The global live sgp prize founded by Britain’s Prince William will be awarded in Singapore this November. The Earthshot Prize aims to show the world that solutions to major environmental challenges already exist and are within reach. Each of the five winners will receive PS1 million ($1.7 million) to accelerate their work and help create a better future for the planet. The event will also showcase the region’s environmental innovation, as each of the winners is based in Southeast Asia. The awards ceremony will take place during a new “Earthshot Week”, a series of events that will enable businesses, investors and global leaders to visit Singapore.
In its inaugural year, the Singapore Prize recognises writing that champions mindsets and values important to the country, such as equality, diversity, religious harmony, meritocracy and pragmatism. The prize, made possible by a donation from entrepreneur and businessman Alan Chan, will be given to the best work in English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil.
Its selection panel, which includes academics from SUSS and other Autonomous Universities and prominent writers and critics, will choose the winner. Clara Chow, whose book is shortlisted in all three categories and two languages, will be the first writer in the prize’s history to have her work nominated for this award.
The NUS Department of History has released the shortlist for the second run of its Singapore History Prize, which aims to encourage engagement with Singapore’s history and make its nuances more accessible. According to a press release, the prize hopes to foster “a more vibrant literary culture and contribute to a deeper understanding of our country’s cultural heritage among citizens”.
NUS has also announced the winners for its 2022 Singapore International Violin Competition. Dmytro Udovychenko and Anna Agafia Egholm have been named as winners, while Angela Sin Ying Chan has received the runner-up award. The competition, which is held annually at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, is a prestigious international event that attracts world-renowned violinists from around the globe.
Last but not least, a panel of eight judges, including philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, academia and policymakers, crowned Team Empowered Families Initiative (EFI) the grand winner of this year’s Straits Times Foundation Social Innovation Camp. The entrepreneurship competition helps low-income families invest in their aspirations and plans for a better life, by providing them with training and mentorship, as well as a platform to share their stories on social media.
The competition is part of the foundation’s wider Social Innovation Camp programme, which seeks to equip individuals with the skills, networks and resources needed to bring their ideas to fruition. This year’s competition was held over four days, from 30 November to 2 December. It was attended by a total of more than 1,300 participants, half of whom were students from NUS and SUSS. The remaining participants came from the community. The judges included philanthropists Lee Yong Ai and Jeremy Kwok, as well as entrepreneur-investors Paul Smethurst and James Lim. The results of the camp will be published in mid-December.