ISEAS -Yusof Ishak Institute

Library Intern

InternshipClosed

What the role is

ISEAS Library houses a unique collection of Southeast Asian materials on the area of economics, politics, international relations, social and cultural studies, built up over the past five decades. The main collection of printed materials consists of approximately 300,000 volumes of publications. Other collections include 40,000 volumes of journals, some 1,000 maps, and 4,500 microform titles of regional newspapers, journals, theses, rare and antiquarian books and press clippings.

Besides published materials, the Library has custody of over 30 private paper collections from prominent individuals, including Tan Cheng Lock, David Marshall and Tan Chin Tuan. ISEAS Library also has a sizeable collection of photographic, slides and audio-visual materials which document the cultural heritage of Southeast Asia.

The intern will be based at the ISEAS Library to research and document various collections housed in the Library. The aim is to raise the awareness of the library collections, facilitate their usage as well as promote scholarly research on the region.

What you will be working on

The intern will be expected to participate in one or more of the following tasks:

Conduct research on a topic of their choice based on the various collections housed in the ISEAS Library, and complete two introductory articles (800 words each) or a more comprehensive 2,500-word paper based on their research. Some examples of topics include:
Review of travelogues of mainland Southeast Asia from the Antiquarian Books Collection
Review of dictionaries and wordbooks of Southeast Asian languages from the Antiquarian Books Collection
Study of historical Southeast Asian publications on microform
Diasporas in Southeast Asia
Contribute to the descriptive indexes of Private Papers Collections
Conduct research for the description of photographic materials

Internship Period

May – August 2025

What we are looking for

Requirements

Research interest in Southeast Asia
Good analytical, organizational, and writing skills
Motivated self-starter with team spirit and initiative
A strong academic record
Preference will be given to candidates with proficiency in one or more languages native to Southeast Asia, e.g. Thai, Burmese.

Application

All applicants must submit the following materials:

Cover letter
Curriculum vitae
A writing sample or a published research paper
A copy of your academic transcript

About your application process

If you do not hear from us within 4 weeks of the job ad closing date, we seek your understanding that it is likely that we are not moving forward with your application for this role. We thank you for your interest and would like to assure you that this does not affect your other job applications with the Public Service. We encourage you to explore and apply for other roles within ISEAS -Yusof Ishak Institute or the wider Public Service.

About ISEAS -Yusof Ishak Institute

The ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute is a regional research centre dedicated to the study of socio-political, security and economic trends and developments in Southeast Asia and its wider geostrategic and economic environment.

Learn more about ISEAS -Yusof Ishak Institute