24 November 2001

SPEECH BY RADM TEO CHEE HEAN, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND 2ND MINISTER FOR DEFENCE, AT THE OPENING OF THE FORUM ON "CREATIVITY IN THE ARTS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY" ON SATURDAY, 24 NOVEMBER 2001 @ 0930H @ THE THEATRE, UNIVERSITY CULTURAL CENTRE,
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

1 I am pleased to be here this morning to officiate at the opening of the inaugural forum on "Creativity in the Arts, Science and Technology", jointly organised by the Tan Kah Kee Foundation, the National Arts Council and the Singapore National Academy of Science.

2. This forum aims to promote and stimulate creativity in the Arts, Science and Technology and show how the progress in the three disciplines is fuelled by creativity. The forum also hopes to enhance interest in creativity and innovation in these three areas.

3. The development of the sciences, technology and the arts go hand in hand. Human history is marked by seminal periods when civilisation flowers and great discoveries in science, major advances in technology, and great works of art and new art forms are created. We have seen such great periods in China, in India, in Europe and in the Middle-East.

4. The Golden Age in the Middle East was a period of unrivalled intellectual activity in all the three fields. It was during the period that Algorizm, the founder of Algebra, introduced the concept of Algorithm and developed Algebra systematically and extensively by giving analytical solutions of linear and quadratic equations. It was also during this period that Geber, who was generally known as the Father of Modern Chemistry, perfected scientific techniques such as crystallization and distillation, and developed several instruments for conducting these experiments. In the field of medicine, there was Rhazes, whose writings on smallpox and measles were recognised by the World Health Organisation in 1970 as showing originality and accuracy, and his essay on infectious diseases was the first scientific treatise on the subject.

5. One of the famous poets from the era was Omar Al-Khayyam, who was the outstanding Islamic poet and mathematician. He was described by Bertrand Russell¹ as the only man known to him who was both a poet and a mathematician. In Geography, there was Al-Idrisi (or Dreses) who was regarded as the greatest geographer and cartographer of the Middle Ages. His comprehensive knowledge of all parts of the known world attracted the attention of sea navigators and military planners. One example of a world traveller from the Islamic Civilsation was Ibn Battuta,who completed a 75,000 mile voyage from Morocco to China and back.

6. When we look to the East, we will also see that the arts, the sciences and technology were developed extensively in the history of China. Examples of creativity in the literary scene included the lyrical Tang poetry and emotive social commentaries of the early 20th century, such as works by Ba Jin and Lu Xun. There were also examples of progress in the field of the sciences, which included the development of acupuncture and treatment by herbal medicine. In the area of technology, the examples included printing, cannon and gun-powder. China also contributed to the history of navigation with the invention of the compass and Admiral Cheng Ho's many voyages to the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific.

7. The progess of the arts, the sciences and technology that we see in both the Middle East and China point to one fact - that the underlying trait of the great scientists, inventors and artists is the spirit of innovation and creativity. These people dared to challenge time-honoured assumptions to dream up new ideas and made significant contributions to humankind.

8. Inter-disciplinary learning combining science, the arts and technology, enhances innovation and creativity. One good example of inter-disciplinary learning was Leonardo da Vinci, of "Mona Lisa" and "The Last Supper" fame. Leonardo da Vinci's interests were extensive and he studied subjects as diverse as painting, sculpture, anatomy, flight, architecture, water and air dynamics, war machines and nature. He combined art and science in his intricate drawings of the human skull, the womb, the hand and the human body. His drawings of the boat design, the barrel spring, spheres and curvature also showed that he effectively applied his artistic talent to his study of the "technology" of his time. He was one person who managed to hone the key skills of inter-disciplinary learning, such as the ability to think and act creatively and innovatively.

9. Our schools also recognise the value of inter-disciplinary learning and now carry out inter-disciplinary project work for our pupils. Learning a specific discipline allows students to understand a subject in depth and with rigour, and teaches students how to analyse and understand the world from the point of view of that discipline. Inter-disciplinary learning stimulates our students to look at things from different viewpoints, to see different sides and shades of a problem, and to help them come up with new, totally unexpected solutions.

10. Schools have experimented with innovative ways to teach concepts. Commonwealth Secondary has made learning tessellations fun by fusing art and mathematics. At some primary schools, children are taught to recognise patterns in science and mathematics by using music and rhythm, and they also learn mechanics through Physical Education using see-saws, swings and roundabouts.

11. Through inter-disciplinary learning, our pupils have the opportunity to practise creative and critical thinking skills, develop self-directed inquiry and life-long learning skills, foster collaborative learning skills as well as improve oral and written communication skills.

12. One example of inter-disciplinary project work carried out in schools is Bowen Secondary School's Project GEMS, which successfully integrated Geography, English, Maths and Science. Field trips to Pulau Ubin were conducted for pupils to give them the opportunity to creatively and innovatively apply their skills and knowledge of the different subjects in testing for the quality of water. The pupils applied

I was also informed that the pupils made use of IT such as Macromedia Director to do their presentation. This inter-disciplinary project has certainly gone a long way in honing the pupils' creativity and innovation.

13. By harnessing creativity and innovation in our pupils, we will be able to equip them with the necessary skills and competencies for their future. The constant change that we encounter in the world today reminds us that we cannot continue to merely provide our young with fixed formulae for success or dictate content to them. Instead, we must educate them to be resourceful and innovative, and have the courage to take risks and chart their destiny amidst an ever-changing social-economic landscape.

14. I am happy that today's forum aims to stimulate discussion on creativity and how to identify and nurture it. It is heartening to note that among our distinguished speakers are representatives of a wide range of disciplines in the arts and humanities as well as science and technology. One of them is the distinguished Professor Stephen Smale, winner of the Fields Medal (the highest honour accorded to a mathematician). I think there is much to learn from our speakers about how we can better understand, appreciate and foster creativity among our young people.

15. It is my hope that as we develop the minds of our young to be original thinkers who are also innovative and creative, we will also be able to inculcate values and the right attitudes. Indeed, as our young develop as creative and innovative individuals in their own right, it will warm the heart greatly to see them as civic-minded people who make use of their many gifts and talents to contribute to their family, friends and the community. My wish is also to see our potential artists, writers, scientists and inventors develop themselves to the best of their ability and, in turn, inspire others to progress in the same direction.

16. On this note, I declare the Forum on Creativity in the Arts, Science and Technology open. May I wish you a very fruitful forum. Thank you.

		their knowledge of Geography to map out eight sampling sites using the Geographic Information Systems,

		their language skills to write expository essays and reflective journals, and also produce brochures on the quality of water in Pulau Ubin,

		their understanding of Mathematics to analyse raw data and convert them into line graphs, and

		skills learnt in Science to correctly use electronic tools such as data loggers to take measurement of, say, the pH level in water samples.