“But why should we have to be useful and for what reason? Who divided the world into useless and useful, and by what right? [...] Everyone knows the profit to be reaped from the useful, but nobody knows the benefit to be gained from the useless.” — Olga Tokarczuk, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
The School of Useless Use 无用大用学院, a.k.a. U + U, is an alternative education institute. We cultivate forms of knowledge whose value is underestimated by mainstream platforms.
Our work challenges the useless—useful binary that underpins education and work pathways in Singapore. We seek to reinstate curiosity and pleasure in learning, and to increase public access to education programmes that are both rigorous and low-stakes. We believe in the exchange of knowledge and skills beyond formal education settings—in what can be shared between u and u.
We aim to nurture a space for people of all backgrounds to enjoy learning what they want to learn, regardless of whether it is deemed useful by other people, your workplace, or the economy. Useless or useful, it’s up to u.
We currently focus on editorials and programmes. Read our Editorial Open Call here.
A world where learning is a continual process of developing our agency to engage with the known and unknown world. People who cherish and develop forms of knowledge beyond quantifiable metrics and productivity.
Co-Founders
Ang Kia Yee, Lee Han Shih
Editor
Ang Kia Yee
contact@nothingisuseless.world
