Photo credits: National Research Foundation, Singapore
CDE PARTNERS
The Temasek Defence Systems Institute (TDSI)
Hosted within CDE, the Temasek Defence Systems Institute (TDSI) stands at the forefront of postgraduate education in defence technology, playing a pivotal role in shaping the expertise of leaders from the Ministry of Defence, the Singapore Armed Forces, and the wider defence ecosystem.
The collaboration between TDSI and CDE is a deep, symbiotic integration of expertise, resources, and people. TDSI is a vital bridge between CDE’s academic excellence and Singapore's national security needs, equipping leaders from the defence ecosystem with strategic insights and systems engineering expertise.
Effective 1 July 2025, Associate Professor Lim Kian Meng from the Department of Mechanical Engineering has been appointed as the new Director of the Temasek Defence Systems Institute (TDSI).
TDSI looks forward to engaging with individuals working within the defence technology ecosystem, as well as with technology providers in TDSI’s academic offerings.
TDSI's key educational offerings include:
TDSI Master’s Programmes:
Master of Defence Technology and Systems (MDTS)
- An 18-month dual-master’s programme delivering systems-oriented education in defence technology and systems engineering.
- Degree conferred by NUS and one of the partner universities: Naval Postgraduate School (USA), Cranfield University (UK), Air Force Institute of Technology (USA).
- Multidisciplinary curriculum, operationally relevant capstone work, and global exposure across partner institutions.
Joint Master of Science in Defence Systems Engineering and Technology (MDSET)
- The 18-month joint programme with the US Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) is tailored to the growing demand for interdisciplinary, globally attuned digital engineering expertise.
- Structure: 10 curated core courses (5 from NUS, 5 from NPS) providing integrated systems perspectives.
- Flexibility in the choice of electives to deepen expertise in technology areas.
- Systems-level thinking, cross-domain integration skills, and innovation capabilities focused on defence systems engineering.
Stackable Programmes:
TDSI offers Executive Certificate and Graduate Certificate programmes, providing professionals with the flexibility to undertake courses at their own pace. These programmes are designed to be stackable, allowing participants to build credits towards the Master of Defence Technology and Systems Programme.
Continuing Education:
Short Courses
TDSI offers continuing education short courses that are curated and designed for professionals in the defence, engineering and technology sectors.
These short courses in deep technology and skill-based learning comprise executive courses in emerging technologies tailored for the defence and science and technology communities, as well as customised courses that can be developed to meet the specific training needs of TDSI’s defence strategic partners.
Examples of short courses that were conducted during the past 6 months include:
- AI-Enhanced Cloud Technologies in May 2025
- Swarm Intelligence and AI-Driven Unmanned Aerial Systems in August 2025
- Quantum Technologies: From Qubits to Quantum Networks and Beyond in October 2025
- Generative Artificial Intelligence and Its Applications in October 2025.
Technology Seminars
TDSI Technology Seminars bring together thought leaders, innovators, and practitioners to share insights and fresh perspectives, fostering meaningful exchanges on emerging trends and cutting-edge developments across various technology domains.
Examples of domain areas curated in past seminars include counter-unmanned aerial systems, quantum, and large language models.
Please visit TDSI website at tdsi.nus.edu.sg for more insights of the institute.