School of Humanities, NTU Singapore

Join Patrick Flores, Chief Curator of the National Gallery Singapore, for a discussion of his latest book, Philippine Figurine: Image, Ornament, Art.

Through seven thought-provoking essays, Flores explores how the concept of the "figurine" offers new ways of thinking about art, ornament, devotion, and their postcolonial legacies. Drawing on subjects ranging from the Black Nazarene procession in Manila to the works of Juan Luna and the patronage of Imelda Marcos, this seminar invites us to rethink the visual cultures of the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

📅 2 September 2026 (Wednesday)
🕒 3.00pm – 4.30pm
📍 SHHK Meeting Room 2 (03-93)

From Plantation to Plate: Michael Yeo Receives 2026 Sophie Coe Prize for Pineapple Research

Assistant Professor Michael Yeo (History) has been awarded the 2026 Sophie Coe Prize, one of the most prestigious and longest-running annual awards in the field of food history.

Asst Prof Yeo received the honour for his book chapter exploring the history of pineapples in Singapore, shedding light on the cultural, economic and social significance of the fruit in the island's past.

The book chapter is available for reading digitally at the NTU Library.

Established in memory of renowned food historian Sophie Coe, the Sophie Coe Prize recognises outstanding scholarship and writing in food history from around the world.

Hear why Song Can (MA in Creative Writing and Publishing, Class of 2025) recommend pursuing a graduate education at NTU Humanities!

"The programme has given me a more systematic and deeper understanding of creative writing and publishing. Creative writing courses are more like workshops, where students share their experiences together and get detailed feedback from lecturers and classmates. The publishing courses were practical, helping us consider issues as both students and practitioners, which enriched our professional foundations."

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤: 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬: 𝐀 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞

We are excited to share the publication of a new book by Professor Jon Wilson.

The modern world of nation states was an accidental outcome of the chaos following World War II, and not the product of centuries of Western development. Before the 1940s, empires and federations made up the world, and few believed that nations could serve as the foundations of political order. In this book, the author shows how the postwar crisis forced political leaders everywhere to search for a workable compromise. From Montevideo to Yogyakarta, New Delhi to Jerusalem, political leaders arrived at the same unexpected solution to divide the world, territories and economies into nation states. The movement was not imposed by any single power or ideology. There was never a US-led world order. Capitalist and communist states alike agreed to the nation state model, making the postwar world multipolar from the start. The process was chaotic and improvised, with limited agreement in underlying ideas. The competing visions of political organisations did not disappear, while people continued to be attached to their local communities. Out of Chaos empowers us to read today’s conflicts in the context of the messy, unplanned emergence of nation states from postwar crisis, radically reframing twentieth-century history.

Glowing reviews from leading scholars:
"A crucial intervention." – Faisal Devji, University of Oxford
"Brilliant, very necessary rethinking of global history." – David Edgerton
"A sparkling political history... full of telling historical vignettes." – Pratap Bhanu Mehta

Order your copy here: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/out-of-chaos-9780192858672

Discover how digital humanities is transforming the study of language with the BCC Corpus System—the world's largest open-access online corpus of Chinese.

Join Associate Professor Rao Gaoqi (Beijing Language and Culture University) as he introduces the BCC Corpus System and demonstrates how its 150-year collection of Chinese newspaper texts is being used to trace changes in vocabulary, language use, and writing styles from 1872 to today.

📅 26 August 2026 (Wednesday)
🕞 3.30pm – 5.00pm
💻 Online via Zoom

Ma Zhaoyi won First Prize at the 26th NZASIA Conference for her research challenging traditional East-West binaries and offering a fresh perspective on how technical knowledge travelled, evolved and gained authority in late 19th-century China. She reflects on the questions that sparked her award-winning paper and the interdisciplinary journey behind it.

Discover more in Constellations, Issue 16: https://ebook.ntu.edu.sg/constellations-issue-16.html

School of Humanities Honours Class of 2026 at Convocation

The NTU School of Humanities celebrated the achievements of its Class of 2026 at its Convocation ceremony on 28 July 2026, recognising the accomplishments of graduates as they embarked on the next chapter of their academic and professional journeys.

A total of 526 graduates received their degrees, comprising 381 Bachelor of Arts graduates, 106 Master of Arts (Coursework) graduates, 21 Master of Arts (Research) graduates, and 18 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) graduates.

The ceremony was presided over by Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed, NTU Board of Trustees Member and Non-Resident Ambassador to Kuwait, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Professor Jacob Stegenga, SoH Chair, conferred degrees on the graduates.

The address was delivered by Guest Speaker Mrs Rosa Daniel, Senior Advisor, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Non-Resident Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to the UNESCO, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In her remarks, she highlighted the critical role of human relationships and advised graduates to combine their humanistic perspectives with technological proficiency, ensuring that human insight guides future innovation. She extended her warm congratulations to the graduates and expressed her anticipation to see their future achievements.

Delivering the valedictory address on behalf of the Class of 2026 was Ms Zhang Chuying, who graduated with a major in Chinese. She reflected on the shared experiences of her cohort and encouraged her fellow graduates to embrace new opportunities with confidence, resilience and a lifelong passion for learning.

Congratulations, SoH Class of 2026!

Can Buddhism offer a different perspective on one of humanity's oldest questions?

Join Professor Jenny Hung (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) as she explores how the Tiantai Buddhist tradition reinterprets the Lotus Sūtra to present a hopeful and compassionate vision of life's meaning.

📅 20 August 2026 (Thursday)
🕜 1.30pm – 3.00pm
📍 SHHK Meeting Room 1 (03-65), NTU

NTU School of Humanities was proud to host the inaugural Asian Philosophy of Science Association (APSA) Conference, welcoming scholars from around the world for three days of keynote lectures, research presentations and lively discussions.

We were honoured to hear from distinguished keynote speakers Professor Craig Callender, Professor Catarina Dutilh Novaes and Professor Kevin Zollman, while celebrating the next generation of scholars with the inaugural APSA Early Career Prize awarded to Yuang Chen from the National University of Singapore.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in making APSA 2026 a resounding success!

Jemimah Wei, an NTU alumna and internationally acclaimed author, reflects on the journey behind her debut novel The Original Daughter and how her time studying at the School of Humanities shaped her voice as a writer.

Discover more in Constellations, Issue 16: https://ebook.ntu.edu.sg/constellations-issue-16.html