National University of Singapore

This course introduces contemporary South Asia in terms of the significant features of social, cultural, and economic life. It discusses the physical and human resources of the region and provides an overview of developments at the outset of the new century. Through the films, literature, and arts of the region, the course illustrates the changing patterns of life of the people of South Asia.

This course provides an introduction to gender and sexuality issues in Singapore from a historical perspective. It examines how our everyday understandings of gender have been formed in a long, complex process of negotiation over the twentieth century. In five themes 1) religion and marriage, 2) non-binary histories, 3) state morality, 4) queer stories and 5) gender troubles, it traces how state and religious authorities have shaped sexual behaviors and gender identities, with varying degrees of conformity and contestation from groups and individuals. Throughout history, gender remained fluid despite multiple attempts at restraining sexuality.

This course gives an introduction to the design of sample surveys and estimation procedures, with emphasis on practical applications in survey sampling. Topics include planning of surveys, questionnaire construction, methods of data collection, fieldwork procedures, sources of errors, basic ideas of sampling, simple random sampling, stratified, systematic, replicated, cluster and quota sampling, sample size determination, and cost. This course is targeted at students who are interested in Statistics and are able to meet the pre-requisites.

Evolutionary biology covers the history of life on our planet and the processes that produced the multiple life forms of Earth. Topics include: the origins of life, the eukaryotic cell, and multicellularity; the generation of genetic variation and the sorting of that variation through random processes and through natural and sexual selection; the origin of new traits, new life histories, and new species; the origins of sex, sociality, and altruism; the evolution of humans; and applications of evolutionary biology to solving modern-day problems.

This course considers science fiction as a mode of philosophical inquiry. Science fiction stories are used to examine fundamental questions of metaphysics, epistemology and ethics. Topics include the nature of time, space, religion, nature, mind, and the future. Specific topics may include such issues as genetic enhancement, environmental ethics, and implications of encounters with non‐human life forms.

The course is the continuation of Advanced Chinese 1 and prepares students to take further courses in advanced-level Chinese. It is designed for students who have studied at least two-and-a-half years of Chinese at the college level to achieve greater proficiency in oral and written uses of modern Mandarin. The course further develop language skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing, with particular emphasis on enhancing reading and writing abilities. It builds upon the foundations of Advanced Chinese 1 yet differs in giving the students increased exposure to authentic written (and audio-visual) materials not specifically designed for classroom learning.

This course provides an introductory understanding of social work education as a profession. The course includes both cognitive and experiential knowledge on the needs of individuals, families and society, and the social work response in meeting these needs. Included are the mission, values and principles of the social work profession and its roles and functions in contributing to human well-being. As an integral and compulsory part of this module, students will visit social service organization.