Singapore’s success story has attracted considerable international interest, and younger Singaporeans are growing more curious about its past. To encourage this curiosity, NUS Singapore History Prize was established as part of the national SG50 programme in 2014. Since then, this prize is awarded every three years by NUS’ Department of History.
Professor Wang Gungwu of NUS was chairman of the panel that chose Prof Miksic’s book as this year’s winner, noting it “laid out the foundations for an in-depth reinterpretation of Singapore’s history and place in Asia. Furthermore, its confirmation by archaeological evidence proves its extended past of over 700 years.”
The NUS History Prize is open to both local and foreign authors of non-fiction works such as books, academic papers and theses relating to Singapore history. Works can either be scholarly or popular in nature but must feature clear historical themes relevant to Singapore story. This year’s shortlist featured six publications with Home Is Where We Are taking first runner up and Theatres of Memory coming in second runner up respectively.
Prof Miksic from NUS’ Department of Southeast Asian Studies was thrilled to win. The prize money would help finance excavations and training programmes as well as restore artefacts in his laboratory – as well as give archaeology greater credibility among members of the public.
Prince William of Britain hosted a glittering ceremony in Singapore to announce the winners of his Earthshot Prize on Tuesday, with many celebrities present to witness it. At this ceremony, 15 finalists representing countries all around the globe presented solutions that demonstrated there is hope despite climate change. He told them they “showed there is still hope”.
This year’s award recipients include a retired police officer renowned for her tireless efforts in saving people, and an NUS graduate responsible for one of Asia’s largest lotteries. Now in its fifth year, this recognition award aims to demonstrate all of the ways ordinary people make an impactful difference in society.
Kishore Mahbubani, the former diplomat who established this prize through an anonymous donation in 2014, believes that Singapore’s primary challenge lies not in economic matters but instead with creating a strong national identity based on shared history. He characterized the 21st century as the Great Asian Renaissance and highlighted Singapore’s unique heritage to build a stronger nation. “As society, we need to understand that our identities are formed by stories we tell each other,” he stated. “Let’s keep sharing our stories,” stated an official of the competition, adding “we will celebrate those selected at a ceremony next month”. The awards will take place during the United for Wildlife summit, featuring representatives of law enforcement agencies and conservation groups working to combat illegal wildlife trade – an estimated annual market worth $20 billion.