25 February 2018
Singapore has acquired a solid reputation as one of the world’s leading countries in the fields of science and technology.
However, the social sciences and humanities could also open up important new areas of research for Singaporeans and help strengthen Singapore’s ties with the region.
Questions about the right way to organise society were in the past regarded as a branch of philosophy, but with today’s rapidly evolving economies, there is a need to pay greater attention to analyzing social trends through rigorous evidence-based research.
Singapore should develop its own social scientific research and strengthen its understanding of psychology, history and contemporary social issues.
Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam had previously announced a 45 per cent increase in funding for research in the social sciences and humanities in Singapore in the year 2016.
He said Singapore must build up this scholarship in the region that can inform and spur both policy reform and the initiatives of societal leaders.