HIGHLIGHTS
ALUMNI NEWS
On 3 March 2023, the College of Design and Engineering (CDE) Alumni Office held the Class Ambassadors Network bonding event, "New Connections!", welcoming 60 Class Ambassadors from diverse backgrounds.
CDE Class Ambassadors are key connectors who ensure continual engagement between the class and the College after graduation. They help connect to alum representatives and groups, encourage participation in NUS events such as the
Kent Ridge Alumni Family Day and NUS Cares, update the class about NUS news, events, and happenings, and can even organise class reunions or gatherings. Click here to learn more about the CDE Class ambassadors.
Deputy Dean Professor Heng Chye Kiang gave a heartfelt opening address at this inaugural gathering ā€“ the first ever for the College from representatives from the former School of Design and Environment and the Faculty of Engineering. It was an opportunity to network with Class Ambassadors across the various cohorts. He highlighted the importance of fostering sturdy connections and ensuring opportunities for those connections to develop.
Vice Dean of Alumni Relations, Associate Professor Kua Harn Wei, provided valuable insight into the Class Ambassadors' role, emphasising their critical function in advocating for the College and supporting their peers.Ā Assistant Dean Associate Professor Teo Chiang Juay thanked the attendees for their unwavering support. He reiterated the indispensability of forging solid connections among all the CDE Class Ambassadors. Alum and class ambassador Mr Sheam K. shared his firsthand experiences encouraging the Class Ambassadors to persevere in constructing enduring networks and creating avenues for personal and professional growth.
It was not just a session to share experiences and perspectives. The attendees took to heart the call to create connections to and bonded over food, fun and games. The session bolstered new connections and strengthened robust networks across the CDE community. The attendees left the event feeling invigorated and empowered to continue their endeavours as Class Ambassadors, championing the College and supporting their fellow students.
Koh Bei Ning (Industrial Design, '22), designer of Rollerball Itch Relief and recipient of National Runner Up and International Top 20 of James Dyson Award 2022, was interviewed on CNA938 on 17 March 2023, 3.15pm to 3.30pm, under the Tech Talk segment. She shared about the design, the design process, the identified needs of the target users, and how her invention helped to relieve the itch of eczema sufferers. Bei Ning also announced the rebranding of "Rollerball Itch Relief" to "Rollo", and shared about the Kickstarter Campaign that is aimed to be launched in mid-2023. The audience was prompted to visit https://rollo.sg/ to sign up for the mailing list for future updates. View a short snippet of the interview on CNA938's Facebook. The segment starts at 1:40: https://fb.watch/jnIvEnfXWK/
The inaugural DBS Foundation X National Environment Agency (NEA) Hungry for Change Challenge received over 60 submissions from students and alums from various polytechnics, Institutes of Technical Education, and universities nationwide. Teams were selected for their solutions' innovativeness and potential impact by a panel of judges comprising senior executives from DBS, NEA, and other industry partners. Each team will be awarded up to SGD 25,000 from DBS Foundation to run a six-month pilot programme with an experienced industrial partner. The funding will go towards helping the teams to implement and scale up their innovations during the pilot ā€“ such as by procuring equipment, improving operational efficiencies, or deepening research and development efforts. Project consultations with NEA will also be available to the teams to help their progress. One of the five winning teams was start-up moonbeam.co, which had been supported through the iDP. The moonbeam co. collects brewer's spent grains (BSG), by-products of the beer-brewing process, from local breweries and upcycles them into bakeable grains, which can be used in foods such as granola. The team's pilot will focus on scaling up production. (Read about another winning team comprising a current graduate student at ā€“ https://cde.nus.edu.sg/deans-message-032023-student-achievements-student-life/).