Esteemed educators,
Students,
Ladies and gentlemen,
A very good afternoon, and let me also wish you a very Happy Lunar New Year.
1. It is my pleasure to join you once again this year at the STEM 2.0 Education Forum, following the success of last year's inaugural event.
2. As we gather here today, I am reminded of the incredible journey we have embarked on just about a year ago, and the strides that we have made in advancing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education, or STEM education in short, in Singapore.
Introduction & Overall Importance of Space to Singapore
3. For decades, space research has supported numerous technological breakthroughs that have pushed the frontiers of scientific research. It has vastly improved how we understand and live in our world today.
- For example, satellites from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration agency, or NASA's Nimbus Program – initially meant for meteorological research and development – led to the first confirmation of the ozone hole and subsequently, global recognition of the destructive potential of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer that protects life on Earth's surface from exposure to harmful levels of the sun's radiation. Space technology has also been influential in our understanding of human influences on climate change, with over half of essential climate variables only measurable from space.
4. Singapore recognises the importance of the space ecosystem and has been a firm supporter of its development. Since 2015, the Singapore government has invested over S$240 million in space technology research development, which has contributed to Singapore's position as a hub of innovation and research excellence for the region. For example, investments in space technology research and development have contributed to the strengthening of our food security through microgravity research in the space environment to enhance seed yields for urban farming, and water quality monitoring for aquaculture. Moving forward, we are optimistic that space innovation will provide the answers to many of the pressing challenges we are facing today – including climate change, energy sustainability, food security, future pandemics, and cybersecurity issues.
Reflecting on the Significance of Promoting STEM Education
5. We have been working to grow our space ecosystem by investing in STEM education initiatives for students like you in Singapore. STEM has always stood at the heart of our nation's progress. Our focus on STEM education has enabled us to overcome the constraints presented by our lack of space and natural resources, to develop our greatest resource: our people.
6. STEM education has evolved beyond the traditional confines of textbooks, emphasising hands-on, applied learning that allows students to grasp the real-world applications of their knowledge from a young age. For example, the use of SPARKLE kits in primary school science lessons provide a hands-on resource to catalyse students' conversations around science. One of the kits is Let's Light Up. Students get to play with light bulbs and objects to see how light travels and how shadows are formed. At the secondary level, schools encourage their students to deepen and pursue their interests in STEM through Applied Learning Programmes, Science Centre programmes and the national level competitions, such as the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair, and the National Robotics Competition, as well as the Engineering Innovation Challenge. These programmes and competitions provide a real-world, hands-on approach to spur an appreciation of STEM learning beyond the classroom and encourage our students to be curious, be creative and be a positive change.
7. We have also been stepping up efforts to encourage more women to explore and pursue their interest in the STEM fields. One example is Nanyang Technological University (NTU)'s Women@NTU initiative, which aims to increase female participation in STEM fields through programmes to support early-career female researchers, mentorship networking platforms, seminars and workshops.
8. The significance of STEM education in our curricula cannot be overstated, as it not only develops the technical expertise required for the industry but is also pivotal in developing 21st Century Competencies such as critical, adaptive and inventive thinking, which empowers our students to thrive in and beyond school by contemplating and creating innovative solutions to various challenges.
9. Space Faculty's STEM 2.0 Education Forum is an example of such an initiative. This platform seeks not only to advance STEM education but also to bridge the gap between classroom learning and professional pathways in the field of space exploration.
10. To this end, it is really encouraging to see organisations like Space Faculty working towards promoting a broad range of STEM education initiatives for space.
Acknowledging the Efforts Shown by Students in the International Space Challenge 2024
11. As part of the STEM 2.0 Education Forum, today, we recognise and celebrate the hard work and innovative spirit of our youths who have participated in the International Space Challenge – or the ISC for short. I would like to thank the Space Faculty for providing opportunities to students to showcase their ingenuity and resourcefulness in solving real-world problems and developing innovative ideas for the future. We would also like to give special mention to the mentors and experts who have patiently guided and shared their knowledge with the students in this journey. Can we give them a big round of applause please.
12. Since ISC's launch in 2008, the programme has benefitted a total of close to 6000 participants, and served as a platform for youths from various educational backgrounds to gain first-hand insights into what it would be like to be a part of the space sector. Participants are given the opportunity to investigate and experiment with real-world applications via industry sharing sessions, meet-the-expert sessions, workshops, and their own research, in the hope of stimulating the discovery of new innovative ideas.
13. The theme for the ISC2024 is "Space Mining," where participants are challenged to investigate the use of space technologies to understand how we could explore space as the final frontier to mine and obtain valuable resources to mitigate Earth's increasingly finite resources.
14. As we celebrate the achievements of our students this year,
I have been told that the theme for next year's ISC will be "Living in Space". We hope that with this theme, students will continue to be engaged in the real-world and innovative applications of STEM in space.
Creating Greater Access to STEM Opportunities in Space
15. Apart from the ISC, the lntegrated Space Programme initiative by the Office for Space Technology and Industry (OSTIn), Science Centre Singapore, and the Space Faculty aims to expose our youths to space topics and satellite expertise through a series of hands-on workshops where students would be taught about satellites. Eventually, they would build, launch, and operate a cubesat. Since its inception in 2023, it has engaged almost 140 students, teaching them about the foundations of building satellites.
16. Since 2021, OSTIn has also worked with Space Faculty to develop a Space Internship Programme to cultivate student interest in space and provide greater access to this industry. Through this programme, Space Faculty has facilitated around 30 internship opportunities for students with space companies such as Aliena, Kymeta, and more.
17. Students can also look forward to space programmes in tertiary institutions to further their interest in space. In July 2023, as part of a programme by the National University of Singapore's College of Design and Engineering, a team of students and researchers achieved a significant milestone by successfully launching the Galassia-2, a 4-kg nanosatellite, which is used for remote sensing for agriculture and environmental change using a multispectral camera on board, into space. It is heartening to note that some students involved in the conceptualisation and construction of the Galassia-2 were inspired by their experience and continued to work and contribute to the space industry, illustrating the many other opportunities present for our youths to further their education and develop technical skills related to space technology from Singapore.
Broadbased Initiatives Promoting a Career in Space to the Public
18. To further raise awareness of Singapore's efforts and potential in Space, OSTIn is supporting the Science Centre Singapore's series of annual Space Festivals. Last year, it was charmingly named "Dot in Space". The festival's playful reference to Singapore as a "little red dot" is a light-hearted nod to our nation's identity. But, as the exhibition clearly showed, our impact on space exploration is far from small. The exhibition highlighted Singapore's thriving space industry, showcasing the impressive technological progress we've made on our journey to the stars.
19. This year's Space Festival would be taking place from 8-10 March 2024, so please keep an eye out for it.
20. I am happy to hear that the Space Faculty plans to evolve this current STEM 2.0 Education Forum into Expand Space.
- Designed for individuals under 35 years old, Expand Space integrates four tracks across space and deep-tech – learning and career development, entrepreneurship, technology development and research – creating a holistic pathway for youths to enter the global space and deep-tech sectors.
- More importantly, Expand Space will enable Singapore to play a global, strategic role in bringing youths together to share the tech agenda for the future world.
- I am also glad to share that Singapore has won the bid to host the World Robot Olympiad 2025, which will be a part of Expand Space.
Closing
21. Once again, I would like to thank Space Faculty, OSTIn, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore Land Authority, and partners for their contributions toward encouraging our future generations as they pursue their interest in STEM.
22. I would also like to express my heartiest congratulations to our students from Singapore and all over the world, for taking on the International Space Challenge. You have worked hard to be here today, but this is only the start of your journey. I encourage you to continue pursuing these dreams with the same enthusiasm and determination you exhibited during the ISC. The small steps that you take today will help pave the way for greater success in the future and hopefully inspire others to do the same.
23. With that, I wish you all the very best, and have a pleasant afternoon at the STEM 2.0 Education Forum, and may the year allow you to explore your horizons in space. Thank you.