The Temasek History Research Centre (THRC) was established at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in 2019. THRC will focus on Singapore’s premodern history, its economic and socio-cultural links to the region, as well as its historical role as a trading centre. The Centre will seek to pursue historical research from the 12th to the 19th century in order to deepen our understanding of Singapore’s history and identity, and linkages to the region.
Research Scope
The Centre is particularly interested in research from the 12th century to the decline of the Sriwijaya empire (13th century), when Temasek emerged; as well as the Majapahit empire (14th century) onwards. Research on Singapore’s historic relations with the Malacca Sultanate (14th to 15th century) and the later Johor Sultanate (15th to early 19th century) is also of great interest to the Centre.
Research themes may include, though not restricted to:
- Singapore’s premodern role as a maritime trading port or centre;
- The island’s premodern economy, culture, and society, and its links to the region;
- Understanding Temasek as a political and cultural entity; and
- Singapore’s premodern relationship and engagement with political entities in the immediate region.
THRC welcomes researchers from history, archaeology, anthropology, linguistics, and other relevant disciplines. Research at THRC may be supported and complemented by existing archaeological artefacts excavated from the island in recent years.
This seminar discusses the major economic and trade trends in the APEC region.
In this seminar, Dr Neil Ruiz, Associate Director for Global Migration and Demography at the Pew Research Center, shared some of the key findings of a newly-released study on what the public in twenty-seven nations thinks about migration
NSC Field School in Trawas, East Java
July – August 2018
The 2018 Archaeology and Art History Field School took place between 22 July and 11 August 2018. The Indonesian leg was held in Trawas, East Java (22 July – 7 August) followed by the Singapore leg from 7 – 11 August. The archaeological excavation conducted was the first ever to be undertaken on Mount Penanggungan, considered a sacred mountain site with human activities and rituals dating back to the Majapahit era.
Local partners included Indonesian National Centre for Archaeological Research (PUSLIT ARKENAS), University of Surabaya (UBAYA), and Ubaya Penanggungan Centre (UPC). The 16 student participants were from the East Asia Summit countries including Indonesia, Singapore, China, America, New Zealand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and India.
The art history component covered the material culture and artistic productions of the East Javanese period (10th-15th century). Field trips were made to ancient monuments, and museums with lectures conducted in situ. Lectures by international experts exposed students to art history methodologies and theoretical frameworks.
Led by a team of Singapore, and Indonesian archaeologists, the archaeological training component focused on field training such as excavation methods and documentation, site survey, mapping, photography, and illustrative documentation of artefacts and wall profiles. Regular tutorials on research design allowed them to be fully involved in the research process underlying the excavation.
The Mount Penanggungan excavation unearthed significant artefacts that helped underline the importance of the site and identify the presence of human occupation during the Majapahit period, thus confirming our initial hypothesis of the area. During the Singapore leg, the students worked in teams to present on several research topics related to the excavation site. This was a culmination of their field experience, and research design tutorials.
2018 NSC Field School Administrative History
2018 NSC Field School Booklet (pdf, 4.5mb)
2018 NSC Field School Announcement E-flyer (.pdf, 3.48mb)
2018 NSC Field School Application Form (.doc, 242kb)
2018 NSC Field School Frequently Asked Questions (.pdf, 375kb)
The Singapore APEC Study centre at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute organised a seminar with Mr Emmanuel A. San Andres and Ms Rhea C. Hernando as the key speakers from the APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU) to share the findings of the ‘APEC Regional Trends Analysis (ARTA): Mixed Growth amid Heightened Uncertainty’ research report.
- ASEAN Braces for a Risen China
- ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations: Young but Mature
- ASEAN Amidst the US-China Rivalry
- Building Blocks Towards Resilient & Innovative ASEAN
- Batik: The Wax that Never Wanes