SMU School of Social Sciences (SOSS)

22/10/2026

𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 | 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽

Public leaders today face a rapidly changing landscape shaped by technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty and rising citizen expectations. Navigating these challenges calls for the ability to anticipate emerging risks, foster cross-sector partnerships and stay connected with both the communities they serve and those who translate policy into action.

Join us for a panel discussion featuring distinguished leaders from the public and private sectors as they share insights on how public leadership must evolve to address complex societal challenges and drive meaningful impact across Asia.

📅 Thursday, 29 October 2026
🕙 10am–12pm
📍 SMU SOSS/CIS Basement 1, Event Lobby
10 Canning Rise, Singapore 179873

Register now to be part of this timely conversation on the future of public leadership: https://smu.sg/kop7

15/10/2026

Do voters see political family ties as an advantage or a liability for female candidates? In many countries across the Global South, women elected to office are related to male incumbents, raising questions about how these connections shape voter support.

This seminar examines whether voters favour female candidates with dynastic ties because they believe male relatives can continue to exert influence behind the scenes. Drawing on survey experiments conducted in Mindanao, the Philippines, and Manado, Indonesia, the research explores how attitudes towards male leadership and military experience shape voter preferences.

The findings challenge assumptions about the advantages of political dynasties, suggesting that voters may view ties to male incumbents, particularly those with military backgrounds, as liabilities rather than assets.

Join Steve L. Monroe, Assistant Professor of Political Science at NUS, and Jeremy Siow, Assistant Professor of Political Science at SMU, for a discussion on gender, political dynasties and voter behaviour in new democracies.

Register here: https://smu.sg/1en9

01/10/2026

Artists and their artworks can offer more than reflections of their historical and political contexts. They can also contribute to how political ideas are expressed, understood and developed.

In this seminar, Martina Zago will discuss her ongoing book project on three nineteenth-century painters, Eugène Delacroix, Paul Gauguin and Juan Luna, and their role in transforming the language and practice of the Enlightenment-born concept of civilisation. Drawing on speech act theory, she explores how painting can express political thought, shape political meaning and produce both intended and unintended effects.

The session will be moderated by our Professor of Political Science, William Callahan.

Register here: https://smu.sg/4h69

30/09/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝘁?

In a new op-ed for Psyche, Assistant Professor of Philosophy Brandon Yip explores the nature of moral disgust and what it reveals about the social norms and values we hold.

Brandon suggests that moral disgust responds to threats to the normative orders we inhabit. It is neither an infallible moral authority nor a mere primitive reaction, but an emotion that deserves our careful attention in ethical reasoning.

Read Brandon's full piece, "When you feel moral disgust, what's the emotion telling you?", in Psyche here: https://psyche.co/ideas/when-you-feel-moral-disgust-whats-the-emotion-telling-you

Some actions and words provoke instant revulsion. To know if we can trust that gut feeling, we should probe why we have it

28/09/2026

We are pleased to share that Anthropocene Asia, a module under Global Asia at SMU School of Social Sciences, has been shortlisted for the 2026 QS Reimagine Education Awards in the Sustainability Education Literacy category.

The module is among 2,200 projects and modules shorlisted for this year's awards, recognising approaches to education that engage with sustainability and its wider social and environmental dimensions.

We are proud to see the work of our faculty and students recognised on this platform, and look forward to the final awards in December.

Congratulations to the team behind Anthropocene Asia!

25/09/2026

How can AI be used to analyse qualitative research at scale?

Professor Helga Nowotny will share on her ongoing Food Socioscope project, that uses a new research instrument to analyse transition processes towards sustainability in the domain of food. The project examines organisations ranging from small community initiatives to regulatory and policymaking bodies, combining in-depth interviews with sophisticated AI analytics to understand the forces that empower or inhibit change.

Join Professor Nowotny in conversation with Associate Professor of Sociology Yasmin Ortiga.

Register to join the conversation: https://smu.sg/9cx3

07/09/2026

Considering a PhD in Psychology?

SMU PhD Day returns on 10 October 2026, bringing together those interested in learning more about postgraduate research opportunities at SMU.

As part of the day's programme, join our PhD in Psychology Information Session from 5.00–5.45pm to find out more about what pursuing doctoral research at SMU could look like for you.

Attend in person or online:
📍 Register to attend in person → https://eventregistration.smu.edu.sg/smuphd2026
💻 Register to join online → https://cgrs.smu.edu.sg/acton/media/44129/phdday2026

Join us to learn more about the PhD in Psychology programme and the research journey at SMU.

01/09/2026

Congratulations to Assistant Professor George Wong on receiving the CIS Core Curriculum Teaching Excellence Award under the Communities Pillar for Academic Year 2025/26, an honour he shares with fellow SOSS faculty member, Lecturer Jeffrey Grove.

This award recognises educators who demonstrate exceptional commitment to teaching and create meaningful learning experiences that inspire and empower students.

George's outstanding achievement also earns him a place in the CIS Core Curriculum Teaching Excellence Award Hall of Fame, a distinction reserved for educators who have received this honour for three consecutive years.

Join us in congratulating George on this remarkable milestone and well-deserved recognition! 👏

28/08/2026

What starts with one person can spark a connection with many.🌱

SMU School of Social Sciences alumna Siti Noormasliana Noorazman (Masliana N.) founded Project Candela with a simple but meaningful goal: to build friendships with migrant workers and create spaces where they feel a greater sense of belonging.

Inspired by her own experiences and her desire to better understand the experiences of others, she hopes to encourage more meaningful connections within the community.

Read more about her journey here: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/i-understand-what-it-feels-like-to-be-excluded-smu-grad-started-project-to-befriend-migrant-workers?utm_campaign=stfb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawT93fJwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAGJyaWQRMUJUTkhpaTJlSlQ3Rm81TlNzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeXucs3JWvcazeI2j-Pn5Qozaa4FBhfMPJs6dZy6KoZJ0JvgdAotS-xuZxGPY_aem_zDH5Jv0ZcHnk88rX6kEe0w

Masliana started the initiative to care for migrant workers confined to their dorms during the pandemic. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

26/08/2026

SMU Homecoming was an afternoon of familiar faces, fun games and plenty of reunions, and we’re thrilled to share that SOSS took home the Homecoming Challenge Trophy! 🏆

A big thank you to all our SOSS alumni who came back, reconnected with old friends and spent the afternoon with us. It was wonderful to see our SOSS community come together! And the reunions don’t stop here.

👀 We're calling all SOSS alumni for a Get-Together this November! More details coming soon, so keep an eye out and spread the word to you fellow SOSS alumni.

Big thanks to SMU Office of Alumni Relations for organising such a great Homecoming, and Associate Dean of Student and Alumni Matters, Steven Burik, for joining us and showing his support for the SOSS community.

And of course, a special shoutout to our SOSCIETY committee members, Evania Lim, Tahseenah Reaz and Ming Han Tan, for running SOSS's booth and being great ambassadors throughout the afternoon. 💚