CAPT Research Forum 2022

The third CAPT Research Forum titled ‘Leading Change in Sustainability & Disability Inclusion: Unpacking Active Citizenship through Research & Practice’ was held on 17 September 2022 and saw a total of 69 attendees. This iteration of the forum aligned with the celebration of CAPT’s tenth anniversary and celebrated the College’s rich history of engaging communities and leading change in diverse ways, guided by the College ethos of active citizenship and community engagement. In particular, the forum foregrounded and engaged with the idea of “Active Citizenship” through two panel themes wherein research, practice, and advocacy were drawn upon to advance discussions about social change.

The forum centred on two panels. The first panel was on sustainability across economic, social, and environmental disciplines. Given the importance of sustainability in today’s climate, this panel aimed to reimagine what desirable ecosystems for both human (i.e. economic and social) and non-human (i.e., environment) factors entailed, as well as the myriad ways in which these can coexist and be further improved. Speakers Dr Mathew Mathews & Mr Shamil Zainuddin from the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), NUS touched on economic sustainability of platform work through examining the lived experiences of Grab employees (drivers/ delivery personnel). This was followed by a sharing by Ms Lim Shiyun from 3Pumpkins Limited on social sustainability, community connection, and community development in low-income neighborhoods through providing safe spaces for low-income children (Tak Takut Kids Club). The final presentation by Mr Lim Cheng Puay from Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) focused on environmental sustainability through documenting efforts on restoring optimism in environmental sustainability.

The second panel centred on disability inclusion and ranged from topics on theoretical frameworks of disability to empirical studies on disability in Singapore. This panel aimed to raise awareness of and subsequently synthesize different perspectives on disability stemming from academics, practitioners, artists, and students – paving the way for conceptualizing positive change in the context of disability inclusion. Speaker Associate Professor Wong Meng Ee from National Institute of Education (NIE) explored disability trends in Singapore, as well as disability in the context of meritocracy in Singapore, as documented in his latest book. Independent disability advocate Mr Shalom Lim then shared about disability and crip theory to advocate for greater disability inclusion in Singapore. The last presentation by Ms Grace Cheong and Ms Kirti Joy Menon from CAPT was empirical in nature and examined the lived experiences of Visually Impaired (VI) persons in Singapore through qualitative methodology.

This iteration of the forum included a unique element: poster presentations across both CAPT alumni students, as well as current students at the College. There was a total of 13 posters, with eight on the theme of disability inclusion and five on sustainability. Posters also featured the students’ own unique projects, initiatives, and works on the respective themes.