Meet Muhammad Zakir Haziq Bin Mohd Padzal, graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering (Engineering Science) with Honours, with a second major in Innovation & Design (iDP).

Coming from an arts background in junior college, Zakir chose the Engineering Science Programme for his interest in building things and exploring physics. His determination was tested following his grandmother’s cancer diagnosis during his first semester. A video message from her encouraged him to stay the course, and he went on to secure the Singapore-Industry Scholarship (SgIS).

One of his defining projects was BoxBunny, an intelligent boxing robot he co-developed through an iDP course. During his short stint coaching students in NUS Boxing, Zakir saw the need for more accessible and personalised training, which inspired him and his team to create a prototype that reads and responds to a user’s movements. The project won the CDE Innovation Research Award 2025 (Merit), was featured in The Straits Times, and was further developed as his final-year project.

Beyond the classroom, Zakir contributed actively as a CDE Student Ambassador, leading student tours and sharing about the different engineering majors. He also broadened his experience through the NUS Overseas Colleges programme in Malaysia and the Student Exchange Programme at the University of Toronto.

After graduation, Zakir will join GlobalFoundries under his SgIS scholarship bond, where he will help develop data products and analytics solutions. In the future, he plans to pursue a Master of Science in Business Analytics. Zakir’s story is a reminder that with resilience, discipline, and support, an unconventional path can still lead to meaningful innovation.

Muhammad Zakir Haziq Bin Mohd Padzal

Bachelor of Engineering (Engineering Science) with Honours, Second Major in Innovation and Design Programme (iDP), Class of 2026

Meet Arya Muthukumar, graduating with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture with a Minor in Urban Studies and a Specialisation in Landscape Studies.

For Arya, landscape architecture became meaningful when it stopped being just about spaces and started being about people. Through studio projects, research, and community engagement, she developed a deeper understanding of how design can respond to real social and environmental needs.

A defining part of her journey was the studio, where she worked on real sites and challenges under her professors’ guidance. One project that especially shaped her perspective was Rerooting Orchids, where she explored how landscape design could support a flower shop’s growth in a practical, real-world setting. Other projects focused on food sustainability and community engagement further reinforced her belief that design is most impactful when grounded in lived realities.

Her perspective was also enriched through her minor in Urban Studies, a semester abroad at the University of Edinburgh, and a landscape design internship with DP Green, where she learnt how creativity works alongside practical constraints and collaboration. More recently, Arya has continued this people-centred focus as a research assistant and co-author on a book about NUS as a living lab.

Beyond academics, she led the social media team for RVRC and continued pursuing her passion for music through their music interest group Jukebox, balancing her creative interests with her studies. After graduation, Arya hopes to take on urban design-related roles and continue exploring how design can serve communities more meaningfully.

Arya’s journey reflects a growing compassion for the communities that design is meant to serve.

Arya Muthukumar

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, Minor in Urban Studies, Specialisation in Landscape Studies, Class of 2026

Meet Lee Yong Tang Benedict, graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) with Honours, with specialisations in Biopharmaceutical Engineering, and Safety & Sustainability.

Benedict’s university journey has been shaped by a deep commitment to serving others. Across his leadership roles in CDE and NUS Students’ Union (NUSSU), he worked to strengthen student welfare, encourage peer learning, and build communities where students could feel supported, connected, and heard.

His path into university was not without adjustment. Entering straight from National Service, Benedict experienced the steep learning curve of academic life and the independence it demanded. A small moment in his first lab session became a turning point, reminding him of the importance of building strong fundamentals and approaching challenges with discipline and persistence.

He went on to serve as President of the Chemical Engineering Students’ Society (ChESS), where he championed student welfare and peer support. To help his peers better understand life beyond the classroom, Benedict organised industry talks and site visits. He also initiated a peer tutor programme, taking time to consult classmates on difficult topics and sharing notes, believing that learning becomes more meaningful when students grow together.

Benedict later served as President of the CDE Student Club where he helped strengthen student leadership at the college level by formalising the CDE Sub-Clubs Funding Scheme and establishing the CDE Student Leaders’ Forum.

After graduation, Benedict will be serving in the Singapore Armed Forces. His journey reflects the leadership qualities needed in service — a strong sense of responsibility, and a genuine desire to improve the lives of those around him.

Lee Yong Tang Benedict

Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) with Honours, Specialisations in Biopharmaceutical Engineering and Safety & Sustainability, Class of 2026

Meet Andrew Tan Wen Jie, graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) with Honours.

A defining moment of Andrew’s undergraduate journey was spending a year with Red Bull Racing’s Advanced Technologies team. After his third year, Andrew took a gap year to work in the UK as a Vehicle Dynamics and Performance / Data Engineer Intern, where he analysed telemetry and performance data to support different engineering teams. For Andrew, the internship was the realisation of a dream he had held since starting Mechanical Engineering at NUS.

That dream, however, came during a deeply difficult period. Shortly before returning to the UK, Andrew learnt that his mother had been diagnosed with liver cancer. Though leaving home was emotionally difficult, he was encouraged by her to pursue the opportunity. The experience changed how he viewed success and ambition, teaching him to stay open-minded and to see that goals can evolve along the way.

Beyond his internship, Andrew was actively involved in student life, serving as Project Director of the Mechanical Engineering Orientation Camp, contributing to Tembusu College, and supporting university events as a student ambassador. He also found meaning in serving as a Teaching Assistant as he appreciates the opportunity to help others as a fellow student. His academic interests also expanded through interdisciplinary modules and a thesis on Explainable AI (XAI), which further shaped his growing interest in AI.

After graduation, Andrew will join BlackRock’s Fintech division as a Solutions Engineer, where he hopes to apply the critical thinking, communication, and technical skills he developed through engineering, teaching, and high-performance environments.

Andrew’s journey has taught him that success is rarely fixed, that goals can change, and that resilience matters just as much as achievement.

Andrew Tan Wen Jie

Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) with Honours, Class of 2026

Meet Liu Congzhi, graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering) with Honours.

Congzhi’s undergraduate journey has been driven by a desire to apply engineering to real-world problems. A key highlight was the Engineering Innovation Challenge (EIC) 2023, where he and his team explored the use of tunnel muck as a sustainable aggregate substitute in concrete production. The project offered a potential alternative to conventional sand imports and contributed to broader conversations on circular economy and resource efficiency in Singapore’s built environment. The work went on to receive multiple recognitions, including the NUS Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Prize, the CDE Innovation & Research Award 2024 (High Achievement) and the Singapore Concrete Institute Young Innovators Award 2024.

Beyond the classroom, Congzhi served as External Director in the NUS Civil Engineering Club, where he helped strengthen industry engagement through site visits and networking sessions with built environment firms. He also spent six months in Munich under the NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) programme and interned at KEWAZO GmbH, where he gained exposure to startup operations, international collaboration, and engineering in a commercial setting.

At Temasek Hall, Congzhi took on leadership roles as Internal Sports Director and Vice President, contributing to student life, sports development and hall leadership. His efforts were recognised through the NUS Achievement Award for Leadership (Merit) and the Temasek Hall Strategic Alliance Scholarship.

After graduation, Congzhi will be joining a global built environment consultancy as a structural engineer. His journey reflects a growing appreciation for not just technical excellence, but also teamwork, communication and the ability to create engineering solutions with real impact.

Liu Congzhi

Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering) with Honours, Class of 2026

Meet Teo Jia Xin, graduating with a double degree in Environmental Engineering and Economics, with a specialisation in Applied & Policy Economics.

During her time at NUS, Jia Xin explored how technical and policy perspectives can work together to address public challenges.

A defining moment came in Year 1, when she took an environmental monitoring course, during which water samples from the Botanic Gardens were collected and assessed for water quality. Knowing that the findings would be shared with NParks and could guide real-world interventions reminded Jia Xin that engineering also generates knowledge that informs public decisions.

That perspective shaped her journey at NUS. In 2024, Jia Xin and her team won first place at the Singapore Undergraduate Policy Competition with a sustainability-focused proposal on heat stress among the elderly. In 2025, her team emerged champion at the Singapore Youth Policy Competition with a proposal to improve the affordability and accessibility of public transport for Persons with Disabilities.

She credits interdisciplinary modules at CDE for strengthening her ability to develop thoughtful, balanced solutions. She applied these skills in the Engineering Innovation Challenge 2025, where her team received a Merit Award for ClearPlate, an AI-powered system designed to reduce food waste. Jia Xin contributed to the problem assessment and crafted a clear, concise pitch deck for the team’s presentation.

Beyond academics, Jia Xin served as Head Resident Assistant at Residential College 4 and as Vice-President of the Engineering Scholars Programme committee. After graduation, she will take on a policy-focused role in the public service, drawing on both her engineering and economics training to contribute to solutions that are technically sound and publicly meaningful.

Teo Jia Xin

Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental Engineering) with Honours, Bachelor of Social Sciences (Economics) with Honours, Specialisation in Applied & Policy Economics, Class of 2026

Meet Mohamed Taufeeq Bin S S Ahamed Kabeer, graduating with a double degree in Electrical Engineering and Economics, with a specialisation in Quantitative Economics.

At CDE, Taufeeq developed a stronger appreciation for learning that could be applied beyond the classroom. Through his double degree, he built the technical and analytical foundation to approach complex challenges and consider how solutions affect both people and systems.

His internship at Infineon became an important learning experience. As a System Application Engineering intern in the automotive division, he took over an industrial electronics project from a previous intern. What began as an overwhelming task taught him to break problems down, test ideas systematically, and take charge of his work. By the end of the internship, he had not only gotten the system working but also produced documentation to support future interns and engineers.

Another highlight was his final-year project exchange at the University of Cambridge. The personalised supervision sessions pushed him to become more independent and more confident in expressing his ideas. He also completed two projects concurrently, further strengthening his ability to manage uncertainty and work under pressure.

Taufeeq’s university journey was not without challenges. In his first semester, he put pressure on himself to be perfect. Over time, he learnt to pace himself better and take things one step at a time.

His academic excellence was recognised early on with an NUS Global Merit Scholarship and the LSA-AT Nuevo Economics Medal & Prize in 2023. He later received the same medal and prize again in 2026 as the best graduating student in his double degree programme.

After graduation, Taufeeq hopes to work in a policy role in the public service sector, bringing together the structured problem-solving skills he developed at CDE with the broader perspective gained from economics.

Mohamed Taufeeq Bin S S Ahamed Kabeer

Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical Engineering) with Honours, Bachelor of Social Sciences (Economics) with Honours, Specialisation in Quantitative Economics, Class of 2026

Meet Charlyn Kwan Ting Yu, graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Engineering) with Honours, with a second major in Innovation & Design (iDP).

Charlyn entered university with a creative streak and a strong instinct to experiment, a mindset that carried her through projects combining creativity, technical rigour and real-world application.

One such defining project was a year-long iDP project under CDE3301R Ideas to Proof-of-Concept. Working with Wine Portal, Charlyn and her team developed a prototype wineglass washing and polishing machine that washes and polishes two wine glasses in two minutes, using a non-contact air technique. For Charlyn, this formative project gave her the chance to work through the full innovation process and showed her how creative problem-solving leads to tangible solutions.

Charlyn also took part in the 2024 International Space Challenge, where she helped Team Venator explore mining water ice on the Moon, with a proposed feature being a novel pressure chamber subsystem that operates in the Moon’s low-pressure environment and facilitates the extraction process. The team’s concept won the grand prize in the Advanced Category, highlighting the technical creativity and future-facing potential of their work.

Beyond her project work, Charlyn served as President of the iDP Student Club in 2024, where she helped revitalise the student community and strengthened her skills in leadership and stakeholder engagement.

After graduation, Charlyn will join ST Engineering’s satellite division, SatSys. She believes her Computer Engineering training gave her technical grounding, while her iDP experience taught her how to approach problems creatively and build solutions with impact.

Charlyn Kwan Ting Yu

Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Engineering) with Honours, Second Major in Innovation and Design Programme (iDP), Class of 2026

Meet Koh Guo Xuan, graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering (Industrial Systems Engineering & Management) with Honours.

Guo Xuan’s time at CDE was shaped by curiosity, adaptability and a willingness to explore beyond the expected path. Early in his undergraduate journey, he saw how the flexibility of his degree could open doors to different career possibilities, and one internship led to another, eventually setting him on an unexpected path from engineering into competitive finance roles.

Over the course of his studies, he completed five internships. Beginning with a business analytics role at an SME, he went on to gain experience at Maybank, DBS Bank, Dymon Asia Capital and Bank of America. Through these roles, he developed a strong interest in financial markets and the challenge of working with data, uncertainty and fast-changing conditions.

His interest in analytics and decision intelligence was further strengthened through modules in Statistical Analysis, Time Series Analysis and Machine Learning, alongside building various quantitative models. For his final-year project at Singapore General Hospital, he applied engineering tools such as Discrete Event Simulation, Advanced Operations Research and Machine Learning techniques to improve hospital workflows, showing the versatility of his training beyond finance.

Beyond the classroom, Guo Xuan was active in the NUS FinTech Society, the NUS Pathfinders programme and the NUS Student Investment Fund, where he built experience in quantitative research, mentorship and portfolio management. After graduation, he will join Bank of America as a Trader on the EM Rates Trading Desk.

Looking back, he sees university as a journey of discovery. What began as a search for direction became a deeper appreciation for learning, and for the many ways engineering can be applied across fields.

Koh Guo Xuan

Bachelor of Engineering (Industrial Systems Engineering & Management) with Honours, Class of 2026

Meet Chua Hao En, graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering (Infrastructure and Project Management) with Honours.

Hao En’s university journey was shaped by competitive lifesaving — a sport rooted in rescue skills, teamwork and public safety. With eight years of experience, he balanced engineering studies with elite training and leadership, building discipline and resilience along the way.

In 2024, he represented Singapore at the International Lifesaving World Championships, where his team set a new national record in the 4x25m Manikin Relay. As captain of NUS Lifesaving, he also led the team to consecutive Men’s Division A titles at the 2023 and 2024 National Lifesaving Championships. His contributions were recognised with the Sportsman of the Year award at the NUS Achievement Awards 2024.

His passion for lifesaving also shaped his overseas learning experience. During his exchange at the University of New South Wales, he joined a local club involved in volunteer coastal patrols, gaining first-hand insight into lifesaving communities and coastal public safety.

Hao En’s path also reflects persistence through a major academic transition. Coming from a polytechnic background in facilities management, he had to bridge gaps in math and science-heavy modules. Support from peer tutoring helped him adapt in his first two years, and he later gave back as a peer tutor himself.

He is now an Assistant Manager in Facilities & Estate Management at JTC, overseeing industrial properties and coordinating across stakeholders. Reflecting on interdisciplinary modules such as CDE2501 Liveable Cities, he shared that they broadened his perspective and strengthened the communication skills he now uses in his role. Looking ahead, Hao En hopes to pursue further studies in the built environment.

Chua Hao En

Bachelor of Engineering (Infrastructure and Project Management) with Honours, Class of 2026

Meet Ong Tian Gui Givson, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Industrial Design) with Honours, with a second major in Innovation & Design (iDP) and double minors in Public Health and Cities.

Givson’s time at NUS was shaped by his interest in using design to address social and community needs. For his final-year project, he worked with teammates across faculties to develop FieldNote, an AI-assisted system that streamlined field-trip documentation for special-needs educators, easing their workloads while supporting students’ independence in public spaces.

Another meaningful project was Sabaistand, developed through a gerontechnology course and a Study Trips for Engagement and Enrichment (STEER) programme in Thailand. Working with physiotherapy students from Khon Kaen University, he helped create an assistive device aimed at improving elderly care in resource-limited settings.

An iDP course earlier in his NUS journey introduced Givson to this way of working. With a Mechanical Engineering student, he co-developed Levitas, a gaming headphone redesigned for greater comfort and later featured in the EDIC Project Showcase in November 2025.

Through the NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) programme in Stockholm, Givson further expanded his entrepreneurial experience. At Exxentric, a Swedish fitness technology company, he worked as an R&D intern designing products that shipped to market. He also joined CHINGU, an AI language-learning platform, where he helped define the target market, design the user experience, and produce pitch and branding materials.

Looking ahead, Givson hopes to work on multidisciplinary projects for the public good at the intersection of public health, design and technology. He will pursue a double master’s degree in Innovation Design Engineering at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London.

Ong Tian Gui Givson

Bachelor of Arts (Industrial Design) with Honours, Second Major in Innovation and Design Programme (iDP), Double Minors in Public Health and Cities, Class of 2026

Meet Pierre Teo Peng Kai, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Architecture) with Honours, with a minor in Computing (Design and Engineering).

During his undergraduate journey, Pierre came to see design not simply as the creation of buildings, but as a way of shaping how people live, interact and experience their surroundings.

One memorable experience was his exchange to ETH Zurich, where he travelled across Europe and worked alongside students with varied design approaches, deepening his understanding of architecture as a globally informed discipline.

Pierre also took part in several overseas design workshops, which strengthened his interest in people-centred and context-sensitive design. In the Joint International Workshop 2024 in Bangkok, he worked with Thai and Japanese students to explore the revitalisation of a creative district, showing him how architecture can influence daily life, social interactions and culture.

He later joined the Intensive Architecture Workshop in Tokyo 2025, a two-week programme involving students from architecture, structural engineering and landscape architecture. Exploring the role of the Japanese public bathhouse in contemporary society, Pierre and his team proposed both a new bathhouse and a model for how it could be financed and sustained, reinforcing the need to think about architecture holistically.

He also participated in the ULI Hines Student Competition – Asia Pacific, working with a multidisciplinary team to redesign a site in Shanghai. These experiences helped him appreciate how architecture becomes stronger when informed by other disciplines.

Pierre’s minor in Computing (Design and Engineering) complemented his architectural training, helping him think more critically and systematically. Looking ahead, he plans to continue exploring different design approaches through hands-on experiences before pursuing a Master’s degree.

Pierre Teo Peng Kai

Bachelor of Arts (Architecture) with Honours, Minor in Computing (Design and Engineering), Class of 2026

Meet Ng Yi Hsuan, graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering (Materials Science and Engineering) with Honours, with a Minor in Forensic Science.

Yi Hsuan entered university with a strong competitive background in table tennis but chose to explore a different side of herself through golf. What began as a hobby with her parents became one of her most meaningful pursuits at NUS, offering her a new kind of challenge and a space to reset amid academic and work demands.

Her interest soon grew into leadership. As President of NUS Golf in Year 2, she worked to make the sport more accessible, helping expand session capacity from 30 to 120 participants and growing the community from about 800 students to over 1,600. The club also offered low-cost sessions with equipment and basic coaching, lowering barriers for beginners. Her efforts were recognised with the NUS Mid-Term Student Life Scholarship at the NUS Achievement Awards 2024.

Yi Hsuan also represented NUS at the UM–NUS Tunku Chancellor Cup 2024 as both a player and organising committee member. During her Student Exchange Programme at the University of Birmingham, she experienced independent living for the first time and returned with a more global outlook and greater confidence in shaping her own path.

Outside sports, she pursued a Forensic Science minor to step beyond her engineering comfort zone, and completed internships at Applied Materials and PetroChina, where she gained exposure to semiconductor manufacturing and different work cultures. After graduation, she will be embarking on her career in the semiconductor industry, furthering the interests she had gained through her undergraduate journey.

Across sports, academics and industry, Yi Hsuan embraced the unfamiliar — and found growth in taking the long way round.

Ng Yi Hsuan

Bachelor of Engineering (Materials Science and Engineering) with Honours, Minor in Forensic Science, Class of 2026

Meet Amelia Ong Jia Wen and Jayachandran Deepsri, both graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical Engineering) with Honours, with a second major in Innovation & Design (iDP).

Amelia and Deepsri’s journeys at CDE were shaped by a strong interest in healthcare innovation, where they turned classroom learning into projects with real-world impact. Both worked on IntelliBeats, a MATLAB-based diagnostic tool that improves the accuracy of cardiotocography interpretation and supports clinicians in identifying fetal distress more efficiently. The project won the Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Prize, the CDE Innovation & Research Award and the Most Innovative Project at the EDIC Project Showcase 2024.

For both students, the project was more than an academic success. It was a lesson in iteration and resilience, as they spent hours refining the system and learning from clinician feedback. The experience reinforced their interest in solving healthcare problems that are technically challenging, but also deeply human.

Their journey in healthcare innovation continued through the multidisciplinary Duke-NUS Health Innovator Programme where their individual teams developed prototypes for healthcare solutions. Amelia worked on a tool to remove blood clots or tissue overgrowth in blood vessels, while Deepsri worked on a solution to address looping during colonoscopy procedures. Both projects are progressing towards provisional patents.

After graduation, Amelia will begin her studies at Duke-NUS Medical School, taking the next step towards her goal of becoming a clinician-innovator. Deepsri hopes to build her career in the med-tech sector, continuing to develop healthcare solutions with tangible impact. Together, their journeys reflect how Biomedical Engineering and Innovation & Design can open different but equally meaningful paths in healthcare innovation.

Amelia Ong Jia Wen

Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical Engineering) with Honours, Second Major in Innovation and Design Programme (iDP), Class of 2026

Jayachandran Deepsri

Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical Engineering) with Honours, Second Major in Innovation and Design Programme (iDP), Class of 2026