The Sessions interest group invites Dr Naviyn Prabhu Balakrishnan, Director of Student Life at Residential College 4, for a conversation on how to approach complex issues. Dr Naviyn’s research interests include modelling of diseases and healthcare systems which can serve as decision support tools for physicians and policy makers. He has worked in disease systems like diabetes, diabetic ketoacidosis and HIV.

This session invites Michiyo Ishida to share her experiences as CNA's Japan Bureau Correspondent. She will be sharing about how news stories are formulated, framed and delivered, as well as recounting some of her experiences covering major events like the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

This Alumni Pillowtalk session invites USP alum Nicole Seah (Communications and New Media + USP, Class of 2009) to engage in a discussion with our students. Alumni Pillowtalk aims to be a place for USP alums to share their perspectives as well as experiences since their graduation, while also engaging in topical discussions. Nicole is currently the Youth Wing President and member of the Central Executive Committee of The Worker's Party. She is also the Director at Publicis Media, and was formerly a member of the Reform Party and the National Solidarity Party.

This session invites Florence Tay, founder of UnPackt, for a conversation on zero waste in Singapore and the challenges that such a social enterprise faces. First established in May 2018, UnPackt is Singapore's first zero-waste bulk store and a homegrown social enterprise.

Organised by The Cinnamon Conversations, this session invites A/P Daniel Goh for a conversation about racism and privilege in Singapore. A/P Goh was also a panellist at the IPS-RSIS Forum on Race and Racism in Singapore. As a sociologist, he specialises in comparative historical sociology and study state formation, race and multiculturalism, Asian urbanisms, and religion. A/P Goh is currently the Associate Provost (Undergraduate Education) and an Associate Professor of Sociology at NUS. He was formerly a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament from 2016 to 2020, and a member of the Workers’ Party Central Executive Committee from 2013 to 2020.

USProductions by USP students proudly presents “Dreams of Sushi”. Due to the pandemic, this production has been in the making for about 1.5 years and is set to be the first live virtual screening. To recreate post-show discussions, there will be a talkback session with the team from 10pm to 10.30pm. Do register HERE for access to the Zoom link, and follow their Instagram page to learn what the play is about and a quick preview of the behind-the-scenes that brought the play to life.

Organised by the University Scholars Club (USC), this is a welcome dinner for the new semester. With the theme “Floral”, come down in your best outfits for the photobooth, or join virtually to watch the lined-up performances. Be sure to look out for more details on USChannel Telegram.

Join USProductions, USP's annual student-run theatre production, for an online tea session to know more about the team, recruitment information as well as the overall creative direction for its next project. Trailer of the upcoming play, “Dreams of Sushi”, which will be happening this Saturday, 14 Aug, will also be screened during the session.

The University Scholars Club (USC) Management Committee (MC) is organising an online info session for USP students who are keen to learn more about the various MC roles, in view of the ongoing nomination for the 21st USC MC and 43rd NUSSU EXCO representative.

Organised by The Cinnamon Conversations, this session invites USP faculty member Dr Kathryn McHarry for a F2F* casual discussion with USP students. Be sure to look out for the upcoming poster on USChannel Telegram for the topic and more details! *SMMs will be observed.

Over the last decade, internet use and technology penetration have reached unprecedented levels. Every digital footprint contains data about individual users that can be used by various stakeholders to advance different interests, raising questions about data governance. Can we develop robust data governance systems for Singapore’s Smart Nation, building trust while allowing business and Government to meet citizens’ needs? Join The Sessions, in collaboration with the Singapore Policy Journal, for a panel discussion with Ms Quek Su Lynn (Director, Government Data Office), Ms Teo Yi-Ling (Senior Fellow, Centre of Excellence for National Security @ RSIS) and USP alum Mr Timothy Lin (Co-Founder, Cylynx).

Organised by The Cinnamon Conversations, this session invites Ms Hazel Poa, who is currently one of the two Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) for the Progress Singapore Party (PSP). Ms Poa has been part of PSP since 2019, but was previously part of the National Solidarity Party (NSP) from 2011 to 2015, and the Reform Party (2009-2011).

“Urban Planning sounds interesting but I'm not in a related field of study..” “I want to learn more about Urban Planning, but don't have time to take a full module on it..” “How does Urban Planning play out in the real world?” Organised by The Cinnamon (Academic) Conversations, this session hosts Chief Planner Ms Hwang Yu-Ning from Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) who will be sharing more about urban planning. There will also be small-group case discussions on a real planning situation and interactive activity on land use planning, facilitated by URA representatives.

Organised by The Cinnamon Conversation, this session invites the founder of UnPackt, Florence Tay, for an AMA session. UnPackt, first established in May 2018, is Singapore's first zero-waste bulk store and a homegrown social enterprise.

How might the future of education and careers look like for a purpose-driven generation? What are the potential impacts of language and word choice on society’s perception of education and careers?  How would disruptive forces such as digitalisation and personalisation change the education sector in the Post-COVID age? Join The Sessions for a discussion on these questions with two invited guests – USP alum Marvin Kang (BIZ + USP, Class of 2012), a former policy officer of MOE and co-founder of the Astronaut’s Collective, a not-for-profit organisation that helps youth find meaningful careers, and Alisa Maya, a Teaching Specialist at the Learning Lab.

Organised by Gender Collective and Love, USP, the teams have invited a researcher from The Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), Filzah Sumartono, who will shed light on past provisions and challenges, as well as policy improvements needed for caregiver citizens and migrant domestic workers. Do join them if you are interested to learn about the challenges of caregiving labour.

Join USProductions, USP's annual student-run theatre production, for an online tea session to know more about the team, recruitment information as well as the overall direction for this year's production.

Resilience, Solidarity and Fortitude are the names of the budgets that the Singapore government had come up with to support Singaporeans when COVID-19 affected many livelihoods. Have you wondered how the government decide on what and on whom they should spend on during these difficult times? Invited by The Sessions, Mr Peter Lim, Director of Fiscal Policy from Ministry of Finance, will shed light on fiscal sustainability and other topics pertaining to decision making in times of uncertainty.

BrainFood+ is a not-for-credit programme that is very much a USP special! It consists of a small group of USP students meeting up with a volunteer member of the USP faculty/an alumnus to read and learn together on a weekly basis – some may explore outside their formal learning interests, while others may add a relaxed ad hoc dimension to their graded coursework. There will be several Brainfood+ groups to cater to the diverse interests within our community. Each group meets once a week for ca. 60 minutes. It will be on a day between Mon to Thurs, and will take place over 6-8 weeks. Students get to lead discussion too once a group is off to a good start. USP helps to subsidise the cost of the book.

Organised by The Cinnamon Conversation interest group as part of the Around The World Online series, this session will focus on Hong Kong’s social movement and the lived experience of a migrant. Prof Albert Teo, currently Acting Dean and Professor at the School of Management, Tung Wah College (HK) will share his thoughts and experience with USP students. Prof Teo was the former Deputy Director (Student Life) at USP and very well-loved within our community. He moved to Hong Kong to teach at Tung Wah College at the start of 2019, prior to the start of the social movement there.

Organised by The Cinnamon Conversation interest group, this session invites two speakers – Yumi Araki (based in US) and Georgie Yukiko Donovan (based in UK), to discuss about identity and ethnicity in Japan, as well as the role of media in politics and societal issues. Yumi and Georgie were both part of the team that produced Deciphering Japan on CNA Insider. Yumi is also Senior Producer and Editorial Lead at the Centre for Strategic & International Studies, a major American Think Tank, while Georgie is also a Short Film Director & Producer for Geeks in Motion in UK.

Organised by The Cinnamon Conversation interest group as part of the Around The World Online series, this session will focus on developments in the Middle East that people did not know about. A Professor at Waseda University’s School of International Liberal Studies, Prof Matthew Gray’s research interests generally lie in the area of political economy. His recent research topic is in the new or entrepreneurial state capitalism in the Gulf, and he would be happy to talk about border political and economic developments that we might not see in the news.

Organised by the Gender Collective interest group together with QueerNUS, this Doodle Jam session aims to let attendees take a break and relax via doodling. There will be an invited guest artist Lei Lu to guide participants through the session. Do join in the session with your own paper and stationery you wish to use.

Interested in how the landscape of work might change in the next 10 years? How do we catch up with technology and automation? What are some new and upcoming job roles we can look forward to? Join The Sessions for a panel discussion on the future of work in Singapore with 3 esteemed guests – Mr Poon King Wing (Director, Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, SUTD), Ms Jean See (Director, Freelancers and Self-Employment Unit, NTUC) and Mr Benjamin Mah (Regional Director, Strategy & Business Innovation, Oracle (JAPAC).

Dr Yeo Wei Wei, an experienced instructor of creative writing, will mount a workshop for USP students once again this semester. Every Monday, starting this 24 Aug to 9 Nov, her workshop will provide students exposure to various approaches and techniques for the writing of short fiction. Students will be guided in writing exercises aimed at sparking their imagination and building their confidence as budding writers. The class will be run as a seminar-cum-workshop.

Join The Sessions interest group as the team hosts Professor John Wong, Chief Executive at the National University Health System (NUHS) and Senior Vice President (Health Innovation and Translation) at NUS, for a casual conversation. The focus will be on Singapore's public healthcare administration – the behind the scenes, and how we manage challenges such as aging population and the current COVID-19 pandemic. Look out for more details from The Sessions team!

Organised by The Cinnamon Conversation (TCC) interest group, this is a series of informal and relaxed conversations over dinner. At this session, TCC will host Mr Lim Siong Guan, former Head of Civil Service, former Group President of GIC and currently, a Professor in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) at NUS. The discussion will focus on the future of leadership, particularly in the era of COVID-19, and participants will join virtually, ‘bringing’ their own food

Join The Sessions as they host Mr Bilahari Kausikan – former Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore, and current Chairman of the Middle East Institute at NUS – for a casual conversation on foreign policy. Look out for more details from The Sessions team!