Essay Competition

From colonial legacies to today’s digital disruptions, how has history shaped the choices we make today and in the futures we dare to imagine? This year’s RSIS Essay Writing Competition invited young thinkers to grapple with the question, “How has history shaped the present and the future?” 

Top Prize Winner

Lee Zheng Yu

“How has History Shaped the Present and the Future?”

In his winning entry, Zheng Yu reflects on how Singapore’s survival story has both protected and constrained the nation’s development. He argues that the state’s management of history – including which episodes were highlighted, delayed or downplayed – played an important role in building cohesion and legitimacy in newly independent Singapore. With the recent declassification of The Albatross Files, he traces an emerging shift from history as justification to a more open and interpretive discourse. His piece thoughtfully urges Singaporeans to see history not as a fixed destiny, but as a resource that can and more that can expand the futures we imagine. 

Read more here: How Has History Shaped the Present and the Future

Runners-up

Camille Ong

“What Are We Defending? A Commentary on Dreams, Identity, and Total Defence in Singapore” 

In her essay, Camille contends that Singapore’s biggest security risk may not be a lack of capability, but a gradual erosion of shared meaning. She reflects on how earlier survival‑driven dreams once bound society together, and warns that purely individual aspirations can hollow out the social and psychological pillars of what we envision as Total Defence. Drawing on her experience as a first‑generation Singaporean, she concludes that dreams still matter. Without a common narrative of responsibility and belonging, the social, psychological, and digital pillars of Total Defence risk become fragile. Her essay ultimately challenges Singaporeans to rediscover a shared “dream” of who we are and why this city‑state remains worth defending. 

Read more here: What Are We Defending_A Commentary on Dreams, Identity, and Total Defense in Singapore

John Reginald Shutler

“The Return of Communalism: Singapore Cannot Afford to Ignore Even the Earliest of Warning Signs”

In his essay, John draws on recent security incidents to highlight the early signs of a quieter but potentially dangerous return of communalism in Singapore. He argues that communalism has never truly been defeated, only managed, as history repeatedly warns. Even in a well‑governed and cohesive society, online polarisation and imported identity conflicts can gradually erode social trust unless they are recognised and addressed early. His piece calls for renewed vigilance, deeper interfaith engagement, and digital‑age responses to protect Singapore’s hard‑won social harmony. 

Read more here: The Return of Communalism_Singapore Cannot Afford to Ignore Even the Earliest of Warning Signs

Honorable Mentions

RSIS Essay Writing Competition 2025-26 Selected Essays 

In this compilation of other selected pieces from the essay competition, young voices revisit familiar milestones, uncover overlooked stories, and challenge narratives about Singapore, the region, and the world. Together, they reveal that history is not a closed chapter, but a living force that continues to inform our security, our identity, and our policy choices. 

Essays by Cayden Chai, Chua Jun Yan, Kayden Lim, Tang Guang Xiang & To Rui Xuan

Cayden Chai

Read more here: The Watchman’s Legacy_A Bedtime Story of a Small Island

Chua Jun Yan

Read more here: Foxes and Hedgehogs in Singapore History

Kayden Lim 

Read more here: China and Japan_Down the rabbit hole of the past to future

Tang Guang Xiang

Read more here: The Polycene – Lessons for Asia

To Rui Xuan

Read more here: Keeping an Eye on History