ACJC History Dialogic 2023

On 11 October 2023, the ACJC History Department had the honour of hosting Professor S.R. Joey Long, the Head of the Department of History at the National University of Singapore (NUS), as our guest speaker for DIALOGIC: The ACJC Distinguished Guest Lecture in History 2023. Professor Long conducted a lecture titled “When Elephants Fight: The Asian Cold War, Southeast Asia & Singapore, 1965-1975” to an audience of around 170 students and teachers from nine pre-university institutions. This lecture drew inspiration from the African proverb “When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers”. It delved into Singapore’s resilience and successes in navigating the intense power struggles of the Cold War, which saw the world divide by bipolar, and later, tripolar dynamics.

Professor Long also shared on the genesis of his research into this topic, providing the audience with valuable insights into the discipline of history and its research methodologies. He also offered an overview of the wide array of history courses available at NUS and the potential careers for history majors, enhancing our understanding and appreciation of this field of study. In summary, this session was an immensely beneficial experience for all involved.

Ryan Tay, 1AH, ACJC