Students from the other Independent schools are invited to attend the lecture, where they will interact with one another and enrich their social and intellectual experience. They are encouraged to engage in an exchange of knowledge, information, ideas and their dreams for the future.
The SBL series is all about developing bright, young minds that they might better contribute to the good of the community, the nation, and the world.
The speaker for each lecture is a very special person, respected for his or her intellectual and professional expertise, and also for the capacity to connect with 15 and 16 year olds. Over time, SBL speakers will be invited to share from a range of subjects covering Science and Technology, Literature and the Arts, Politics and Law, Philosophy and Religion, Education, and Nature and the Environment.
The SBL series is named after our founder, Miss Sophia Blackmore, an Australian Methodist missionary who despite the many obstacles of the day, followed her calling to come to Singapore in 1887. In the 40 years of her stay in Singapore, while educating women and girls and influencing thousands of people, she established two schools, a boarding school and a church. Her goal was to provide a total education for the whole person, and to meet the needs of the girls in every way – affective, cognitive and spiritual.
Previous sponsors of the SBL include Citigroup (NYSE: C), in 2003, and Ernst and Young, from 2004 to 2008. Since 2009, we are honoured to have as our sponsor, Great Eastern Life.
SBL since 2003
Date: 18 July 2003
Topic: Nanotechnology and Me
Speaker: Associate Professor Andrew Wee Assistant Dean, Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore
Date: 26 September 2003
Topic: Foreign Talent: What it means to me
Speaker: Dr Lee Tsao Yuan, Executive Director of SDC Consultancy and former Nominated MP Mr Lew Seng Huat, Senior Consultant at SDC Consultancy
Date: 8 April 2004
Topic: The Human Genome – From Ancient to Modern
Speaker: Dr Kon Oi Lian, Head, Division of Medical Science, National Cancer Centre
Date: 5 August 2004
Topic: The Words of Life Make the Life of Words
Speaker: Emeritus Professor Edwin Thumboo, Chairman and Director of the Centre of the Arts, National University of Singapore
Date: 24 March 2005
Topic: The Writer's Life
Speaker: Mr Philip Jeyaretnam, President, Singapore Law Society, Distinguished Writer
Date: 5 August 2005
Topic: Our Living Environment: Risk, Innovation and Simplicity
Speaker: Associate Professor Simon Tay Seong Chee, Chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs
Date: 21 April 2006
Topic: Creating Space for Singapore
Speaker: Mr Premjith Sadasivan, Director of South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Date: 24 July 2006
Topic: Forensic Pathology: Beyond CSI
Speaker: Dr Lai Siang Hui, a forensic pathologist with the Health Sciences Authority
Date: 18 May 2007
Topic: In Pursuit of the Unknown: Developing an Avian Influenza Diagnostic Kit
Speaker: Dr Rosemary Tan, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Veredus Laboratories Pte Ltd
Date: 11 April 2008
Topic: Cordblood and Stem cell research
Speaker: Dr Andrew Wu, is the technical director of CordLife.
Date: 26 March 2009
Topic: Cash Out Your Kidney
Speaker: Tan Siang Yong, M.D., J.D. Board-certified endocrinologist and licensed attorney in the U.S. Professor of Medicine University of Hawaii a Director of The St. Francis International Center for Healthcare Ethics in Honolulu
Date: 29 July 2010
Topic: Science and Technology In Countering Terrorism And Emerging Threats To Homeland Security
Speaker: Dr Lee Fook Kay, Chief Science and Technology Officer (CSTO) of the Ministry of Home Affairs Singapore
Date: 7 April 2011
Topic: Biodiversity Conservation for Singapore: How Relevant is it?
Speaker: Dr Shawn Lum, Lecturer, National Institute of Education
Date: 5 April 2012
Topic: A Gift of "La Vie": Frontiers and Breakthroughs in Stem Cell Therapy for the Nervous System
Speaker: Dr Keith Goh, Consultant Neurosurgeon, International Neuro Associates Group, ParkwayHealth Hospitals Group
Date: 11 April 2013
Topic: From Science to Innovation: Biomedical Medical Devices made in Singapore
Speaker: Professor Freddy Boey, Deputy President and Provost, Nanyang Technological University