About Us (2024)

Meet the organising committee of the inaugural 2024 Ideas Festival

Last updated 8 August 2026

Bold pink text reads Ideas Festival, Insights from the Humanities and Social Sciences, with a yellow and red circular emblem.

The inaugural Ideas Festival is a showcase of the latest insights and contributions from humanities and social science (HSS) researchers in Singapore. It features multiple events that explore a diverse and thought-provoking range of topics, from the impact of artificial intelligence on society, to well-being and the changing workplace.

The Ideas Festival is co-organised by the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), and supported by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), which promotes and supports HSS research in areas of strategic relevance to Singapore and the region.

Organising Committee (2024)

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Prof Elaine Ho

Elaine is Provost Chair Professor at NUS Geography, Vice-Dean of Research at FASS, and Senior Research Fellow at the Asia Research Institute. Her research addresses citizenship geographies, focusing on transnational ageing and care in the Asia-Pacific, and diaspora engagement and diplomacy.

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Prof KK Luke

K.K. is the President’s Chair in Linguistics and Acting Chair of the School of Humanities in NTU. His research spans linguistics and social interaction. His recent work focuses on talk and body language in medical settings using Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis.

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Assoc Prof Ngoei Wen Qing

Wen Qing is Associate Professor of History and Associate Dean (External Engagement) at the SMU College of Integrative Studies. His interests lie in foreign policy and international affairs, namely US-SEA relations. He specialises in the global history of the Cold War, empires and decolonisation.

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Assoc Prof Jennifer Ang

Jennifer is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the S R Nathan School of Human Development, SUSS. She is the author of Sartre and the Moral Limits of War and Terrorism, and a forthcoming book Unforgiveness towards Injustice. Her recent projects examine ethics, AI, time and space

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Asst Prof Rhema Hokama

Rhema is Assistant Professor of English Literature in the faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, SUTD. She is a scholar of early modern English literature and religious culture, and her recent research interests center around early modern European travel accounts about East Asia.