The Royal Highness Prince William of Kent is currently visiting Singapore to help celebrate its achievements in environmental sustainability. Arriving at Changi Airport on Sunday – his first trip in over 10 years! – Prince William was welcomed with cheers as he exited his plane. Additionally, during this visit Prince William will participate in several events to promote Earthshot Prize, an initiative launched by himself and his charity.
At this year’s World Architecture Festival (WAF), an ageing-in-place housing complex from Singapore design firm WOHA won this year’s World Building of the Year Award over flashier competition. The jury, comprised of leading architects and industry figures, lauded Kampung Admiralty from its community spaces to over 100 apartments for elderly residents, along with leisure facilities, leisure hawker centers that allow easy access to favorite eateries – Kampung Admiralty was recognized by its jury as being an integral part of its design.
Singapore Literature Prize (SLP) awards ceremony returned for its second time since last February at Victoria Theatre on Saturday night. Suratman Markasan and Wang Gungwu made history as oldest winners; eight recipients out of 12 recipients included newcomers like writer Rmaa cureess who took home both Readers’ Favourite Tamil Writer and Best Writing in Tamil categories.
The NUS Singapore History Prize – the inaugural prize in Singapore – has opened for submissions. The award seeks to encourage engagement with Singapore history (including works published before 1819) and promote greater awareness of our place within global affairs. Administered by NUS Department of History and presented every three years.
Kishore Mahbubani of the NUS Asia Research Institute noted that the prize could expand to include fiction and movies if sufficient interest from the public existed. He highlighted 12 Years a Slave as a prime example of how history may be conveyed more effectively through films than academic textbooks, adding: “We may open it up to more formats; however, these discussions are still ongoing. Submittals must be submitted by January 30 and winners will be announced in November by a five-member Jury Panel comprised of historians from both NUS and other institutions. Nominating Committee, comprised of NUS alumni and prominent Singaporeans, will assist with this initiative. More details on how to apply will become available shortly and NUS website will be updated when applications open for students, staff and faculty alike – with five prizes up for grabs being distributed over three years starting with the first prize in 2021.