By Dennis Tan

The School of Arts & Social Sciences has been renamed as the School of Humanities and Behavioural Sciences (SHBS). A new name, new appeal, and relevance. Given a fresh coat of paint. Yet the core values, if I may add, has always been there. Just that the essence is being extracted such that the fragrance permeates to be more encompassing – especially as we navigate a newer, more disruptive and complex world. As the school has to become more relevant and more outreaching, a new name is its natural adapt.

It was a Saturday like any other. It was with some expectation that I trotted towards my Alma Mater. Nothing has changed yet many things seem to have changed. Of course, the change referred to the physical – for the good of the newer generation. Nothing will ever change the clingy feeling I had of returning to the fold of learning – in my case of adult learning.

With some lingering thought, I zoomed in to the event proper. I was greeted by smiling student and staff organizers and welcoming signs; there were many new students since it was Orientation Day. Without much ado, I penned well-wishes on the “Wishing Wall”. With a mind still laden with some of the ethos gleaned from countless night classes, the sincere urge is to wish the very best for the School – and that is exactly what I wrote on the wishing wall.

Soon, I found myself inside the lecture theatre. It looked familiar, conjuring feelings I was acquainted with. Looking around, I was jolted back to the reality that a new world it is indeed, with so many young students. I wondered what was going through their young minds. Perhaps similar to mine when I was in their shoes; or perhaps some more of the new technological dreams that I never had since such technology never existed then.

The event proper started with an address by the SHBS Dean, Associate Professor Genice Ngg. This was followed by the SUSS President , Prof. Cheong Hee Kiat, who gave a rousing call to all new students that with a new name , greater heights can be scaled. To do so would require more effort and less TV time. This being the World Cup year and month, he added that perhaps a little indulgence should be allowed for the football finals this time – to the chagrin and laughter of all.

The essence of the President’s speech is that with the re-naming, SHBS would broaden its appeal and relevance, but yet put a fresh and contemporary focus on human studies and behaviour. With this new mandate and positioning, it would complement the other Schools – Science & Technology, Business, Human Development and Law with new courses and programmes. There would also be more inter-disciplinary programmes.

SHBS faculty member Ms Soe Marlar Lwin spoke on the story of humanities. Her talk highlighted how the humanities programmes strive to illuminate minds and enrich lives. The story about humanities was both interesting and refreshing – of how it is defined as an academic subject and in what ways humanities distinguished itself from other disciplines in the method of investigating human society and culture.

SHBS faculty member Mr Klaus J Templer provided a brief and enlightened historical account of behavioural sciences, featured research that has been conducted in the school, and highlighted challenges to society for which the behavioural sciences would be able to contribute solutions. Meanwhile, I was busy taking pictures of the whole proceedings and audience, for memory’s sake.

Last but not least, an invited guest from the Singapore Film Industry gave an inspiring talk from the industry practitioner’s perspective. Adjunct Professor Kenneth Tan propounded that training in the humanities and behavioural sciences is just as important, if not more so even in our technology-driven economy. He cited three basic reasons: an increasing reliance on the clarity of communication; an undeniable growth in complexity of most work issues; and an irreversible trend of being transnational. He also included some real-life fascinating examples of how “soft” skills can triumph when “hard” skills do not deliver. Indeed he let on that the ability to navigate the nuances of interpersonal dynamics and multi-layered psyches has become even more sought-after by employers.

I had a chance to speak with Kenneth during the reception and he did not fail to impress. A movie buff myself, I had also wanted to know more about the film society that he was part of.

Finally, the audience and guests played witness to the cake-cutting ceremony before savouring the wide and delightful spread of local food. I am sure that, each and every new and existing student, alumnus, associate and staff member went away with some pleasant memory of the event and thoughts on the exciting future ahead. Many penned and posted their well-wishes on the wishing wall, surely hoping that the new school would be very successful in what it sets out to do; akin to the success in the hosting of this event. The warm ever-smiling Associate Professor Genice Ngg was as usual always on hand to welcome and encourage. The organisers were particularly good in hosting the occasion (perhaps due to their immersion in the Humanities?) I came away feeling vindicated that I had taken the Arts programme in what used to be SIM University.

Well, a rose by any other name can smell sweeter; like this re-naming. And thus worth celebrating.