The NUS Singapore Prize [hereafter The Prize] is Asia’s inaugural book prize to recognize and reward books’ role in cultivating literacy and encouraging life-long reading. Recognizing outstanding published works across four official languages, it ranks amongst one of the highest book awards available in this region.
The Prize was established in 2014 after an anonymous donor provided an endowment gift. Administered by the Department of History at NUS, it encompasses works that explore Singapore history from all aspects.
Archaeology, culture or sociology – no matter the topic – the winner of the Singapore Prize must demonstrate how their work enlightens humanity’s complex existence while emphasizing an informed and engaged citizenry. Open to both fiction and non-fiction works. Awarded every three years.
Kishore Mahbubani of the NUS Asia Research Institute proposed this prize in an opinion piece for The Straits Times, noting how nations are imagined communities and how shared imagination helps hold society together today. He was part of the panel which awarded this year’s first prize – to Singapore and Silk Road of Sea: 1300-1800 by archaeologist John Miksic – with this being awarded as this year’s overall winner.
A healthy civil society relies on its citizens showing kindness to one another and prioritising the common good above individual self-interest at crucial moments. To encourage altruism and celebrate those with an exceptional commitment to community service and nationhood, Harvard Prize Book Singapore recognises and celebrates those with deep senses of responsibility for both communities and nations alike.
As climate change advances, it is becoming more essential to understand how water works within its cycle and improve our use of resources. By recognising outstanding scientists and engineers through President’s Science and Technology Awards, we hope to encourage young people into STEM careers.
Singapore Literature Prize, one of Asia’s premier literary prizes, has entered its eighth year. The shortlist for 2023 features Sembawang by Jeremy Tiang set in 1950s Singapore which explores “the lives of ordinary people”, and Leluhur: Singapore’s Kampong Gelam by Hidayah Amin which provides insights into a historic site now visited as tourist spots.
On September 30th 2023, the inaugural HOFS Awards 2023 was hosted at Ritz Carlton-Millenia Singapore and recognized influential individuals and organisations from different niche sectors that had set new benchmarks through creativity in their fields of activity.