Leading scientists in S’pore to mentor young minds

SINGAPORE: Fifteen internationally—renowned scientists are in Singapore for the inaugural Global Young Scientists Summit.

For five days, 280 young scientists, both local and international, will get to rub shoulders and be mentored by these leading scientists, some of whom are Nobel Prize Winners.

Others have won the Fields Medal, Millennium Technology Prize and Turing Award.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also the Chairman of the National Research Foundation, opened the summit on Sunday.

Also in attendance was Countess Bettina Bernadotte, President of the Council for Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings and HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, who was inducted into the Lindau Honorary Senate in 2010.

He said this gathering of minds would help young researchers connect with their peers which could pave the way for future collaborations.

The summit would also be a good platform for international scientists and researchers to learn more about Singapore’s Research and Development landscape.

Mr Teo said that Singapore has committed more resources toward research, innovation and enterprise.

Under the current Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2015 plan, the government has committed S$16.1 billion for research, innovation and enterprise from 2011 to 2015, a 20 per cent increase over the previous five—year period.

Mr Teo said: "We have always thought of science and technology and research as something which you go somewhere else to do. But I think we have reached a stage of maturity where we really want to make Singapore a place where science and engineering takes place.

"This is one of those events which we hope we will be able to host in Singapore regularly so that science and engineering research, people identify it with Singapore and Singaporeans as well."

Mr Teo identified three ways science and research that will impact the lives of Singaporeans.

He said: "The first is our lives itself, so the whole biomedical area is transforming medicine and the way we live. The second is about how we make our living. With science and research, we hope to create industries of the future, and exciting new industries for young Singaporeans to work in in the future.

"The third is livability. There are many new challenges we face — climate change, water, living in urbanised areas — which not just Singapore faces but other countries as well. So we hope science and research will help us to address these challenges."

— CNA/fa