15 Sep (Sat): Prof Leo Tan speaks on "Greening the Red Dot - Creating a Legacy for the future?"

Singapore is a tiny island with more than 5 million people and no natural resources. So what is the value of nature and biodiversity to the socio-economic progress of this red dot? We are often reminded that it is business/finance and technology that drives the economy, not natural history! Is this really the case?

This seminar examines some aspects of the need or otherwise for nature and the environment in keeping our island salubrious and liveable as we chase our economic goals. How important or sustainable are the tiny pockets of natural forest, coastal mangroves, coral reefs and parks for us now and as a legacy for our future generations?


About Professor Leo Tan

Professor Leo Tan is the President and Fellow of the Singapore National Academy of Science. He chairs the NParks Garden City Fund, National Youth Achievement Award Council, Temasek Singapore Technologies Endowment Programme, National Science Challenge Steering Committee and the Science Sub-Commission of the Singapore National Commission for UNESCO. He is also Singapore Governor to the Asia-Europe Foundation and member of the Government Parliamentary Committee Resource Panel for National Development & Environment and Water Resources.

As the Director (Special Projects), Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Professor Tan successfully championed the restoration of the 160-year old Raffles Museum Natural History Collection. Under his leadership, a total of $56 million was raised for the building of the new National Museum of Natural History at NUS. The museum, slated to open in 2014, will house three of the largest dinosaur skeletons (diplodocid sauropods), believed to be the most complete and articulated fossils discovered in the past century.

He is now involved in two major research projects. (1) Singapore’s first landfill at Semakau research survey on the biodiversity of the mangroves, intertidal zone, seagrass beds and all the flora and fauna therein. This work is spearheaded by the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research of NUS. This study is funded by HSBC and supported by the National Environment Agency. (2) A comprehensive marine biodiversity survey of Singapore’s coastal environment funded by MND, HSBC and Shell.

The talk is free but pre-registration is required online. More details. This talk by Professor Leo Tan, organized by Wee Kim Wee Centre, SMU

Date: 15 Sep (Sat)
Time: 3-5pm
Venue: Mochtar Riady Auditorium, Level 5, Singapore Management University Administration Building
Contact: weekimweecentre@smu.edu.sg