The Raffles Renaissance Programme aims to expose students to classic writings and centuries of intellectual thought. Modelled after the Great Books Programme, it aims to start a ‘conversation’ between Western and Asian civilizations through the study of classic texts.

The programme gives students the space to discuss the important distinction between being a human being and being a member of society, and helps them reflect on the foundations of what they believe in and why they do so.

Students will read and discuss books such as Plato’s The Republic, Machiavelli’s The Prince, Ibn Khaldun’s The Muqaddimah, Lao Tzu’s Tao De Jing and The Bhagavad Gita. Academics from the universities are also invited to deliver lectures and share their perspectives on these great books with the students.