STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS & STUDENT LIFE
CDE at NUS Rag & Flag: Connecting beyond horizons
What a memorable day for CDE at NUS Rag and Flag!
Since 1958, Rag and Flag has been a cherished annual tradition where students and staff unite to give back to society. It begins with Flag Day, when NUS students raise funds for local charities and culminates in Rag (Receiving and Giving) Day, a grand finale featuring vibrant float performances thanking donors for their support.
“My biggest concern was whether the new students truly understood the meaning of Rag and Flag,” said Cheong Jia Yi Chloe (Year 2 Environmental and Sustainability Engineering), Project Director of CDE Flag. “It’s more than a show or collecting money, it’s about giving back and impacting lives.”
For Rag Day, the CDE team comprising 80 students created a float with an energy core of 36 symbolic leaves representing the CDE performers.
“Painting and designing the float came with space and weather challenges, but we pulled through together. We believed in giving it our all, so we won’t have any regrets,” said Ho Jing En Cheryl (Year 2 Biomedical Engineering), Project Director of CDE Rag.
Head of Floaters Heng Jun Kai (Year 2 Landscape Architecture) said, “This year’s float had more 3D elements using foam board, plywood, and cardboard. My design experience helped structure the float, while engineering teammates focused on mechanics and safety.”
The team prioritised sustainability by using repurposed materials, meeting one of Rag’s grading criteria. “We prototyped many times to make sure designs fit the theme, sizing, and performance needs,” said Honey Chia Han Ning (Year 3 Architecture), Head of Costumes. “My background in architecture made it easier to gauge measurements, and we also reused clothing materials to align with the sustainability focus.”
CDE Rag clinched the silver award this year, we’re so proud of you! Congratulations to all our students, committee members, performers, and supporters for showing what it means to truly connect beyond horizons.
Check out all the highlights here.
Ignite, Forge, Grow: CDE in action at IFG 2025
It’s game time! The Inter-Faculty Games (IFG) 2025 are well underway!
NUS’ biggest student life event, uniting 3,000 athletes across 30+ sports. Guided by the theme Ignite, Forge, Grow, it’s all about passion, teamwork, and growth through competition.
CDE is all in, with 340 students across 28 sports, powered by our athletes and the people behind the scenes.
Meet Chua Chee Suan Kevin (Year 2 Mechanical Engineering), Sports Director, leading logistics, admin, and comms with team captains to keep IFG running smoothly. “This role has pushed me to grow as both a leader and teammate. I’ve learned that with good communication and clear responsibilities, even the biggest challenges are manageable. Most importantly, leadership is about enabling others to succeed, trusting captains, supporting their needs, and helping the whole system run smoothly.”
Sports Director Hilary Tan Wen Xi (Year 2 Chemical Engineering), who also plays netball, captain’s ball, and touch rugby, shares: “I had such a great time meeting new people, bonding with teammates, and even picking up touch rugby. The CDE team was so supportive, truly embodying the IFG spirit.”
To all our CDE athletes: give your best, and the results will follow. Remember to have fun! With passion, teamwork, and spirit, we believe Team CDE can achieve great things this IFG!
Catch all the action at @nuscdesports !
CDE athletes make their mark at World University Games 2025
Our student-athletes showed that they shine not only in labs and classrooms, but also on the global sporting stage! Out of 22 athletes representing NUS at the 2025 FISU Summer World University Games (WUG) in Germany, six were from CDE, making their mark and making us proud!
Meet two of our sportswomen, Chloe and Grace, who shared their inspiring journeys at WUG 2025:
🥋 Chloe Tan Rui En (Year 2 Materials Science and Engineering)
Chloe began her judo journey in secondary school with no prior experience. With perseverance and support from her teammates, she progressed through the ranks despite the challenges of balancing academics and late-night practices. "In judo, maximum efficiency with minimal effort mirrors engineering; strategy is key," she said. At the World University Games, she represented Singapore and achieved her first international match win, gaining valuable insights and learning to adapt her techniques under pressure.
🏸Grace Tan Seo Shien (Year 2 Industrial and Systems Engineering)
Grace faced nail-biting badminton matches where every point counted; she battled intense rallies, rubber sets, and a faster-paced scoring system. Beyond the scores, she reflected on managing emotions under pressure, strategising at crucial moments, and drawing strength from her teammates’ support. Grace returned from Germany with resilience, growth, and unforgettable friendships, even if the trophy didn’t come home.
A huge shoutout to all six CDE athletes at WUG 2025 for representing us with grit and determination. Their journeys show that excellence goes beyond the classroom, as the same resilience that fuels their engineering also drives their sports achievements.
- Andrew George Medina (Athletics) –Year 2 Mechanical Engineering
- Grace Tan Seo Shien (Badminton) - Year 2 Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Desiree Choo (Badminton) – Master of Science (Industrial and Systems Engineering)
- Sharifah Nur Hanisah Binte Shaik Mohd Danial (Badminton) – Year 2 Biomedical Engineering
- Chloe Tan Rui En (Judo) - Year 2 Materials Science and Engineering
- Jolin Seng Shi Ying (Taekwondo) – Year 3 Electrical Engineering
A warm start to the university life at CDE!
From the hands-on creativity of the Rag (Receive and Giving) Exposure Camp in June to the fun and community-building of Orientation Week in July, students got an early taste of CDE life, made new friends, and discovered the spirit and opportunities that await them this year.
CDE RAG Exposure Camp
CDE hosted its Rag Exposure Camp, designed to introduce incoming freshmen to the spirit and creativity of Rag. Unlike typical orientation camps, this one focused on hands-on experiences with different Rag departments, where participants tried their hand at float-building, costume-making, and even simple dance choreography. For many, it was a first taste of what makes Rag so special. “I think the Rag camp really helped us show the incoming freshmen what Rag means to us, which led to many of them signing up for the season as well,” said Ho Jing En Cheryl (Year 2 Biomedical Engineering), CDE Rag Project Director. Beyond discovering Rag, participants also formed new friendships, many of which carried over into the season, making the journey less daunting and more meaningful.
CDE Orientation Week
CDE welcomed 576 freshmen in its largest Orientation Week yet. Over four days, the organising team blended fun, learning, and friendship to give students a warm start to university life.
Months of planning went into the camp, from brainstorming fresh ideas to refining logistics and testing new activities like Carnival Day. Running a large-scale programme from scratch was demanding, but teamwork and adaptability made it possible.
Through dry runs, feedback, and clear communication, the committee delivered a smooth experience. More than games or talks, O’Week became a space to build bonds, find mentors, and grow in confidence. As Project Director Ling Xing Tze, Erica (Year 2 Infrastructure and Project Management) shared, “Our goal was simple: to give freshmen a warm welcome into CDE. We hope the energy and community spirit will carry them through their years here.”
August now marks the start of the new Academic Year and exciting times ahead, with upcoming activities organised by the Office of Student Life, Departments, and CDE student leaders. Highlights include Community Day (to be held on 29 Oct), student wellness workshops, and CCA activities, all designed to foster community and support well-being. Stay updated by keeping a lookout for announcements via your NUS email!
CDE Student Leaders recognised at the first CDE Student Leaders' Forum
“Today, we recognise the hard work and dedication that the student leaders have put into the interests of the student community. It is not just a celebration, but also a platform to share how best we can support each other to help the CDE student community grow,” said Assoc Prof Darren Chian, Vice Dean of Student Life at the inaugural CDE Student Leaders’ Forum organised by the CDE Student Club and the CDE Office of Student Life.
The event began with an engaging series of presentations delivered by a diverse group of student organisations, including:
- The CDE Student Club, which focused on the club’s goals in the near future. This includes incorporating more sustainable practices into their events, as well as increasing the visibility of the club amongst the student body.
- The Climate Analytics and Technology (CAT) Club, the youngest of the sub-clubs, having just formed a year ago, introduced the aim and purpose of their club. They emphasised their commitment to engage all students across NUS who are interested in climate analytics and green technology.
- The NUS Landscape Architecture Collective (LAC) gave a quick introduction about the club’s purpose and their efforts to advance the practice of landscape architecture amongst their peers.
- The Environmental Sustainability and Engineering Students’ Club (ESESC) shared about their flagship events, including local events like the Pandan Mangrove Cleanup and alumni gatherings, as well as their overseas community service project, OceaNUS.
- The Chemical Engineering Students’ Society (ChESS), who shared about their special projects the One Million Tree CIP and the Loving Hearts CIP.
The forum concluded with a dialogue among student leaders discussing issues with student life and activities, moderated by Assoc Prof Darren Chian (Vice Dean of Student Life, CDE) and Benedict Lee, President of the CDE Student Club.
Commenting on the forum, Benedict said, "The inaugural CDE Student Leaders' Forum was established by CDE Club to provide a proper platform for our undergraduate leaders, from every CDE major, to not only engage with their peers but also with the CDE Leadership. We hope it continues to grow into a platform where policies can be built up, frameworks established, and our student leaders recognised for their efforts in shaping student life in CDE."
Cheers to the student leaders from the CDE sub-clubs who received certificates of appreciation from Assoc Prof Martin Buist (Deputy Dean of Education, CDE) in recognition of their service and work for the CDE student community!
Prof Hwang Bon-Gang leads DBE cPAIRu team to third prize at AI4X Conference 2025
A research team from the Construction Performance Analytics & Innovations Research Unit (cPAIRu), Department of the Built Environment, has achieved global recognition at the AI4X Conference 2025, organised by the NUS AI Institute.
Led by Professor Hwang Bon-Gang and working alongside PhD researchers Shi Maruoyan, Zhu Hanjing, and Liang Mingxuan, the team was awarded third prize in the poster category.
This recognition is especially meaningful as their work was selected from over 300 global entries spanning high-tech, medical, and scientific fields, making them the sole representative from the built environment discipline to be recognised.
Congratulations to Professor Hwang and his team on this outstanding achievement!
CDE triumphs at Engineering Innovation Challenge 2025
We are excited to share that our students clinched the Champion title and four Merit Awards in the University Category at the Engineering Innovation Challenge 2025, organised by the Institution of Engineers Singapore.
Tan Tin Chong, Quay Genk Swee Daniel, Shermaine Kong, Su Rati Naing and Theikhar Maung, Year 3 Civil Engineering students, clinched the Champion title with their project “Substituting Commercial Retarders with FePO₄-Dominated Battery Waste (FPW) in Concrete.”
Supervised by Dr Du Hongjian and co-mentored by Dr Luo Zhiyu, both from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the team explored how iron phosphate waste (FPW), recovered from spent electric vehicle batteries, could be repurposed as a sustainable concrete admixture.
By replacing conventional chemical retarders with three per cent FPW by cement weight, they successfully delayed setting times while maintaining compressive strength. The project presents a practical way to upcycle battery waste, reduce reliance on imported additives, and support Singapore’s circular economy and zero-waste goals.
“Each concrete sample took 28 days to cure, so we had limited chances to optimise the mix. Despite that, we developed a viable green solution with our mentors’ guidance,” said the team.
Dr Du said, “This achievement reflects our students’ strong competency in solving complex problems. Their passion for building a sustainable society translated into real action and innovation. Through this challenge, they demonstrated how engineering can drive impactful solutions in waste upcycling.”
In addition, four other teams were recognised with Merit Awards for projects in sustainable agriculture, advanced construction technology, renewable energy, and AI-powered food waste reduction. These teams included CDE students from Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Computer Engineering, as well as students from the College of Humanities and Sciences (Physics) and NUS Business School.
Congratulations to all our teams and supervisors for your commitment to engineering solutions for a more sustainable and resilient future!
Read more about the winning projects here
Civil Engineering undergraduates clinches the Most Dynamic Structure Award at the Floating Wind Challenge
Flying the flag high for the first time in the Floating Wind Challenge, Team Luck of the Sea, an enthusiastic all-undergraduate Singaporean group from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, shone bright, clinching the Most Dynamic Structure Award in their debut!
The global competition, held at Bruges, Belgium, brings together student teams to design, build, and test scale models of floating wind turbines, turning classroom concepts into creative, practical solutions for renewable energy.
The team’s semi-submersible floating platform concept was inspired by modular floating platforms, featuring multiple individual floats that move vertically and independently to counter wave motion. This design improves stability by allowing each platform to adjust on its own, reducing the overall impact of waves. Reconditioned plastic barrels were sourced as the floater and were selected for their structural integrity, cost, and environmental benefits.
“Our initial prototype was ambitious, with complex mechanisms for a multi-barge system,” said team lead Lim Li An Trevan. “Fabrication challenges forced us to simplify the design and source recycled materials ourselves, making it more cost-effective and giving us a deeper sense of accomplishment.”
Assistant Professor Pearl Li, supervisor of the team, said, “This Year 2 team built their project from scratch, tackling technical and logistical challenges with determination and teamwork. Their success is especially meaningful as they bridged the gap between theory and practice, taking learning beyond the textbook into impactful, practical innovation. I couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve achieved.”
The team also identified areas for improvement to guide future participants in the 2026 edition, including easier prototype installation under harsher conditions, starting work earlier for fabrication and testing, and forming multi-disciplinary teams to create more comprehensive designs.
Team Members
- Dion Sim Wei Jun
- Koh Jian Hua
- Justin Adrian Halim
- Pristine Kristanto
- Lim Li An Trevan
- Vivien Trisha Javin
- Ng Yi Jiat
- Kiera Khaw Jia Xin
Supervisors
Assistant Professor Yuzhu Pearl Li
PhD Candidate Carlos Pérez Moreno
PhD student receives award from home country
Mr Zhou Jingyuan, PhD student supervised by Assistant Professor Yang Kaidi, has been awarded the Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Students Abroad. This award recognises exceptional PhD students of Chinese nationality who pursue their studies abroad without funding from the China Scholarship Council. This year, a total of 650 awardees have been recognised worldwide across all disciplines.
Cradle to Memories: Student exhibit at Mount Elizabeth Hospital
The “Cradle to Memories” exhibition opened on 30 July at the refurbished Grand Lobby at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Orchard, marking its first major renovation since its establishment in 1979. With the tagline, “Objects Rebirthed from 45 Years of Mount Elizabeth Hospital”, the exhibition commemorates the many memories embedded in the building.
The Division of Industrial Design (DID) was commissioned to preserve these memories by recycling frequently used hospital equipment and objects into creative pieces beyond their healthcare function.
In collaboration with graphic studio Couple and editorial studio In Plain Words, DID’s Associate Professor Hans Tan first began the project in 2023. In August 2024, 20 students from his platform studio gathered and worked in pairs.
From baby cots and gowns to tiles and medical storage bins, they redesigned selected hospital items to acknowledge their inherent character, as well as embody the memories shared by the long-time staff from the hospital.
The project resulted in 10 timeless keepsakes that capture the story of each object’s use and place in the hospital’s journey. For instance, one of the exhibits is made of repurposed hospital wall tiles, transformed into a sound installation showcasing the beauty of their hidden sound. It reflected how the tiles were once hidden by another façade from a previous renovation. Another example is a sideboard and coffee table pair constructed from old hospital handrails that kept the original spirit of ‘support’.
“When Mount Elizabeth Hospital approached me for this project, the first thing that jumped to mind was the unique opportunity to work with objects from the hospital,” Associate Professor Hans Tan said. “The rich narratives they possess would serve as interesting mediums for transformation through design, especially beyond the healthcare setting.” For him, the project is reminder of what design education can do; to nurture empathy, expand imagination and give new life to the overlooked.
The exhibition is open daily from 8am to 8pm until 30 September, after which the pieces will be moved to a permanent space elsewhere in the Grand Lobby.
Student designers:
- Aw Ker Wey and Dannon Low
- Ang Sze Ern and Madeline See
- Relyene Soh and Joshua Tan
- Priscilla Koh and Wang Yixian
- Jocelyn Tan and Wan Irdina
- Ashley Thong and Bobby Lui
- Chen Zi Xin and Pearlyn Sing
- Ye Lin and Magdelene Low
- Gan Jie Lin and Hidayat Alisha
- Miranda Fang and Stephen Wang
Team Bumblebee dominates RoboSub 2025
Huge congratulations to Team Bumblebee for crushing it and taking FIRST PLACE at RoboSub 2025 – an international competition organised by RoboNation where students design, build, and compete with autonomous underwater vehicles!
The team’s innovation and hard work have truly paid off!
Having sat out last year’s edition of RoboSub, Team Bumblebee returned to a competitive field with a record number of contenders, including teams from Duke, San Diego University and Arizona State University, all of whom were also finalists this year.
Teams went through seven days of gruelling competition, which included technical presentations to judges and several rounds of pool testing.
Aside from the first-place finish, Team Bumblebee also received the following awards for their design documentation: best website, best report, and best video.
Commenting on the team’s success, Bumblebee Team Lead Leong Deng Jun said, “I am very proud of what the team has achieved at this RoboSub. This year’s competition was especially challenging with a record number of teams participating. Many teams came better prepared, which meant we had limited testing time in the competition arena. Despite some unexpected setbacks and hardware issues, every member of our team stepped up and contributed to this victory.”
"Team Bumblebee has a tremendously admirable culture where the students are highly committed, are always pushing their technology boundaries, hold each other accountable, and mentor their junior students very well. It is truly remarkable what the students have accomplished." – Dr Yen Shih-Cheng, Director EDIC. The Engineering Design & Innovation Centre (EDIC) @ CDE is home to multidisciplinary project teams who participate in annual or biennial overseas competitions.
Read more about their incredible win here.
Team Bumblebee is a student competition team under EDIC and the Advanced Robotics Centre (ARC).
Images courtesy of Team Bumblebee and RoboNation
Team Calibur Robotics: Appreciating our sponsors’ support
It has been quite a year for Team NUS Calibur Robotics!
This year saw the unveiling of Calibur’s new generation of robots, developed by a growing team of over 50 students from diverse disciplines, including Mechanical, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Physics, and more. With plans to open further to the wider NUS community, Calibur is building on its momentum to foster greater interdisciplinary collaboration.
At the RoboMaster University League (RMUL) in San Diego, Team Calibur competed in three categories for the first time:
1st Place – Engineer Challenge (debut attempt)
2nd Place – 1v1 Infantry Match
Top 8 – 3v3 Match
Reflecting on the team’s achievements and the support received, Dr Shih-Cheng Yen, Director of Engineering and Design Innovation Centre (EDIC), said, “I would like to commend and congratulate the students on their wonderful results despite the last-minute changes from competing in China to competing in the US. This experience will provide the team with the confidence to do even better in the coming years. I would also like to thank the staff advisors, departments, donors and the CDE Deanery for their generous support of the students.”
To express gratitude to its supporters, Team Calibur recently hosted its Annual Sponsor Appreciation Event, honouring the industry partners who have contributed to its success. More than 30 secondary school students, possibly future Team Calibur members, were also invited to join the event. They enjoyed live robot demonstrations and had engaging interactions with our students. It was a fantastic chance for them to experience the exciting world of robotics firsthand!
A warm thank you to everyone who contributed to the team’s journey!
A special thank you to the sponsors, ATC Robotics, CUAV Tech Inc.,Ltd, DEEP Robotics, National University of Singapore, Notion, RS Components & Controls (I) Ltd., SolidWorks Designer and TOYOGO. Your partnership plays a key role in nurturing the next generation of robotics talent.
Check out more about Calibur here
From the lab to the Go board: Wang Jingxiang wins World University Go Championship 2025
“Go reminds me that setbacks are never the end. As long as the game is not over, anyone can still emerge as the dark horse, the unexpected victor.” With these words, Wang Jingxiang, a Research Engineer at the Microwave Lab and Master’s student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, captured the spirit that carried him through to victory at the recent 9th World University Go Championship 2025.
Co-organised by the NUS Weiqi Club under the NUS Intellectual Games Club, the championship drew 48 participants from 35 universities worldwide. Past editions have been hosted in Hong Kong, Toronto, Cambridge, Tokyo and Bangkok. For the first time, a player from a Southeast Asian university claimed the title, and it was Jingxiang who brought the honour home to NUS.
He started playing Go at the age of five, and the game has stayed with him ever since. Today, as part of the NUS Go Club, he finds both challenge and camaraderie on the board, drawing energy from the community’s spirit of learning and discovery.
To Jingxiang, Go and engineering are deeply connected. “Go has trained me to think logically and approach problems with structured reasoning, a skill equally vital in research. In the lab, designing effective experiments often starts with careful deduction, just like planning a winning game. Go also teaches the importance of layout and whole-board thinking, which resonates strongly with my work in circuit design, where creating an effective layout requires the same global perspective and foresight.”
His triumph is more than a win on the board. Despite repeated losses in practice and moments of doubt, he chose perseverance over giving up. By balancing research with daily training, he turned setbacks into strength, a reminder that the true game is played in resilience and spirit!
