International and Area Studies Commons^™

Investment Strategies Of Gcc Sovereign Wealth Funds: Aligning National Development And Geopolitical Goals, Roy Conners

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) prioritize and implement investment strategies in the context of national development and geopolitical dynamics. Using a qualitative case study approach, it analyzes the assets, key industries, leadership, and historical evolution of major GCC SWFs (ADIA, Mubadala, ADQ, QIA, and PIF) based on publicly made available information.

The findings show that GCC SWFs prioritize investments in strategic sectors, geographical destinations, and the private sector. These investments align closely with their respective national development plans, such as 'We the UAE 2031', Qatar National Vision 2030, and Saudi Arabia’s …

The Importance Of Sunni-Iraqi Support In The Rise And Fall Of Isis In Iraq, Deja Meekins

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

ISIS, a Salafi-jihadist terrorist organization stationed in the Middle East, has had its fair share of "successes" and "failures," both of which have been present in Iraq. Toward the beginning of the development of ISIS, it garnered a very powerful supporter base in Iraq. However, that has changed since then; ISIS currently, in 2024, no longer has the support of the vast majority of the Iraqi people. What is the reason for this? This research paper will seek to analyze and answer two major questions: what role does the Iraqi Sunni population play in ISIS’s trajectory of successes and failures …

The Contested Domain Of Political Space In Southeast Asia, Meredith Weiss, Eva Hansson

Political Science Faculty Scholarship

Understanding political norms in Southeast Asia requires conceptualising the domain in which politicians, activists, and ordinary citizens exercise and challenge them: political space. We focus here on domestic political space, particularly that in which individuals and organisations champion alternatives to prevailing norms of state and market. This terrain is highly, perennially mutable. In it, we find an array of non-state organisations, from trade unions to non-governmental organisations, as well as media (including online and social media), and a range of structures and associations not inherently political, but potentially so, such as religious bodies. In this chapter, we consider, first, the …

Comparing The Us Response To The Soviet Invasion Of Afghanistan And The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine: Learning From The Past And Planning For The Future, Zachary Hogan

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

As the Russo-Ukrainian war continues to rage, the decisions of the present are of paramount importance. In order to make the most positive and well-supported decisions in this ongoing conflict, it would be wise to look to past instances of similar situations. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan is such an instance. The parallels between the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the past Soviet invasion of Afghanistan are extensive and, more importantly, informative for U.S. foreign policy. It is with this lens that this paper will pursue a historical foreign policy analysis of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, its circumstances and …

"We Lived The River Through Our Bodies": Environmental Care, Intergenerational Relations, And Sustainable Peacebuilding In Colombia, Angela J. Lederach

Peace Studies Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"This chapter offers an ethnographic account3 of youth peacebuilding practices in Montes de María. I place Jose’s pressing question, 'who am I?' as a central starting point to examine the foundational role that identity work plays in youth processes of 'provoking' peace in Montes de María, Colombia. I center Jose’s critique of the harm enacted when analytic attention focuses solely on youth who have migrated to urban cities. Instead, I turn my attention to the lives of youth who, against all odds, have stayed. I argue that the struggle to reclaim a sense of self, place, and belonging is at …

The Importance Of Theory And History In Understanding And Developing The Common Law Of Contract – Some Further Preliminary Reflections, Hon. Andrew Phang

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

In a previous essay, an attempt was made to demonstrate the important role that both theory and history play in helping us to understand and develop the common law of contract. As pointed out in that essay, a comprehensive treatment of the subject would require lengthy discourse in a book or even several books. This essay follows-up on that previous essay, again by way of preliminary reflections only, to correct the dominant perception that the development of the common law in general and contract law in particular is premised mainly on doctrinal development based on logic and analogy with the …

Veil Piercing In Singapore: A Proposed Approach, Ivan Wu Hwan Tang

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

Since 2013, the English courts have departed from the Singapore courts in their approach towards the doctrine of veil piercing. Notwithstanding this departure, as well as the general increase, over the years, in the number of cases in Singapore where veil piercing has been argued, the English approach has yet to be considered definitively by Singapore’s Court of Appeal. The other Singapore courts have thus generally also been unwilling and unable to decide on the applicability of the English approach in Singapore. Against this context, this article aims to consolidate and analyse the law on veil piercing in Singapore and …

The Effect Of Choice Of Court Agreements On Third Parties, Tiong Min Yeo

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

The effect of choice of court agreements on the exercise of jurisdiction of the Singapore court between contracting parties at common law has received clarification in Singapore law in recent years. The position is also clear under SICC Rules and the Choice of Court Agreements Act. The effect on third parties is less clear. In this article, the effect of choice of court agreements on the position of third parties under the legal regimes above will be considered, from the perspective of both conflict of laws and the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act in domestic Singapore law. This article …

Doctrinal Basis Of Delay As A Bar To Equitable Rescission Of Contracts, Tse Loong Ryan Low

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

The 2015 EWCA decision of Salt v Stratstone Specialist Ltd (t/a Stratstone Cadillac Newcastle) [2015] EWCA Civ 745 casts doubt on the proposition that an inordinate lapse of time alone could operate as a bar to rescission. The court grounded the operation of delay in the doctrine of laches, but as this paper will find, laches is an unsatisfactory explanation for the effect of mere delay on one’s powers of rescission, requiring something more than lapse of time alone. Other competing theories like reference to the Limitation Act 1959 by analogy, and the Sale of Goods Act 1979, have been …

An Updated Account On The Similar Fact Rule, Siyuan Chen

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

The number of local decisions on the similar fact rule has increased quite significantly in the last few years. However, fundamental questions, ranging from the foundational (such as the existence or operation of any residual judicial discretion to exclude relevant evidence) to the discrete (such as whether the rule works differently in civil proceedings as compared to criminal proceedings, and how the rule operates vis-à-vis related rules of evidence), continue to be answered in rather different, arguably irreconcilable ways by the courts. This article analyses some of the recent key decisions in the light of established precedents and proposes that …

The Application Of The Totality Principle In Singapore, Zi Yang Wong

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

When dealing with an offender who has been convicted of two or more distinct offences, the Court is faced with the issue of determining an appropriate aggregate sentence to be imposed. An aggregate sentence may offend the totality principle if it exceeds the length of the sentence imposed for the most serious offence, or if the sentence is “crushing” and not in keeping with the offender’s past record and future prospects. In deciding whether to vary a sentence on the grounds of the totality principle, the Courts have considered an offender’s overall criminality, advanced age, precedents and the possibility of …

An Abiding Commitment To The Death Penalty? Centrality Of The Rule Of Law In The Administration Of Capital Punishment In Singapore, Eugene K. B. Tan

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

Capital punishment remains in use in Singapore. The Singapore government’s position is that the death penalty works in deterring the most serious crimes. Public trust and confidence remains healthy that the death penalty regime in Singapore has the requisite deterrent effect on criminals and has sufficient safeguards to prevent any miscarriage of justice. In 2012, the Singapore Parliament made significant amendments to the Penal Code and the Misuse of Drugs Act, marking a shift from the longstanding mandatory to a discretionary death penalty system for some of the most serious crimes. It demonstrates the authorities’ belief that the mandatory death …

The Limits Of Reliance On Reliance Damages? Case Comment: Liu Shu Ming And Another V Koh Chew Chee, Yu Jie Isabelle Lim

Singapore Law Journal (Lexicon)

In Liu Shu Ming v Koh Chew Chee [2023] 1 SLR 1477 (“Liu Shu Ming (AD)”), the Court considered two questions on damages. These were, firstly, when a claimant would be able to claim reliance damages and secondly, whether a claimant would be able to claim reliance damages in the alternative to expectation damages. After considering these two issues, the Court seemingly expressed a preference for limiting claims for reliance damages to where it would be “impossible” or “extremely difficult” to prove expectation damages and not permitting claims for reliance damages in the alternative to expectation damages, or at the …

Community Awareness Of Domestic Violence In Arumeru District, Arusha, Tanzania, Rehema John Magesa

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Domestic violence continues to be prominent among many communities worldwide despite different efforts and strategies geared towards eradicating it. Women and girls are among the main victims of this violence. Lack of or limited awareness of the problem perpetuates the problem. However, much of the levels of awareness of the problem are lacking. This study aimed to establish community awareness of domestic violence and the levels of awareness and determine the association between respondents' characteristics and the level of awareness of gender-based violence. The study employed both probability and non-probability sampling techniques to acquire the respondents. One hundred women and …

Preparing Accountants Of The Future: Examining An Accounting Data And Analytics Undergraduate Program In Singapore, Poh Sun Seow, Gary Pan, Clarence Goh, Duan Ning, Magdeleine Lew

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Due to technological innovations, there is a need for universities to produce accounting graduates who are proficient in data and analytics, in addition to core accounting skills. A university in Singapore launched the accounting data and analytics (AD&A) second major program to provide students with skillsets in data and analytics. The aim of this study is to examine the efficacy of the AD&A program. 100 participants were surveyed, involving 70 graduates of the program and 30 employers. The results show that both graduates andemployers were satisfied with the program. The results also show that the program adequately equips graduates with …

Displaced Ukrainian Writers After 2014, A Postcolonial Perspective, Sophie Ivanka Shields

Comparative Literature M.A. Essays

This paper analyzes post-2014 Ukrainian displacement literature from a postcolonial perspective. I argue that Ukrainian writers, displaced with the 2014 invasion of Eastern Ukraine and/or 2022 full-scale invasion by Russia, transform literature into a tool of cultural resistance against Russia, forging a postcolonial Ukrainian identity in their works that unites those displaced since 2014. I particularly focus on two long-form works by displaced writers: the novel Mondegreen: Songs about Death and Love (2019) by Volodymyr Rafeyenko, who was displaced in 2014 from Donetsk to Kyiv and again in 2022 to Pittsburgh, USA on the City of Asylum Exiled Writer and …

Echoes Of War In Lithuania, Jokubas Salyga

Political Science Faculty Publications

The chapter explores the impact of the war on the everyday lives of Lithuanians. It begins by addressing the economic challenges instigated by Vladimir Putin’s military adventurism, and the latter’s burden on workers and the poor. This is followed by documenting the unwavering determination of the Lithuanian government and its people to create a hospitable environment for Ukrainian refugees. Subsequently, the chapter delves into the trials and tribulations faced by Ukrainian arrivals in Lithuania, drawing comparisons with the experiences of Belarusian and Russian nationals who have also sought refuge in the country. The latter are currently viewed as a potential …

City Shape, Commuting Time And Workplace Choice: Analyzing Urban Spatial Form In China, Shen Fu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This paper investigates the relationship between city shape, commuting time, and workplace choice within the context of Chinese cities. Using an urban form measure, nCohesion, and nighttime light data, I constructed the China City Shape Database for 263 Chinese cities. The empirical analysis reveals a counterintuitive finding: cities with less compact shapes, despite having longer within-city distances, are associated with shorter commuting times. This is because residents in poorly shaped cities tend to select workplaces closer to their homes to mitigate commuting difficulties. The findings suggest that improving city shape alone may not reduce commuting times; instead, enhancing transportation infrastructure …

How Is Our Mobility Affected As We Age? Findings From A 934 Users Field Study Of Older Adults Conducted In An Urban Asian City, Yi Zhen Tan, Ngoc Doan Thu Tran, Sapphire Lin, Fang Zhao, Yee Sien Ng, Dong Ma, Jeonggil Ko, Rajesh Krishna Balan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this paper, we analyze the results of a large study involving 934 older adults living in an urban Asian city that collected their mobility patterns, in the form of logged GPS data, along with a multitude of demographic and health data. We show that mobility, in terms of average distance travelled per day, is greatly affected by age and by employment status. In addition, other factors such as type of day, household size, physical and financial conditions and the onset of retirement also play a significant role in determining the mobility of an individual. These results will have high …

Horizontal Concentration And Vertical Concentration In Capitalist Agriculture: Re-Interpreting Marx And Chayanov, Qian Forrest Zhang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

How capitalism transforms peasant farming is a central question in agrarian studies. The two most important theoretical perspectives on this question—Marxist and Chayanovian theories—both have limitations. The former overlooked how commercial capital can transform smallholders’ production through vertical integration and extract surplus from smallholders through commodity relations; the latter neglected how labor commodification transforms smallholders’ family economic behaviors. These two theories, however, complement each other on these two fronts. Through critically re-interpreting Marxist and Chayanovian theories, this paper offers a synthesis that integrates the two perspectives into a coherent theoretical framework and proposes that capitalist agriculture expands through both “horizontal …

Producers’ Transition To Alternative Food Practices In Rural China: Social Mobilization And Cultural Reconstruction In The Formation Of Alternative Economies, Qian Forrest Zhang

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The shift from the conventional agri-food system to alternative practices is a challenging transition for agricultural producers, yet surprisingly under-studied. Little research has examined the social and cultural processes in rural communities that mobilize producers and construct and sustain producer-driven alternative food networks (AFNs). For AFNs to go beyond just offering “alternative foods” or “alternative networks” and to be constructed as “alternative economies”, this transformation in the producer community is indispensable. This paper presents a case study of a rural cooperative in Shanxi, China. The discontent with both productivist agriculture and the social decay in communities motivated a group of …

Humanities And Social Sciences: Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In a commentary, SMU President Professor Lily Kong discussed the importance of the social sciences and humanities, and explained how they significantly impact our daily routines and life choices. She emphasised the need for scholars of social sciences and humanities to expand channels of communication and engagement with diverse audiences. They should share insights and findings, collaborate across disciplines and sectors, and harness the synergies and complementarities of different perspectives and approaches. Prof Kong opined that for Singapore, the disciplines constitute a collective strategic asset that will enable the country to move forward into a more equitable, sustainable, and compassionate …

Enhancing Student Engagement In Introductory Economics With Interactive Videos And Synthesized Readings In Flipped Learning, Bei Hong, Duan Ning, Magdeleine Lew

Research Collection School Of Economics

A major challenge faced by university economics instructors is to find more time to incorporate active learning into the classroom, which encourages student participation. As a result, more instructors choose to flip their classrooms, in which students are encouraged to perform preparatory reading or watch videos to participate more meaningfully and learn more effectively. This study aims to examine how pre-lecture materials enhance student participation by examining the effectiveness of two types of materials: interactive videos and synthesized readings. The synthesized readings contain essential information extracted from the textbook and is presented in a structured manner with highlighted key points. …

Public Data Resources And Total Factor Productivity Of Enterprises: A Quasi-Natural Experiment Based On Local Government Data Opening, Wuping Wu, Qiheng Li, Liuyi Zhang, Yue Zhao

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

The opening of public data is the government’s major strategic move to release the value of data factor. However, whether these data resources are used by the public to release their value needs to be empirically tested. Therefore, based on the perspective of high-quality development of firms, this paper examines the relation between open public data and firms’ total factor productivity so as to reflect the value of public data resources in driving force of promoting firms’ high-quality development. Taking A-share listed firms from 2010 to 2019 as samples, using a natural experiment based on the launch of the local …

Lessons From The Demise Of The Brent Crude Oil Futures Contract On The Singapore Exchange, Kuan Yong David Ding, Wui Boon Lim

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper highlights the lessons drawn from the demise of the Brent Crude Oil futures contract that was traded on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX). We analyze the market microstructure of the contract prior to its failure—specifically, the number of trades, trading volume, open interest, bid–ask spread, and volatility. We find a steady decline in the mean volume, open interest, and number of trades as the contracts near their demise. The bid–ask spread of the contract also widens. Investigations of the mutual offset feature of the Brent Crude Oil futures contract between SGX and the International Commodity Exchange (ICE) provides …

Silver Screen Reversals Of The Domino Theory: American Cold War Movies And The Re-Imagination Of British Experiences In Southeast Asia, Wen-Qing (Wei Wenqing) Ngoei

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This essay examines how Hollywood was affected by the successful anticommunism of Britain and its local allies in Malaya and Singapore, victories that unfolded alongside Vietnam’s mounting crisis in the early 1960s. It shows that American movies of this era which portrayed the intertwining of US and British experiences in 1950s Malaya and 1940s Singapore conveyed an uneasy yet clear optimism about U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia.

Sustainability And The Sunlight Of Disclosure: Esg Disclosure In Three Asian Financial Centres, Rachel Phang, Yaru Chia

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The prevailing paradigm of sustainable finance places great importance on environmental, social and governance (ESG) information and, therefore, on the mechanism of reporting and disclosure. This article presents, analyses and compares the approaches to ESG disclosure in three Asian financial centres: Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The article uncovers commonalities and divergences in the drivers, dynamics, content and trends of ESG disclosure in the selected jurisdictions. In doing so, it looks forwards, seeking to anticipate and shape the development of ESG disclosure in Asia. At the same time, it looks beyond ESG disclosure, remaining mindful that the mechanism itself is …

Childlessness, Social Network Profiles In Midlife And Late Adulthood, And Their Implications For Subjective Well-Being, Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan, Dahye Kim, Christine Ho

Research Collection School Of Economics

Objectives: Despite the rising prevalence of individuals reaching advanced age without children, little is known about the diversity of support networks within childless populations. We examine the network profiles of childless adults aged 50+ in Singapore, which observes high childlessness rates despite societal emphasis on familism. Methods: We employ latent class analysis to derive network typology based on a 2022 nationwide survey in Singapore. Additionally, we use logistic regression analyses to investigate the sociodemographic correlates of childless individuals' network types and the associations between these network types and subjective well-being. Results: Childless Singaporeans form a heterogeneous group characterized by different …

Weight Misperceptions And Health Management Via Information Nudges, Lanjie Wang, Xuan Zhang, Seonghoon Kim, Kanghyock Koh

Research Collection School Of Economics

Being overweight or obese is a serious public health problem. Misperception of one's own weight status and inertia are major obstacles to weight control. To overcome these two problems, we conduct a randomized controlled trial in which participants are presented with the correct weight category based on their body mass index to remove any weight misperception, and then given six biweekly reminders about healthy diet and physical activity via SMS/email. We find that our intervention reduces individuals’ weight misperception and encourages healthier dietary choices. However, it has little impact on their physical activity. We further show that people who were …

Conventionalization Of Alternative Agriculture And The Intervention Of External Investors: Case Sharing Community-Supported Agriculture Farm, China, Meiling Wu

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The trend of alternative farmers adopting conventional farming methods, known as conventionalization, has become increasingly prevalent. External investment can be a catalyst for the conventionalization of alternative agriculture. The study seeks to examine the dynamics through which external investment and investors facilitate the conventionalization of alternative agriculture. A study was conducted on a Sharing Community Supported-Agriculture (CSA) Farm, with data being gathered through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic methods. The findings indicated that (1) the low economic sustainability of Sharing CSA Farm leads to an influx of external investment; (2) external investors compel the farm manager to relax adherence …