Higher education is under siege. It needs to reinvent itself

In an op-ed for The Straits Times, SMU President Professor Lily Kong reflects on the urgent need for universities to respond to the growing convergence of pressures facing higher education – including political scrutiny, funding constraints, technological disruption, and public scepticism.

Professor David Chan Appointed CLC Research Fellow

Professor David Chan, Director of the Behavioural Sciences Initiative and Professor of Psychology at SOSS, has been appointed as a Research Fellow by the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC). He has also received the Ministry of National Development (MND) Medallion for his distinguished contributions to NParks.

The CLC, established by Singapore’s Ministry of National Development (MND) and Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE), selects distinguished experts in urban development to guide its strategic research and knowledge-sharing initiatives. Prof Chan is a two-time recipient of the MND Medallion.

Congratulations to Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Beomgeun Cho, on being named the inaugural recipient of the Kyujin Jung Memorial Research Award at the 2025 American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Conference.

Established this year, the award recognises outstanding early-career scholars in the field of public administration. We’re proud that Prof Cho has been honoured as its very first recipient!

Trump’s Deportation Program Is About Control. Even if You Are a U.S. Citizen.

In a commentary, SMU Professor of Political Science Chandran Kukathas argued that while the Trump administration frames its immigration agenda as a defence of American values like liberty and equality, it in fact undermines them by increasing state control.

Research: SOSS Insights, Issue 9

Click here to read about SOSS research highlights.

Holistic & integrative approach to the study of social issues

We give our students an unrivalled versatility that will always keep them relevant. Discover the main disciplines of PPS (Political Science, Psychology, Sociology) or PLE (Politics, Law and Economics) in our Bachelor of Social Sciences Programme

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Research Insights

Mapping out a novel way to assess the effectiveness of development aid
By Stuart Pallister SMU Office of Research – Assessing the effectiveness of international aid across Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country and an archipelago of around 17,000 islands,…
How do people allocate risks between themselves and others?
By Jovina Ang SMU Office of Research – Whether you are conscious of it or not, the decisions you make every day involve risk. Risks in the context of decision-making refer to uncertain outcomes of a…
Understanding social class divide in Singapore
By Jovina Ang SMU Office of Research – As a multi-racial and multi-religious country, the Singapore Government and the different communities have been working hard to ensure that the diverse…

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