CNA featured Thryft, a thrift store started by a group of Yale-NUS schoolmates who recognised the value of secondhand items and wanted to expand on the secondhand market they observed on campus. Founded in 2019, Thryft has expanded from pop-up events on campus to an online database that lists over 40,000 items including books, clothes and vinyl records and a retail store. Two of the co-founders, Eddie Lim and Choy Jia Yu (Class of 2022) spoke about Thryft’s beginnings and how they leverage AI to handle the tedious administrative work that typically bogs down secondhand stores, such as pricing, cataloguing, and inventory management.
MSN reported that Donald Trump’s triumph in the governmental election might spell difficulty for Chinese fast-fashion brand names, especially Gen Z-favorite budget plan brand names like Shein and Temu. He announced recently in a Fact Social post that he means to slap China with an extra 10 per cent import tariff– on top of any tariffs he currently prepares to enforce. David Jacks, J.Y. Pillay Professor of Social Sciences (Economics) at Yale-NUS College said that it was “difficult to think about any situation” where the fast-fashion market “totally leaves restored United States protectionism.” He stated that since their supply chains stem from China, Shein and Temu are “most likely to get even higher examination and suffer greater tariffs” compared to other companies that produce in Bangladesh and Morocco, for instance.
The report was first published in Business Insider and republished in media outlets such as the New York Ledger.
The Straits Times carried a commentary by Visiting Professor Jeannette Ickovics from Yale University and Yale-NUS student May Lee (Class of 2025) on how robots driven by artificial intelligence (AI) can offer promising support for an ageing population. The article discussed the potential benefits and ethical concerns surrounding AI companions. The authors emphasised that while therapy bots can help people express their emotions and apps can help to remind people to take medication, ethical questions about prolonged attachment and data privacy may arise. The authors concluded that integrating AI companions could provide an even more comprehensive solution to the mental health crisis among older adults, and that the goal is not to substitute human care with machines, but to use AI as a supportive tool within a larger system of care.
The Star featured an article on ikan terubuk (toli shad fish), prized for its roe in the Malay Archipelago. Yale-NUS Assistant Professor of Social Sciences (Environmental Studies) Anthony Medrano shared how there were written records of the immense popularity and importance of terubuk since the Portuguese invasion of Melaka. He noted that the terubuk roe trade dwindled in the 1960s, likely due to policies implemented by former Indonesian president Suharto, who encouraged logging, which caused massive deforestation and sedimentation run-off into the river, causing the fish to be choked to death.
The Straits Times carried an article on Steward Leadership 25 (SL25), an annual listing of 25 best projects of steward leadership excellence in Asia-Pacific. The 2024 list showcases projects of for-profit organisations that drive profit growth by addressing social and climate challenges. Yale-NUS President Joanne Roberts, one of the SL25 judges, shared that several submissions “rely heavily on technology to bring about solutions to today’s challenges” and that some of the gaps being addressed “fall in the areas of social inclusion, especially in the provision of more opportunities for women and the disabled to succeed”.
The Straits Times featured Yale-NUS alumnus Joshua Tay (Class of 2021), who co-founded charity group Impart, and the charity’s new initiative to reach out to reclusive youth through the game Minecraft. This new initiative is the latest of Impart’s programmes to support young people facing adversities.
Joshua, who studied philosophy, politics and economics, said he chose a different path from his batch mates, who went into fields such as management consultancy and technology. “I saw a real need, and I saw that we had a real opportunity to bridge those needs,” he said. “It happened at a time of my life when I saw more clearly how I had received a lot of grace that brought me to my current place in life. And grace freely received also frees you up to give yourself to another’s needs.”
The article was republished by The New Paper and Head Topics.
ChinaNews interviewed Yale-NUS Tan Chin Tuan Professor of Chinese Studies and Professor of Humanities (Chinese Studies and History) Scott Cook on his study of pre-Qin thought. Prof Cook spoke about his research on the Confucius dialogue texts that appeared among the Shanghai Museum manuscripts, including the challenges to accurately interpret the ancient characters in the documents and how Western anthropology and archaeological theories can provide new perspectives on classical Chinese thought. He concluded that if the world hopes to achieve the ideal of peace and tranquillity, lessons could be drawn from the idea of “harmony in diversity” which originated from pre-Qin thought.
CNA’s Daily Cuts which hosts curated interviews from CNA938, carried an interview about how food waste can be better managed in Singapore. The interviewees included Preston Wong, CEO and Co-Founder, Treatsure; Adjunct Faculty for Sustainability Law at SMU and Yale-NUS College. Preston shared about the early challenges of getting companies to make a decisive shift towards sustainability considerations in their business models but noted that in recent years, more windows of opportunities have opened. He added that in some countries, jurisdiction has been put in place to catalyse collective efforts to reduce food waste.
The Straits Times reported about Fencing Singapore’s new executive committee (exco) that was elected at its annual general meeting. The article noted that Yale-NUS Associate Director of Campus Life, Andy Loe, a former national wushu athlete and coach who now oversees student life, sports, leadership and wellness at the College, is a member of the exco team.
The Straits Times carried a report on what we need to know about sharks in Singapore waters, following the sighting of a blacktip reef shark near the shoreline at Palawan Beach in Sentosa. Yale-NUS College Assistant Professor of Science (Marine Biology) Benjamin Wainwright shared that sharks swim close to the shore for various reasons, such as hunting for prey, escaping larger predators, or giving birth in the shallower and calmer waters.
