Annual Reports

“This Institute is designed to differentiate itself… by its open invitation to the best minds in social and cultural research to see the world from the vantage point of our dynamic region.”

RADM (NS) Teo Chee Hean then Minister for Education, in launching ARI

FOREWORD BY DIRECTOR
Prof Anthony Reid

This “Annual” report is for 18 months. It covers the second and some of the third year of full operation since I arrived as Director in July 2002. It was a period of remarkable growth, from about 12 scholars at its beginning to the steady state of about 40 at its end. It was also a period when senior appointments were made to lead the next stage of the Institute into specific foci of work.

ARI’s primary short-term mission was to raise the profile of NUS in social science research, through strategic appointments both short and long term. It was therefore gratifying that at the end of the reporting period the Times Educational Supplement issued the results of a survey with an unprecedentedly high ranking of NUS in the social sciences (10th in the world) and humanities (17th in the world). NUS scored high in the peer-review section of the survey, more susceptible to being influenced by the high-profile appointments ARI was able to make in his period…