Research Assistant (Asian Languages & Cultures Department) [NIE]

Nanyang Technological University; Singapore; On-site; SGD 33,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

Nanyang Technological University invites applications for a research assistant role to preserve Rebana Singapura as intangible heritage and explore its social cohesion role.

The project combines historical inquiry, cultural analysis, and community engagement, requiring strong qualitative methods, fluency in English and Malay, and meticulous data management. Join NTU/NIE to document traditions and contribute to publications and outreach.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Malay Studies or related field.
• Experience with qualitative analysis and coding.
• Proficiency in English and Malay.
• Ability to manage and organize qualitative data.
• Experience with NVivo preferred.
• Strong written communication and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Support the Principal Investigator in the organisation, management and analysis of research data.
• Review and organise interview transcripts, survey responses, field notes and other research materials to ensure dataset is complete and documented.
• Undertake coding and thematic analysis of qualitative data, identifying key themes and relationships.
• Assist with analysis and synthesis of findings from different data sources.
• Conduct targeted archival or literature research to contextualise findings.
• Maintain systematic records of materials and outputs ensuring compliance with ethics and data management.
• Assist in preparation of reports, submissions, presentations and publications.
• Undertake other research tasks as required by the PI.

Skills

Qualitative data analysis

Malaysian language proficiency

English language proficiency

NVivo

Research data management

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Malay Studies or related field

Tools

NVivo

Job description

Project Title

Preserving the Beat: Rebana Singapura as Intangible Heritage and a Tool for Social Cohesion

Project Introduction

This project investigates the historical evolution, cultural significance, and contemporary role of Rebana Singapura, a uniquely Singaporean adaptation of traditional Malay percussion. Emerging from the innovations of local musicians, Rebana Singapura reflects the dynamic interaction of Nusantara drumming practices with Singapore’s own multicultural landscape. Despite its growing presence in schools, community events, and professional ensembles, Rebana Singapura remains under-documented in both scholarship and the national heritage archives. This study seeks to fill that gap by creating a comprehensive record of its origins, craftsmanship, performance practices, and social role. While the rebana is rooted in Malay tradition, its performance contexts, whether at multicultural festivals, school programmes, or community workshops, have positioned it as a cultural bridge accessible to wider Singaporean society. This research will therefore not only preserve Rebana Singapura as intangible cultural heritage but also examine its relevance as a tool for fostering social cohesion across communities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Malay Studies or a related field.
• Prior experience in research data analysis, particularly qualitative research, will be advantageous.
• Strong interest in Malay cultural heritage, traditional performing arts, or community-based cultural research.
• Familiarity with qualitative research methods and analysis, including coding, thematic analysis and interpretation of interview, survey and observational data.
• Proficiency in English and Malay language is required to analyse and interpret research data and materials in both languages.
• Proficiency in organising, cleaning, coding and managing qualitative data, including transcripts and other research materials.
• Experience with qualitative data analysis software such as NVivo, or the willingness and ability to learn, would be an advantage.
• Ability to synthesise research findings, identify key themes and patterns, and contribute to the preparation of research reports, presentations and publications.
• Proficiency of digital tools for data management, documentation and research coordination.
• Meticulous, organised, with the ability to work independently and manage substantial volumes of research data.
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to work systematically with confidential or sensitive research materials.
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to present research findings clearly and coherently.
• Demonstrated interest in heritage preservation, cultural research, and multicultural engagement.

Responsibilities

• Support the Principal Investigator in the organisation, management and analysis of research data.
• Review and organise interview transcripts, survey responses, field notes and other research materials to ensure that the dataset is complete and systematically documented.
• Undertake coding and thematic analysis of qualitative data, including identifying key themes, patterns and relationships across the dataset.
• Assist with the analysis and synthesis of findings from different data sources and contribute to the interpretation of the research findings.
• Conduct targeted archival or literature research, where necessary, to support the analysis and contextualisation of the findings.
• Maintain systematic records of research materials and analytical outputs, ensuring compliance with relevant research ethics, data management and archival requirements.
• Assist the Principal Investigator in the preparation of research reports, archival submissions, presentations, publications and other dissemination materials.
• Undertake other research-related tasks pertaining to data analysis, documentation and reporting as required by the Principal Investigator.
• Any other administrative duties as assigned by the Principal Investigator.

Closing Date: Closing date for advertisements will be set to 14 calendar days from date of posting.

Hiring Institution: NIE A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has 33,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Engineering, Business, Science, Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, and Graduate colleges. It also has a medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, established jointly with Imperial College London. NTU is also home to world-class autonomous institutes – the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering – and various leading research centres such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI) and Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N). Ranked amongst the world’s top universities by QS, NTU has also been named the world’s top young university for the past seven years. The University’s main campus is frequently listed among the Top 15 most beautiful university campuses in the world and has 57 Green Mark-certified (equivalent to LEED-certified) buildings, of which 95% are certified Green Mark Platinum. Apart from its main campus, NTU also has a campus in Novena, Singapore’s healthcare district. Under the NTU Smart Campus vision, the University harnesses the power of digital technology and tech-enabled solutions to support better learning and living experiences, the discovery of new knowledge, and the sustainability of resources.

For more information, visit www.ntu.edu.sg.

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