The Seminar Series provides a forum for University faculty to share recent research findings with colleagues and students as well as to hear speakers from outside the University and Singapore discuss issues of geographical interest.

These seminars have been a regular and important element of the Department’s activities since 1981 and have seen an increasing number of seminars presented and attendees over the years. Seminars are usually held on Friday afternoons (3.30-5.00 pm) in the Earth Lab (AS2 02-03) during each semester. In the past academic year 2008/2009, twenty-four seminars were held, attracting a mixed audience of about 763 attendees of University (faculty and students), geography teachers, school students, representatives of industry, government agencies and other universities. The conveners of the Seminar Series were Dr Noorashikin Abdul Rahman and Dr Lim Han She.

As well as providing a platform for faculty members to share their research ideas and results, the seminars also serve as an important venue for the cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas with academics from other Faculties and Universities. For example in 2007/2008, we had presenters by Bénédicte Dousset (University of Hawai'i, USA), Masato Mori (Mie University, Japan), David Johnson (Southampton Solent University, UK) and Ming-Hsiang Tsou (San Diego State University, USA).

The seminars presented in the last academic year demonstrate the breadth and relevance of geographic research. A number of speakers presented results of current research of immediate relevance to Singapore, Southeast Asia and the other regions in the world. The Series also benefited from the contributions of visiting academics from other universities and institutions: Professors Stuart Elden (Durham University), Eric Sheppard and Helga Leitner (University of Minnesota). In addition, the Seminar Series provided the opportunity for young Geographers to present work from their PhD; Christine Bichsel (University of Berne), Simon Springer (University of British Columbia), Peter Hemming (University of Leeds).

This year, the Seminar Series was also fortunate to work with external groups/organizations in bringing in and hosting speakers of international repute. These include Professors Margaret Walton-Roberts (Wilfrid Laurier University, Joint-seminar with the Migration Cluster and Department of Sociology), Cliff Ollier (University of Western Australia, courtesy of the British Council) and Bob Wassen (Joint- seminar with Charles Darwin University) and Chris Cocklin (Joint-seminar with James Cook University and Department of Geography, NUS).

Please check out the seminar schedule for the current semester (link is on the top right corner of this page).