EVENTS & OTHER HAPPENINGS
Celebrating creativity and collaboration at the 5th CDE Day
At our 5th CDE Day, students and faculty came together to celebrate learning, innovation, and community at the College of Design and Engineering (CDE). This year marked the official opening of The Lodge, a brand-new student space above Techno Edge canteen, designed for connecting, creating, and collaborating. Its name, chosen by student leaders, reflects the purpose of the space: to support daily student life, encourage informal discussions, and provide a hub for collaboration across disciplines.
Professor Teo Kie Leong, Dean of CDE, encouraged students to make full use of The Lodge, “Use this space to exchange ideas, build friendships, collaborate across disciplines, and work on things that matter to you. Let this space grow with you and support your journey at CDE.”
Over 900 students and staff attended CDE Day, exploring 21 student projects from across CDE programmes. Professor Teo, Professor Aaron Thean, Provost at the National University of Singapore (NUS), and CDE Club President Ling Xing Tze Erica (Year 2, Infrastructure and Project Management) led a guided showcase and walkthrough of the CDE Day booths, giving participants the opportunity to see and learn from the work done by their peers.
The afternoon was filled with fun and energy as students took a break to enjoy games organised by the CDE Club and its sub-clubs, and to participate in a student wellness pop quiz. The event highlighted that learning at CDE happens both inside and outside the classroom, through studios, labs, and shared spaces like The Lodge, where students can meet, collaborate, and work on projects together. This is the kind of energy to kick-start the year and the semester!
Catch the highlights of CDE Day and see some of the incredible projects and moments from the day. A big thank you to everyone who made this possible: our students, staff, clubs, and committees across CDE. Here’s to many more moments like this. See you at the next CDE Day!
DBE-SISV Built Environment Cost & Contract Talent challenge
More than just numbers, Quantity Surveying is about strategy, foresight, and control. This came to life for pre-university students at the DBE–SISV Built Environment Cost & Contract Talent Challenge 2026. Over a three-day deep dive, they took on the role of a Quantity Surveyor for a new residential project, making critical decisions on initial cost planning and contract agreements to the financial feasibility of green building materials. The event showcased how these essential professionals, who are given the titles of Sr, are the crucial link between a design concept and a successfully completed building.
Co-organised by the Department of the Built Environment (DBE) and Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers (SISV), the Challenge brought together over 60 students from Polytechnics, Junior Colleges (JC), and the International Baccalaureate (IB), competing across two categories. Through industry-led seminars, fireside chats, and group problem-solving, students engaged with practical considerations before presenting their proposals.
A key highlight was receiving direct feedback from industry professionals. The judging panel included Sr Colin Kin (President, SISV), Sr Natalie Yong (1st Vice President, SISV), Professor Florence Ling (DBE), and Mr Ng Man Hon (Director, Procurement Policies Department, BCA).
🏆 Polytechnic The winning team from Singapore Polytechnic (Diploma in Civil Engineering) stood out for their industry-ready approach. Team member Naing Jack shared, “We treated the challenge like a real internship project, applying what we learnt to cost, contracts, and sustainability.”
🏆 JC / IB Students from SOTA, St Joseph’s Institution, and Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) impressed the panel with clear, confident presentations despite limited prior exposure. Kate from SOTA shared, “The sessions gave us the confidence to focus on what the panel needed to know, while keeping our data clear.”
Associate Professor Tay from DBE, who co-organised the event, shared, “Through this meaningful integration of theory and practice, the students gained valuable perspectives on the critical role of Quantity Surveyors, and how the BEng Infrastructure and Project Management makes an impact.”
DID’s First Coffee Rave Party of 2026
On 14th January, the Division of Industrial Design kicked off the semester with its first Coffee Rave Party! Proudly presented by DID Student Life and ID Club, the short but lively gathering brought the whole department together over drinks, snacks, and party music.
Asst Prof Irmandy Wicaksono performed as the resident DJ and kept the energy going with a great mix of tunes while also sharing the basics with attendees curious about DJing. A live coffee-brewing station added to the experience, serving delicious drinks that perfectly complemented the pumping music.
Assoc Prof Hans Tan and ID Club President Lee Zhi Lin also addressed the crowd, inviting students to suggest potential guest lecturers. They closed by wishing everyone a smooth and enjoyable semester.
Building a Winning Proposal: CDE Workshop Shares Keys to Grant Success
At a Grantsmanship Workshop jointly organised by CDE, the Faculty of Science, and the NUSMedSci Alliance (NUS Medicine), Professor Silvija Gradečak (CDE Vice Dean, Research & Technology) shared practical insights drawn from her considerable experience as a Lead and Team Principal Investigator (PI) on various successfully funded projects.
Among the key takeaways for PIs was the importance of strategically aligning the research question to funding objectives, clearly articulating a compelling overarching vision and well-defined research goals, and recognizing the critical role of team members and collaborators in executing that vision. This is particularly crucial for large-scale, multidisciplinary teams with the potential to open up new frontiers of research. While pursuing ambitious objectives, PIs must ensure that the goals remain realistic, the novelty and significance of the work are clearly articulated, work packages are tightly integrated, and potential risks are identified with robust contingency plans in place. She also shared insights into the review interview process, highlighting the importance of team cohesion, clear communication of the overarching vision, and the importance of strong program management.
Beyond proposal strategy, the workshop also provided opportunities for discussion and peer learning, which many early-career faculty found especially valuable.
“I found the grantsmanship workshop to be very helpful, particularly in clarifying the overall grant strategy and expectations, as well as providing practical insights that are useful for early-stage planning,” said Asst Prof Baek Jihyun (Department of Mechanical Engineering), a NUS Presidential Young Professor. “The induction sessions at the start were very informative, and opportunities such as the Dean’s coffee chat were especially valuable in helping new faculty feel welcomed, connected, and supported. As a relatively new faculty member, I have also appreciated the broader support provided by CDE. Overall, these initiatives have contributed positively not only to my professional transition but also to my overall experience at NUS.”
At CDE, we are committed to supporting our research community through practical guidance, shared learning, and opportunities to learn from successful peers.
Welcoming CDE’s January 2026 graduate cohort: Beyond the degree
"There are reasons you came here, and reasons we picked you. Beyond merely handing you a scroll, we want to help you succeed in your employability—whether your future lies in academia, entrepreneurship, or industry. A stellar GPA alone is no longer the finish line; it’s about how you package yourself for a successful life journey."
Associate Professor Eddie Lau Siu Kit, Vice Dean (Graduate Programmes), opened CDE's January 2026 Intake Graduate Coursework and Research Programmes Welcome Talk with this message to over 200 students at the Engineering Auditorium on 8 January.
Behind those words is a comprehensive support system. The CDE Office of Graduate Programmes, Office of Student Life, NUS Graduate Students' Society, Office of Student Conduct, Centre for Future-Ready Graduates, and NUS Enterprise's GRIP programme together laid out the roadmap – spanning academic milestones, wellness and mental health support, career coaching, and startup mentorship.
"NUS is warmly welcoming. The people I've met have been very helpful, making it easy to adjust even though it's very different from my home country. The orientation gave us important information from experts in various fields, especially the career guidance programme," shared Nono Aloka from Sri Lanka, a new PhD student in Biomedical Engineering.
Watch everyone's photo booth moments fly by – hit pause to find yourself!
🎯 Key takeaways:
- Fully utilise your student portal – many useful resources there
- NUS Centre for Future-ready Graduates provides workshops to improve employability skills, plus one-to-one and group coaching for resume reviews and interview practice
- Customised Career Accelerator for CDE PG students: 19 Jan, 26 Jan, 2 Feb, 9 Feb
- NUS Career Fair: 10 to 12 Feb 2026
- National GRIP: next run starts in Jan 2026 for graduate students interested in startups nationalgrip.sg
Welcome to the CDE family! 🎓
CDE and Micron: Building industry-ready semiconductor talent
At Micron’s groundbreaking ceremony on the Advanced Wafer Fabrication Facility in Singapore on 27 January, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong highlighted Micron’s deep partnerships with CDE and other local institutions. “These partnerships will open up opportunities for students to participate in internships, mentorship and hands-on learning experience at Micron,” he said.
At CDE, students build strong foundations in semiconductor engineering across disciplines. In our department of Electrical Engineering, courses like Modern Transistors and Memory Devices deepen understanding of how semiconductor devices are designed and function at scale.
Such fundamentals prepare our undergrads to move confidently from theory to practice, with pathways to specialise in areas such as Advanced Electronics or Microelectronics & Quantum Materials, including the option of a double degree in Materials Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering.
Last semester, three undergraduates, Faith Ang Si Xian (Year 4 Electrical Engineering), Song Isaac Bjorn (Year 4 Mechanical Engineering), and Li Ximing (Year 4 Mechanical Engineering), completed their internship at Micron and came away more confident, clearer about the industry, and eager to recommend the pathway to their peers. As Ximing reflected, “Don't be afraid to ask for help, sometimes hours of waiting can be solved a desk away.”
At CDE, we provide ample opportunities for students to connect with the industry to put their skills into practice beyond the classroom. One such opportunity is the ECE Internship & Career Fair happening today (28 Jan), 11am – 5pm at the Engineering Auditorium Foyer, where participating employers (including Micron) engage with students to share internship opportunities and career pathways.
Championing sustainability with the NUS Energy and Decarbonisation Youth Programme
The NUS Energy and Decarbonisation Youth Programme has entered its 3rd year! Over the winter school holidays, three runs of the 3-day programme were organised in November, December, and January. Since 2024, almost 360 youths have benefitted from the programme and have been proudly facilitated by Prof Ang Beng Wah and Dr Goh Tian from the ISEM Department.
Students from Anderson-Serangoon Junior College, School of Science and Technology Singapore, Boon Lay Secondary School, Temasek Junior College and other schools in Singapore participated in the programme. The programme gives students a glimpse into the energy transition and decarbonisation process across the economy as part of climate mitigation and sustainability efforts to get to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century. As part of the 3-day programme, students went on a learning journey to Jurong Island to have a firsthand look at the refinery and chemicals sector and interact with industry experts working first-hand on the green transition.
The programme is open to youths in Singapore who are interested in sustainability and the energy transition. Students may enrol in the programme during the summer and winter school holidays.
HIGHLIGHTS
UPCOMING AND ONGOING EVENTS!
Social Design Lab (SoDL) Exhibition – Acts Of Caring, Nurturing, Repairing And Imagining
The exhibition brings together a multidisciplinary collection of fourteen socially-engaged projects. Ranging from art, design, architecture, education, and urban planning, the projects situate the social across multiple scales and sites. They present a mosaic of outputs that reflect how different fields and disciplines respond to the urgent eco-techno-social concerns of our time. To assemble is […]
Social Design Lab (SoDL) Inaugural Conference – Examining The Social In Architecture
Interrogating what “the social” constitutes in the field of architecture, Designing the Social explores its philosophical, material, spatial and pedagogical limits. For its inaugural conference, the Social Design Lab (SoDL) at the National University of Singapore looks at how the social is activated through design, specifically how the raw material of social life might be […]