The Idea of Singapore

Professor Tan Tai Yong is the Institute of Policy Studies' 6th S R Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore. This book is an edited collection of his six IPS-Nathan Lectures, delivered between September 2018 and May 2019, and includes highlights of his dialogue with the audience.

In his lecture series, Professor Tan examines how Singapore has evolved over its 700-year history as a regional emporium, colonial port city and city-state. He shows that Singapore's history is influenced by the recurring themes of geography, movements of people, networks and globalisation. An understanding of the twists and turns of this long history, and the ways in which historical circumstances have shaped Singapore's fate and fortunes, can offer important insights and a better appreciation of our strengths and challenges as a city-state.

The IPS-Nathan Lecture series was launched in 2014 as part of the S R Nathan Fellowship for the Study of Singapore. It seeks to advance public understanding and discussion of issues of critical national interest for Singapore.
Contents: About the S R Nathan Fellowship and the IPS-Nathan LecturesContents PageForewordAbout the ModeratorsLecture I — The Long and Short of Singapore History: Cycles, Pivots and ContinuitiesLecture II — Circulations, Connections and Networks: Early Globalisation and Cosmopolitan SingaporeLecture III — Singapore's Story: A Port City in Search of Hinterlands ImagesLecture IV — The Idea of Singapore: City, Country and NationLecture V — Before Nation and Beyond: Places, Histories and IdentitiesLecture VI — What to Do with History?BibliographyImage CreditsIndex
Readership: Students (undergraduate, secondary level), researchers of Singapore history, general public with interest in history of and contemporary Singapore, diplomats, and foreign visitors interested in knowing more about Singapore's history.Singapore;History;City-State;Port City;National Identity;Nation States;Colonialism;Globalisation;Independence;Merger And Separation;Cosmopolitanism;Public Policy;Development;Heritage;Hinterland;Historical Consciousness;Ethnic Communities in Singapore;Empire;Economy;Governance;Identities;Lee Kuan Yew;Sir Stamford Raffles;Merchants In Singapore;Religion in Singapore;Southeast Asia;The Singapore Story;Culture;Bicentennial;Trade Networks0Key Features:This book zooms in on key moments and periods in Singapore's 700-year history in a manner that is accessible and easy to digest. It is organised around themes in Singapore's history, departing from the typical chronological approach of history textbooksThis book looks at a range of regional and global factors in history, traversing time and place, and incorporating references to artefacts, vividly illustrated maps, and various historical communities. It locates Singapore within a context of globalisation, and evolving links to the worldThis book is unique in its orientation towards reflection and further exploration of Singapore's history. It provides examples of resources and nuggets of history that may not be elaborated on in textbooks and academic monographsThis book would be of particular interest to students and educators looking to get an overview of Singapore's history and its enduring themes. It is timely given that 2019 is the year of Singapore's bicentennial, which marks a turning point in its history