SOSS Seminar | What is populism?
The growing strength of right-wing populist movements in democratic societies throughout the world has left many people wondering how best to respond. Some have argued that the left should try to create its own populist movement. Others have argued that elites should simply readjust their focus, in order to eliminate the root causes of popular anger. This has led to a debate about what the essential features of populism are, and whether those energies can be harnessed in the service of any political movement. In this presentation, I will try to explain the constraints that populism is subject to, and why these currently favor right-wing movements. I will focus on the psychological aspects of its appeal, and the challenges faced by experts when trying to make their views prevail.
Contact: socsc_seminar@smu.edu.sg. Speaker Details: SPEAKER
, Joseph Heath
Professor of Philosophy, University of Toronto
Joseph Heath is Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Toronto. A fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Trudeau Foundation, Heath is the author of several books, including Enlightenment 2.0 (HarperCollins, 2014) which won the Shaughnessy Cohen prize for Political Writing in 2015, as well as The Machinery of Government (Oxford, 2020), which won the Donner Prize for best book in public policy in Canada… RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://forms.office.com/r/X5PFjEPQuY. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Subject: Social Sciences & Humanities. Audience: Public. Academic Community. Alumni. Current Student. SMU Faculty & Staff.
Monday, February 23, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM.
SMU Yong Pung How School of Law
Seminar Room 2-16, Level 2
55 Armenian St, Singapore 179943.
For more info visit forms.office.com. SOSS Seminar | Being Well Cared for and Growing up Slowly: Parenting Slows Human Life History
For most animals, extrinsic mortality risks drive a fast life history (LH) strategy in which animals disregard mortality risks and accelerate reproduction. Instead of perpetuating mortality driving fast LH, humans have reduced almost all of the extrinsic risks in living environments, resulting in a significant slowdown of LH. Additionally, humans exhibit the longest and parentally most invested childhood period during which three fourths of the brain development takes place. In this talk, I develop the hypothesis that parenting readjusts the species-general contingency between environmental adversities and LH strategies, providing an additional pathway to the slowing of human LH, and I present empirical works conducted in my lab that bear on this human-specific parenting-LH hypothesis.
Contact: socsc_seminar@smu.edu.sg. Speaker Details: SPEAKER, , Chang Lei
Chair Professor, Head of Department of Psychology
University of Macau
Professor Chang is Chair Professor and Head of Department of Psychology, University of Macau. He conducts research in evolutionary and developmental psychology including parenting, child and adolescent development, and evolutionary perspectives on mating. He has published 9 books and over 350 refereed journal articles, with over 30,000 Google Scholar citations and an h-Index of 80, and has been named World’s Top… RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://forms.office.com/r/t8JA5qtNC6. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Subject: Social Sciences & Humanities. Audience: Public. Academic Community. Alumni. Current Student. SMU Faculty & Staff.
Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 3:45 PM – 5:15 PM.
SMU Yong Pung How School of Law
Seminar Room 2-02, Level 2
55 Armenian St, Singapore 179943.
For more info visit forms.office.com. 25 Feb 2025 MST Virtual Information Session
Infosessions
In a world where sustainability has transcended trends to become a global imperative, your passion and insight can find a higher purpose. Inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), SMU proudly introduces the groundbreaking Master of Sustainability (MST).
The MST stands as a pioneer, weaving together the robust research and educational expertise of SMU, offering an inter-disciplinary postgraduate curriculum that addresses the ever-evolving landscape of sustainability roles across diverse sectors.
Our goal is clear: to empower you with the skills and insights needed to become a true leader in sustainability.
Don't miss this opportunity to embark on a transformative journey. Join our upcoming information session on the Master of Sustainability, taking place on 25 Feb 2026. Discover more about the programme, gain valuable insights, and learn how to embark on this exciting path towards a sustainable future.
RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://smumst.smu.edu.sg/acton/fs/blocks/showLandingPage/a/45772/p/p-0080/t/page/fm/0. Contact: mst@smu.edu.sg. Type: Information Sessions. Talks & Forums. Webinar & Online Learning. Subject: Urban Management & Sustainability. Audience: Alumni. Current Student. Incoming PG Students. Incoming Students. Professionals. Prospective Student. Public. SMU Faculty & Staff.
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
This is a virtual session and it will be conducted on Zoom.
For security reasons, the login details will be shared 2 days before the session.
For more info visit smumst.smu.edu.sg. Ideas Festival 2026 | Building Resilient Legal Systems in the AI Age
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the global environment in which legal systems operate—not only by transforming how individuals, firms, and governments act, but also by reconfiguring the broader political economy that sustains them. Resilience in this context means ensuring that legal systems can anticipate, absorb, and adapt to technological disruption while continuing to deliver justice, maintain legitimacy, and safeguard rights. Without deliberate strategies for resilience, legal systems risk narrowing into brittle, tech-dominated structures: constrained in their options, vulnerable to capture, and unable to fulfil their core functions.
Engage with this panel that convenes experts across academia, government, and industry to explore how law can remain a stabilising force in the age of AI and to identify practical strategies for embedding resilience “by design” into legal institutions.
*Registration starts at 3.00pm. A light dinner reception will be served after the event.
Chatham House Rule applies…
Contact: socsc_seminar@smu.edu.sg. Speaker Details: Chair, , Jason Grant Allen
Director, Centre for Digital Law
Associate Professor of Law, SMU
Jason is Director, Centre for Digital Law and Associate Professor of Law at the Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University. His research spans law, technology, and political economy, with a focus on AI
governance, digital assets, and the concept of office in public law
Panellists, , Alex Toh
Technology Partner, Magellan Law
Alex is the Technology Partner at Magellan Law with expertise in… RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=ynmKyZpakUeiQ_Bq_WdGTUGH9G9u-WtAl9UVUOJ8iDJURFU5TVNKSFY4Q1dMMUhYUzkwS0xJM0VHTS4u&route=shorturl. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Subject: Social Sciences & Humanities. Audience: Public. Academic Community. Alumni. Current Student. SMU Faculty & Staff.
Thursday, March 12, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM.
SMU Yong Pung How School of Law
Level 4, Function Lounge 4-2
55 Armenian Street, Singapore 179943.
For more info visit forms.office.com. 12 Mar 2026 MST Sample Class - Cheap Foods and Expensive Lies: Our Food Choices and Their Sustainability Impact
Infosessions
Speaker, , Dr Qian Forrest Zhang
Associate Professor of Sociology
School of Social Sciences, SMU
Associate Professor Forrest Zhang’s research focuses on agrarian political economy, sustainable agrifood practices, and rural development, with a focus on China. In the past 15 years, he has conducted research in over 20 provinces in China and collected data on over 200 rural villages. His recent works have investigated alternative food networks, agricultural cooperatives, industrial pig farming, and land politics. He received his PhD in sociology from Yale University in 2004.
RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://smumst.smu.edu.sg/acton/fs/blocks/showLandingPage/a/45772/p/p-007d/t/page/fm/0. Event Details: “Cheap Foods and Expensive Lies” unpacks the core trick of the global industrial agri-food system: prices fall while real costs explode. We trace how “cheap” calories are engineered through monocultures, chemical- and fossil-fuel dependence, streamlined supply chains, and labour precarity—yielding overproduction, overconsumption, and ecological overdraw.
See the connection between everyday food choices and hidden externalities: diet-related disease burdens, degraded soils and waters, exploited workers, h… Contact: mst@smu.edu.sg. Type: Information Sessions. Lectures. Subject: Social Sciences & Humanities. Urban Management & Sustainability. Audience: Alumni. Current Student. Incoming PG Students. Professionals. Prospective Student. Public. SMU Faculty & Staff.
Thursday, March 12, 2026, 7:10 PM – 8:30 PM.
In-person Session:
Seminar Room 3-1, Level 3,
SMU School of Social Sciences & College of Integrative Studies,
10 Canning Rise, Singapore 179873
Virtual Session:
The virtual session will be conducted on Zoom. For security reasons, the login details.
Ideas Festival 2026 | Resilient Singapore: Reimagining the Civic Core through Environmental History
The history of Singapore’s urban centre is a showcase for resilience in the island city. Its changing landscape is a direct reflection of the things that have made Singapore, from the early port to the agricultural areas, military and civic development, to the reclamation projects. Their development has been the cornerstone of, and reflected, social and economic growth, as Singapore moved through good times, and bad. Each of these socio-economic shifts has left its memory inscribed into the landscape and with them, a story.
Starting from Armenian Street at the front of SMU’s Yong Pung How School of Law, this tour delves into the landscape under our feet, imagining a Singapore as it was at different points in its chronology, from the agricultural development of the nineteenth century, to the technological innovations of the early twentieth century, to the Japanese occupation, and beyond. This will be a predominantly social and environmental history, as opposed to a classic national history, one which will tel…
Contact: socsc_seminar@smu.edu.sg. Speaker Details: , Yong
The Urbanist Singapore
Yong is the brains and heart behind The Urbanist Singapore. With a deep passion for Singapore's heritage and urban design, he has led heritage walks as a hobby since 2010, bringing history to life for the community and a whole new generation. RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=ynmKyZpakUeiQ_Bq_WdGTUGH9G9u-WtAl9UVUOJ8iDJUMTdZOE9NTkpHTUMxWUROM1NXWUJTS0Q3Ry4u&route=shorturl. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Information Sessions. Subject: Social Sciences & Humanities. Audience: Public. Academic Community. Alumni. Current Student. SMU Faculty & Staff.
Saturday, March 14, 2026, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
SMU Yong Pung How School of Law
Sheltered Lobby in front of SOL Main Entrance
55 Armenian Street, Singapore 179943.
For more info visit forms.office.com. Ideas Festival 2026 | Managing Technology and Trade Disruptions: Building Resilience in a Shifting International Landscape
We are entering a new era of global trade (dis)order, shaped by powerful waves of technological and economic disruption. From generative AI transforming production and services, to tariff escalations redrawing trade routes, these shifts are reconfiguring the foundations of international commerce. They bring real opportunities—efficiency gains from emerging technologies, new markets, and innovative business models—but also serious challenges, including fragmentation, heightened uncertainty, and systemic complexity. Together, these dynamics underscore the urgent need for resilience.
Bringing together diverse perspectives, this event will explore how businesses and other actors in the region can adapt to and navigate this fast-changing landscape. Key questions include: How can we better understand and prepare for emerging trends? Do these disruptions challenge our long-held assumptions? And how can actors remain resilient and agile in the face of volatility? Join us to exchange insights, build partnerships, and…
Contact: socsc_seminar@smu.edu.sg. Speaker Details: Chair: , Pasha L. Hsieh
Lee Kong Chian Professor of Law
Jean Monnet Chair in EU-ASEAN Law and Relations, SMU
Pasha is Lee Kong Chian Professor of Law and Jean Monnet Chair at SMU’s Yong Pung How School of Law. He has held visiting faculty and fellowship positions at the University of Melbourne, Seoul National University, and the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies.
Panellists: , Chris Humphrey
Executive Director, EU-ASEAN Business Council
Chris is… RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=ynmKyZpakUeiQ_Bq_WdGTUGH9G9u-WtAl9UVUOJ8iDJUMlFGSjZVV1NBNzY5SVE4NzNQRUZJNVc5Ni4u&route=shorturl. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Subject: Social Sciences & Humanities. Audience: Public. Academic Community. Alumni. Current Student. SMU Faculty & Staff.
Tuesday, March 17, 2026, 3:40 PM – 5:00 PM.
SMU Administration Building, Level 6
Function Room 6-1
81 Victoria Street, Singapore 188065.
For more info visit forms.office.com. Ideas Festival 2026 | Still Worth Doing? A Public Conversation on the Future of Work
Perhaps the only thing clear about the future of work is its own uncertainty. Yet, amid economic disruption and the rise of AI, public discussion has mostly been limited to predicting available jobs and “employable” degrees. This panel shifts our attention back to the question of work and its role in social life. What will change in the everyday tasks we fulfil as workers, and what meaning should we give to such efforts? What sort of career is still worthy of human skill and emotion? How do we review a performance when labor is partly outsourced to technology?
Featuring researchers from across Singapore’s universities, this panel will discuss the changes and challenges in three major aspects of work: care, creativity, and communications. In looking ahead, this panel explores not only what jobs will likely persist, but how work must and should evolve. Join us to reimagine the future of work!
*Registration starts at 3.00pm. Light refreshment will be served during registration.
Contact: socsc_seminar@smu.edu.sg. Speaker Details: Chair: , Yasmin Y. Ortiga
Associate Professor of Sociology, SMU
Yasmin is Associate Professor of Sociology at SMU’s School of Social Sciences. She studies how the changing ideas of “skill” shapes how and why people migrate across borders. Her book, Stuck at Home: Pandemic Immobilities in the Nation of Emigration was published by Stanford University Press.
Panellists:
, Cheng Chi-Ying
Associate Professor of Psychology, SMU
Chi-Ying is Associate Professor of Psychology at School of Social… RSVP: . Reserve a seat: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=ynmKyZpakUeiQ_Bq_WdGTUGH9G9u-WtAl9UVUOJ8iDJUMjVNMUJHSzQ2UUVITFkyU1hMSkY4RFlQNC4u&route=shorturl. Type: Seminars & Workshops. Subject: Social Sciences & Humanities. Audience: Public. Academic Community. Alumni. Current Student. SMU Faculty & Staff.
Tuesday, March 24, 2026, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM.
SMU Yong Pung How School of Law
Level 4, Function Lounge 4-2
55 Armenian Street, Singapore 179943.
For more info visit forms.office.com.