Ms Tan Yen Yen
Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng
Ladies and Gentlemen
1. A very good evening to all of you.
2. I am very happy to be here as part of UNTAME: After Dark, which is the third annual edition of the UNTAME series of activities by the Science Centre to offer our youths and adults a fun and engaging way to experience science. Thank you for this invitation.
3. Today, I am pleased to give an update on the development of the new Science Centre, and to give a sneak preview of what we can expect when it is ready around 2027.
4. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (or STEM in short) have always stood at the heart of our nation's progress.
5. It has enabled us to overcome the constraints presented by our lack of space and natural resources, and won us a place in the global value chain.
6. Every time we turn on the taps in our homes to have ready access to water, we are benefitting from the innovative spirit of our scientists and engineers, combined with the foresight of our forefathers, to accomplish what many would have considered a mission impossible in our early days of independence.
7. We turned Jurong Island into an entire value-chain petrochemical processing and manufacturing hub; and we dug the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System as a cost-efficient and sustainable used water superhighway in land-scarce Singapore. In all these, and in many more examples, we have shown the importance of science in helping us improve the quality of life, overcome the constraints, and seize the opportunities in the future.
8. So we have done relatively well for the last 50-over years. But there are still many big challenges to come in the next 50 years.
9. These include climate change, energy sustainability, food security, future pandemics, and even cybersecurity issues.
10. While these are challenges, they also offer us opportunities to make a difference to the way we live in Singapore, and perhaps if we are successful, to demonstrate to the world the positive examples.
11. STEM holds the answers to many of these issues that we are grappling with today.
12. Hence, it is vital that we continue to enthuse our students – and the wider community – so they can make a difference to the quality of lives, and perhaps to the future of our planet.
13. That's a goal worth striving for.
14. An understanding of the importance of STEM, and inculcating a scientific approach based on empirical data and logical thinking – all these are important qualities we want in our people even if they are not in the STEM sector, or think of themselves as STEM enthusiasts.
15. And beyond that – we want our people to have a sense of curiosity to explore and experiment, to create and innovate, and to have an open mind to new ideas. This will be our competitive advantage going into the future; framing tomorrow's challenges, and finding tomorrow's solutions ahead of time using STEM.
16. A few years back, we made a strategic decision to develop a new Science Centre.
17. It was a unique opportunity for us to build for the future, and to continue our efforts to promote STEM amongst our people.
18. It is not too far away from the current Science Centre, just about 2km away, but right at the doorstep of Chinese Garden MRT station with a beautiful lakeside setting.
19. We are happy with the proposed overall design for the new Science Centre, and we are putting the finishing touches to the final design. With that, we are ready to start work next year. We will call tender, and we will break ground.
20. I am therefore very glad to unveil the design that we have for the new Science Centre. It will be A New Science Centre for All Ages - because more than just a new building in a great setting, we are envisioning many new possibilities that can come with it, for us to serve our people young and old and the industries.
21. Let me share a few images for us to visualise the new Science Centre and the experiences it will bring.
- First, a bird's-eye view of the overall building design, featuring a network of five interlocking blocks, with a 30m wide activity plaza towards the lake.
- The new Science Centre, situated right at the doorstep of Chinese Garden MRT station, will be highly accessible by public transport. Note that the view to the 7-Storey Pagoda of the Chinese Gardens will be preserved – in fact, I think it would be enhanced!
- Stepping into the new Science Centre, you'll be greeted by friendly robots and other interesting science exhibits.
- Here's what the galleries might look like, with STEM concepts coming to life in the large and flexible exhibition spaces!
- The new Science Centre building will integrate well with its surroundings, with lush landscaping and outdoor science exhibits.
- The outdoor Activity Plaza will be a great venue for science activities where we want to welcome the public to join in. It will also offer many possibilities for the new Science Centre to be a venue for various placemaking and community events.
- Here's a beautiful view of the building from across the Jurong Lake.
- And another view of what it could look at night because we also want this to be a place for stargazing and many more night programming options when it is cooler.
22. The new Science Centre will have something for everyone – from young children to teenagers and adults.
23. All you need to be is to be curious, and we are all curious.
24. So here's what we can look forward to in terms of programming.
For Children
25. The Science Centre has always been a favourite with young families, and the new Science Centre will have more than double the current space for hands-on activities for our children. There will also be a greater focus on facilitating parental involvement in their children's learning experiences, so that they can discover and learn together.
26. This can take place both indoors and outdoors, with waterplay, and even on the rooftops which space we would maximise.
27. We will also use part of the existing secondary forest as a learning environment for STEM in nature and everyday living.
28. We want our children to discover through play and doing simple experiments, to learn to observe and ask questions, to tinker and build – and these are the building blocks of our STEM education.
For Students
29. For our students, the new Science Centre will act as a large, interactive STEM classroom for applied learning. Science Centre will continue to work with MOE to bring textbook Science to life, by linking our curriculum to interactive activities they can experience at the new centre, and nurture young science enthusiasts and talents.
30. Every child will likely visit the Science Centre multiple times in the course of their school years, and I hope the new Science Centre will create many more happy memories for future generations of students, just as our current Science Centre has for many of us.
31. These visits would not just be to see general exhibits, but students would come here to be part of the interesting STEM programmes in the labs and learning spaces, and participate in the wide array of STEM competitions and festivals that Science Centre is well-known for. And we want the Science Centre to be an extension of our schools' classrooms and labs.
Older Students and Adults
32. There will be specially curated content for older students and young adults too, so they can better understand the issues of the day that matter in their lives.
- For instance, the role of artificial intelligence in jobs, bio-ethics. Social issues and the social sciences, and the inter-play of STEM with economics and society, would also be part of how our youths would be engaged.
- There will be after-dark events, like today's UNTAME After Dark Festival. Some will be more serious for Science enthusiasts, but others could just be quirky social evenings in a fun setting that would allow you to encounter science, and maybe some science experts, in unexpected ways. So stay tuned!
For Industry
33. I would especially like to invite our industry partners to be part of this vibrant ecosystem of expertise and talent.
34. The Science Centre already partners with many companies like Sony, Dyson, 3M, Abbott, and Amgen who share their expertise, develop talent through competitions, offer mentorships, and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
35. There will be opportunities to do even more.
- Companies can showcase their cutting-edge products to the public, increasing visibility of their research and processes that are happening in their factories.
- Most importantly, we want the new Science Centre to display the best of Singapore's Science for the world to see, so that it will inspire generations of young students to come.
- And this will be the base where companies can meet up with bright young minds, ignite their curiosity, allow them to prototype in the incubator spaces, and grow to become science advocates.
- Young people can also get insights on the latest developments in industry, keeping them plugged into the real-world needs and solutions.
Budding Talents, Special Interest Groups
36. The new Science Centre has also set aside space for special interest groups.
37. The Maker community can gather in the Makerspace, which is open to public, to build and test prototypes with companies as well.
38. We will also want to encourage public involvement in meaningful citizen-science programmes, with the Science Centre serving as a bridge that will link researchers from IHLs and research institutes with the public on suitable science research projects. For instance, the National Science Experiment (NSE) was a nation-wide science experiment contributed by Singapore students who tracked their carbon footprint, travel patterns, environment data by carrying a sensor as they travelled daily. Students were able to log in to view the results, from all over Singapore.
Public
39. In an exciting development, the laboratories, and even some of the workshops where new exhibits are being fabricated or tested, will be open to all visitors at the new Science Centre.
- So it will be possible for you to see an exhibition and then head to the microscopes and other tools to learn more, guided by Science Centre experts.
- You will get to go behind the scenes and discover answers for yourself. The magic of Science becomes visible.
40. If you have questions, there will be an 'Ask an Expert', who will either answer your question or guide you to specialist interest groups as needed.
41. There will be more facilities to run overnight camps in the new Science Centre, go on learning journeys on nature trails, study the skies at the observatory together with enthusiasts who bring their own telescopes for stargazing parties on the Science Centre grounds, and more.
42. The design of the new Science Centre will have a large outdoor activity plaza, where everyone, of all ages, can relax in the garden setting, have a meal, hangout with family and friends, and enjoy community events with a Science twist. Even wedding couples will find this to be an interesting backdrop for their photo-shoot! And there will be many Instagrammable spots as well!
43. All this will be easily accessible, given the wonderful location next to the MRT.
Conclusion
44. These are but just some of the ideas that we have today. We will continue to grow these ideas with your support, to fulfil our plan of developing the new Science Centre into a Science Centre for all ages, inspiring the young and showcasing the best of Singapore Science.
45. Our plans will continue to grow and morph in keeping with the latest developments in Science and Technology in the coming years, and the Science Centre team will reach out to different interest groups and stakeholders to co-create ideas for the new Science Centre.
46. Since the Science Centre was established in 1977, it has inspired generations. Programmes and events such as The Young Scientist Badge, and the National Science Challenge, known as the National STEM Championship now, are all part of our collective memory.
47. Many of our scientists and tech experts discovered their calling at the Science Centre as children.
48. After 50 years at its current site, the new Science Centre should be ready to start welcoming a new generation and continue to be that beacon for Singapore Science and Tech.
49. Our goal, together with your help, is to get the new Science Centre ready for its 50th anniversary, 5 years from now.
50. This showcase for Singapore Science and Tech will inspire students and the wider community, bringing new energy and partnerships to the new Jurong Lake District.
51. I would like to thank all the people behind this project, and the many supporters who have given us valuable inputs. We will continue to work on developing the programming at the new Science Centre, so that the Science Centre can distinguish itself not just by its architectural features, but also by its programmes, which can inspire the next generation and be a showcase of the best of Singapore Science and Technology. Thank you!