A sense of pride and accomplishment filled the air at the NUS University Cultural Centre on 26 October 2024 as NUS celebrated its brightest talents at the NUS Achievement Awards (NAA). The NAA recognises student achievements beyond academics, across six categories: arts, community impact, competitions (general), leadership, sports, and recognition (of Eco Champions and Campus Vibrancy), with each category split into Distinction, Merit and Commendation levels.
Professor Tan Eng Chye, NUS President, the Guest-of-Honour, highlighted the importance of celebrating students' journeys and achievements. He emphasised that student life is pivotal in fostering well-rounded individuals through new opportunities in the arts, sports, community impact, and leadership roles. He noted that "NUS student life would not be complete without a string of signature events such as the freshmen orientation camps, Rag and Flag, and the Student Life Fair," calling these the "heart and pulse of the university."
Among the honourees, CDE students and their outstanding projects earned one Distinction award, two Merit awards and two Commendation awards. Chua Hao En from Built Environment was recognised with the prestigious Sportsman of the Year award. Hao En has spent six years in lifesaving. In 2024, he represented Singapore at the Lifesaving World Championships, where his team set a new national record in the 4x25m Manikin Relay.
As captain of NUS Lifesaving, he led his team to consecutive Men's Division A titles in the 2023 and 2024 National Lifesaving Championships. "Receiving the Sportsman of the Year award at this year's NUS Achievement Awards is truly humbling. ... I am grateful for the unwavering support of my teammates, coaches, and mentors, who have played a pivotal role in my success,” Hao En shared. He encouraged his fellow students to balance academic and extracurricular pursuits for a truly fulfilling university experience.
Three projects from the Department of Architecture received Distinction and Merit awards. The Distinction award in the competition category was presented to Tan Wei Jie Eugene, Class of 2023. He garnered international recognition for his thesis drawing, “Archatographic Map of the Incomplete Landscape on Pedra Branca,” under the supervision of Associate Professor Lilian Chee. He triumphed as the Digital Category Winner of The Architecture Drawing Prize at the 2023 World Architecture Festival. Eugene's experimental drawing uses an unconventional circular composition to explore new understandings of time, ecology, and orientation. This marked his seventh entry and first win in the competition, reflecting his resilience and commitment to growth. Eugene remarked, “Architecture competitions are important because there is so much more to the discipline than what we learn in school.”
Josephine Pun Tsz Kiu from the Class of 2025 won the Merit award for Original Artistic Work of the Year under the Arts category for her project “The Lantern”, which transformed 5,500 discarded bottles into a pavilion facade. This design highlighted Singapore’s bottle disposal rate and emphasised the integration of recycled materials into building design. “The Lantern”, showcased at iLight Singapore Festival 2024, served as a sobering embodiment of environmental harm and a symbol of renewal.
Designing for sustainability extends beyond reusing items. Team Limue, comprising members Zikry Nasrullah, Jordan Yeo, Sean Lim Jun Rong and Glen Ang Xun Zhe from the Department of Architecture, Class of 2025 proposed a sustainable solution to foster future resilience. Their innovative approach, which combined AI-driven design software with advanced rendering techniques, earned them third place in the International Building Design Competition (IBDC) 2023 and a Merit award in the Competitions (General) category. Their dedication and teamwork resulted in a structurally sound and visually stunning design, showcasing their innovation and excellence.
We also congratulate the Commendation award recipients: Team OTTER, Fan Qing Yao and Sharmila Selvam.
Team OTTER comprises nine students from different faculties, including five from CDE Biomedical Engineering, one from Mechanical Engineering and one each from the School of Computing, the Faculty of Science, and Duke-NUS Medical School. Co-team leads Syarwina Ridwan and Chen Xiayu from Biomedical Engineering guided the team and secured third place at the 2023 international Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) competition. Their AI-powered platform named OTTER (Optimised Technique for swiTch Engineering and Ranking) represents a breakthrough in predicting RNA interactions by evaluating RNA classes and pinpointing gene-targeting sequences. This innovation, a product of interdisciplinary collaboration across AI, engineering, and biology, leverages recent advancements in RNA vaccines and machine learning to significantly enhance precision—marking a step forward in targeted genetic research.
Apart from competition wins, NAA celebrates exemplary leadership. Fan Qing Yao from Electrical Engineering, President of the NUS Students’ College of Design and Engineering Club, and Sharmila Selvam from Engineering Science, President of Residential College 4’s Students' Committee, earned Commendation awards in the leadership category. This award recognises their roles in fostering a supportive, collaborative environment that inspires fellow students in academics and extracurricular activities.
In a similar spirit of leadership and community impact, the NUS Student Life Scholarship was awarded to Ng Yi Hsuan from Materials Science and Engineering, recognising her contributions to community sports through her role as President of NUS Golf. Under her guidance, the group grew to 1,600 members, creating an inclusive atmosphere by minimising participation fees and providing equipment and support to newcomers. Yi Hsuan expressed her honour in receiving the scholarship, stating that it motivates her to further her goals in golf and make a broader impact within the community. She emphasised the important values that sports instil, such as patience and determination, and encouraged others to pursue their passions, even if they seem unconventional.
