The Special Programme in Science (SPS) was founded in 1996 to nurture talent among budding scientists. It is an intense programme for a selected group of undergraduates with a fierce passion and strong aptitude for science. It is directed at students who cherish outstanding scholarship, and who take delight in the rigourous training of the mind and character. Participants are introduced to some of the broad areas of contemporary scientific research through an interdisciplinary approach, a key cornerstone and hallmark of SPS.