Almost every week, members of Tembusu College are invited to meet and chat with guests – both local and international – through a variety of hosted events. There is a huge diversity of backgrounds amongst our visitors, who range from politicians to diplomats, artists, writers, poets, and academics. Select an event category on the left to find out more.
As a Residential College, residents of Tembusu College live and learn together with their peers under the same roof. Integral to the learning is the University Town College Programme (UTCP) where residents read five Seminar-style Modules over their two year residency. Find out more About the Programme or browse available modules on the left.
Concerned about the workload? Find out How UTCP Fits with your faculty-based degree programme at NUS.
Living and learning together at Tembusu happens as part of our ‘Out-of-Classroom Teaching‘ programme.
Keen to continue residing at the college after completing the UTCP? Find out what lies ahead in the Senior Learning Experience.
Work in Progress Seminar
Singapore’s national flower: What Science does and does not tell us about the origins of Vanda Miss Joaquim
Dr John Elliot
Associate Professor,
Department of Psychology, NUS
3rd April 2014, 6pm
Vanda Miss Joaquim was reported as a new hybrid orchid in 1893. In 1981 it was selected as the National Flower of Singapore, partly because it was thought to be a natural hybrid, not man-made. Thus, no race or community could claim credit for it, or it would be favoured by choosing it. However, the horticultural records suggest it was a deliberate hybrid, not a natural one, created by the lady for whom it named, Agnes Joaquim. There has been a vigorous debate about this in recent years, in which some scientists have argued that scientific data shows that Miss Joaquim found the orchid, but did not create it. However, I shall argue that science has been misused in this claim; that properly used, science leaves the question open; and that history and horticulture are more likely to provide a clear answer.
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