Centre for Health, Culture and Society (CHCS)

MA in Health and Human Experience (MAHX)

The MA in Health and Human Experience offers an interdisciplinary approach to health and medicine. It examines how cultural values, social structures and historical forces shape experiences of illness and care, equipping students to challenge assumptions, engage ethically with complex questions about health, and make critical interventions in the field. Drawing on expertise across the humanities, social sciences, communication studies, creative arts, design and media, the programme develops the analytical and applied skills needed to address urgent questions in health and care. 

Research Impact

Ageing, Medical Migration and the Work of Care in Singapore: A Single-site Case Study of Geriatrics and Older Adult Care. 

An interdisciplinary collaborative project between Asst Professor Michelle Chiang (Humanities, NTU) and Professor Clare Herrick (Geography and Global Health, King's College London), the study examines how an ageing population, healthcare workforce pressures, and medical migration intersect in the everyday work of geriatric care in Singapore. The project aims to generate insights into how migrant healthcare professionals are integrated into clinical teams and how institutions might better retain internationally trained healthcare professionals.

Mental Health and Culture in Singapore. 

This project provides an interdisciplinary Medical Humanities approach to the problem of mental health stigma. Our diverse and multi-disciplinary team analyse how cultural texts (films, television dramas, novels, and plays) present mental health. We are developing a toolkit that we hope will help inform and inspire writers, directors, and producers, which will result in more positive and accurate representations of mental health and help to challenge preconceptions and stereotypes that lead to the stigmatisation of vulnerable members of society. This is an interdisciplinary, collaborative project with participants from the Institute of Mental Health and other hospitals and arts organisations in Singapore. The three methodologies include: (i) detailed close reading and analysis of pathographies (illness narratives); (ii) Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with people with mental health conditions; and (iii) Multi-disciplinary and Cross-sector Roundtables (MCR) with experts from a range of sectors and disciplines to tackle the complex issue of mental health stigma.

Community Partnerships

Our partners include hospitals and health partners, arts organisations, patient advocacy groups, as well as regional partners across Asia.