Author: Chrystal Chan

Second-year Data Science and Artificial Intelligence student Cammy Mun, who takes classes from both the School of Physical & Mathematical Sciences and from the School of Computer Science & Engineering, is a shining example of how undergrads can benefit from interdisciplinary learning.

“Unlike the students who specialise in computer science or computer engineering, I take math courses alongside coding and computing modules, which helps me draw connections between these cores of data science and to think critically,” she says.

“For example, I’m now doing Data Analysis with Computer – a math-heavy module that uses the programming language R to find out the mean or median of data, as well as plot visualisations to process large chunks of data quickly.”

Her course has even garnered the attention of Forbes, which named it one of the 10 best AI and Data Science Undergraduate courses for 2021.

Starting in the new academic year, all freshmen will benefit from a common interdisciplinary core curriculum that covers topics such as digital literacy, communication and inquiry, ethics and global challenges.

“Not only will students from different disciplines be put together in teams to learn, they can take many modules from outside their own disciplines,” says Prof Ling.

NTU’s new interdisciplinary bachelors’ programmes and fresh combinations of double majors also help build versatility for new career demands.

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This story was published in the Jan-Mar 2021 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.

Fourth-year Computer Science undergrad Milla Samuel knows the thrills of putting into practice what is learnt in the classroom and getting noticed at work even before she graduates. The Renaissance Engineering Programme (REP) scholar has already completed two internships and will be doing two more this year.

One of her internships was a remote internship as a software engineer with Canadian start-up Picovoice, which she landed fortuitously.

“When I was studying in University of Berkeley, California, in my third year as part of the REP programme, the vice-president of Picovoice spotted my portfolio on GitHub, a code-sharing platform. He noticed I was based in the Berkeley area, and offered me a position after an interview,” says Milla.

“I was initially supposed to go for an internship with Dell in Silicon Valley, which the NTU programme helped me secure, but I couldn’t stay on in the US because of the pandemic. I’m thankful I was allowed to do my internship remotely,” she adds.

Her multiple internships have given her lessons that are invaluable to any student, including the chance to create real impact. During her second internship with GovTech Singapore, she worked on SupplyAlly, a digital platform that had to be ready at short notice during the Circuit Breaker period to facilitate the distribution of COVID-19 essentials by volunteers.

“One of the most important things I’ve learnt at work is to be open to feedback and readily ask questions. You learn the fastest on the job, but when you’re stuck, don’t just sit there and try to figure out things on your own. You have to ask for help and take advantage of the mentorship you get,” she says. 

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This story was published in the Jan-Mar 2021 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.

Experiencing the heady rush of being a tech pioneer is final-year Mechanical Engineering student Koh Ley How, who is working on the latest iteration of Nanyang Venture 11, an electric car with a design inspired by a killer whale that has already won an award at Shell’s annual eco-car competition for students around the world.

“My main task is to improve on the existing design of the gear train and also redesign its components to make it sturdier. As the official test driver, I take the vehicle out on drives and give feedback on how else it can be improved,” says Ley How.

He follows in the footsteps of his seniors, who worked on previous models of Nanyang Venture. The Nanyang Venture 8, Singapore’s first 3D-printed urban battery electric car, dominated headlines when it won six awards at the Shell competition in 2016, turning in Singapore’s best performance.

Smitten by the allure of innovation in motorsports from a young age, Ley How is keen to help push the automotive industry to greener heights.

“Being able to take part in the Shell Eco-marathon is ideal for engineers-to-be who want to break new ground. NTU has a strong track record of winning at this competition, where innovation is key. That’s my motivation to keep working on the car. I’m keen to continue along this path in the future,” he says.

Opportunities to design and build are plentiful on the NTU Smart Campus, where innovation is encouraged and supported. A student start-up was recently in the news for developing FoodBots – self-driving food delivery robots. These four-wheelers have delivered over 6,000 food orders across the NTU campus (read more about the FoodBots here).

“The FoodBot is an engineering dream for us. Almost every part of the robot is made by us, from 3D-printed parts to self-designed custom printed circuit boards,” says Melvin Foo, founder and third-year Renaissance Engineering Programme student. 

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This story was published in the Jan-Mar 2021 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.

Being immersed in research can spark a lifelong passion as in the case of Biological Sciences student Steph Song, who discovered her affinity for healthcare research, specifically in reproductive biology, at NTU.

“I was born a premature baby and research into this area fascinates me as it helps me understand my own life story. I’ve worked on three research projects so far, on topics revolving around female physiology, hormones, cancer and urinary tract microbiology,” she says.

The CN Yang scholar, who wants to do her final-year project remotely with Harvard Medical School, clearly enjoys jumping headlong into research.

“Many times, a surprising result can be achieved with the smallest and – what we think is – the most insignificant thing. I take joy in discovering the unknown, and it’s rewarding to see your effort become part of a discovery that could potentially change the world,” she says. 

Under the new Global Alliance of Industries @ NTU, undergrads will have even more opportunities to be part of research done with more than 200 industry collaborators that include those with laboratories at NTU, such as Rolls-Royce, Delta Electronics, Saab and Alibaba Group.

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Internship

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This story was published in the Jan-Mar 2021 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.