National Geographic Channel and Singtel TV launch Project Breakthrough for young scientists-to-be

From left: Dr Yao Wei Yun, Department Head (Robotics), A*Star's Institute of Infocomm Research, Sun Young Moon, Vice President, Programming for National Geographic Channel South East Asia, Associate Professor Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information, Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng, Chief Executive, Science Centre Singapore, Goh Seow Eng, Managing Director, Home Services, Singtel TV, and Professor Martin Dunn, Associate Provost for Research, Singapore University of Technology and Design.

National Geographic Channel (NGC) and SingtelTV today introduced Project Breakthrough, a learning initiative that aims to spark interest and passion in modern science and technology among Singaporean children aged nine to 11.

 “Singtel TV is delighted to be part of Project Breakthrough with NGC. Together, we can go beyond empowering children with knowledge through entertainment and give them firsthand experience of the exciting world of science and technology. We hope this learning initiative will encourage them to seek answers through innovation, one of Singtel’s core values and the cornerstone of Singapore’s success,” said Goh Seow Eng, MD, Home, Consumer Singapore, Singtel.

Developed in line with the nation’s call for self-­‐directed learners, Project Breakthrough is supported by Science Centre Singapore (SCS), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and the A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research (I²R). These learning institutions will host various educational sessions and facility visits, allowing participants to delve into the world of innovation and engage with scientists and experts on hot topics such as alternative energy and assistive robotics. Future innovators who present the best five ideas in various fields will be offered an opportunity to further their interest through attachments at local research institutions.

Project Breakthrough was inspired by NGC’s latest production, BREAKTHROUGH, a six-­part series about scientific explorers from leading universities and institutions, and how their cutting-­edge innovations and advancements will change our lives in new ways. Presented by National Geographic and GE, the series will premiere on NGC (Singtel TV channel 201) on 7 November.

"NGC has a reputation for high-­quality programming that consistently resonates with audiences across the world and we aim to inspire viewers through premium programming. This initiative provides the perfect platform for us to identify and connect with the best in the field of innovation in Singapore, thus providing a strong correlation between the content and knowledge we share on-­air and the real life experiences of our young scientists-­to-­be,” says Sun Young Moon, Vice President, Programming, National Geographic Channel.

“SCS is happy to partner with NGC to work on Project Breakthrough, targeting our efforts specifically on an impressionable age group of nine to 11. At this age, kids are brimming with curiosity and are not afraid to observe and ask questions. These are the precursor attributes of becoming a scientist. We hope our tinkering and educational sessions paired with the airing of the BREAKTHROUGH series will spur further interest in science,” says Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng, Chief Executive, Science Centre Singapore.

Interested?

Young scientists can sign up for the Project Breakthrough sessions by registering online at www.singteltv.com.sg/ngcbreakthrough from 28 October 2015.

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about BREAKTHROUGH, the TV series. BREAKTHROUGH will air on National Geographic Channel (Singtel TV channel 201) from Saturday, 7 November 2015 at 10pm.