Singapore

Politics is often ill understood. It is too often perceived as cut-throat and cynical, divorced from the normative expectations of society. However, have you asked what politics really is? Do you know what the role of politics in society is? Are politics and government the same thing? This module critically examines these key questions and offers you an orientation to the ways in which social scientists seek to understand politics and government.

As the discipline is broad and diverse, we examine the main arena where politics almost always takes place in and with – the nation-state – which incidentally is the actor that cuts across all subfields (Comparative Politics, International Relations, Governance & Public Policy and Political Theory). The course explores three broad themes – the rise of the modern nation-state, politics within the nation-state, and politics among nation-states. To do so, I hope to equip you with a wide variety of concepts, models, approaches, theories and debates in Political Science.

This course provides a wide-ranging introduction to the study of international relations (IR). It covers several theoretical approaches to and prominent empirical issues in the field of IR. The course is broadly divided into five sections: I) theoretical approaches (realism, liberalism, constructivism, feminism); II) geopolitical issues in international politics (colonial legacies and ethnic conflict, American primacy and the rise of China); III) international security (nuclear weapons, terrorism); IV) international political economy (states, markets, and globalization); and V) intervention and human rights. The main objectives of this course are to I) introduce students to the different theoretical approaches of IR, helping them develop a sophisticated understanding of various topics in world politics; and II) provide students with the analytical tools to critically evaluate contemporary political debates. By the end of this course, students will have developed a practical knowledge of several pressing issues in international relations.

This course is an introduction to the field of comparative politics and will introduce students to the central concepts in the field and evaluate them in specific contexts. In particular, we will be analyzing the politics of the US, China, India, and Germany. The first half of the course will develop the core concepts of a political system and policy outcomes through a close reading of American politics. The second half will use the theoretical framework developed in the first half to analyse the German, Indian, and Chinese political systems, focusing on policy outcomes in the areas of nation-building, economic growth, and civic activism.

This course examines a number of areas in Singapore's domestic politics with the following objectives: identify the key determinants of Singapore's politics; understand the key structural-functional aspects of Singapore's domestic politics; examine the extent to which nation building has taken place in Singapore; and analyse the key challenges facing Singapore and its future as far as domestic politics is concerned. The course examines both the structural-functional aspects of domestic politics as well as issues related to nation building, state-society relations and the likely nature of future developments and challenges.

This module examines the changing nature of political authority in contemporary world politics. Drawing on what scholars have to say about international institutions and global governance, it asks critical questions with implications for global order, peace, prosperity, and democracy. To what extent has globalization undermined state sovereignty? Who manages global problems, and by what authority? Through what kinds of institutions and practices is the globalized world governed? Is global governance desirable, and what is its future? On successful completion of the module, students should be able to:
identify the fundamental questions surrounding the politics and processes of global governance;
place them in a modern historical context and analyze with theoretical frameworks;
evaluate the desirability and progress of global governance in various issue areas.

Drawing on the rich social science literature on the government and politics of contemporary Africa, the course will address a set of critical questions that will have important implications for the well-being of the people of the African region and the world in the twenty-first century. How did colonialism affect the post-colonial African state? What have been the sources of political and economic crises in Africa? What are the key challenges and opportunities? What explains the revival of democracy and economic growth in some parts of the continent? Will it last? Students will be exposed to a range of case studies from the African region.

Some themes covered in this module (subject to change) include:
- Colonialism and the Colonial Legacy
- Statehood and the African State
- Elections and Coups
- Neopatrimonialism and Corruption
- Ethnicity
- Religion
- Economic Growth and Development
- Gender

The module consists of two parts. In Part 1, students will be introduced to the concepts and principles of mechanics of rigid bodies and their applications to solve practical problems. The topics to be covered include: force systems, equilibrium, kinematics of particles, kinetic of particles, work and energy, impulse and momentum, kinetics of system of particles, kinematics of rigid bodies. In Part 2, students will be introduced to the fundamentals of wave mechanics. General description of wave propagation; types of waves: longitudinal, transverse and circular waves; speed of a travelling wave; propagation of energy and momentum; power and intensity; sound waves, oscillations of a string; light waves; superposition of waves; interference; standing waves, resonant waves; harmonics; resonance; damped and undamped vibrations.

This module aims to bridge the gap between O level physics and first year university physics. It covers the fundamentals of three branches of physics: electricity & magnetism, optics and modern physics. As an introductory physics module, PC1222 serves to build a firm foundation for students embarking on university level studies in Physics, Engineering and related fields. Most of the students would be tackling advanced physics concepts for the first time. The module would train students to reflect on and apply new concepts learned via demonstrations, multimedia, interactive quizzes, experiments and in-depth discussions in classrooms. Applications of physical concepts in real-life examples, everyday situations and current technology would be highlighted too. At the end of the course, it is hoped that students would gain a fundamental understanding of the physics that underlies the physical world they live in.

This module aims to bridge the gap between O level physics and 1st year university physics level. The module covers the fundamentals of two branches of physics: mechanics and thermodynamics. Topics included in the part on mechanics are linear motion, curvilinear motion, relative motion, circular motion, Newtons laws of motion, work and energy, conservation of energy, linear momentum and conservation, rotational kinematics, torque and moment of inertia, rotational dynamics, conservation of angular momentum, gravitation and planetary motion, static equilibrium, oscillatory motion and fluid mechanics. The part on thermodynamics encompasses topics such as temperature and zeroth law of thermodynamics, temperature scales, thermal expansion, heat and internal energy, thermal processes, first law of thermodynamics, ideal gas laws and kinetic theory of gasses. .

This module introduces physics students to the fundamental aspects of fluid dynamics. The Navier-Stokes equations are derived from first principles. After a discussion of the various versions of Bernoulli's equation and the concept of vorticity, the study of fluid flows starts with the potential flows, with an application to the theory of airfoils. The theory of irrotational water waves is then presented to illustrate dispersive wave propagation and the hyperbolic tendency to form shocks. The balance of these two tendencies produces soliton solutions. The concept of flow similarity is applied to the study of boundary layer. The phenomenon of boundary layer separation is discussed. The concept of hydrodynamic instability is illustrated with the Rayleigh-Benard convection problem. The chaotic dynamics of the related Lorenz equation is then presented. A brief introduction to turbulence closes the module.