Prizes, medals and awards given to individuals, organisations and businesses in Singapore. Includes cups, trophies, bowls, badges, state decorations and other awards.

A new award honours people who put their altruism before themselves. The Harvard Prize Book (Singapore) aims to encourage and recognise people who go above and beyond to help others. It recognises those who are committed to their communities, especially in challenging times, and who strive for the common good.

This year’s winners have made significant contributions to the advancement of the arts, sciences and humanities, and have transformed lives through their work. They include a theatre maker who has brought world-class music and theatre to Singapore through his company, The Actors Studio, a scientist who has pioneered the use of artificial intelligence in medicine, and an entrepreneur who has turned a small business into a multi-million dollar enterprise.

The award ceremony was held on 16 April at the prestigious National Museum of Singapore. It was attended by over 400 guests and was presided over by the President of the Republic of Singapore, H.E. Tony Tan Keng Yam. This is the first time that an academic prize has been awarded to an individual in Singapore, and it reflects the growing recognition of the value of research in Asia.

“This prize is a tribute to the efforts of many people, both locally and globally, who collected wastewater-based epidemiology data from their communities during the pandemic”, said Prof Medema. He added that this allowed for public health interventions and policies which benefited millions of people worldwide. “This prize also reinforces the importance of water and health sectors working together,” he added.

Awarded by a panel of judges headed by NUS Asia Research Institute distinguished fellow Kishore Mahbubani, the prize was mooted by him in a 2014 column in The Straits Times. It is the first of its kind to be devoted to Singapore history and is administered by NUS Department of History.

The citation for this year’s prize describes Ms Hidayah’s book as both a synthesis and primary source, due to her personal inputs. Prof Miksic also hopes that the award will serve as an affirmation that ordinary citizens can write about their history.

The Prince of Wales will visit Singapore on Monday (6 November). He will try his hand at dragon boating, meet locals and learn about the fight against illegal wildlife trade in the region. He will also attend a summit hosted by the Earthshot Prize, an initiative by his charity, the Royal Foundation, to encourage global leaders and the private sector to develop technologies that can repair the planet in 10 years. The event will feature Earthshot winners and finalists from around the world. The prince will be joined by a number of global entrepreneurs, companies and investors. The royal will also unveil the new Earthshot Prize Trophy. He will also meet representatives of local organisations that are working to protect and restore the environment in Singapore.