Insights from the Inside Series

Insights 4: Economics for Society

The fourth Insights from the Inside engagement session was delivered on 12 March 2025 by Professor Euston Quah, Albert Winsemius Chair Professor of Economics at NTU and Director of the Economic Growth Centre.

Attended by faculty from NUS, NTU, SUTD, and SUSS, Prof Quah shared his personal journey starting out as an academic in the 1980s and advised junior faculty to be curious, ask questions and take advantage of networking opportunities to make and sustain connections over time. Prof Quah also stressed that applied research is as important as theoretical work and noted the increased emphasis on applied work in the research funding landscape today.

Insights 3: Making Meaningful Impact and Building a Career in Psychology and Behavioural Sciences

The third Insights from the Inside engagement session was delivered by Professor David Chan, Lee Kong Chian Professor of Psychology and Director of the Behavioural Sciences Initiative at Singapore Management University, on 29 October 2024, and attended by faculty from NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, and SUSS.

Prof Chan shared his personal career journey first as a police officer and subsequently in academia, and how practical life experiences have shaped his worldviews and belief in a scientist-practitioner model approach to issues in research, practice and public policy. He also offered advice on effective collaborations with public agencies, stressing the importance of professional engagements, social interactions and networks, and building trust in competence, integrity and benevolence as they relate to one’s credibility with the research community, agencies and the public.

Insights 2: A Historian's History

The second Insights from the Inside engagement session was hosted by Professor Tan Tai Yong, President of the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) on 10 April 2023. Prof Tan shared his personal career experience and discussed the current opportunities and challenges for social science and humanities researchers in Singapore.

Insights 1: Building a Career in Political Science and Regional Studies

The inaugural Insights from the Inside engagement session was hosted by Professor Joseph Liow Chin Yong, Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on 5 September 2022, who gave advice to junior faculty in the international relations space.