School of Humanities and Social Sciences

ISSUE NO.9 Sep/Oct 2014

Celebrating 10 Years of Excellence 02 contents Chair’s message 03

School Management Chair’s Message Committee

Chair Prof Liu Hong Associate Chair (Undergraduate Education) Assoc Prof Yohanes Eko Riyanto 10 12 Associate Chair (Graduate Studies) Assoc Prof Francesco Cavallaro interdisciplinary studies and Associate Chair (Research) CONTENTS Assoc Prof Annabel research hold the key to uncovering

Associate Chair (Administration) News new knowledge and solutions to the Assoc Prof Low Chan Kee complex problems of tomorrow. Assistant Chair 04 Welcome to HSS! (Communications, Education and 04 Recognising Excellence Student Life) 05 Double Celebrations at HSS Convocation 2014 Dr Tan Joo Ean 07 NTU Workshop Attracts World Renowned Environmental Economists Head, Division of Chinese 08 HSS hosts International Conference on Sinology Assoc Prof I Lo Fen 09 Social Mobility in and Britain Dear colleagues, students, alumni, and friends, as Professor Christopher Timmins of Duke University Head, Division of Economics 10 Sustainable Literature Assoc Prof Euston Quah 11 The Asset of East Asian Civilization and the New Plan of its Publicity and Professor Zhao Jin Hua of Michigan State University Welcome to the new academic year. As we continue presented valuable research findings on how to meet the Head, Division of English our yearlong celebration of our 10th year of founding, challenges set by global climate change. Assoc Prof Terence Richard Dawson Feature I am pleased to share with you exciting news about Head, Division of Linguistics and 12 Uncovering the Future recent developments in research, faculty recruitment and In a multi-disciplinary collaboration with Yonsei University, Multilingual Studies international collaboration here at HSS. Research is the HSS faculty from the Chinese Division and the Philosophy Prof Randy LaPolla People wellspring of a university’s intellectual capital. At HSS, we Programme travelled to South Korea for a joint international Acting Head, Division of Psychology The Landscapes Along Her Train Ride have set out a bold vision to invest in interdisciplinary research workshop on “Confucian Heritage and its Impact on Assoc Prof Ringo Ho 16 17 Pushing the Frontiers of Cognitive Science as we believe it holds the key to uncovering new knowledge Modernization in East Asia”. Part of a collaboration pact Head, Division of Sociology 18 A Matter of Perspective and possible solutions to the complex problems of tomorrow. initiated in 2012 between the two institutions, these Prof Zhou Min 19 Roots Run Deep collaborative workshops serve as a platform to enable Director, History Programme In this issue, you will be able to read about the five academics across East Asia to collaborate on key issues such Assoc Prof Joey Long Shi Ruey Research Interdisciplinary research clusters that HSS has set up based as the environment and the national identity of East Asians. Director, Public Policy & Global Affairs on the School’s comparative strengths and the promising NTU Study Shows Puzzle Games Can Improve Mental Flexibility Prof He Bao Gang 20 researchers we have attracted to our shores with the HSS In our undergraduate education, we continue to exceed the 21 MOE Academic Research Grant Awards Deputy Director, Centre for Chinese Post-Doctoral Fellow Scheme. School’s intake target, while the overall quality of our students Language and Culture in terms of indicative grade profiles has further improved. Selected Recent Publications Asst Prof Yow Cheun Hoe As a vanguard of the School’s research efforts, HSS’s We have also continued to make major breakthroughs in Director, Centre of Modern Languages 22 Books cluster of post-doctoral research fellows contributes vitally research, clinching yet another MOE Tier 2 research grant Assoc Prof Francesco Cavallaro 23 Journal Articles to the School’s groundbreaking research collaborations this quarter and an unprecedented number of 18 MOE Tier 1 Director, Language and Communication internationally. By serving as the conduit between various grants. Centre divisions, HSS post-doctoral fellows enable faculty across all Prof Kingsley Bolton Editorial Team Contributors divisions to synergise their expertise to tackle complex global I believe that, with the collective efforts of all faculty, staff, Dr Wong Chee Meng Director, Professional Executive issues. In this issue, you will be able to read more about their students, alumni and other stakeholders, HSS will continue to Advisor Dr Michelle Y. Merrill Programme, and MSc in Applied stories and how they have contributed to the success of HSS. scale the peaks of success in both education and research. I Dr Tan Joo Ean Asst Prof Samara Anne Cahill Economics Asst Prof Park So Jeong wish all of you a fruitful and prolific year ahead. Prof Chew Soon Beng Editor Lester Kok HSS has continued to search out valuable opportunities Director, MA in Contemporary China Terence Koh Alyssa Teo, Class of 2016 to collaborate with world-leading experts in important Professor Liu Hong Assoc Prof Xiao Hong Lavisha S. Punjabi, Class of 2016 fields like sustainability. At the NTU International Workshop Tan Kah Kee Endowed Professor Members Angelene Wong Suet Fong, Class of 2016 of Environmental Economics, sustainability experts such Chair, School of Humanities and Social Sciences Coordinator, Philosophy Programme Ms Janice Goh Zhou Hao, Class of 2016 Assoc Prof Li Chen Yang Ms Phoebe Cheong Melvin Lee Jun Hong, Class of 2015 04 News News 05

Welcome to HSS! Recognising Excellence

The School of Humanities and Social Sciences would like to The School of Humanities and Social Sciences would like to welcome the following new faculty members to the HSS family. congratulate the following faculty and staff for their excellent Double Celebrations performance and contributions to the School and University. Centre for Modern Languages at HSS Convocation 2014 Name Appointment Date Joined Award of Tenure Son Okhyun Lecturer 7 Apr 2014 Name Division Hani Mustafa Lecturer 4 Aug 2014 Assoc Prof Francis Bond LMS Sakurai Shogo Lecturer 12 Aug 2014 HSS Convocation 2014 was a “It’s important to discover quickly if Chinese Faculty Promotion to Associate Professor double celebration this year as HSS you like something or are good at it, with Tenure Name Appointment Date Joined conferred degrees to more than 720 if not, don’t be afraid to quit, to start Asst Prof Arista Kuo Szu-Yu Assistant Professor 18 Jul 2014 Name Division HSS graduates in two convocation something new,” said Dr Teo in his Su Tong Writer-in-Residence 26 Aug 2014 Assoc Prof Daniel Keith Jernigan English ceremonies held at the Nanyang speech to HSS graduates. “We are Auditorium in NTU on 7 August 2014. ingrained to persevere [but] since the Assoc Prof Joyce Pang Shu Min Psychology English HSS was privileged to have two future is uncertain, you should try Name Appointment Date Joined Assoc Prof Teo You Yenn Sociology distinguished Guest Speakers address different things because you don’t know Asst Prof Divya Victor Assistant Professor 1 Aug 2014 our graduates in two ceremonies held what will work or what you will like. Not Asst Prof Christopher Peter Assistant Professor 4 Aug 2014 Service Excellence Awards at 10am and 2pm respectively. doing so could incur a huge opportunity Trigg Category Prize Name Division cost – the missed opportunity.” Miguel Syjuco Writer-in-Residence 12 Aug 2014 Language and Dr Teo Eng Sipp, Chief Economist and Managerial 1st Shannen Teo History Communication Centre Director of Economics & Investment He also told HSS graduates to be proud Name Appointment Date Joined Ann-Marie Chua Mei Division of Linguistics Strategy at GIC, Singapore’s sovereign of their achievements. “Today is a visible Managerial 2nd wealth fund, was the Guest Speaker and visceral reminder of what you are Dr Zhang Hui Mei Research Fellow 2 Apr 2014 Fen and Multilingual Studies for Ceremony 18 in the morning. capable of. You have much to be proud Asst Prof Koh Keng We Assistant Professor 16 Jun 2014 Managerial 3rd Kum Wai Han Chair’s Office He addressed students from the of. Savour the feeling and memory. Let Linguistics and Multilingual Studies Managerial Merit Adeline Lim Guat Ling Chair’s Office (Finance) Division of Economics who received this memory give you confidence that Name Appointment Date Joined Executive 1st Josh Tan Hwa Mong Chair’s Office (IT) bachelors, masters and double degrees you can overcome the challenges which Dr Lim Ni Eng Post Doctoral Fellow 31 Mar 2014 Division of Linguistics in Economics as well as degrees in life will throw at you. Executive 2nd Nurazean Binte Ismail Michael Wayne Goodman Research Associate 2 May 2014 and Multilingual Studies Master of Arts and Master of Public Dr Gérard Félix Diffloth Senior Research Fellow 9 Jul 2014 Josephine Chan Yim Language and Administration. A passionate advocate for volunteerism Executive 3rd Dr Lauren Michelle Gawne Post Doctoral Fellow 14 Jul 2014 Fung Communication Centre and philanthropy in Singapore, Mr Lien Mr Laurence Lien, Chairman of the elevated the social consciousness of Dr Song Sang Houn Research Fellow 18 Aug 2014 Chair’s Office (IT) - Now Executive Merit Tan Lionel Cheque Lien Foundation and the Community HSS’s graduating class with his speech Philosophy NSS-IT Foundation of Singapore, and a former as he distilled his two decade long Language and Name Appointment Date Joined Executive Merit Carole Lim Lai Yeong Communication Centre Nominated Member of Parliament, experience in the public and non-profit Asst Prof Winnie Sung Hiu Assistant Professor 11 Jul 2014 was the Guest Speaker for Ceremony sectors into valuable, salient life lessons. Chuk It’s important to National Day Awards – Long Service Medal 19 in the afternoon. He addressed Grace Boey Yong Ai Research Associate 25 Aug 2014 HSS graduates who received bachelor “This is the beginning of your journey discover quickly if Psychology Name Division degrees in Chinese, English, Linguistics to contributing to society. Work in our you like something Name Appointment Date Joined Assoc Prof Low Chan Kee Economics and Multilingual Studies, Psychology society is often primarily seen for the Asst Prof Setoh Pei Pei Assistant Professor 1 Jul 2014 Language and and Sociology. purpose of making good money. I or are good at it, if Public Policy and Global Affairs Asst Prof Diane Koo-Cheah Swit Ling Communication believe how much we are paid must Centre not, don’t be afraid Name Appointment Date Joined As an ASEAN Scholar and the person never be the presumptive measure overseeing the direction of GIC’s of self-worth and job-worth. Instead, Asst Prof Ana Cristina Dias Assistant Professor 20 May 2014 to quit. New Appointments Alves investments of Singapore’s foreign we need to pay more attention to the Dr Laura Elizabeth Anne AllisonResearch Fellow 4 Jun 2014 Name Appointment reserves, Dr Teo had HSS graduates intrinsic worth of the work we do, and rapt in thought with perceptive, its value to society,” advised Mr Lien in – Dr Teo Eng Sipp Sociology Assoc Prof I Lo Fen Head, Chinese counter-intuitive insights borne out of his address. Assoc Prof Terence Richard Dawson Head, English Name Appointment Date Joined his nearly two decade long experience Dr Yang Peidong Post Doctoral Fellow 4 Aug 2014 Assoc Prof Ringo Ho Moon Ho Acting Head, Psychology in Economics. Asst Chair, Communications, Dr Tan Joo Ean Education and Student Life 06 News NewsNews5 07

“Not many of you can do what you love, knowledge we’ve acquired and our but everyone of you can love what you concern for people and humanity do. We need to see that our actions should not cease, just because we’ve affect others. Work and life are about graduated. When we eventually find making a difference to the world we our place in the world, let us guard are living in; it’s about being useful to ourselves from being desensitized, and others. Always have the end in mind – be the change we wish to see in this the legacy that you wish to leave in this world.” HSS Workshop Attracts world. I think as humanities and social sciences graduates, you’re in a unique Reflecting on her time in HSS, Min Hui World Renowned position to see this. Even if we go into had this to share: “Four years in NTU- the corporate world, every product that HSS has changed the way I think and we make and service that we deliver view the world. I was chatting with a Environmental Economists must be genuinely useful and improve friend I’d known since we were 17, and the lives of people.” we ended up talking about Kierkegaard. HSS welcomed some of the world’s the increased frequency and severity And she remarked, ‘I can’t believe we’re brightest environmental economists to of extreme events as well as gradual A New Journey talking about this right now. This wasn’t NTU as the Economics Division held changes, Prof Zhao revealed that while With two convocation ceremonies, possible a few years back.’ Looking the “The NTU International Workshop the adaptation incentives are “higher HSS graduates were also treated back on the four years in NTU, Growth of Environmental Economics” at the in response to gradual changes, the to two valedictorian speeches. Ms is probably the word that best describes HSS Conference Room from 26 – 27 probability of carrying out adaptation Low Mei Xiu, from the Division of my journey in NTU.” May 2014. activities is higher in response to Economics, addressed her fellow extreme events”. graduates in Ceremony 18 while Ms This year’s convocation also saw Cheryl Convened over two days, the workshop Yeo Min Hui, from the Division of Julia Lee Wei Ling, from the Division of was organised into six sessions of Prof Ng Yew Kwang, Winsemius Chinese, presented her valedictorian English, winning a trio of honours: the discussions on Climate Change: Professor of Economics at HSS’s speech in Ceremony 19. LKY Gold Medal (English), Koh Boon Theory, Behaviourial Economics on Economics Division, also presented his Hwee Scholars Award and Koh Tai Ann the Environment, Asia, Energy, Natural paper, How Do we Analyse Extreme “Our time in NTU may end as we Gold Medal. Resources and Ecosystem, and Climate Global Catastrophic Risks Rationally? graduate. However, these memories Change: Empirics and Policy. Climate Change and Expected Welfare we need to pay will definitely stay with us forever,” “I’ve really learnt a lot about myself,” Maximization, in the first discussion shared Mei Xiu in her speech. “One of said Cheryl. “I started this journey really Prof Zhao Jin hua, Professor of session on climate change theory. more attention to my friends told me that graduation can terrified and unsure of myself because Economics and Director of the “For problems like climate change the intrinsic worth be kind of scary. To me, graduation is I didn’t even know I would be able to Environmental Science and Policy that may involve extinction, we must Prof Ng Yew Kwang actually not an end but a new beginning complete the degree. But my professors Program at Michigan State University, not just focus on the trading off of of the work we do, as we embark on a journey into society at the English department were really and a special term Professor at current consumption against future and its value to as young adults,” she added. After amazing and they’ve helped me so University of Finance and consumption, but also consider the of how it impacts property value graduation, Mei Xiu will be pursuing much. And so I’m not afraid of my fears Economics in China, kicked off the effects of mitigation investment in depending on the geographic scale, society. her Masters in Economics at the anymore. I’m very grateful to them and workshop with his presentation of his reducing the extinction possibilities,” said water source, well productivity and University of Warwick, UK, having also Prof Koh and all of the people who paper, Adaptation to Climate Change: Prof Ng as he touched on future utility visibility of the development. won a scholarship from the Ministry of gave me the awards because it’s just so Gradual Changes vs. Extreme Events. values in an extreme environmental event – Mr Laurence Lien Education. generous of them.” A world-leading expert in the broad impacted economy. On the last day, Prof Euston Quah, area of environmental and resource Head of Economics Division, HSS, In her speech, Min Hui also prefaced Cheryl will be doing her Masters in economics, Prof Zhao talked about Prof Christopher Timmins, Professor gave a concluding address on Asia’s the new challenges facing the Literature in Trinity College, Dublin after developing a “real options model of of Economics at Duke University and Environmental Governance: What Needs graduating class of 2014. “As we go graduation. “I would like to go on to adaptation to climate change” to meet a member of Duke’s Nicholas School Attention If Growth is to Continue. He out there empowered to pursue our do a PhD and maybe teach, hopefully the challenges posted by global climate of the Environment, also presented identified four pressing areas of public dreams, let us remember that the at NTU. Give back to the people who change with its “increased frequency his paper on The Housing Market policy: The siting of environmentally helped me.” and severity of extreme weather Impacts of Shale Gas Development. A unfriendly facilities essential to a events”. He explained how his model research associate in the Environmental country like nuclear power stations; captured the “different effects of gradual and Energy Economics group at the the worsening global waste generation changes, represented by Brownian National Bureau of Economic Research, problem; transboundary pollution like motion processes, and extreme events, Prof Timmins shared his expertise on haze and inter-river contamination and represented by Poisson jumps”. By the external costs and benefits from the critical need to understand non- comparing adaptation decisions under shale gas development on a study market goods how to price them. 08 News News 09

Social Mobility in China and Britain HSS hosts International By Dr Michelle Y. Merrill

Both Britain and China enshrine social Conference on equality within their constitutions, By Dr Wong Chee Meng implying some economic mobility and opportunities for the poor to attain higher socioeconomic status. Both Fifteen prominent scholars from across the study of text and image, which have The keynote speech was delivered men had expected that the expanding the Asia-Pacific were featured in an gone beyond approaches of traditional by Prof Tseng Yong Yih, a leading opportunities resulting from China’s international conference on Sinology at Chinese studies. scholar in traditional Chinese drama economic reforms over the last thirty the Nanyang Technological University and a member of the Academia years would lead to greater upward (NTU) on 19 and 20 July 2014, in an Prof Alan Chan, Dean, College of Sinica of Taiwan. He had recently mobility for both men and women event to mark the 10th anniversary Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, received the national honour of being coming from families where previous of the Chinese Division as part of emphasised the relevance of a global the first expert in folk literature to be generations had been listed as unskilled the School of Humanities and Social and interdisciplinary outlook in his named Academician or yuanshi at the Prof Kong Jianxun presenting workers. Sciences (HSS). welcome speech and noted that Academia Sinica. He spoke of xiqu his paper at HSS “Sinology” today encompasses both (Chinese opera) as a multi-faceted art Instead, the duo found that there was Entitled “Learning and Reflection: hanxue (Sinology as formalised in form that defies a simple definition, high inequality and low mobility in both International Conference on Sinology”, western scholarship in the 19th century) of which the melodic quality of the Prof Kong Jianxun, Director of the Li Yaojun from the School of Social societies. However, the hukou system the conference saw experts from the and guoxue (China national learning). language or dialect sung forms a Institute of Southeast Asian Studies at Sciences, University of Manchester. The creates a more substantial barrier to United States, Japan, South Korea, crucial part of Chinese culture. Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences paper taps on both men’s extensive upward mobility for rural families in Taiwan, , mainland China Prof Hu Siao Chen, Director of the in Kunming, China, visited NTU on 6 personal experience in both English China, even when rural children have and Singapore provide pertinent Institute of Chinese Literature and Over the two days, other scholars May 2014 as he delivered the keynote and Chinese culture, with Prof Kong the same educational attainment as reflections on the challenges of Sinology Philosophy at Academia Sinica, provided insights on marginalised or lecture in a seminar organised by having earned his Ph.D. in quantitative their urban peers. This problem was as it ventures into new areas and Taiwan’s top academic body, overlooked genres in Chinese literary the Environment and Sustainability sociology at the Institute for Social especially pronounced for Chinese methodologies in the 21st century. underscored the significance of the history, such as the works of female Research Cluster of HSS. Change at the University of Manchester. peasants’ daughters, who were three event with an informative second writers, songs in Suzhou dialect, and times less likely to advance than their Among the prominent sinologists in welcome address to the audience. representations of China’s southwest Hosted by the HSS Research Cluster Prof Li and Prof Kong had analyzed British peers, and 2.5 times less likely to attendance were Prof Ronald Egan from The result of international cooperation regions, or the lyrical as well as the “Environment and Substanability”, Prof national sample surveys from both advance than their brothers. Stanford University, Assoc Prof Quah Sy between the Institute and NTU’s Centre epic in the Chinese literary tradition; the Kong, who obtained his PhD from the countries to consider both absolute Ren and Assoc Prof I Lo-fen – former for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences interaction between Chinese culture and University of Manchester, enthralled and relative social mobility in China and After presenting the results of this study, and current heads of the Chinese (CLASS), the conference was jointly other cultures in history, including the role the audience as he presented his Britain, including consideration of the Prof Kong engaged the audience in Division of HSS. Assoc Prof Quah and organised by the two institutions and played by religion, as well as the flow of paper, Social Mobility in China and Chinese hukou system of household a lively and open discussion of these Assoc Prof I shared their academic received additional financial support Chinese books overseas, and existing Britain: A Comparative Study, at the registration. Their main question was findings and other considerations, journeys in developing new frameworks from the Taipei Representative Office’s resources such as a database of Korean HSS Conference Room. The paper whether there was more openness and answering questions from several respectively in theatre studies and in “Spotlight Taiwan Project”. literature in Chinese characters. was coauthored by Prof Kong and Prof mobility in Chinese or British society. students and faculty in attendance. 10 News News 11

Asst Prof Samara Anne Cahill The Asset of with other conference participants in front of the HSS building East Asian Civilization and the New Plan of its Publicity By Asst Prof Park So Jeong

Participants of the International Workshop (from left to right): Yow Cheun Hoe, Cho Keong Sustainable Literature Ran, I Lo-fen, Na Jong Seok, Baik Young Seo, By Asst Prof Samara Anne Cahill Park So Jeong, Park Young Do, Ngoi Guat Peng, Cho Scholars from England, Hong Kong, Besides visiting NTU, the scholars of “Sustainable Networks” best: “The Kyung Hee, Baek Min Jung India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Turkey, made visits to Gardens by the Bay conference brought out interesting (Photo taken by Zhou Hao) and the United States visited NTU to and the outskirts of the Singapore interconnections between a number discuss interdisciplinary approaches Botanical Gardens. The conference of disciplines on the broad theme of to sustainability as they participated attracted a variety of scholars from sustainability in a way that would be NTU faculty from the Chinese Division Head of Chinese Division, HSS (Prof contributions of East Asian ecological in “Sustainable Networks: The different disciplines. Professor Kathryn difficult to achieve without an actual and the Philosophy Programme of Baik Young Seo, President of IKS, outlook to the contemporary Enlightenment to the Contemporary” – Duncan, for instance, explained the gathering of specialists in these various HSS travelled to South Korea as they was the keynote speaker last year). environmental discourse. The topic of an international conference held at HSS, place of empathy in sustainability disciples. So there was a great sweep participated in a joint international She presented her research on how the final session was Asian Diaspora. NTU on 13–15 June 2014. studies in a paper that addressed from classical architecture through workshop between HSS, NTU and the cultural images shaped East Asian Asst Prof Cho Kyung Hee dealt both her trip to the Night Safari and eighteenth century storytelling to Institute for Korean Studies (IKS) at self-consciousness with illustrations of with the ambivalence of the national The interdisciplinary conference was one of the Harry Potter movies. modern horror movies but there was no Yonsei University on 2 – 3 May 2014. common motifs in poems and paintings identity of Koreans in Japan and organised by Asst Prof Samara Anne feeling that these were disjointed.” between China, Korea, Japan, and Asst Prof Yow Cheun Hoe discussed Cahill and faculty members from the Dr. Baerbel Czennia analysed The workshop is the second in a series Vietnam. the diasporic citizenship of Chinese Divisions of English, Sociology and Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay in “On a personal level,” he noted, “it of international workshops organised as Malaysians. Economics in celebration of the 10th relation to the history of landscape was a highly enjoyable occasion to part of a collaboration pact initiated in The first session of the workshop anniversary of HSS and as part of NTU’s gardening. Dr. Marlon Pareja, an expert meet new colleagues, renew long 2012 between HSS and IKS of Yonsei began with Asst Prof Baek Min The outcome of the workshop will be commitment to sustainability research. on sustainable water practices, and Dr. standing contacts and talk to the University. The inaugural workshop was Jung’s presentation, which touched published in Korean by IKS. The results The conference was co-sponsored by Michelle Merrill, Postdoctoral scholar articulate and well read students held in HSS last year and examined on a different definition of justice of the first workshop, The Construction NTU’s Centre for Liberal Arts and Social of the HSS Sustainability Cluster at who accompanied us.” how Confucian heritage interacted with and its application as suggested in and Practice of Confucianism in Sciences (CLASS) in partnership with NTU and an expert on sustainability, modernization in Asian countries such Joseon, Korea. Asst Prof Ngoi Guat and Northeast Asia, will the US-based South Central Society forestry, and animal habitats, each Selected papers from the conference as Singapore, Malaysia, , Peng from HSS’s Division of Chinese be published in Chinese by the Centre for Eighteenth-Century Studies, the gave two presentations or workshops will appear in a special feature devoted Vietnam, Taiwan, China, Japan and also presented “Historical Justice” for Chinese Language and Culture Singapore-based Southeast Asian on resource use. to sustainability scholarship in the Korea. This year, the discussion was in literature. The (CCLC), NTU. With the success of these Society for Eighteenth-Century Society journal 1650-1850: Ideas, Aesthetics, developed further to examine the second session started out with Asst workshops, this collaboration looks set (the executive committee of which is Sir Malcolm Jack, an internationally and Inquiries in the Early Modern Era potential alternative plans with our East Prof Na Jong Seok’s observations to develop into a regular platform for currently represented by faculty of NUS recognized expert on constitutional edited by Dr. Kevin Cope, the keynote Asian Heritage. on Korean ecological thought and academic exchange between NTU and and NTU) and received support from the law and a former member of the UK lecturer at the conference. practice associated with Confucian Yonsei University. American Embassy in Singapore as well. Parliament, summed up the experience The keynote speaker for this year’s heritage and Asst Prof Park So workshop was Assoc Prof I Lo Fen, Jeong’s discussion on the relevant 12 Features Features 13

research clusters. I am delighted to see are the Co-cluster Coodinators of that our investment has borne abundant HSS@HSS. Dr Lyle Fearnley is the PDF Uncovering fruits in terms of raising research specifically hired for the cluster. outputs, strengthening international collaborations, and nurturing a new One of the projects the cluster recently generation of young scholars.” worked on involved measures that helped curb the outbreak of the Avian the One of the main roles of the PDF influenza in Asia. Avian influenza, the is to support the clusters’ research “bird flu,” is a virus that jumps from activities through their research and animal to humans. When a new variant by contributing to the academic began infecting Shanghai residents coordination for the cluster’s activities. last year, health authorities suspected Future Special importance is attached to the the people were infected at live poultry selection of PDF applicants to ensure markets. Although the markets were that PDFs are picked according to the closed and premises disinfected, the relevance of their research to specific virus reappeared in nearby cities. research clusters and not just their Poultry traders had simply moved relevance to the Principal Investigator infected birds on the black market, responsible for proposing the PDF’s transporting the deadly viruses along research theme. To ensure that the with their avian cargo. right candidate is selected, the Heads of Divisions of the PDF’s secondary In March 2014, Dr Lyle Fearnley, Dr Michelle Y. Merrill studied wild orang- discipline affiliation are also involved in travelled to Hanoi, Vietnam, to help utans in Sumatra and Bonobos apes in Zaire the selection process. design a qualitative study of poultry as part of her PhD fieldwork traders. The aim of this study, organized Besides serving as an important plank by the U.N. Food and Agriculture in the interdisciplinary research efforts Organization, was to understand how political, economic, cultural and of the School, the HSS PDF scheme poultry traders would react to possible environmental challenges. allows good PDF candidates to be market closure, to investigate their considered for recruitment as faculty. alternative marketing outlets, and to Asst Prof Chang Youngho from the Read ahead to the People section of learn how live poultry markets could be Division of Economics and Asst Prof this issue as we profile four PDFs who made safe without closure. Md Saidul Islam from the Division are now faculty at HSS. of Sociology are the Co-cluster With the help of Dr Fearnley, influenza Coodinators while Dr Michelle Y. Merrill Research is the wellspring of a strengths and leading-edge research promote interdisciplinary research. The Humanities, Science and experts and government administrators is the PDF attached to the cluster. university’s intellectual capital. In the trends in the international academe School also initiated in 2013 the HSS Society (HSS@HSS) realised they must build collaborative last decade, with global problems centrally aligned with NTU’s Five Peaks Post-Doctoral Fellow (PDF) Scheme to Over the last century, advancements relationships with poultry traders and Although global warming is not a new becoming more complex as they of Excellence (Sustainable Earth, Future strengthen support for the five research made in the field of science and poultry breeders in order to effectively issue, education about sustainability is span across traditional disciplines, Healthcare, New Media, New Silk clusters by recruiting a PDF for each technology has transformed the control the bird flu. Dr Fearnley and still not widespread in the burgeoning the School of Humanities and Social Road and Innovation Asia). The five cluster. world from an agrarian society to a the cluster were able to facilitate such economies of Asia. “Right now, we’re Sciences (HSS) boldly invested in its Interdisciplinary research clusters are: global economy based on information collaborations with their expertise in working on projects involving a wider belief that interdisciplinary studies and Professor Liu Hong, Chair of HSS, computerisation. The Humanities, the dynamic tensions among scientific community of practice around higher research held the key to uncovering • Humanities, Science and Society reflected upon the rationales behind Science and Society research cluster knowledge, government policy, and education for sustainability across new knowledge and solutions. This (HSS@HSS) these new initiatives: “As a new school, (HSS@HSS) uses research methods society. Asia,” said Dr Merrill. “Asian universities year, as HSS celebrates its 10th year • Environment and Sustainability we have to identify and develop from the humanities and social sciences are currently under-represented of founding in NTU, Horizon magazine • Global Asia our comparative strengths in the – history, anthropology, sociology, Environment and in the literature on education for looks at how HSS is ushering in the • New Frontiers in neuroscience humanities and social sciences. New and cultural studies – to investigate Sustainability sustainability. We hope to document future through its interdisciplinary • Literary and Cultural Studies discoveries are mostly likely to emerge the interactions between science and Global warming and dwindling natural what’s happening at Asian post- research clusters and the HSS Post- from intersections between different technology, and culture, politics, and resources are two of the biggest secondary institutions, find examples Doctoral Fellow (PDF) Scheme. Research Support & the HSS disciplines, and we want to encourage economics. problems facing Mankind today. of best practices in pedagogy and Post-Doctoral Fellow interdisciplinary research through new The Environment and Sustainability themes across disciplines, and find To meet the challenges of tomorrow, In order to harness its diverse research funding mechanisms such as offering Assoc Prof Shirley Sun from the Division Research Cluster was formed with the best ways to facilitate the sharing HSS launched in January 2012 five strengths, the School appoints two Co- competitive grants for organizing of Sociology and Asst Prof Hallam the aim of developing strategies of sustainability education innovations. Interdisciplinary research clusters cluster Coordinators from two different international conferences and recruiting Stevens from the History Programme and techniques for managing social, We’re working on an edited book, based on the School’s comparative disciplines to each research cluster to new postdoctoral fellows under different 14 Features Features 15

and seeking funding for an in-depth are the Co-Cluster Coordinators of the that have common interests in tackling The second project is a study to Assoc Prof Uganda Kwan Sze Pui from research project to move forward over Global Asia research cluster. similar regional problems or issues. understand the differences between the Division of Chinese and Asst Prof the next few years.” our perceptual processing of 2D and Daniel Jernigan from the Division of From 2014 to 2016, the cluster plans to In 2015-2016, the cluster will digital 3D faces using event-related Chinese are the Cluster Coordinators Before coming to HSS, Dr Merrill focus on the theme, “Regionalism and continue to focus on “Regionalism potentials (ERPs). It is a collaboration while Dr Wong Chee Meng is the PDF had worked at Cabrillo College in Regionalization: Charting Asia’s Future”. and Regionalization” by fostering between Asst Prof Annabel Chen and for the cluster. California, developing sustainability- The cluster’s main analytic thrust is to interdisciplinary inquiries. On the basis Asst Prof Xu Hong from the Division of themed courses, advising student explore how and why different actors of the insights generated through Psychology in HSS, Dr Cham Tat Jen The team is currently organising a clubs, and supporting college efforts to – embedded within state structures, the cluster’s events in 2014-2015, and Guo Yu from IMI, NTU, Dr Miriam conference entitled “Contemporary enhance institutional and community inter-state institutions, and the civil potential research collaboration Reiner from Technion Haptic Lab, and Innovations: The Arts, Technology and sustainability and social justice. society and grassroots – engage in the among disciplines will be identified Dr Henry Fuchs from UNC Computer Culture”, where the influence of digital discursive practices of constructing with the aim of investigating in-depth a Science. The cluster hopes to facilitate technology on new forms of arts and “I’ve always been interested in “Asia” as an important category in specific issue and expanding beyond the development of 3D communication literacy will come to the fore. questions about how humans interact projects such as political institution- holding seminars/workshops to for more efficient teleconference. with the rest of the biosphere,” said building, cultural affiliations and establish potential large-scale research Dr Wong received his PhD in heritage Dr Merill. “When I was doing my PhD distinctions, grassroots mobilization, programmes within the “Global Asia” As the PDF assigned to the cluster, studies in BTU Cottbus, Germany at Duke University, I considered ideas economic restructuring, and geopolitical cluster. Dr Yick’s passion for psychology and with a thesis that explored the use of like conservation and sustainability to shaping of alliance networks. research has been instrumental to the intangible heritage as a medium for be hobbies, while my primary research New Frontiers in cohesion of the projects and research intercultural dialogue in Singapore, by project was understanding human In 2014-2015, the cluster will explore Neuroscience undertaken by the cluster. applying a framework derived from evolution through comparative work on interdisciplinary collaboration among The New Frontiers in Neuroscience social systems theory. the behavior and ecology of other great HSS divisions and programmes cluster brings together researchers “I’m interested in the basis of memory, apes. But as I did my fieldwork for my in facets of “regionalism and interested in brain function, cognition, how memory is organized functionally His return to Singapore was precipitated doctorate (first in Zaire in 1996, then regionalization”, examining its problems, and behaviour. It hopes to generate and neurally, and the mechanisms by a recruitment advertisement he Dr Wong Chee Meng’s personal research in Indonesia in 1999-2000), I realised potentials, limitations, and implications research findings that can help boost examines the challenge of intercultural that give rise to different memory saw in Germany from HSS. “I saw the only way to save the habitats of from the perspectives of their respective societal welfare and well-being. The dialogue in Singapore experiences and cognitive behavioural,” vacancies of postdoctoral fellowship at these amazing apes was to work on disciplines. There are plans to conduct Co-Cluster Coordinators are Asst Prof said Dr Yick. “While pursuing my HSS advertised online when I was in the problem of sustainability from the seminars and a workshop by March Alice Chan Hiu Dan from the Division of undergraduate psychology degree Germany waiting to return to Singapore human perspective.” 2015. Through these events, the Linguistics and Multilingual Studies and in Cardiff University in the UK, I was after a three-year PhD programme. cluster hopes to identify similarities Asst Prof Xu Hong from the Division of The team is currently working on two fascinated by Prof. Ed Wilding’s lectures Those magic keywords like ‘Singapore Indeed, it was Dr Merrill’s wish to do and differences existing in each Psychology. Dr Belle Yick Yee Ying is projects. The first is a project using about human electrophysiology and Cultural Studies’ and ‘multicultural’ – I research on sustainability that led her discipline and promote awareness and the PDF assigned to the cluster. electrophysiology to investigate memory cognition. I wanted to pursue a research felt like this was a sign beckoning me to HSS. “I loved teaching at Cabrillo cooperation among those disciplines aging and how cognitive training can career in cognitive neuroscience and home. The forward-looking vision of College, but I had very little support for improve memory abilities and prevent went on to complete my PhD under NTU in its strategic direction towards conducting research. I realised that if I normal cognitive decline. The project Prof. Ed Wilding. A research career is the interdisciplinary, their cosmopolitan wanted to make a larger contribution is a collaboration with Prof Anastasios fascinating if you’re working on a topic outlook, and promotion of cross- to sustainability, I would need to move Bezerianos’ research group from the that you’re truly interested in. It’s like cultural understanding, is also really to a university where research was also Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology solving endless puzzles, every step is encouraging to me.” a priority. When I saw the opportunity (SINAPSE) at NUS and Prof Toshiharu exciting,” Dr Yick added. to work in HSS, it seemed to be a Nakai from the National Center for Dr Wong’s interest in cultural studies perfect fit.” Geriatrics and Gerontology in Japan. Literary and Cultural can be traced to his childhood in Studies multicultural Singapore. “My interest Global Asia A “BrainConnects2014” two-day A cooperation between the Chinese in the interdisciplinary field of cultural The idea of “Asia” has gained workshop involving Singapore and and English divisions, the Literary and studies stems partly from my prominence in political, economic and Japanese collaborators was held in Cultural Studies research cluster was appreciation of such rich diversity in our cultural discourses in recent years. August this year at NTU and NUS set up to develop interdisciplinary social environment and in the media. I The Global Asia research cluster aims to share ideas about neuroimaging research that explores the interaction had the luxury as a boy of listening to to enhance NTU’s interdisciplinary of healthy aging, neurodegenerative between cultural phenomena and the Chinese storytelling and watching Indian research centred on Asia by bringing disorders and other neuropsychological collective experience of the people in classical dance, not to mention early together the experts and researchers in disorders. The workshop is being different social formations and historical impressions of English literature through the divisions and programmes in HSS planned for Japan next year. contexts. movies based on Charles Dickens. This and beyond. Assoc Prof Francis Lim Dr Belle Yick Yee Ying diversity was fascinating.” Khek Ghee and Asst Prof Kei Koga 16 People People 17 The Landscapes Along Pushing the Frontiers Her Train Ride of Cognitive Science By Angelene Wong By Angelene Wong

It was a curious mix of childhood more intriguing one. After reading Paul Besides her academic interests, Asst Asst Prof Francis Wong Chun Kit has In addition to speech, music also Although he hopes to make a fair experiences, the people she met, Theroux’s Riding the Iron Rooster, she Prof van Dongen continues to pursue always been fascinated by speech plays a part in his current research at contribution to the knowledge of and a Paul Theroux travel book which was struck by an instant yearning to the passion she first discovered when and the way the brain processes HSS. Music, like language, relies on cognitive science to keep his field shaped Asst Prof Els van Dongen’s travel through China by train to relive what she read Paul Theroux’s book – her love it. Currently teaching “Research changes in pitch to deliver meaning. flourishing, his bigger wish is for his passion for history and China. The Theroux had written. Her experiences for train travel. “I love travelling through Methodology” and “Communication Asst Prof Wong is interested in testing students to develop a passion for HSS History lecturer was careful living in an immigrant neighbourhood, countries by train, preferably journeys and Language Disorders” at the Division if experience with linguistic pitch (lexical the cognitive science of linguistics. not to ascribe her life journey to a where intercultural tensions ran high, several days long. During these of Linguistics and Multilingual Studies tones) and musical pitch would help “The students are the motivators meticulously planned process, but to also fueled her desire to understand a journeys, strangers start to interact (LMS) in HSS, Asst Prof Wong first in acquiring a new pitch system. He themselves,” he said. For him, the coincidences and circumstances – a culture different from her own. and there’s something poetic about arrived in Singapore in 2011 as a post- is also investigating which sections of sense of satisfaction lies in seeing true testament indeed to her calling watching landscapes change.” doctoral research fellow with LMS after the brain would be affected when a students through the learning process as a historian. “At the time, many people thought it ascertaining his psycholinguistic and new language is learnt. These different for many years. When asked what was a crazy idea, but I’m very happy I computational modelling background to areas of research on language and he wishes to achieve in ten years, he Growing up in Belgium – the “Battlefield didn’t listen to them. Ironically, today, be a good fit for the School. brain function are part of Asst Prof laughingly replied, “I hope I’ll still be of Europe” where great powers often everyone thinks it was a great idea.” Wong’s efforts to piece together a staying in this office!” fought – Asst Prof van Dongen visited Since receiving his Bachelor’s degree comprehensive brain model that will historic war sites and heard war Upon completing her Bachelor’s in Cognitive Science in 2001 at The allow researchers to have a better stories about her family as a child. Her degree, she spent a year at Central University of Hong Kong, Asst Prof understanding of the human mind. grandfather of Jewish origin lived in China Normal University in Wuhan Wong has dedicated his career to the municipality of Ypres (Ieper), which before moving to Leiden University connecting the dots between cognition “I find reward in teaching. I want endured five World War I battles. The in the Netherlands in 2009. She also and linguistics. Interested in both people to continue to research, to other side of her family lived in the spent time at Boston University and linguistics and psychology, he studied find interesting results, and keep Jewish quarter of Antwerp and hid a Peking University before arriving in speech processing through the usage the field moving,” he said as he Jewish family of 11 in their basement Singapore in 2012. of the empirical and quantitative expressed his desire to have more during the 1942 raids. aspects of experimental research as it students working in his lab. Currently, her research involves allowed him the opportunity to indulge “For me, history has always been intellectual history and the Chinese both his interests in linguistics and something tangible and powerful that diaspora. One project examines cognition at once. has a direct impact on people’s lives,” the sudden influx of Chinese she said. snack vendors in Belgium After getting his PhD from The Chinese selling fries known as University of Hong Kong in 2009, Asst Her fascination for the use and abuse “Chips Chinese”. Prof Wong had continued his post- of history began in high school when doctoral research at Northwestern a history teacher moved away from University in the United States where traditional teaching methods and he investigated how the brain works to introduced her class to ideas of historical support cognition and behaviour. This revisionism, omissions and taboos. She involved using Functional Magnetic also struggled tenaciously with Latin Resonance Imaging (fMRI) experiments I find reward in teaching. I want and Greek as a 13-year-old but now to measure and analyse fluctuations in attributes much of her passion for history For me, history has always been blood oxygenation and flow in different people to continue to research, to (her mastery of the language) this something tangible and powerful that areas of the brain to see which areas to find interesting results, and focus in her studies early on. are active and working together to has a direct impact on people’s lives. carrying out complex tasks, such as keep the field moving. The tale of how she came to pursue speech comprehension. a Chinese Studies degree at the University of Leuven in 1997 is an even 18 People People 19 A Matter of Perspective Roots Run Deep by Lavisha S. Punjabi By Alyssa Teo

“When I tell laypeople that I teach because history underlies all spheres of history, they often jump to the knowledge,” explained Asst Prof Chen. “Roots are not in landscape or a country, or a people, they conclusion that it must be an easy job “My background in literature gives are inside you.” Asst Prof Winnie Sung Hiu Chuk seems because the same material can be me an edge because it allows me to to embody this quote by Isabel Allende perfectly. Currently taught over and over again, year after adopt a holistic approach to history, as a faculty of the Philosophy Programme in HSS, Asst Prof I find early Chinese year,” quipped Asst Prof Chen Song opposed to abiding by conventional Sung has always been more conscious of the culture that thinkers’ insights to be Chuan, a faculty member of the History approaches,” he added. she came from, especially as a young Asian teenager Programme in the School of Humanities studying abroad. profound and partly and Social Sciences (HSS), NTU. In 2012, he became a tenure-track because many of their assistant professor at HSS after “I am very passionate about Chinese Philosophy partly Some might respond to such competing successfully in the School’s because I find early Chinese thinkers’ insights to be teachings were also part stereotypical assumptions by global search process. Since then, he profound and partly because many of their teachings were of my upbringing. proclaiming the non-static nature has enjoyed hearing fresh perspectives also part of my upbringing. I suppose there is a natural of history or reiterate the active from his students as they add affinity to Chinese culture, which is perhaps brought out or reinterpretations of historical events dynamism to his career. His students, enhanced by the fact that I was a young Chinese teenager from different perspectives by too, have been blessed. studying in Canada.” researchers. However, Asst Prof Chen usually lets such statements pass, “Asst Prof Chen often encourages Originally an International Relations undergraduate at the keeping his chuckles to the confines of students to look beyond constructed University of Toronto (UofT), Asst Prof Sung switched his mind. narratives of histories, into the original allegiances after being gripped by an introductory records that might debunk our common philosophy course she took as a freshman. Upon “Asst Prof Chen is not one to put down understanding of historical events completing her undergraduate degree, she moved to the an opinion. ‘Big picture’, he likes to say; such as the Opium War. This is really University of New South Wales (UNSW) to attain her PhD to encourage us to think from different stimulating, and it stirred my interest to in Chinese Philosophy. Here, she also had the opportunity perspectives,” revealed third-year delve into the archives of Singapore to to attend the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) undergraduate History student, Zavier question the common knowledge we as a visiting student, giving her the chance to learn more Understanding Ong, 25, who is taking his third module have today,” explained first year History about contemporary Chinese philosophers. She then modern times taught by Asst Prof Chen. PhD student, Lin Chia Tsun, 25. pursued further graduate studies in analytic philosophy at University College London (UCL). In 2011, she joined HSS naturally tends Being able to embrace another Asst Prof Chen’s upcoming publication as a post-doctoral fellow and became a faculty member of to bring one back dimension of thought and emotion has is a book that challenges prevailing the Philosophy Programme in July 2014. been one of Asst Prof Chen’s strengths opinion as well. Tentatively entitled to history because from young, when he used to enjoy the The China They Fashioned: British Her main research interests are early Chinese thinker Having had numerous supportive and encouraging history underlies thrill of dissolving into the character of Traders’ Role in Starting the First Opium Xunzi’s thoughts and self-knowledge. After working on a mentors, Asst Prof Sung herself is looking forward to the protagonists in the stories he read. War, he suggests in his book that the project that attempted to articulate the Confucian definition being a mentor. all spheres of Opium War (1839-1842) was an idea of hypocrisy, she became more interested in early knowledge. After attaining a Bachelor’s and two conceived by British Merchants residing Confucian moral psychology and their insights into human “It is something I’m very excited about. I enjoy talking Master’s degrees in literature, the in Canton – a chilling similarity to what nature and emotions, fueling her interest in epistemology, to students a lot and I have often benefitted from their appeal of history struck him while he transpired in the 21st Century when self-knowledge and emotions. questions and comments. I am constantly impressed was pursuing his PhD in East Asia the governments of the US and UK by how diligent and smart the students are. Teacher- Studies at the University of Cambridge conceived the idea of military action Asst Prof Sung is currently working on a book centred student relationship is a constitutive part of the practice of from 2005 to 2009. against Iraq based on questionable on Xunzi’s philosophy. Two of her other projects discuss Chinese philosophy and it is a privilege for me to be able discoveries of weapons of mass emotions and commitment in early Chinese thought, to experience this relationship both ways.” “Understanding modern times naturally destruction. and contemporary discussions of self-knowledge and tends to bring one back to history epistemology of belief without drawing on Chinese philosophy. 20 RESEARCH RESEARCH 21

NTU study shows puzzle games can MOE Academic Research Grant Awards improve mental flexibility The Ministry of Education (MOE) Academic Research Fund (AcRF) Tier 2 and Tier 1 Funds research projects on a competitive basis across Singapore-based universities. The AcRF provides funding for research that has academic significance and will drive By Lester Kok future research, potentially leading to innovations and discoveries. One research proposal from HSS was awarded MOE AcRF Tier 2 research grants with 18 others clinching MOE AcRF Tier 1 research grants. Congratulations to all our researchers!

The abilities tested in this study MOE Tier 2 Grants included how fast the players switched Economics tasks (mental flexibility); their speed at Title: The Evolution of Cooperation, Endogenous Partner Selection and Homophily in Social Networks adapting to a new situation (the ability PI: Assoc Prof Riyanto Yohanes Eko to inhibit prepotent or predominant Description: responses); and their ability to focus In economics literature, “cooperation” has been the focus of various studies over the past several decades. on information while blocking out Most of these studies focus on cooperation among two persons interacting over time, or in a situation with distractors or inappropriate responses multiple players, the underlying social network is not explicitly accounted for. In this research, we wish to (known as the Flanker task in cognitive explore this topic by investigating the role of imperfect monitoring of partners’ actions in the domain of dynamic psychology). networks through controlled laboratory and field experiments. In this proposed project, we will explore the implications of imperfect monitoring of actions of others to whom an individual is connected to under the Asst Prof Patterson attributed the environment of dynamic networks. We wish to understand whether the result of extremely high cooperation improved executive function of the Cut under dynamic networks, as found by recent studies, is robust to settings with imperfect monitoring. We will the Rope gamers to the fact that each also systematically vary the noise in monitoring and understand the implications of it for cooperative play. level of the game required different strategies. This forced gamers to think MOE Tier 1 Grants creatively and try alternate solutions. This was unlike the other video Division Principal Investigator Title Of Project games which kept the same general Chinese Assoc Prof I Lo-fen Poems and Diplomacy: Cross-Cultural Communication in East Asia Want to improve your mental finesse? into the four games being tested. They mechanics and goals. Chinese Asst Prof Kwan Sze Pui Uganda Governing the Straits Settlements through Interpreter: Translation, Technology, Intertextuality A recent study conducted by Asst Prof had to play an hour of games a day, five Economics Asst Prof He Tai Sen The Role of Languages in Shaping Economic Preferences: An Experimental Investigation Michael D. Patterson and PhD student days a week on their iPhone or iPod After 20 hours of game play, Cut the Using the Mandarin-English Bilingual Subjects in Singapore Adam Oei from the Psychology Division Touch for four weeks. Rope gamers were more than a third Economics Asst Prof Tang Yang Aggregate Effects of Diabetes on Economic Development of HSS has shown that adults who faster at switching between tasks and Division Principal Investigator Title Of Project played physics-based puzzle video Asst Prof Patterson revealed that adapting to new situations, and 60% Economics Asst Prof Qu Feng Structural Changes and Parameter Instability in Macroeconomics Models Using Panel Data games for as little as an hour a day, students who played Cut the Rope better at blocking out distractions and English Asst Prof Lee Hyun Jung Performing the Nation in Global Korea: Transnational Theatre had experienced improved executive showed significant improvement on focussing on tasks at hand. functions in their brains. executive function tasks while those English Assoc Prof Terence Richard Dawson This Project Explores Different Copies of Four Illuminated Books by the English Poet William Blake: The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, America, Europe, and The First Book of Urizen playing the other games showed no The study will be published in the English Assoc Prof Cornelius Anthony Murphy Dermot Healy: A Multi-Volume Literary-Critical Research Project Executive functions enables us to “think significant improvements. academic journal, Computers in Human on our feet” like deciding whether we Behavior, in August 2014, and is English Asst Prof Brian Keith Bergen-Aurand Surveying Queer Cinema: Investigates the global history of queer cinema – people, films, concepts – to produce The Queer Cinema Encyclopedia and several journal articles on can brake in time when the traffic lights “This finding is important because currently available online. This is the first specific instances of international queer theory and cinema video game study that reveals broad at a junction suddenly turns from green previously, no video games History Asst Prof Goh Geok Yian Consumer Culture in Premodern Southeast Asia: Singapore and Myanmar to amber while we are driving. demonstrated this type of broad transfer to several different executive History Asst Prof Park Hyung Wook Constructing Failure: Tissue Culture and Tissue Transplantation in Twentieth Century improvement to executive functions, functions, providing further evidence Biomedicine This video game study by Asst Prof which is important for general that video games can be effective in LMS Assoc Prof Francesco Paolo Cavallaro Toponymy and Language Shift: Aspects of Language Change in South-East Asia Patterson and Adam tested four groups intelligence, dealing with new situations training human cognition. of students playing four different genres and managing multitasking,” said LMS Asst Prof Luca Onnis Distribution-based Learning of Speech Categories: An Intervention Study of games: a first person shooter game Asst Prof Patterson, an expert in the “This result could have implications PPGA Asst Prof Chou Meng-Hsuan Regionalism and the Global Higher Education Market (Re-Global): Asia and Europe in Comparison (Modern Combat), an arcade game psychology of video games. in many areas such as educational, (Fruit Ninja), a real-time strategy game occupational and rehabilitative settings,” Psychology Asst Prof Albert Lee Kai Chung Merely Thinking About Money Affects Attitudes Towards Procreation (StarFront Collision), and a complex “This indicates that while some games Asst Prof Patterson said. “With more Psychology Assoc Prof Shen Biing Jiun Using Electronic Mobile Technology to Investigate the Mechanisms of Daily Stress on Health puzzle game (Cut the Rope). may help to improve mental abilities, studies, we’ll know what games and Recovery of Heart Patients in Marital Context not all games give you the same effect,” improve specific abilities, and prescribe Psychology Assoc Prof Annabel Chen Shen Hsing Investigating the Neural Substrates of Verbal Working Memory in Children with Dyslexia: A Multi-modal Neuroimaging Study NTU undergraduates who were non- added Adam. games that will benefit people.” gamers were selected and grouped Sociology Asst Prof Genaro Castro Vazquez A Comparative Ethnographic Study on Obesity and Overweight in Japan and Singapore: A Gendered and Sexualised Construction of the Body 22 Publications Publications 23

This book traces the archaeological Singapore Economic Review, Vol 59, problems with policy initiatives designed Publications and historical record of Anawrahta and No. 3, 2014 to promote nation-building in multi- his seminal position in forming modern ethnic societies. This paper attempts to test whether Myanmar, based on the few sources BOOKS there is econometric evidence in that have been recovered. The Great Obscenity, Moral Contagion and support of the efficiency wage theory in Chronicle, an important history of the Masculinity: Moral Cultivation and Confucian institutional capacities and policy came to be accepted in their new Singapore’s manufacturing sector. We country written by the 18th-century Hijras in Public Space in Colonial Character: Engaging Joel J. instruments, namely the national oil country and their relationship with find evidence in support of efficiency Burmese nobleman U Kala, forms the North India Kupperman companies (NOCs) and powerful central mainland China as an overseas wages for 3 out of 18 industries basis for much of the knowledge we By Asst Prof Jessica Hinchy (History By Assoc Prof planning agencies, enable to Chinese. The book chronicles the within the manufacturing sector in have about Anawrahta today. The book Programme) Li Cheng Yang pursue this state-led approach to changes faced by the Chinese Singapore based on both OLS and examines U Kala’s work in light of the Asian Studies Review (Philosophy energy security. Oil plays a vital role in immigrants, their descendants and the 2SLS regression results, and for another context of U Kala’s own time, points out Vol 38, No. 2, 2014 Programme) and the Chinese economy and was never changes in new immigrants. 2 industries based only on OLS and the bias of his royal court and comments Prof Ni Pei Min intended to ‘grow out of the plan’ yet another 2 industries based only In the 1850s, the British “discovered” (Grand Valley on the elaborate narratives he produced. and privatise. In tracing oil industry Prophets Unarmed: on 2SLS. Two ways to account for a community of transgender eunuch University) It looks at other sources as well, including development in China from 1949 to the Chinese Trotskyists in Revolution, War, efficiency wages are to show that higher performers, the hijiras, and legislated State University of unpublished palm-leaf manuscripts, to present day, an elite-driven account of Gaol, and the Return From Limbo wages have resulted in reduced shirking for their surveillance and control disentangle earlier knowledge about New York Press, institutional change is provided, showing By Prof Gregor Benton (History by workers, and that higher wages under the Criminal Tribes Act (CTA) Anawrahta and 11th-century Bagan. 2014 that the party leadership has driven the Programme) have resulted in an increase in worker in 1871. This paper examines how Placing the overall study of Burmese reform process and remains the pivotal Brill Academic Publishers, 2014 productivity. We interviewed the union the British dealt with transgender The authors take the work of Joel J. historical tradition within the larger player in energy policymaking. officials in Singapore about the results. colonial subjects and the implications Kupperman as a point of departure to The Chinese Trotskyists emerged manuscript culture of Asia, the book However, they argue that that the NTUC for our understanding of colonial consider new perspectives on Confucian from the Communist Party, in China presents a critique of theoretical issues doesn’t believe in efficiency wages. We masculinities. In particular, the paper ethics. Kupperman is one of the few 《移民轨迹和离散论述：新马华人族群 and Moscow, in reaction to its 1927 in history, especially the relationship told them that our econometric results analyses colonial attempts to erase eminent Western philosophers to have 的重层脉络》 defeat, for which they, like Trotsky, had between the past and memory. integrated Asian philosophical traditions are consistent with the progressive hijiras as a visible socio-cultural Migration Trajectories and Diasporic an explanation (Stalin’s policies) and a into his thought, developing a character- wage model promoted by NTUC. category and gender identity in public Discourses: Multiple Contexts of remedy (recognise defeat, concentrate Journal Articles based ethics synthesizing Western, space through the prohibition of their Ethnic Chinese in Singapore and on reconstituting the workers’ and the Chinese, and Indian philosophies. Belonging to the Nation: performances and feminine dress. Malaysia democratic movement). Trotskyism’s Technology Transfer with With their focus on Confucian ethics, Generational Change, Identity, and This case study demonstrates how By Asst Prof main section outside Russia, they were Transboundary Pollution: contributors respond, expand, and the Chinese Diaspora: Introduction masculinity intersected with a broad Yow Cheun crushed by Stalin and by Chiang Kai- A Signaling Approach By Prof Gregor Benton (History range of colonial projects, agendas engage in critical dialogue with Hoe (Division of shek and Mao Zedong, thus becoming By Asst Prof Hong Fu Hai (Economics Programme) and E.T. Gomez and anxieties. It also argues that Kupperman’s views. Kupperman joins Chinese) China’s most persecuted party. Their Division) Ethnic and Racial Studies, attempts to discipline masculinity and the conversation with responses and Shanghai San strategy in the Japan war, when they Canadian Journal of Economics Forthcoming 2014 obscenity were uneven in practice, comments that conclude the volume. Lian, 2014 failed to take up arms, was short- Vol 47, No. 3, 2014 meaning the CTA had varying sighted and doctrinaire, and they had This study, which introduces a series of 游俊豪为读者梳 Technology transfer from the North localised impacts upon hijiras. The Chinese State, Oil and Energy scant impact on the revolution. Even connected case studies, is the first to 理了新马华人移 countries to the South is an important Security so, their association with Chen Duxiu review developments in the ethnic and 民的几个面向， way of increasing cost-effectiveness From Village Elections to Village By Dr Monique and Wang Shiwei, their attachment to national identity of the descendants of 从国家、侨乡与文学，分析新马华人 in making Greenhouse Gas emission Deliberation: Taylor (Public democracy, and their critique of Mao’s Chinese migrants in world comparative 移民的历史与文化变迁.书里围绕着华 abatements. This paper analyses A Case Study of Deliberative Policy and bureaucratic socialism brought them a perspective. It examines core questions 侨华人的命题，探讨分散各地的华人 technology transfer in a context of Democracy Experimentation in China Global Affairs scintilla of recognition after Mao’s death. such as why, in spite of debates 如何接受新国度而又被这些国家所吸 transboundary pollution from the By Prof He Bao Gang (Public Policy and Programme) worldwide about identity, exclusion and 纳, 还有他们跟作为移民起点的中国 perspective of information economics. Global Affairs Programme) Palgrave rights, minority communities continue 千丝万缕的关系，以及他们的共同经 The Wheel-turner and His House: We find that asymmetric information Political Theory, Vol 42, No. 1, Pages Macmillan, 2014 to suffer discrimination and attack. 验和记忆如何凝聚为国内与跨国的族 Kingship in between the North and the South leads 58 – 81, 2014 This book The studies examine national identity 群。该书不仅仅反映了华人移民、其 a Buddhist to inefficiency of technology transfer, analyses the from the perspective of migrants’ Village democracy in China has 后裔、新移民的变动，而且显示作者 Ecumene and discuss the welfare implications of descendants, and in their finding that expanded from village elections to policy rationale 对华人 研究的积极与努力。 By Asst Prof this outcome. the descendants’ national identity may the institution of village deliberation. and institutional underpinnings of Goh Geok China’s state-led or neomercantilist This book looks at the migration of be more rooted than is often thought. This transformation would necessarily Yian (History Efficiency Wage Theory: oil strategy, and its development, set to Singapore and Concepts such as “new ethnicities”, involve a number of trial studies on Programme) Evidence for Singapore against the wider context of economic Malaysia, analysing their history and “cultural fluidity”, and “new” and village deliberation. The paper examines Northern Illinois Manufacturing Sector cultural change through the prisms “multiple” identities highlight identity one village deliberative democracy transformation as the country transitions University Press, By Prof Chew Soon Beng (Economics of country, hometown and literature. changes across generations and the experiment in Bianyu village, Wenling from a centrally planned to market 2014 Division) and FYP students Chua Sin It investigates how overseas Chinese need to challenge and reinterpret the city, Zhejiang Province. It provides a economy. The Chinese government’s Chet, Lim Yun Wen and Ter Teng Teng meaning of “nation” and to review basic background to Bianyu village, 24 Publications

discusses the design of the experiment, depression in adolescents. This Joyce and the Scottish empirical and examines its outcomes. The paper research is critical as cognitive and philosophy of David Hume? This paper concludes with an assessment of interpersonal vulnerability factors likely discusses Joyce’s conception of the prospects for village deliberative shape expectations, perspectives, Hume as a philosopher and explores democracy in rural China. and interpretations of a given situation the presence of Hume’s work in prior to the onset of a stressor. In the Joyce’s final masterpiece, Finnegans The “Republic of Research current study, adolescents, ages 12 to Wake. It also delves into how Joyce Administrators” in Europe: 18, participated in a 6-month, multi- conceived of Hume’s thought, and the how to get the researchers moving wave longitudinal study examining the extent he engaged with it. Crucially, Asst Prof Chou Meng Hsuan (Public impact of negative cognitive style, self- for our understanding of Hume’s Policy and Global Affairs Programme) criticism, and dependency on stress role in Finnegans Wake, the paper PS: Political Science & Politics, Vol 47, and depression. Results of time-lagged, also looks into how Joyce regards No. 3, Pages 612-615, 2014 idiographic multilevel analyses indicate Hume as the end of a process of that depressogenic attributional styles philosophical development and This paper examines the difficult political and self-criticism predict dependent presents evidence of how well Joyce and institutional constraints that shape interpersonal, but not non-interpersonal was acquainted with Hume’s work how knowledge, students, and scholars stress. Taken together, the findings and his discussions about it. move around the world. After mobility suggest that self-criticism may be a barriers are removed, the belief is that particularly damaging vulnerability factor Variation in Pronominal Indexing: knowledge will circulate freely, making in adolescence, and moreover, it may Lexical Stipulation vs. Referential Europe one of the most dynamic warrant greater attention in the context Properties in Alor-Pantar economic regions in the world. How of psychotherapeutic interventions. Languages the free movement of knowledge, or By Dr Sebastian Fedden (University of the “fifth freedom,” is implemented thus An Untidy Finish: Surrey), Prof Dunstan Brown (University provides an entry point for studying Atonement as Political Gothic of York), Asst Prof Frantisek Kratochvil regional initiatives as part of and in By Asst Prof Samara Anne Cahill (Division of Linguistics and Multilingual response to the internationalization of (Division of English) Studies), Asst Prof Laura C. Robinson higher education. This paper discusses The AnaChronisT, Vol 17, Pages 245- (University of California Santa Barbara), EU efforts in implementing the fifth 263, 2014 Dr Antoinette Schapper (Leiden freedom to reveal a less-examined University) dimension in fostering knowledge An Untidy Finish analyses Ian McEwan’s mobility: that is, the administrative bestselling novel Atonement as an This paper examines the role of apparatus essential to facilitating the exploration of the ethical crafting of both referential properties and lexical movement of researchers across fictional and historical narrative. Formally stipulation in three closely related national borders. The paper shows how mimicking the comforting conventions languages of eastern Indonesia, the implementation of the main instrument of religious ritual and realist description, Alor-Pantar languages Abui, Kamang for enabling the fifth freedom has Atonement shows that, paradoxically, and Teiwa. It focuses on the continuum contributed to establishing an “reality” is much more accurately where event properties (e.g. volitionality, administrative apparatus whose represented within a gothic rather than affectedness) are highly important at actions help (or hinder) the flow of a realist framework. An unflinching one extreme or play virtually no role knowledge in Europe. interrogation of the politics of class, at the other. These languages occupy canonization, and war, Atonement different points on this continuum. In Identifying Cognitive and reveals realism as an enabling fiction Abui event semantics play the greatest Interpersonal Predictors of that sacrifices humanity for a tidy finish. role, while in Teiwa they play the least Adolescent Depression role. Kamang occupies an intermediate Asst Prof Randy P. Auerbach, Dr Judy “Hume Sweet Hume”: position. Teiwa has conventionalized C Kim (Harvard Medical School), Assoc Skepticism, Idealism, and Burial in the relation between a verb and its Prof Ho Moon Ho Ringo (Division of Finnegans Wake class along the lines of animacy so Psychology) By Asst Prof Richard Alan Barlow that classes become associated with Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, (Division of English) the animacy value of the objects Vol 42, No. 6, Pages 913-24, 2014 with which the verbs in a given class Philosophy and Literature, Vol 38, No. typically occur. Emerging research has begun to 1, Pages 266-275, 2014 examine cognitive and interpersonal What is the relationship between the predictors of stress and subsequent Irish modernist writings of James