines around the world. The study was timely as it suggested that access to the recently introduced COVID-19 vaccine would also vary geographically.

Organising a workshop on the nature of water in Asia

The workshop Asia’s Wet Natures: Past, Present, and Future was co-organised by Assistant Professor (Environmental Studies) Anthony D Medrano. The series of panel discussions explored the nature of water in Asia from a variety of perspectives, with contributions from historians, geographers, scientists and artists from many universities around the world.

Exploring the creation of art during the COVID-19 lockdowns

Lecturer of Humanities (Visual Arts) Dr Yanyun Chen produced Hindsight is 20/20, a short video examining how artists could create art during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Yale-NUS alumnus Chia Yaim Chong (Class of 2021) composed the music.

Unpacking literary classics

A Bridge to the Classics was a series of four public lectures conducted by Associate Professor of Humanities (Literature) Andrew Hui. Hosted by the National Library, each lecture introduced a different classic novel or play with the aim of enhancing the public’s knowledge of literary classics and their contemporary relevance.

Using quantum properties of atoms to improve navigation and sensing

Assistant Professor of Science (Physics) Ben Olsen received a grant from the Quantum Engineering Programme, a Singaporean initiative aiming to apply quantum science to real-world applications. The grant funded a joint project with other universities in Singapore to use the quantum properties of atoms to improve navigation and sensing. Dr Olsen’s part of the project involved using strontium atoms to build a compact accelerometer.

Surveying the development of farming in large Asian cities

Associate Professor of Social Sciences (Environmental Studies) Marvin Montefrio’s research project, Emergence of Urban Agriculture in Southeast Asia, studied the development of farming in large Asian cities, specifically in Bangkok, Manila and Singapore. The project focused on the social, political, economic, cultural and material aspects of urban farming.

Publishing on Buddhist-Christian relations in Sri Lanka

Assistant Professor of Social Science (Anthropology) Neena Mahadev published her study of Buddhist-Christian relations in Sri Lanka Karma and Grace: Religious Difference in Millennial Sri Lanka, for which she was awarded the Claremont Prize for the Study of Religion from Columbia University’s Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life.

Investigating the effect of Eastern cultures on Russia’s artistic and cultural identity

Associate Professor of Humanities (Art History) Maria Taroutina co-edited Russian Orientalism in a Global Context: Hybridity, Encounter and Representation. The book explored how Russia’s artistic and cultural identity was affected by contact with Eastern cultures.

Discovering the importance of army ants in the tropical rainforest ecosystem

Lecturer of Science (Life Sciences) Sebastian Pohl’s study of army ants in the Costa Rican rainforest discovered that 91 different beetle species utilised the ants’ refuse deposits, confirming their importance as a keystone species in the tropical rainforest ecosystem. Dr Pohl’s findings were published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.

Exploring poetry written by migrant workers in Singapore

Associate Professor of Social Sciences (Anthropology) Nur Amali Ibrahim’s talk The Gifts of Poetry: Migrant Labor in Singapore, City of Good discussed the phenomenon of migrant workers in Singapore becoming known for writing poetry. He explored this trend in the context of Singapore’s attempts to provide care for the socially disadvantaged.

Examining the pros and cons of Bitcoin

Associate Professor of Humanities (Philosophy) Andrew Bailey co-authored Resistance Money: A Philosophical Case for Bitcoin. The book examined the arguments for and against the digital currency, concluding that it was a valuable tool of resistance for those on the margins of society.