This year’s winners of the Singapore Prize have been revealed. A total of 28 organisations and individuals won one or both of the President’s Science and Technology Award (PSTA) or Young Scientist Award with over S$5 Million prize pool each. Launched in 2015 to recognize outstanding scientists and researchers while simultaneously promoting Singapore as an outstanding research and innovation hub, PSTA honourees were selected by over 5,800 judges worldwide from nearly 500 entries submitted from Singapore and around the world.
Not only will the prize advance the careers of its winners, it also helps research and development of innovative technologies – supporting Canada’s long-term strategy of creating an internationally competitive knowledge economy that is economically sustainable.
This year’s PSTA winners include an eclectic group of individuals and organizations from companies and universities alike. All have played key roles in developing new materials and technologies, creating safer working conditions for community members, greening our planet for future generations and improving overall quality of life. Winners were chosen by an esteemed panel comprised of experts from government, academia, business and the public sector, who received nominations from multiple sectors.
Professor Kishore Mahbubani, one of four jury panel members who selected Prof Miksic as this year’s winner, noted his book as providing “a fundamental reinterpretation of Singapore history and its place in Asia”. It also helped address where Singapore originated, since some have suggested its name may have come from an ancient Chinese word meaning dragon teeth; references in ancient literary records like Temasek and Longyamen (Dragon Teeth’s Gate) point toward this possibility.
Last year, a Singapore Prize was established to honour its unique heritage. Established in partnership with National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Department of History, its inaugural winner was archaeologist Prof John Miksic for his book Singapore And The Silk Road of the Sea: 1300-1800 which encompassed 25 years of archaeological work undertaken to reconstruct 14th-century port cities.
Prof Mahbubani from NUS suggested plans to widen the criteria of works eligible for consideration for the Singapore Prize, citing films like 12 Years A Slave and comic books as examples of those eligible works. Although plans remain open-ended, Prof Mahbubani noted they may expand this category slightly as fiction often offers better ways of telling history than nonfiction texts alone.
Myle Yan Tay and Cultural Medallion recipient Suchen Christine Lim also entered the 2024 contest, with Myle for her novel Catskull (2023), and Christine for Dearest Intimate (2o22). A shortlist was announced on July 16; winners will be revealed during an awards ceremony held by Xero in collaboration with Global Entrepreneurship Network on November 5th – each receiving S$40,000 as prizes!