Heritage in a Young Country

Description of Programme

In this seminar ""Heritage in a Young Country"" we explore Singapore's journey to balance rapid modernization with preserving its heritage. In the early years of nationhood, urban development led to large parts of the island being razed with little resistance. However, the loss of many historical buildings and cultural sites soon raised awareness about the need to protect Singapore's unique heritage. As concerns grew over the shape and form of Singapore’s heritage and identity, a crucial debate emerged: How can a young nation like Singapore balance heritage conservation with development? This seminar will explore how the National Heritage Board has navigated this debate, highlighting strategies to safeguard cultural and historical assets while embracing progress.

Participants will gain insights into the roots of this debate, understanding the challenges and triumphs in preserving Singapore’s heritage amidst rapid urbanization to answer the question – What does heritage mean in a young country like Singapore and how it shapes our national identity?

Dr John Kwok is a Research Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University. A historian, he was formerly an Assistant Director at the National Heritage Board, where he worked on community engagement projects on Singapore’s Intangible Cultural Heritage that contributed to the nomination of Hawker Culture in Singapore to UNESCO.

Learning Objective / Total Defence Pillars

Social Defence 

Psychological Defence

Location(s)

In-Camp or over Zoom

Indoor 

Rating

Teamwork

Physical

Guided

Duration

2 hrs

Session Timings

Anytime between 9am and 5pm

Pricing (per participant)

$30.00

Min 25 Pax

Terms and Conditions

  1. Reservations are subject to availability and will be on a first-come-first-served basis. A booking/confirmation notice will be sent to the unit/department for acknowledgement once the space for the specific timing is confirmed.

  2. In the event that the unit/department cancels a booking less than 10 working days before the start date, or does not show up on the event date, a late cancellation fee will be incurred.

  3. In the event that participants arrive later than the scheduled time, the programme will still proceed according to scheduled itinerary and end at original scheduled time. There will be no ‘make up’.

  4. The programme owner reserves the right to make changes to the content, date and time of the programme, without the consent of the unit/department.

  5. Programme owner shall not be liable for claims resulting from injury or any loss of personal property to the participants, which may result due to their participation in the programme.

  6. The unit/department can submit a Fee Waiver Request Form for absentees who could not attend the NE programme on event day for compelling reasons (e.g. sick with MC, on compassionate leave, etc.) within 5 working days upon conducting the NE Activity. Fees will not be waived for absentees without compelling reasons.

  7. Units can request for one-time amendment to the booking (eg. change in number of participants, date and/or time of tour) at no cost incurred to the unit, when the amendment is made at least 10 working days before the event.

  8. Any amendment requested less than 10 working days is subject to availability. In the event that programme owner could not accede to the changes and the programme has to be cancelled, Cancellation Fees will apply.

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