The Science Centre

Throngs of people visit the Science Centre on long weekends, especially when it's a school holiday. It is a popular spot for family outings, and it attracts its share of tourists.

Ms Zeng Mei Ling, a Singaporean in her 40s, is a regular visitor. "I have been to the Science Centre many times over the years and I like it because it is interactive," she says. "There is a great variety of exhibits, including visiting exhibitions such as The Lord of The Rings, T-Rex and Old Arcade Games, and it brings back memories… The exhibits are great, there is variety and change and it is one-up compared with static exhibits."

Ms Zeng is not the only one who finds the Science Centre fascinating. Expatriates living in Singapore like to bring their children to the Science Centre too, says Dr Chew Tuan Chiong, Chief Executive of Science Centre Singapore.

"I was walking through the exhibit hall when I heard an expatriate visitor praising the Science Centre as being the world's best. Naturally, I had to stop and ask her why," he recalls. "Her reason was that it was the most interactive science centre that she had even been to."

The Science Centre offers another facet of Singapore life. Foreigners are generally impressed by what they see, the clean and green Singapore; and what they eat, the relatively inexpensive sumptuous food found at hawker centres and food courts. But the Science Centre, which creates a space for explorative learning and the satisfying of inquisitive minds, brings about another dimension of living in Singapore and plays an important role in propagating the values of World•Singapore.

Being an educational institution, its most apparent contribution is knowledge. Learning is made fun. The creativity and interactivity of the exhibits allows inquiring minds to absorb information outside of the monotony of classroom drilling. No one is too young to be exposed to the joy of learning. The centre hosts many kindergarten children, some only four years old.

Another group of foreign visitors are the students. "Students from Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Vietnam, China and India come here on study tours; some spend two of the four days here, and we hope that we can give them a good experience to take home with them, so that when they grow up, they will see Singapore as a friend and a good place to live, work or do business with," says Dr Chew.

Over the years, the Science Centre has garnered its fair share of expertise in science centre management and has started to export this knowledge. It is engaged in high-level international work; and at the same time, leveraging on its local branding and bringing Singapore's reputation for quality to the global market.

This has gained further impetus with World•Singapore. "We were never quite sure whether this was within our core mission, to go out into the world and to do business, as we were primarily set up to complement local Singapore education institutions," says Dr Chew. "But World•Singapore changed all this. We are more confident that it is part of our mandate and we now encourage our staff to take up the more interesting international projects."

Most of its international work is in the form of consultancy work, for which it charges a fee. It has been called upon to help set up science centres in the Philippines and China.

About 10 years ago, the Science Centre signed a memorandum of understanding with the First Lady of Chile to explore setting up a science centre in Santiago. "We were not sure whether to proceed as it was not within our primary objective then, so we did not pursue it aggressively," recalls Dr Chew. These days, with the impetus provided by World•Singapore, the direction is clearer.

The Science Centre is currently involved in a joint venture with a Singapore private sector architect to bid for an urban renewal contract in one of China's cities. People choose to do business with the science centre because they trust it. "They know that we will deliver. They are also impressed with the Singapore education system; in which we play a part, and they want to benefit from our system," says Dr Chew.

Besides consultancy work, the Science Centre also develops and sells exhibits globally. One example is an exhibition on water, set up in collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History in New York. A section of the exhibit highlights the Singapore Public Utility Board's achievements in water management.

"We are proud that through this exhibition, other nations will also come to know of Singapore's achievements in water technology," says Dr Chew. Other Science Centre exhibits have also travelled to Australia, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong and Qatar.

But Dr Chew is aware that looking ahead, the challenge is to do even more. "We know that if we want to enter the international stage, we will be used as a benchmark and we need to meet expectations. We are given an automatic boost by the Singapore brand, and we want to help enhance that image of quality and trust," he says.

Where Minds Meet

Ms Lee Chor Lin, Director of the National Museum of Singapore.

The re-opening of the 120-year- old National Museum in December 2006 has ushered in a new era of youthful vigour and innovation. "As a national platform for international expression, the Museum is the place where minds meet, where the environment is made conducive for conversation, appreciation and creativity," says Ms Lee Chor Lin, Director of the National Museum of Singapore. With state-of-the-art gallery facilities supported by quality curators, designers and crew, the Museum presents visually stunning exhibitions at its Singapore History and Living galleries and hosts renowned travelling exhibitions such as Maria Theresia and Greek Masterpieces from the Louvre. "Our exhibitions and programmes are aimed at nurturing open-mindedness and preparing the people to embrace even greater cultural and ethnic diversity," says Ms Lee. "We see a variety and interesting mix of people entering the Museum's doors."

The National Heritage Board

Mr Michael Koh, Chief Executive Officer of the National Heritage Board (NHB), has set himself a monumental task. He wants Singaporeans to spend more time in museums and to make them part of our local culture.

Singaporeans are better known by their two pet loves - eating and shopping - but Mr Koh is undaunted. He and his team have brainstormed ingenious ideas to attract Singaporeans to visit these institutions of art, heritage and culture.

"We are trying to attract schools, the silver-haired community and families to come to the museums," says Mr Koh. To do so, it has enlisted popular artistes such as local actor/comedian Mark Lee and Qi Yuwu to lead tours. Such moves have drawn audiences who normally shy away from museums.

Museums are not just relying on such hooks to boost visitorship. Schools have been encouraged to become NHB School Members, by paying an annual fee that is based on school enrolment and the type of institution. For most schools, the average fee is about $400-$500. The scheme allows member schools' students free entry to NHB's museums all year round. The membership scheme covers the Asian Civilisations Museum, National Museum of Singapore, Singapore Art Museum, and from April 2008, the new Peranakan Museum. In the pipeline are plans to recruit more retirees as volunteer museum guides.

The exhibitions also aim to tug at the heartstrings through emotive, interactive exhibits so that visitors understand the dynamics and depth of Singapore more keenly. Examples can be found at the National Museum of Singapore's History and Living galleries. As Ms Lee Chor Lin, Director of the National Museum of Singapore explains, "When they are able to relate to stories narrated by very specific characters, be it Sir Stamford Raffles, or the Chinese coolies who had just arrived in Singapore, or the Teochew physician reciting medical riddles, they become instant ambassadors."

The National Museum has certainly made an impact. Mr Phil Lowe, an Australian tourist spending a few days in Singapore, was impressed. "I enjoyed the museum tremendously. It is very good," he says of his visit.

NHB's team also takes pains to ensure that the exhibits are relevant and contemporary so that people can identify with them, instead of being musty lessons that have no relevance to daily living.

In Re-Woven, which is being exhibited at the Singapore Art Museum until 6 April 2008, famous local fashion designer Benny Ong showcases more than 40 creations of Laotian handwoven art inspired by Buddhism and the Museum's architecture. What is fascinating, says Mr Koh, is the integration of the modern and the traditional, and working with regional counterparts to uplift a traditional cottage industry to participate in the global economy.

Another example is Under the Crescent Moon, which showcases the world's Islamic cultures and community through an architectural exhibition, a multimedia installation and a series of modern dances, music and film. "We took on the project with an enthusiasm to learn as well as to share the dynamics and beauty of the Islamic world that straddles West Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, and Central and Southeast Asia," says Ms Lee.

Despite the compelling exhibits, Mr Koh laments that many young Singaporeans find it difficult to find time to visit the museums. "It contributes to the X-factor, the quality of life, and the connectedness to the world," he adds.

Internationally, among its peers, museums here command great respect. For example, the Singapore Art Museum has the largest collection of modern and contemporary Southeast Asian art in the world, which includes key pieces that other museums can borrow.

The National Archives of Singapore has also established a regional thought leadership position. It actively nurtures relationships with overseas partners in developing international heritage projects under the auspices of the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information. It is now helping Vietnam and Indonesia to build their archives and conduct regular workshops on the latest archival approaches.

NHB's international standing and expertise is shown by the ease with which Singapore museums can borrow exhibits from their world-leading counterparts like the Louvre. "They trust us with the security, the professional handling of the exhibits and our design," explains Mr Koh. "This trust has given Singaporeans the opportunity to see Greek masterpieces without making a costly trip overseas. And they have fun bonding in the process. Some people sketch, try on the costumes, or take pictures", says Ms Lee. "Some fathers play backgammon with their children while mothers may be called on to explain nudity in ancient Greek culture."

What happens at museums, says Mr Koh, is about much more than just numbers. "It is about establishing values, a sense of rootedness, identity and cultural vibrancy." In the process, it establishes Singapore as a global city; a place where people want to be.