Adult in blue facing a group of preschoolers Lady going down an escalator (Photo by Ng Shi Wen)

“What if we’re wrong?”: Interdisciplinarity, education, and higher education in Singapore

Posted on May 20, 2021February 19, 2022 by guanyinmiao

For students in Singapore, the notion of a “future” feels very well-defined: Do well in school, acquire the necessary skills and knowledge, and prepare for your job and career. But how do we prepare for an uncertain future if the present is precarious? And what if we’re wrong about trajectories of education and higher education in Singapore? With Dr. Adrian Kuah, we learn more about going beyond “the usual technocratic and prosaic fashion of future-proofing [university] graduates” and the changes we might want to see in the broader education sector.

Group of dancers in circles around a stage (Photo by Ng Shi Wen)

“Thinking about futures”: A preview

Posted on May 17, 2021February 19, 2022 by guanyinmiao

In an increasingly complex and uncertain world, how do we start thinking about the future? Or our futures? And how do we apply futures thinking and futures studies in Singapore? Co-designed with research associate Eddie Choo, “Thinking about futures” is a socialservice.sg mini-series featuring three guests, focused on education and higher education, the community, as well as public policy and the public sector.

Michael J. Sandel’s “The Tyranny of Merit” (Book Club, January 2021)

Posted on February 5, 2021February 5, 2021 by guanyinmiao

These are the discussion prompts and notes from the January 2021 book club, when we discussed Michael J. Sandel’s “The Tyranny of Merit”.

BeTheWire: Bridging the digital divide for persons of all abilities

Posted on October 8, 2020February 19, 2022 by guanyinmiao

BeTheWire (https://www.facebook.com/BeTheWire/) is a ground-up initiative which produces accessible and guided bite-sized videos and posts so as to equip, educate, and empower persons of all abilities to bridge the digital divide. The topics include digital literacy, communication platforms, as well as e-shopping and e-payment. We speak with founder Bryan Neo, who wishes to spread the word to more social workers and friends, focused on equipping individuals with digital lifeskills for the long haul. In addition, he envisions partnerships with agencies to work with community members in the initial phases.

Conversations / forums / panel discussions / seminars / talks / workshops (on socio-politics) are overdue for a disruption

Posted on January 31, 2020February 4, 2021 by guanyinmiao

Discursive events on socio-politics in Singapore are often well-intentioned – to increase civic engagement and awareness of issues – yet given their proliferation the quality and value of these events cannot be taken for granted. As someone who has organised and has been involved in these endeavours (and been critical of dialogues and forums and large-scale seminars), highlighting these seven opportunities for disruption stems from the desire to challenge ourselves and the sector to do even better.

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A website, podcast, and newsletter dedicated to social service research, practice, and policies in Singapore

Tag: Education