THE JULY 2015 RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
(Part Three)

The speeches delivered by the speakers all brought us something in common: they broadened our perspectives on how we viewed things, and, equipped with this new-found skill to tackle the issues in the Tropics, we broke for lunch where a dance performance, courtesy of the Indian Cultural Society, brought us an exemplary display of art and culture.
The Panel Discussion
After a scrumptious buffet lunch, it was time to jump headfirst and experience first-hand, the sharing of ideas and views about the Tropics, in the next session of the Panel Discussion. Four panelists, Dr. Aoife McLoughlin, Dr. Jenny Panchal, Dr. Lidia Suarez, and Mr. Peter Chew, all prominent researchers, took part in this discussion, with Ahmad Jabir, the President of the Golden Key JCUS chapter, acting as the moderator.
The panelists shared their perspectives on topics that are under-researched in the tropics. Dr. Jenny Panchal, for example, brought up an example of her research regarding Spa treatment and Wellbeing, which is a cross-disciplinary study between Business and Psychology. She mentioned that the current research climate is still fairly new, especially within Asia, as compared to the vibrant research arena in other region such as Australia, Europe, and the United States.

Mr. Chew also shared what he hoped to see in the research around the region, such as the study on race and religions especially in a country such as Singapore, where cultural plurality is the norm of the society.

As the event approached its end, the speakers and panelists were celebrated with a small token of appreciation. The closing remark was then given by Mrs Toh-Heng Hwee Leng, the GKS Staff Advisor, who lauded the event. The discourse generated throughout the day showed that there is more to be learned and researched on in this region and more of such event should be made possible in the future.