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University Essays and Work

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This page is a compilation of all the essays written and pieces of work created as part of my education in the University Scholars Programme (USP) and Philosophy Minor.

1. A Critical Lens into Data Privacy: NUS InfoSec Curriculum (USP)

[View Essay] This essay was written in Year 4 Semester 1 as part of the module NHS4002 Reflection and Reflexivity in Disciplinary Practices.

This paper critically examines how NUS’ Information Security curriculum addresses data privacy. Analysing three core modules, it finds that NUS equates data protection with privacy, reinforcing state and organisational control over individuals’ data. It argues that this neglects individual autonomy and proposes guiding questions to foster critically aware InfoSec graduates.


2. Defending Anti-Realism with Empirical Evidence (Philo)

[View Essay] This essay was written in Year 4 Semester 1 as part of the module PH3203 Moral Philosophy.

This paper challenges the realist “pleasure objection” by using scientific and sociological evidence to show that pleasure is an evolutionary mechanism for promoting survival behaviours, not an objective moral good. Both treating pleasure as a means or an end creates contradictions or inconsistencies, supporting an antirealist stance.


3. The Passionate Computing Student (USP)

[View Essay] This essay was written in Year 3 Semester 2 as part of the module NHS2054 Reimagining Work / Life.

This paper examines how passion influences career decisions among NUS School of Computing students. It argues that meritocratic competition shifts passion from an end to a means of signalling competence. Passion becomes a branding tool, while students adopt practical approaches to manage stress and navigate industry demands.


4. Appreciating “Nones” in Singapore (USP)

[View Essay] This essay was written in Year 3 Semester 2 as part of the module NHS2043 Multiculturalism in Singapore and Its Contested Meanings.

This paper examines the experiences of non religious “nones” in Singapore, exploring their personal, familial and public relationships, as well as their diversity and representation. It recommends fostering inclusive dialogue, cultivating acceptance from a young age, and ensuring political recognition to support their integration in Singapore’s multicultural society.


5. Games without Rules (Philo)

[View Essay] This essay was written in Year 3 Semester 2 as part of the module PH2227 Games and Philosophy.

This paper challenges definitions of games that require artificial rules, using “Simplified Extreme Tag” as a case study. It proposes a revised Suits-inspired definition where games may be governed by artificial rules or natural restrictions, provided players accept these limits for the sake of play, preserving intuitive distinctions between games and activities.


6. Confucian and Stoic Approaches to Grief (USP)

[View Essay] This essay was written in Year 3 Semester 1 as part of the module UPI2212 Technologies of the Self: from Socrates to Self-Help.

This paper compares Confucian and Stoic approaches to grief, initially seen as opposing. By distinguishing between “uncontrollable” and “controllable” grief, it argues both traditions endorse embracing spontaneous sorrow while rejecting prolonged, avoidable grief. Each promotes practices, rituals or reasoned reflection, that balance emotional expression with virtuous living, revealing underlying philosophical harmony.


7. Defending the Free Will Defence (Philo)

[View Essay] This essay was written in Year 3 Semester 1 as part of the module PH2211 Philosophy of Religion.

This paper defends Plantinga’s Free Will Defence against the Problem of Evil by addressing the alleged incompatibility between free will and divine omniscience. It argues that a timeless God resolves the contradiction, although this conclusion comes at the cost of rejecting a God who intervenes in time which many theists resist.


8. Saving Nozick’s Truth Tracking Theory (Philo)

[View Essay] This essay was written in Year 2 Semester 2 as part of the module PH2243 Epistemology.

This paper defends Nozick’s truth-tracking theory by replacing its sensitivity condition with a Perceptual Sensitivity Condition, which evaluates knowledge in the most perceptually similar possible worlds. This modification resolves the absurd distinction and closure problems, acknowledges sceptical implications, and preserves practical knowledge through contextualisation, making truth-tracking a viable epistemological framework.


9. Spider-Man Film Rights (USP)

[View Video] This video was created in Year 2 Semester 2 as part of the module UHB2214 Effective Decision Making.

This video analyses the negotiations between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures over Spiderman’s inclusion in the MCU. Using game theory and behavioural economics, it examines three deal stages, the role of fan backlash, and shifting bargaining power, concluding with predictions on future collaborations based on strategic incentives and outside options.


10. Developing Meaningful Indicators (USP)

[View Site] This work was done in Year 1 Semester 2 as part of the module UQR2215 Developing Meaningful Indicators.

This portfolio showcases projects from the USP module Developing Meaningful Indicators under Dr Charles Burke. Through iterative data visualisation exercises, I progressed from presenting raw data to crafting narratives that influence audiences. Projects spanned topics from sentiment analysis to housing policies, focusing on impactful communication and meaningful, audience-centred insights.


11. Secularly Religious Singaporeans (USP)

[View Essay] This essay was written in Year 1 Semester 1 as part of the module UWC2101AA Religion in Public Life.

This study explores how Singaporean Christians invoke religion in public debates. It finds religious references more frequent in discussions on homosexual marriage than other issues, despite Singapore’s secular framework. This is attributed to Christianity’s clear stance against homosexuality and the absence of broader social concerns on the matter.


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