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Singapore Management University Report To Stakeholders 2024/25, Singapore Management University

Report to Stakeholders

Titled “SMU at 25: Celebrating Innovation and Impact”, this year’s report marks the University’s 25th anniversary alongside Singapore’s 60th year of independence. It showcases SMU’s progress in education, research, innovation and societal engagement, and how the University continues to shape meaningful impact in Singapore and across Asia.

Introduction, Jirayudh Sinthuphan

Asian Review

This issue of Asian Review is a product of the Asian Consortium of South Asian Studies. The article in this volume explores the profound and multifaceted ways in which communities of South Asian descent have migrated to, settled in, and dynamically reshaped their identities within Southeast Asia. Moving beyond the historical narrative of South Asian Diaspora, these studies demonstrate that the notions of belonging, diasporic identity and national identity are not static concepts but are continuously negotiated, performed, and politicized in response to local contexts and global shifts. The papers collectively reveal a complex history of South Asian migration.

The Philippine Digital Paradox: Challenges, Opportunities, And The Way Forward, Shamir Jakaria

Asian Review

The rapid growth of digital technologies is reshaping public governance. This paper examines the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation in Philippine public administration. While digital technologies offer significant benefits such as streamlined services, enhanced transparency, and improved citizen engagement, the Philippines faces critical barriers including infrastructure gaps, cybersecurity risks, and a persistent digital divide. Through a systematic review of academic studies, government reports, and policy documents, the study identifies key strategies for advancing e-governance, such as infrastructure development, cybersecurity reforms, and digital literacy programs. The paper highlights successful local and national initiatives, including the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) and …

Nationalism And Indian Community In Malaya During The Japanese Occupation, 1941-1945, Ji-Eun Lee

Asian Review

This study examines the transformation of the Indian community in Malaya during the Japanese occupation (1941–45), with a focus on the rise of nationalist consciousness and collective identity. Through the formation and activities of the Indian Independence League (IIL) and the Indian National Army (INA), the Indian community experienced significant organizational and ideological changes. Under Subhas Chandra Bose’s leadership, civilian participation and support for the INA increased dramatically, fostering a sense of unity and purpose. Comparative analysis highlights the differing wartime experiences of Malaya’s major ethnic groups: while Malays benefited from Japanese policies, the Chinese faced harsh repression, leading to …

Fluctuating “Indianness” Or “Belonging” : Singapore Indian Dancers And Their Encounter With Southeast Asia At Ramayana Festival, Yoshiaki Takemura

Asian Review

This article investigates the dynamic relationship between cultural heritage and regional identity among the Indian diaspora in Singapore, specifically focusing on the experiences of classical Indian dancers. Historically, the process of “Indianization” deeply influenced the cultural landscape of Southeast Asia, evidenced by the regional prominence of the Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Using the context of a regional Ramayana Festival, this paper analyzes how Singaporean Indian dancers, while performing art forms rooted in the Indian subcontinent, negotiate their identity when confronted with diverse Southeast Asian interpretations of the same epic narrative.The study argues that this encounter forces a …

The Library Of Andrew Rippin The Rise Of A QurʾĀnic Philologist, Majid Daneshgar

Asian Review

Andrew Rippin passed away in Victoria, Canada, on 29 November 2016. The current generation of scholars, many of whom began working on Qurʾānic studies within the last decade, have paid a lot of attention to Rippin’s scholarship.  His books and articles have been translated and reviewed in Arabic, Indonesian, Malay, Persian, Turkish and Urdu languages, and are the subject of dissertations and articles throughout the Muslim world. As a contribution to Rippin’s legacy , this communication piece provides an account of the young Rippin and a library collection that he accumulated in the 1970s and 1980s before becoming one of …

Introduction, Jirayudh Sinthuphan

Asian Review

This issue of Asian Review brings together four research articles that examine critical dimensions of political economy, governance, and institutional transformation in Southeast Asia. Each article offers a unique analytical lens on the evolving challenges, contradictions, and pathways shaping the political and administrative landscapes of Thailand and the Philippines. Together, they provide an integrated perspective on the interplay between historical trajectories, institutional arrangements, legal frameworks, and digital innovations in these countries, enriching our understanding of their contemporary governance and political development.

Revisiting Thailand’S Developmental Miracle: The Rate Of Profit, Social Structure Of Accumulation, And Trajectory Of Economic Development Between 1957-1997, Paworn Kiatyutthachart

Asian Review

This article aims to provide an overview of Thailand's economic development trajectory from 1957 to 1997. Based on the Social Structure of Accumulation theory, which posits that a "set of institutions" relates to fluctuations in the rate of profit and economic growth, the Thai economy during this period featured a specific institutional framework that created "long waves" in profit rates. Using a historical analysis approach, the arrangement of the Social Structure of Accumulation of this period includes: (1) the dominance of American "capitalist" development ideas; (2) tight control of planning and policy implementation by technocrats; (3) a tripod structure comprising …

Juridification, Legitimacy, And Authoritarian Survival In Thai Politics From The 2014 Military Coup, Apipol Sae-Tung

Asian Review

This article explores the conditions under which authoritarian regimes resort to juridification as a strategy for political survival. It examines why authoritarian governments rely on legal mechanisms despite possessing coercive power. Through an analysis of Thailand’s 2014 military coup and its aftermath, the study argues that juridification—defined here as the expansion of legal control into political domains—is triggered when regimes suffer from low political legitimacy. Drawing on the concepts of legality, legitimacy, and authoritarian adaptation, the article demonstrates how the military-led government in Thailand institutionalised its power through the 2017 Constitution and the National Strategy, both designed to entrench the …

Thailand’S Party Financing Regulation: A U-Turn To Patronage System, Punchada Sirivunnabood

Asian Review

Money is important for the development of political parties. To support the development of parties along with preventing overt corporate influence over parties, the Thai state allocates subsidies from the Political Party Development Fund (PPDF) to eligible party organizations. Beyond the limited PPDF budget, political parties are also allowed to seek their own revenues from other sources such as merchandise sales, fundraisers, and private donations with the maximum of 10 million baht per donor. Based on the qualitative analysis, a series of six focus groups were conducted with party branch members, party MPs, candidates, party staff and ECT officers in …

Chineseness And The Cold War:Contested Cultures And Diaspora In Southeast Asia And-Hong Kong, Nuttawadee Jensiripon

Asian Review

Deviating from that mainstream and rethinking the Cold War within Asian historical contexts, Chineseness and the Cold War: Contested Cultures and Diaspora in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, edited by Jeremy E. Taylor and Lanjun Xu, can be recognized as an extraordinary TV series which offers a significant shift from the traditional Euro-centric perspectives on Cold War studies. Instead, it provides a groundbreaking Sino-centric viewpoint that explores the complex and contested notions of “Chineseness” in Southeast Asia and Hong Kongduring the Cold War period.

A “Bangladeshi” Descendant Muslim Community In Northern Thailand Its Formation Process, Mineo Takada

Asian Review

Thailand is a majority Buddhist country. However, there is a Muslim population in some parts of the country. One such community is a so-called "Indian" Muslim community in northern Thailand. In fact, they originally came from East Bengal, now Bangladesh, not India. A large community of such Bangladeshi descendants can be found in Chiang Mai and other groups of them live in some smaller towns in northern Thailand.  This paper discusses the migration processes, routes, and settlement processes of a group in northern Thailand. When the author started researching them, they declared themselves "Bangladee" (Thai pronunciation of Bangladesh), but they …

Smu At 25: Celebrating A Legacy Of Innovation And A Bold Vision For The Future, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

Twenty-five years ago, Singapore Management University (SMU) started out as a bold experiment in transforming the higher education in Singapore. Today, it has already gained the recognition of being a globally recognized institution at the forefront of transformative education and cutting-edge research, shaping future leaders in Asia and beyond. As SMU marks this milestone, the university is not just reflecting on its achievements but charting a path forward with renewed purpose.

Smu Announces New Leadership Appointments: Mr Kuok Khoon Ean And Justice Judith Prakash, As Pro-Chancellors, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

Singapore Management University (SMU) is pleased to announce key leadership appointments that will further strengthen its governance and strategic direction. These appointments underscore SMU’s commitment to delivering excellence in education, research, and community engagement. Effective 1 January 2025, SMU welcomes two distinguished individuals, Mr Kuok Khoon Ean and Justice Judith Prakash, as Pro-Chancellors.

40 Years Passing By In (A) “Heartbeat”, Christopher Janney

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

This article outlines the forty-year history go Christopher Janney’s iconic performance work “HeartBeat.” Trained as an architect and jazz musician, Janney combines these two disciplines to create large interactive light/sound installations and performances. On the one hand, he attempts to make architecture more like music, more “alive” using real-time sensing devices as on his “Harmonic Convergence” installation on the Miami International Airport. On the other hand, he attempts to make music more like architecture, more physical more visual. In his “HeartBeat” performance, a dancer wears a heartbeat device that amplifies his/her heartbeat in “real time.” Over this pulse, live musicians …

Yoga Sūtra Book Four And The Yogabindu, Christopher Key Chapple

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

Four themes from the fourth pāda of Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra are examined here: karma (IV:2-13), individuality (IV:16), humility (IV:20-22), and freedom (IV:29-34). Affirmations and variant interpretations of these four are provided from Haribhadra Virahāṅka’s Yogabindu, most likely composed a century or two later.

Collective Karma: From The Yogasūtra To Taylor Swift, Zoë Slatoff

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

The Indian knowledge traditions speak at length about karma, which is divided into three categories—accumulated (saṃcita), ripe (prārabdha), and future (kriyamāṇa). While much is said about our individual karma and how it affects our repeated reincarnation in cyclic existence, how does this affect others and how do others affect us? In other words, as this paper explores, what is our reciprocal and collective karma?

Painting Liberation: A Visual Ontology Of The Interplay Of Mind And Consciousness In Book Four Of The Yoga Sūtras, Melissa Townsend

Monsoon: South Asian Studies Association Journal

This presentation explores how artistic practice can illuminate philosophical questions about the nature of mind, consciousness, and liberation as articulated in Book Four of the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali. Through a series of paintings that visually translate these sūtras, I propose that art offers a unique, experiential means of engaging with the complex relationship between citta (mind) and puruṣa (consciousness).

The paintings function as a form of “visual ontology,” inviting viewers to engage with abstract philosophical concepts in a sensory, tangible way. By depicting the interplay between the mutable processes of the mind and the unchanging awareness of consciousness, these …

Self-Esteem Moderating Multiracial Identity And Social Anxiety In Asian Americans, Hoa Vo

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between multiracial identity and social interaction anxiety among emerging Asian American adults. Specifically, it explores the moderating role of self-esteem and potential gender differences in these relationships. Multiple regression models and independent samples t-tests were used to analyze data from 139 multiracial individuals with Asian heritage (Mage = 19.95, 79.13% female) aged 18 to 29. The results indicated that while multiracial identity integration (MII) was positively associated with social interaction anxiety (SIAS; B = 0.843, p = .010), it was not significant and self-esteem (RES; B = 0.036, p = .899) did not significantly moderate …

Exploring Social Issues In And The Reception Of The Thai Television Series The Gifted, Siyu Liang

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This research explores the Thai television series The Gifted (GMMTV, 2018) as a cultural text that reflects the power dynamics and social inequalities embedded in Thailand’s educational system. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s concept of disciplinary power, the research examines how the series portrays mechanisms of control, compliance, and resistance within a hierarchical school environment. Textual analysis is complemented by a reception study of audience responses collected from YouTube, IMDb, and MyDramaList, revealing how viewers interpret and emotionally engage with the drama’s social implications. The findings suggest that The Gifted functions not only as youth entertainment but also as a critique …