Singapore

This module introduces students to the key concepts in semantics and pragmatics. In order to test the usefulness of these concepts, students will learn to apply them to the analysis of data. The major topics covered may include some or all of the following: sense; reference; mental representation; word meaning and lexical relations, event and participant types; conceptual structure; deixis; entailment and presupposition; the role of context in interpretation; conventional and conversational implicatures; direct and indirect speech acts; and politeness.

This module focuses on the interrelations between language, ideology and power within contemporary society. It examines key concepts and ideas investigated by a range of scholars working within a critical perspective. Topics covered include: the structuring influence of language on worldviews; the construal of particular realities through patterned linguistic choices; the inclusion/exclusion, privileging/marginalizing of different social groups through language policies and practices affecting the use (or disuse) of particular language varieties. Target students: those with an active interest in the social and political aspects of language use, willing to articulate their own positions amid lively and complex debate.

It is generally assumed that language, culture, and our way of thinking are related. The relation, which is often called the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis or linguistic relativity, has been the subject of serious philosophical, anthropological and scientific inquiry. Taking advantage of the extensive bilingualism in Singapore, this module selects a few salient grammatical features and critically examines them within the broader cultural and/or cognitive contexts. Topics to be discussed include pluralisation, classifier, tense and aspect, kinship, polysemy, metaphor and bilingual acquisition. Issues related to translation will also be discussed.

This module focuses on the consequences of the spread and development of English as a world language. The changing status of English inevitably brings up new questions about the meaning of English in global and local contexts, and addressing these questions requires a complex understanding of the many different aspects of the worldwide dynamics of the English language — linguistic, cultural, and political — and how they constantly interact. This module will explore these aspects through a combination of readings, discussion, and hands-on research projects, in order to build a critical understanding of the place of English in the modern world and our responsibilities as speakers and users of English.

By examining primary materials focused on the normative context within which the United Nations functions, students will develop an understanding of the interaction between law and practice. This is essential to a proper understanding of the UN Organization, but also to the possibilities and limitations of multilateral institutions more generally. The course is organized in four parts. Part I, “Relevance”, raises some preliminary questions about the legitimacy and effectiveness of the United Nations, particularly in the area of peace and security. Part II, “Capacity”, brings together materials on the nature and status of the United Nations. Part III, “Practice”, examines how the United Nations has exercised its various powers. Part IV, “Accountability”, concludes with materials on responsibility and accountability of the United Nations and its agents.

This module will introduce the history of the common law and Singapore legal institutions (including Islamic law), as well as briefly situate Singapore’s law and institutions in relation to other approaches, notably the civil law approach adopted in most Asian jurisdictions. The module may be complemented by field trips to court, a prison, and/or parliament. It should also include an examination of ADR mechanisms in Singapore and an introduction to professional ethics.

This module introduces students to some of the most important legal systems in the world, with a particular emphasis on Asia. Systems that are explored include the civil law in particular, as well as Islamic law, Chinese law, the law of Southeast Asian jurisdictions and transnational law. Exploration focuses largely on the institutional and intellectual structure of these systems both individually and in comparison, and will also use examples and case studies to illustrate aspects of the systems discussed. The course gives students sufficient insight into these systems to facilitate effective autonomous research and a basic familiarity with the systems that should prove useful in later professional life..

The goal of this course is to provide students with a basic introduction to basic concepts, issues, and controversies of legal theory.

Globally, space-derived products and services combine assets and annual revenues in excess of USD350 billion. The year-on-year growth of the space economy is 9%, three times that of the global economy. This course discusses the international law regulating the use of, and activities in, outer space. It will examine issues such as State responsibility, liability for damage, and environmental protection. It will then debate the law relating to various space sectors such as telecommunications, navigation, military and dual use, resource management, and human spaceflight.

One of the most pressing current issues of international concern is the highest ever level of global displacement, with over twenty million refugees in the world. This course examines the international legal regime for the protection of refugees. With the 1951 Refugee Convention as its “backbone”, the course focuses on the “refugee” definition, the exclusion and withdrawal of refugee status, status determination procedures, the rights of recognised refugees and asylum-seekers, the non-refoulement principle, complementary protection, States’ responsibility-sharing, responsibility-shifting and deterrence of asylum-seekers, the status of Palestinian refugees, UNHCR’s supervisory responsibility, and regional protection systems (particularly the Common European Asylum System).