Academia.SG

‼️ New Article ‼️

"The Albatross File Exhibition is bad history that diminishes Lee Kuan Yew" by Historian Thum Ping Tjin is now published on our website.

Read the full article ⬇️

The Albatross File Exhibition is bad history that diminishes Lee Kuan Yew - Academia | SG Historian THUM PING TJIN argues that The Albatross File Exhibition and its accompanying book turn Lee Kuan Yew from a historically consequential actor into a passive victim of circumstance, thus diminishing him. By trying to protect him from moral scrutiny, Singaporeans are given a comforting story....

As we approach the university convocation season, we would like to invite everyone to read Kwok Kian Woon’s (University of the Arts Singapore) speech at the convocation ceremony for the School of Humanities at Nanyang Technological University last year.

In his speech, he reflects on what it means to respond and be responsive to the crises, challenges and transformations shaping the times we live in.

🔗 Read the full article at https://www.academia.sg/academic-views/kwokkianwoon-convocation-speech/

‼️ Call For Papers ‼️
*On behalf of researchers from the University of Vienna

Researchers from the University of Vienna are organising a workshop, "Eldercare in Transition: Ageing Amidst Multiple Crises in Vienna and Singapore" (funded by the Austrian Science Fund), in collaboration with the Centre for Family and Population Research at the National University of Singapore, on 29 July 2026.

As such, the team is welcoming contributions that address their key research questions.

Please refer to the poster for more information and submission details.

‼️ New Article ‼️

Ever wondered why Singapore embarked on a program of partial privatization in the late twentieth century? In this article, Rohan Advani (University of California, Los Angeles) challenges conventional theories of neoliberal diffusion by showing how the Singaporean ruling elites pursued partial privatization as a way to solve long-standing problems.

Read the full article ⬇️

Neoliberalism and the Evolution of Singapore’s Developmental State: Partial Privatization as Problem-Solving Why did Singapore—fiscally robust, free from external pressure, and historically committed to state-led development—embark on a program of partial privatization in the late twentieth century? This article challenges conventional theories of neoliberal diffusion by showing how Singaporean ruling ...

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‼️ New Sharing ‼️

What does politics in Singapore look like after more than 20 years of Lee Hsien Loong’s leadership?

During the recent Politics in Action 2026 forum by the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre (The University of Sydney), Michael Barr (Flinders University) examines Singapore’s leadership transition, Lawrence Wong’s leadership and what this new political era means for the country.

Watch the sharing here ⬇️
https://youtu.be/POjxmwwacgY?si=jxDlM4vMSomL9ALL

Don’t miss the panel discussion he also took part in ⬇️
https://youtu.be/9PuXkzztoOY?si=ko8IcwyOtls6XRkb

Politics in Action 2026 Part 5: Panel discussion Panel discussion: What do these transitions mean for Australia and ASEANModerator: Professor Justin Hastings, School of Social and Political SciencesPanel: P...

AcademiaSG would like to extend our warmest congratulations to our editor, Teo You Yenn (Nanyang Technological University), whose books ranked #1 and #2 on The Straits Times Weekly Bestsellers list (May 16) for non-fiction writing.

As we celebrate this incredible achievement, we invite everyone to read her essay, “How I’ve Managed to Stay an Academic (Thus Far)”, published in 2024 as part of our Occupational Hazards series. In the essay, she reflects on her journey in academia, the challenges she faced and how she found meaning in her work as a public sociologist.

🔗 Read her essay in our Occupational Hazards series at knowledgepraxis.academia.sg

‼️ New Article ‼️
*Subscription required to read the full article.

The latest volume of the Mekong Review explores the award-winning historical book “The Albatross File: Inside Separation” edited by Susan Sim. By compiling formerly classified documents and records regarding Singapore’s separation from Malaysia, the book offers a comprehensive look into the secret negotiations that led to Singapore’s unexpected independence.

Read the full review ⬇️

Keeping secrets - Mekong Review The publication of The Albatross File is very welcome for those with an interest in the Singapore story—though less for the hitherto secret documents it reproduces and more for the hitherto secret oral histories.

Seven years ago, AcademiaSG was launched to promote public-facing scholarship about Singapore. What started as a group of academics who came together to advocate against the government’s plan to regulate what ministers considered online falsehoods (i.e. POFMA) eventually led to the formation of AcademiaSG and its work in the years since.

In our newest article, AcademiaSG editors Linda Lim (University of Michigan), Cherian George (Hong Kong Baptist University), Teo You Yenn (Nanyang Technological University) and Chong Ja Ian (National University of Singapore) reflect on the collective’s growth, beliefs and impact.

🔗 Read the full article at academia.sg

The rest of us at AcademiaSG congratulate Teo You Yenn on this unprecedented achievement in nonfiction writing.

Curious about You Yenn's backstory? In 2024, she wrote an essay about the ups and downs of her work as a sociologist in a Singaporean public university. She shared her doubts about academia: "No one chooses this path — staying a student well past the point of reasonable, putting life on hold while watching peers move forward, endless work and self-doubt both daily constants — simply to pursue ‘publications,’ ‘citation counts,’ and ‘teaching indices’ as if they are ends in themselves." Read her essay to find out how she found meaning in her role as an academic and found the voice that is appreciated by so many readers. – Link in the comments.