Close

Hello! I am

Wi En


a PhD Student
at WKWSCI (NTU, Singapore)

Download CV

About Me

Wi En Ng

I am a PhD student at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) . I hold a Master of Arts in Communication and New Media and a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hons) from the National University of Singapore.

My work engages questions of gender, digital culture, and technology-facilitated harm, with ongoing involvement in projects on campus sexual misconduct, online sexual harms, and queer experiences in Singapore.

Outside of academia, I enjoy science fiction, spice-forward cuisines, and planning my next travel adventure.

Research

My work sits at the intersection of communication theory, critical technology studies, and feminist scholarship. I study how sociotechnical imaginaries, infrastructures, and everyday platforms shape gendered subjectivities, norms, and harm—especially in Singapore’s Smart Nation context.

Dissertation cover / theme image

Dissertation

Cyber (u/dys)topias: Glitching Sociotechnical Imaginaries in Singapore's Smart Nation

I examine Singapore’s Smart Nation as a technopolitical imaginary that produces compliant digital subjects while obscuring infrastructural and affective violence, and theorise the glitching cyborg as a site where this power fractures.

Research projects image

Current Projects

Ongoing empirical work on technology-facilitated sexual violence and digital safety, including mixed-methods projects on campus sexual misconduct and online sexual harms in Singapore.

Education

Nanyang Technological University

January 2026 - 2030

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) | NTU Research Scholarship

Thesis topic: Cyber (u/dys)topias: Glitching Sociotechnical Imaginaries in Singapore's Smart Nation

National University of Singapore

August 2022 - June 2025

Master of Arts, Communications and Media Studies | NUS Research Scholarship

Thesis: "Virtual Worlds are a safe space for people to explore their gender identities as well: Exploring how virtual fashion shapes gender in Decentraland."
This research examined the connection between virtual fashion and gender identity in Decentraland, a virtual Metaverse platform. Findings were presented at IAMCR2024.



Service:

National University of Singapore

August 2018 - July 2022

Bachelor of Social Sciences, Communications and Media Studies

Honours (Highest Distinction)
Thesis: "No such thing as fake news back then: Understanding how the elderly in Singapore navigate the digital information landscape."
This research explored how the elderly adapted to the Smart Nation initiative and was presented at IAMCR2024.



Activities:

Experience

Campus Sexual Misconduct in a Digital Age (CASMIDA)

Research Associate, National University of Singapore

Research Associate: Sep 2024 - Mar 2026
Research Assistant: May 2023 - Sep 2024

Investigated technology-facilitated sexual violence in campus settings. Conducted and transcribed interviews; managed six quantitative surveys; and handled qualitative and quantitative data cleaning and preparation. Assisted with updating of IRB forms.

Find out more about the study: CASMIDA

Queer Men in SG: Digital Intimacies, Sexual Behaviors & Mpox Perceptions

Research Assistant, National University of Singapore

Explored perceptions and experiences of gay, bisexual, and queer (GBQ) men in Singapore, focusing on identity exploration, relationships, sexual health behaviors, and digital technology use. Conducted interviews and performed data analysis.

Find out more about the study: Queer Men in Singapore Research

Interventions in Young Singaporeans' Experiences and Understandings of Sexual Violence

Research Assistant, National University of Singapore

Explored young Singaporeans’ experiences and understandings of gender and sexual violence through a case study of NUS students. Conducted literature review and performed data analysis.

Social Justice Fellowship

Research Fellow, University of Manchester and Access Academia

Conducted research on social justice and intersectionality under peer mentorship. Enhanced academic skills through seminars and networking sessions with professionals.

National University of Singapore

Teaching Assistant

NM2207, Computational Media Literacy.

National University of Singapore

Teaching Assistant

NM1101E Communications, New Media and Society.

Work and Savings Behaviour of Lower-Income Families in Singapore.

Student Researcher, Institute of Policy Studies, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

Conducted house visits and participant recruitment for national-level research.

FASS Undergraduate Research Opportunity: Politics of Fatness in Media Cultures

Student Researcher, Department of Communications and New Media, NUS

Examined how fatness is constructed as a discourse across multiple media artefacts and platforms, from government health campaigns to social media activism. Conducted systematic literature review and assisted the Principal Investigator in developing the research framework.

Awards

NTU Research Scholarship (2026- 2030)

NUS Research Scholarship (2022 - 2024)

Annie Tan (Mrs Wan Boo Sow) Medal and Prize (2021/2022)

Awarded for being one of the few outstanding female undergraduates of the graduating cohort from FASS with high bilingual competence in Chinese and English.

Publications & Writing

Journal of Gender Studies

‘When everything goes online, it’s never really gone’: understanding technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) in Singapore

This study informs how we understand TFSV in terms of gender-based violence enabled by technology in Singapore, contributing to the dearth of research on sexual violence in Asian contexts.

View Publication
Identity Crisis Cover

“Identity crisis is our identity”: Cultural Cringe and the Search for a Singaporean Identity

This paper, co-authored with a friend as part of graduate coursework, explores the interplay between nationalism and cultural perception in Singapore.
We argue that those who align strongly with Singapore’s nationalism view local cultural expressions not as subpar Western replicas but as emblems of Singaporean pride.

View Publication

Media & Public Commentary

Article Screenshot

Singapore users are flocking to Elon Musk’s Grok despite deepfake controversy

Outlet: The Straits Times
Date: Jan 22, 2026
Read
Article Screenshot

“He said he dissociates at the sight of a vagina” – Women share their shocking dating app encounters

Outlet: Her World
Date: Apr 2, 2025
Read
Article Screenshot

Why Asia’s young women are going ‘boy sober’ and swiping left on romance

Outlet: South China Morning Post
Date: Feb 15, 2025
Read