The NUS Singapore History Prize, the world’s inaugural competition to exclusively focus on Singaporean history, has selected six outstanding books as shortlist finalists for 2024. The winner will receive a cash award of S$50,000.
This prize, organized in cooperation between NUS’ Department of History and Epigram Books, is open to any book published in English by an author or publishing house based in Singapore that addresses the theme “Singapore and the World”. Books shortlisted include:
This year’s Singapore Prize will go to historian John Miksic’s book Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300-1800 (NUS Press), selected by a panel of four judges led by Professor Wang Gungwu of NUS’ East Asian Institute. This work represents an extensive research project undertaken to answer when and why Singapore was established; also its place within Asia.
Prof Miksic’s book offers an intriguing examination of early historical accounts against archaeological finds and other evidence, and serves as an indispensable text in studying maritime trade routes – changing how scholars view Singapore while simultaneously shifting perceptions amongst the general public.
Earthshot Week will kick off on 6 November and this prize forms part of it, inspired by President Kennedy’s 1962 “moonshot” speech challenging Americans to send humans to the moon by the end of that decade. Global leaders and businesses from around the globe will gather in Singapore during this week to look for potential investments into TEP winner environmental solutions.
Prince Charles will visit Singapore to meet with organisations dedicated to protecting and restoring the planet, such as United for Wildlife Summit which brings together law enforcement agencies and companies to combat illegal wildlife products that are estimated at worth $20 billion annually. In addition, he will visit The Istana Palace – one of Singapore’s iconic landmarks – where he will meet locals working towards making an impactful difference within their communities.
On his trip, Prince Andrew will stop by an Ang Mo Kio school that hosts the Harvard Prize Book program to illustrate its aim of showing children that Harvard is an attainable university. This program assists students from disadvantaged backgrounds in connecting with Harvard and its wider community; this year it was expanded to include ITE students. Muhammad Dinie from ITE College Central discussed how his team helped residents during the Covid-19 pandemic by providing food vouchers and thank-you cards for Town Council cleaners. Students gathered information from residents to identify cleaners and their addresses, then reached out to them with assistance and advice on coping with pandemic outbreak. Their efforts were supported by Harvard Club of Singapore and ITE College Central Alumni Association – and will continue each year as part of an annual programme.