Madam Halimah Yacob, Chancellor, SUSS
Ms Judy Chan
Professor Cheong Hee Kiat, President Emeritus, SUSS and Chairman of the Judging Panel
Esteemed Judging Panellists
Shortlisted and Longlisted Authors and Publishers
Friends and colleagues
Good evening and a very warm welcome to the inaugural Dr Alan HJ Chan 'Spirit of Singapore' Book Prize Award Ceremony.
2. The late Dr Alan HJ Chan made the generous gift to establish this book prize in October 2022, to recognise outstanding literary works that epitomise, inspire, and promote the Spirit of Singapore – books that champion the mindsets vital and values important to the shaping of Singapore.
3. These values - equality, diversity, religious harmony, meritocracy, pragmatism, resilience, and a commitment to education, innovation, and community – were held dear by Dr Chan. Indeed, his purpose behind endowing this book prize was to promote, through literary works drawing on our past, present and future, the understanding and appreciation of the spirit of Singapore and the importance of social good in the making of Singapore society.
4. Dr Chan was a quiet and unassuming man who built his successful tanker shipping business from scratch. In July 1979, already in his late 40s, he decided to enrol in Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program, steadfast in his belief of the value that education can bring to one’s life, no matter one’s age. He lived as he believed - after helming his business for 40 years, he turned his focus in 2007 to more scholarly pursuits, devoting his time and energy to the study of Confucian ethics and becoming a noted and published Confucian scholar.
5. Given his mindset, it is perhaps then not surprising that Dr Chan chose SUSS to establish his Spirit of Singapore book prize. At the signing ceremony for the gift in October 2022, he said, and I quote “SUSS as Singapore’s main university of lifelong learning with its core philosophy of Head, Heart and Habit, provides an education strongly grounded in social good. This enables SUSS graduates to use their knowledge to build a better future for themselves and the communities they live in. The purpose of my gift is to build understanding and galvanise thinking on how social good makes a difference in Singapore’s society.”
6. At SUSS, we believe that the pursuit of education is more than just about degrees and achieving professional competence. It must serve a higher purpose, and through the education and applied research we do in the social sciences, we aim to generate knowledge and create mindsets that will contribute to social good and the betterment of society. The generous support of donors like Dr Chan is testimony that our mission is crucial and vital for the continued progress of Singapore society.
7. Sadly, Dr Chan passed away in November last year before the first book prize could be awarded. I am honoured by his daughter Ms Judy Chan’s continued support and dedication to ensuring her father’s legacy at SUSS is fulfilled. This event would not have been the same without her valuable input, for which we are deeply grateful.
8. In addition to the book prize, we are also looking forward to the inaugural Alan HJ Chan Biennial Conference taking place in October this year. The conference will bring together local and foreign academics, prominent practitioners and leaders in the private and public sectors to galvanise thinking and action on social good.
9. The findings will be compiled and published in an academic volume, contributing to important knowledge creation for the sector and keeping true to Dr Chan’s gift purpose of building understanding and galvanising thinking on how social good makes a difference in Singapore’s society.
10. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our five shortlisted authors for this first Spirit of Singapore book prize and acknowledge the efforts of all our nominees. Each of your works is an important addition to our canon of local literature, furthering our understanding of our diverse and ever-evolving nation. Our gratitude also to the judging panel led by Chief Judge Triena Ong for giving of their time and effort towards the task of shortlisting, and finally selecting our inaugural winner from this stellar shortlist.
11. Once again, thank you for joining us as we excitedly await the unveiling of the first winner of the Spirit of Singapore book prize. I wish you a very enjoyable evening ahead.
12. It is now my pleasure to invite Cancellor Madam Halimah Yacob to address us. Chancellor, please.