NUS, Washington University Partners To Set Up Institute To Address Complex Social Issues

SINGAPORE, Feb 23 (Bernama) -- The National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences has partnered the Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) to set up a dedicated research institute – the Next Age Institute (NAI) - to study, design and test social innovations. This is to address complex social issues surrounding families, communities and societies in Singapore and around the world. The launching ceremony held at the NUS University Town Monday was attended by Dr Amy Khor, Singapore Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower. The new NAI will be helmed by Associate Professor Chia Ngee Choon and Associate Professor Corinne Ghoh from the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and Professor Michael Sherraden from WUSTL, who is also the S R Nathan Professor at the NUS Department of Social Work. Researchers at NAI will seek to address the challenges and opportunities presented by trends such as the changing global context-ageing populations, globalisation of markets, rising inequality, and the advent of information technologies. NAI’s first project is a collaborative effort with the Centre for Social Development Asia at the NUS Department of Social Work. It will be working in partnership with three restructured hospitals in Singapore – namely, Singapore General Hospital, Changi General Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital - to pilot test a research on transition of care for older persons from acute to post-acute care services. The pilot study will commence in the second half of the year for some 30 families. NAI will also be embarking on other research projects, which include examining alternative options for financing retirement needs of home-owning elderly in Singapore, and contributing to deliberations on pensions and retirement at the upcoming 2015 Singapore Economic Review Conference which will be held in August 2015. Besides spearheading research projects conducted by NUS and WUSTL faculty and graduate students, NAI will also organise and support outreach events to engage public and private stakeholders in the development of social innovation and practice. In conjunction with the launch, NAI is holding an inaugural conference titled “Older Adults in Community: Capacities and Engagement for Ageing-in-Place” on Monday and Tuesday here. More than 250 policy makers, academics, students, healthcare and social service providers attended the opening of the conference Monday. -- BERNAMA