KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 — The ArtScience Initiative launched by the Academy Science of Malaysia (ASM) in 2019 holds immense importance for Malaysia as it can be the key driver of progress and unlock new frontiers of innovation.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang said the initiative can captivate minds, foster curiosity, and inspire the next generation of creative thinkers and problem solvers who will shape the future.
“The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) hopes that the ArtScience Initiative will encourage everyone to see problems from new perspectives and develop humanistic and innovative solutions.
“From an enculturation perspective, MOSTI intends to create a space where artists and scientists can collaborate and share ideas and we want to encourage using art to communicate scientific concepts and make science more accessible to the public,” he said at the ASM ArtScience Prize 2022 winner announcement ceremony here today.
Chang said the initiative was designed to cultivate innovation and inspire groundbreaking solutions to society’s pressing issues by fusing art and science.
“This programme aims to serve as a platform for multidisciplinary collaboration, uniting artists, scientists, technologists, entrepreneurs, and policymakers in pursuit of impactful societal contributions.
“It also seeks to establish strong international networks and partnerships, utilising global expertise to boost the ArtScience ecosystem and enhance its visibility and impact in Southeast Asia,” he added.
Chang also believed that the ArtScience Initiative can help society address the most pressing challenges such as planetary health and food security by embracing the convergence of art and science to unlock new possibilities and shape a vibrant future.
He also commended the ASM, Maybank Foundation, and all the strategic partners for their exceptional efforts in organising the ASM ArtScience Prize 2022, a biennial competition that invites participants from all backgrounds to create artwork that enhances human life through the interdisciplinary approach of science, technology and art.
He said such partnerships were important as art and science are two disciplines traditionally seen as separate, however, there has been a growing recognition of bringing these two disciplines together in recent years.
