On Tuesday 9 October 2018, Prof Alan Chan, Vice President of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore, led a seminar at JIAS entitled ‘Science and Technology for Humanity: A Report from Singapore’.

Prof Chan reported on the activities of the NTU Institute of Science and Technology for Humanity (NISTH), a newly established Interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence at NTU, Singapore.

An initiative of the NTU’s new President, Prof Subra Suresh, its purpose is to address the social challenges arising from rapid technological change, notably those manifested in the course of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

To this end, the NISTH propels research and public discourse on the social context of scientific and technological innovation, as well as the consequences of technological interventions in society.

It champions interdisciplinary research on science and technology studies, and works to bring together academia, non-profit organisations, government and industry in navigating the complex course of social development.

This seminar was of particular interest to the UJ community as it focused on aspects of the 4IR – notably its implications for the human experience – which has become a dominant theme at the university. It also provided academics at UJ with an opportunity to explore the possibilities of collaborating with the NISTH.