The first prize devoted to Singapore’s history has been launched in support of the Republic’s SG50 celebrations. Entries are now open for the NUS Singapore History Prize, which will be awarded next year. The competition was sparked by an opinion column that Professor Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, wrote in April 2014. He called on Singapore’s philanthropists to donate a cash prize for the best book about the country’s history. Three months later, he said, a newly minted Singapore citizen offered to contribute S$500,000 on one condition – he wanted to remain anonymous. The money was placed in an endowment fund to generate income that would support the prize.
NUS will manage the endowment, which will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Government. NUS will also be in charge of selecting the winner of the prize, which will be announced at this year’s WAF and Inside judging panel sessions. The judging panel will feature more than 140 leading architects, designers, journalists and industry experts from across the world.
In his speech at the ceremony, PM Lee praised the country’s research community, saying it is a key strength that helps Singapore maintain its position as a global innovation hub and a top science and technology economy. He also lauded the nation’s many specialised research institutes, which drive innovation in areas such as aerospace, biomedical sciences and environmental studies. The finalists were commended by the Prince of Wales for their work to show that “hope does remain” in the face of the planet’s environmental challenges. The heir to the British throne was in Singapore for a visit to his royal foundation’s Earthshot Prize, which honours innovations and technologies that can reduce humanity’s impact on the environment. He was hosted by PM Lee at a gala dinner that saw him addressing an audience that included leaders from the world of business and academia.
During his trip, William will try his hand at dragon boating, a popular sport in Singapore and much of Southeast Asia. He will also meet locals to see how they are working to protect and restore the planet, including attending the United for Wildlife summit, which brings together law enforcement agencies, conservation groups and corporations to tackle the $20 billion annual trade in illegal wildlife products. The prince will also take part in a WAF X event, which recognises international proposals that embrace cutting-edge design that addresses major global issues. He will be joined by the other 10 finalists, who will present their projects live at the conference. They will be joined by a distinguished list of eminent judges, which includes Kelley Cheng, Sanjay Puri, Mariana Simas, Sonali Rastogi, Mario Cucinella and Yael Reisner. The judging panel will be finalised by the end of August, with the overall winner to be announced at this year’s WAF Gala dinner in November.