The NUS Singapore History Prize is a triennial award presented by the NUS Department of History to promote a wide range of engagements with Singapore’s past. From 2024 onwards, the Prize will include a new Arts and Multimedia Category in addition to its Book Category. This new development is a result of the increased emphasis on engaging Singaporeans with our history through a diverse array of mediums, leveraging contemporary platforms to inspire the next generation.
The first winners of this year’s Harvard Prize Book (Singapore) have been announced, with two of the five awarded to individuals for their efforts in bringing joy and care to others. This year’s winners, Harrison and Si Min, both work in the field of virtual experiential learning for youths, a social enterprise they have started to help the underprivileged. Both have also continued to be involved in their communities, with Harrison running a pay-it-forward initiative in SMU’s Koufu and Si Min heading up a social enterprise that provides digital skills training for the elderly.
This is the second year that the prize has been awarded and, with the addition of the Arts and Multimedia category, NUS hopes to broaden the appeal and impact of the Prize going forward. The Prize Panel is also looking to increase the prize money in 2027 to further inspire impactful works and engagement with Singapore’s unique and complex history.
In a nod to the growing significance of non-print media in our society, submissions that engage deeply with Singapore’s history through multimedia and artistic platforms will be considered under this new category. There is no limit on the date of production and the Prize will be open to all media types, including films, visual art, performance, installation art, etc.
In the short story category, Prasanthi’s collection of stories tackling women’s issues won her the prize. The judges said her writing was “skilful, assured and comedic at times but also profoundly moving”. They commended the fact that she was able to capture the multiple perspectives and contexts of different situations in her works.
NUS’s President’s Science and Technology Awards (PSTA) recognise the outstanding achievements of researchers and technologists across a wide variety of fields. In addition to the PSTAs, NUS also celebrates research and innovation through a series of prizes that are presented during the year.
In the 2025 edition, the NUS Singapura Prize for Science was awarded to three scientists, with two being for ground-breaking discoveries in neuroscience and one being for an innovative approach to teaching. The other winner was the WildAid Marine Programme, a global non-profit working to bolster enforcement to deter illegal fishing. The full list of winners can be found here.