Day: June 24, 2024

The HOFS Award 2023 was held at the Ritz Carlton-Millenia in Singapore on September 30, 2023. The prestigious event celebrated those who have raised the bar for the different niche sectors around the world. It also served as a platform for these individuals to network with other industry leaders. The HOFS Award is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. It is an annual award that recognises the efforts of influential individuals in various categories in the business industry.

The winner of this year’s prize was archaeologist Prof Miksic for his book, “Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea,” which focuses on the discovery of ancient artefacts at the southern tip of the island. A four-member panel, led by the chairman of NUS’ East Asian Institute Professor Wang Gungwu, selected the winning work from five shortlisted books.

Other titles on the list include a biography of the late architect and designer Lee Kuan Yew, and an account of a family’s life in an estate over five decades by Kamaladevi Aravindan. The prize, which was created in 2014, recognises works that have contributed to a deeper understanding of the country’s history and culture. The prize is open to non-fiction and historical fiction, but this year’s finalists are also submitting multimedia works such as films and comics.

Britain’s Prince William walked the “green carpet” on Tuesday in Singapore for the third annual Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, which was attended by celebrities including Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett and actors Donnie Yen, Lana Condor and Nomzano Mbatha. He said the solutions that were unveiled by the winners, which ranged from solar-powered dryers to combatting food waste and making electric car batteries cleaner, offered “hope” for addressing climate change.

In keeping with the sustainability theme, the celebrity attendees wore sustainable outfits to the event. The Prince opted for a 10-year-old dark green suit by Alexander McQueen, while actress Mbatha chose a blue gown by Stella McCartney. Other attendees included environmentalists and Singapore ministers.

Ms Chonlatee Chanracjakul, the ambassador of Thailand to Singapore, and Ms Panalee Choosri, the counsellor of the Royal Thai Embassy in Singapore, were present for the ceremony. The ceremony was broadcast live on a number of local media channels, and was streamed online as well.

The event was organised by the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities and the Urban Redevelopment Authority. It is one of a series of events that will be held in conjunction with the World Cities Summit, which was inaugurated by President Lee this week. The summit brings together government officials from cities such as Bilbao in Spain, Suzhou in China and Vienna in Austria to discuss urban challenges and opportunities for cooperation. It also aims to foster partnerships between governments and universities in order to develop innovative solutions to tackle urban issues. The City Network for the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize, a project of the Centre for Liveable Cities, will be launched at the summit.