Science Centre Singapore and Asian Scientist Magazine Launch ...

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Apr 2, 2015 - to submit an entry, and no professional qualifications are necessary. Winners will receive ... you have a
Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Science Centre Singapore and Asian Scientist Magazine Launch Inaugural Asian Scientist Writing Prize Offering a platform for the best scientific penmanship in the region Singapore, March 23, 2015 — Asia is home to a steadily expanding community of scientists who are driving the region’s research capabilities and economic success. To increase public awareness of the region’s scientific excellence, Science Centre Singapore and Asian Scientist Magazine have co-organised the Asian Scientist Writing Prize to find the best science writing from Asia. Sponsored by World Scientific Publishing Company, the organisers invite non-fiction entries in the 1,000-1,500 word count range covering any scientific discipline. There is no specific theme in this inaugural year, but entrants are encouraged to write in an aspirational manner on topics that are relevant to Asia. Anyone based in Asia is welcome to submit an entry, and no professional qualifications are necessary. Winners will receive attractive prizes including prize money, a certificate of recognition, publication in Asian Scientist Magazine, and deliberation for inclusion in the Best of Scientific Writing from Asia 2015, a book that will be published under the Asian Scientist imprint. “The mission of Science Centre Singapore is to help the public appreciate the relevance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in our everyday life, and we need good storytellers to help us with this. This initiative will give scientific communication in Asia the opportunity to flourish, especially in this digital age where there is greater need for both compelling and credible content to engage interest in science. Importantly, we have dedicated a special youth writing prize to nurture our younger writers under the age of 18,” said Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng, chief executive officer of Science Centre Singapore. “With this Prize, we hope to surface talented science communicators within Asia, people with the ability to tell stories about science that are both accurate and engaging. We welcome all individuals to submit an entry, whether or not you have a background in science or journalism,” said Dr. Rebecca Tan, managing editor at Asian Scientist Magazine. The Prize ceremony will take place in July 2015, in conjunction with the Singapore Science Festival 2015 and Science@50 celebrations. A panel compromising of journalists and scientists will evaluate the entries. Prizes are as follows:     

1st Prize: S$8,000 2nd Prize: S$5,000 3rd Prize: S$3,000 Science Centre Singapore Youth Writing Prize: S$1,000 (18-year-old and below) 10 Merit Prizes: S$500 World Scientific Publishing book vouchers

The opening date for submissions is 2 April, 2015 onwards till 30 June, 2015. More information is available at http://www.asianscientist.com/ASWP. Supporting organisations for the Asian Scientist Writing Prize include: Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), National University of Singapore (NUS), National Youth Council (NYC), Science & Development Network (scidev.net), Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

About Science Centre Singapore Science Centre Singapore is a non-formal educational institution and a leading regional Science Centre. A custodian of creativity and innovation, the Centre has captured the evolution of scientific developments through unique and relevant exhibitions and shows. The Centre houses 14 exhibition galleries with more than 1,000 exhibits, another 30,000 sq metres of outdoor exhibition space showcasing the Waterworks exhibition, Eco Garden and Kinetic Garden as well as the OmniTheatre — Singapore’s only dome-shaped, 5-storey high IMAX theatre. The Centre and its partners have played a pivotal role in transforming the way students and the public interact with and learn about science & technology. Together with the Omni-Theatre and Snow City, it has engaged and enriched more than 29.5 million students and visitors since 1977. The Science Centre, Omni-Theatre and Snow City received 1.09 million visitors for FY2013/2014. For more information, please visit www.science.edu.sg About Asian Scientist Publishing Pte. Ltd. Asian Scientist is a science communication specialist based in Singapore. Their flagship publication, Asian Scientist Magazine, is the definitive source of science and research news in Asia. Founded in 2011 as a weekly online magazine, it launched its flagship quarterly print magazine in 2014. Notable people to have appeared between the pages of Asian Scientist Magazine include Nobel Laureate Shinya Yamanaka and Dr. Wong Chi-Huey, president of Taiwan’s Academia Sinica. It has more than 66,000 fans on Facebook. For more information about Asian Scientist Magazine, visit http://www.asianscientist.com In addition, it has launched a division called Asian Scientist Intelligence, Asia’s first full-service science public relations communications firm. Committed to helping science and technology organisations capture new opportunities in Asia, it has gained recognition and important connections in the biomedical research, information technology and healthcare sectors. For more information, please visit http//asintelligence.com MEDIA CONTACT Nathaniel Lee Golin +65 6551 5422 / 9624 8825 [email protected] Clara Wong Asian Scientist Magazine +65 6466 5775 [email protected] Jyotika Thukral Science Centre Singapore +65 64252541 [email protected]

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