NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗰𝘆
What role can Buddhism play in diplomacy and regional engagement? In The Diplomat Magazine, Assoc Prof Jack Chia, Foo Hai Associate Professor in Buddhist Studies at the NUS Department of History, offers an insightful look at how small states practise Buddhist diplomacy as a form of soft power.

For readers interested in Buddhism, Asia, history, diplomacy and culture’s role in international relations, this is a thoughtful and timely read.

Now: https://tinyurl.com/bdhaums3

When Small States Practice Buddhist Diplomacy While China and India compete for influence through Buddhism, smaller states such as Bhutan and Singapore are showing how Buddhist values, networks, and heritage can be transformed into diplomatic influence.

As Singapore considers how best to protect young people online, an expert panel convened by the Ministry of Health (MOH) is advocating for a more nuanced approach than an age-based social media ban.

On 30 July 2026, MOH released the findings and recommendations of its Expert Panel on the Mental Health Impact of Social Media Use. Co-chaired by Associate Professor Jungup Lee (NUS Department of Social Work), Co-Director of the NUS Social Service Research Centre, the panel found that young people are particularly vulnerable to the effects of social media during adolescence, and that problematic social media use is more strongly linked to poorer mental well-being than screen time alone.

As A/P Lee noted, "It is not only how long a young person is online but the nature of their relationship with social media that matters."

The panel recommends making social media safer by design through addressing features such as infinite scroll, autoplay, algorithmically-curated feeds and unsafe direct messaging, while strengthening age assurance measures and digital literacy in youths.

🔗 Read more here: https://tinyurl.com/ystj4mee

This one's special! 🥳

We are proud to celebrate our very first graduating cohort of Anthropology majors at Commencement 2026!

These trailblazers chose a brand-new major and made it their own: from fieldwork to the future.

Congratulations to every single one of you.

Learn more: https://tinyurl.com/y36z4zm8

NUS Department of Sociology and Anthropology

NUS marks milestone with first graduating cohort of Anthropology majors The pioneer cohort of NUS Anthropology majors graduates at Commencement 2026, highlighting the discipline’s role in understanding people, culture and society in an AI-driven age.

🎓 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁? 𝗪𝗲'𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁.
Today's workplace demands graduates who can think critically, navigate complexity, communicate across diverse perspectives, and adapt quickly to change.

At the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), we prepare our students with a strong interdisciplinary foundation and deep disciplinary expertise—equipping them to make meaningful contributions from day one.

Our graduates bring:
✔️ Strong critical thinking and analytical skills
✔️ The ability to synthesise insights across disciplines and diverse sources of information
✔️ Adaptability in fast-changing environments
✔️ Effective communication and collaborative problem-solving skills

Whether you're hiring for internships or full-time roles, we're here to help you connect with FASS talent.

📩 Reach us at [email protected] to discuss your recruitment needs.

🔗 Visit our newly launched Recruiting at FASS employer webpage to learn more about our graduates and how you can partner with us: https://fass.nus.edu.sg/recruiting-at-fass/

📢 The word is out: we are launching a brand new 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗬𝟮𝟲/𝟮𝟳 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟮!
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With courses from across varying disciplines such as sociology, psychology, computing, forensic science and more, the Minor in Criminal Justice offers students a rigorous, multidisciplinary foundation in the study of the criminal justice system itself, and the social, institutional, and ethical issues that surround it.
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As mentioned by programme convenor, Associate Professor Narayanan Ganapathy (Department of Sociology and Anthropology), in an interview with The Straits Times (https://tinyurl.com/nhk2a8sp): "𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭, 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤, 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴.”⁠

Be equipped with the skills and competencies to understand why crime occurs and how it is governed in Singapore's unique legal and multicultural landscape.
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Full programme details here: fass.nus.edu.sg/socanth/minor-in-criminal-justice/

𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙉𝙐𝙎 𝙋𝙨𝙮𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮 𝘾𝙤𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟲–𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟵

It’s been almost 40 years since you were part of the pioneering years of Psychology at NUS. We would love to welcome you back for a special reunion on Saturday, 22 August 2026, from 11.00am to 1.00pm at AS7 Dean’s Meeting Room!

Come catch up with old friends over lunch, revisit memories, and see how the Department has grown over the years.

Please register by 7 August 2026 here: https://tinyurl.com/372a2wyb

If you’re still in touch with classmates, do pass the invitation along! We’d love to see familiar faces again.

📚 New publications from our Department of Japanese Studies faculty just dropped!⁠
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Associate Professor Thang Leng Leng is a contributor and editor of 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙀𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩: 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘿𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝘼𝙨𝙞𝙖–𝙅𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙣 𝙍𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, a volume that explores the many ways Southeast Asia and Japan are connected beyond politics and economics, through culture, migration, education, labour, and everyday life. From anime and academia to post-war histories, the book reveals the rich and multidirectional relationships that shape our region.⁠
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Also newly published, 𝘼𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙃𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙅𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙀𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝘼𝙨𝙞𝙖, which Dr Akiko Ishii worked on as editor and chapter author, challenges conventional narratives by highlighting how local knowledge and everyday practices influenced material change long before modern development ideas emerged. Contributing to the volume, Dr Scot Hislop examines foundational fictions in Japanese national literature, tracing how concepts of progress and change have shaped, challenged, and reimagined the field.⁠
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Congratulations to our faculty on these thought-provoking contributions to Japanese and East Asian studies!⁠
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