NUS expertise on social science council
Mr Peter Ho, NUS Trustee and Senior Advisor, Centre for Strategic Futures is the Chairman of the new Social Science Research Council (SSRC), which will chart strategies for the advancement of social science and humanities research in Singapore. Fellow NUS Trustee Professor Chan Heng Chee, Singapore’s Ambassador-at-Large is the Deputy Chairman of the Council, with University Professor Wang Gungwu, Chairman of the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School), as the Advisor.
NUS academics with a wealth of experience in public policy as well as social sciences and humanities constitute almost half of the Council members. They are:
- Professor Chua Beng Huat, Provost Chair Professor, NUS Sociology;
- Professor Ho Teck Hua, Deputy President (Research and Technology) and Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor;
- Professor Kishore Mahbubani, Dean, LKY School;
- Professor Tan Tai Yong, Executive Vice President (Academic Affairs), Yale-NUS College; and
- Professor Bernard Yeung, Dean and Stephen Riady Distinguished Professor, NUS Business School
The Council was formed in recognition of the new complex challenges which Singapore will face. These include issues such as sustaining economic dynamism, providing for an ageing population, preserving social mobility, improving the non-material quality of life, and building common identity and a sense of belonging in a globalised world. Social sciences and humanities research can help us better understand and address these issues.
During its inaugural meeting on 22 January, the Council discussed the social science and humanities research landscape in Singapore, and how it could make a significant impact. The SSRC also discussed possible strategies to develop an active and mature social science and humanities research ecosystem that will contribute to the long-term development of Singapore and the region.
Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies Tharman Shanmugaratnam believed that the SSRC “will contribute to the intellectual life of our nation”. He said, “Quality research in the social sciences and humanities will enrich understanding of how we are evolving as a people and help us find the most effective ways to sustain a vibrant, fair and resilient society.”
