As the world faces ever-growing global challenges, Singapore has emerged as a leader in driving innovation, science and technology to help solve some of its most pressing problems. But it is not just the government that has been taking on such issues. Many ordinary citizens are also stepping up to make a difference.

Here are some of the stories behind these individuals and groups, who have received awards and accolades that recognise their efforts to change our world for the better.

A former diplomat has set up a prize to encourage the development of Singapore’s national identity through a strong sense of shared history. Kishore Mahbubani, who chairs the NUS Singapore History Prize’s five-member jury panel, told The Straits Times that nations are ‘imagined communities’, and a shared imagination – especially through history – is critical to bind them together.

The first Singapore Prize 2024 was awarded to a book spanning three generations of one family’s tumultuous relationship with China. The book, which was written by a Chinese-Singaporean academic, is titled In Time, Out of Place. It was long-listed for the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2016 and won the inaugural English translation award from the National Book Council of Singapore this year.

In the other categories, an NUS alumnus’s memoir of her battle with cancer won the best Chinese novel award, while a collection of poems by a contemporary Chinese poet won the best Malay literary work prize. The other award was the inaugural NUS-Cambridge physics prize, which is given to those who have contributed significantly to raising public awareness of physics in a Singapore context. Nominees do not need to be Elected Members of the Institute or physicists, but should have significant Singaporean ties.

Several non-profit organisations have been awarded prizes to recognise their efforts to promote social responsibility. For example, the Harvard Prize Book Award was given to pre-tertiary students who care about others in their community, and to connect them to the Harvard community in Singapore. Muhammad Dinie from ITE College Central was one of the winners for his project to show appreciation to Town Council cleaners during the Covid-19 pandemic by giving them packed meals, groceries and thank-you cards. The ceremony was attended by celebrity guests including actors Donnie Yen and Lana Condor. Britain’s Prince William, whose charity launched the Earthshot Prize in 2020, said the solutions unveiled at the awards ceremony proved that “hope does remain” despite the devastating effects of climate change. He also presented awards to the winners of the prize categories. These include an Indian maker of solar-powered dryers, a soil carbon marketplace and non-profits that seek to restore Andean forests, deter illegal fishing and tackle waste elimination. Other award winners include a Japanese company that makes electric car batteries, a British firm that helps farmers manage risk and an Australian wildlife conservationist. They were all given a US$10,000 cash prize. More information about the award and its categories can be found here.