A new Singapore prize, named for a legendary explorer, has been announced to recognise individuals and groups who have made significant contributions to the nation. The inaugural President’s Science and Technology Awards were conferred in 2009. The medal features, on the obverse, a stylised roseette of undulating folds topped by five stars, and, on the reverse, the State Arms.
Britain’s Prince William rolled out the green carpet for entrepreneurs in Asia as he unveiled winners of his Earthshot Prize 2023 on Tuesday (Nov 21). Celebrities including Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, actors Donnie Yen and Lana Condor, and Australian wildlife conservationist Robert Irwin joined him at the ceremony in Singapore to recognise innovations ranging from solar-powered dryers to combatting food waste and making electric car batteries cleaner.
The inaugural award carries a US$300,000 cash prize and will be presented at the World’s Greatest Science & Innovation Fair in Shanghai next year. The ceremony will also include a special exhibition featuring the projects and the scientists behind them.
Whether you’re looking for a place to live, a great meal or a memorable experience, there are plenty of things to do in Singapore. To help you plan your trip, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favourite places to visit in the city.
SINGAPORE – A new book by historian John Miksic has won the inaugural Singapore prize for history, with its $50,000 cash prize and an NUS publishing slot. The judges said the book’s fundamental reinterpretation of Singapore’s past had a wide impact. “It’s not just about retelling the story of our past, but it’s also about telling the story of how we got to this point and where we are today,” said Kishore Mahbubani, chairman of the panel.
NUS press said this is the first time that a history book has won the Singapore prize, which was established this year. The shortlist was rounded out by the historians’ tome Seven Hundred Years: A History Of Singapore and Kamaladevi Aravindan’s novel Sembawang, which details life in an estate over several decades. The authors forgo the view of history as the record of big movers and shakers to give readers an idea of what the times were like for ordinary Singaporeans.
NUS says it’s considering expanding the prize’s remit to include fiction and movies, as well as design projects such as the post-earthquake reconstruction of a mall in Indonesia and the stacked apartments designed by local architects Budi Prajot and Tito Supriatna. It will also honour public agencies and not-for-profit organisations that excel in branding, such as suicide-prevention agency Samaritans of Singapore. It’s hoped the winners will serve as inspiration for fellow homegrown businesses to invest in their branding.