STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS & STUDENT LIFE
Celebrating the Class of 2026 at CDE Commencement
As CDE's commencement season closes, the words our valedictorians leave behind continue to echo full of courage, reflection, and hope for what comes next.
"Picture your life's success as a distribution — a curve consisting of every possible future you could end up with. And here's the best part: its shape is drawn by your beliefs and your effort.” - Koh Guo Xuan, Bachelor of Engineering (Industrial Systems & Engineering) with Honours
“Continuously learning and responding to challenges with resilience — that is where hope comes from.” - 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
“Years from now, the projects and assignments may fade from memory. But the resilience we developed, and the friendships we forged, will remain.” - Sim Jun Hong, Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Engineering) with Honours
“The people around you are not a distraction from the work. They are the reason the work is worth doing.” - Dr Mohamed Mikhail Kennerley, Doctor of Philosophy (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
“The final image never tells the full story, because much of our learning happened in those unseen moments of failure, questioning, and uncertainty.” - Bryan Lee Jia En, Master of Architecture/Bachelor of Arts (Architecture) with Honours
“The hard part is done. The momentum is ours. And the world is waiting for what we can build.” - Sim Zhi Kang, Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) with Honours, Specialisation in Aeronautical Engineering
“Knowledge may advance society, but it is the human connection that gives purpose to what we do.” - Dr Adrian Tan Seng Leong, Doctor of Philosophy (Mechanical Engineering)
“Class of 2026, go out there to pursue work that matters, to serve with humility, and to become worthy of the shoulders we stand upon.” - Wang Qiulin, Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical Engineering) with Honours
“Hard skills open doors, but our values and well-being keep us steady behind the doors.” - Low Kae Wei, Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical Engineering) with Honours, Specialisation in Process Engineering
“I hope we carry forward what [NUS] has taught us: to stay thoughtful, curious, and human; to step into unfamiliar spaces; and to keep growing, even when the path is not clear.” - Ravichandran Harini, Bachelor of Engineering (Materials Science and Engineering) with Honours, Second Major in Innovation & Design
"May we continue to find meaning in small moments, joy in everyday experiences, and pride in steady progress.” - Liu Congzhi, Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering) with Honours
Explore our valedictorians’ speeches and relive the moments with our updated photo galleries on the CDE Commencement microsite.
Architecture students reimagine the Japanese Sentō at the Intensive Architecture Workshop in Tokyo 2026
The Intensive Architecture Workshop in Tokyo 2026 concluded on 20 June, bringing together eleven students from the Department of Architecture with participants from Tokyo University of Science and Shibaura Institute of Technology for an immersive cross-disciplinary experience. This year's brief asked students to reimagine the Sentō, or public bathhouse, as a future commons — one centred on social support and disaster resilience.
Once a cornerstone of neighbourhood life and a vital space for warmth, hygiene, and communication following earthquakes, the Sentō has steadily declined as private bathrooms became the norm. Under the theme of Asatte no Sentō — "the day-after-tomorrow's bathhouse" — twelve professors and guest lecturers worked alongside sixty-four students. Click here to explore their proposals and discover how they're reimagining public space for tomorrow.
M.Arch Gradshow explores architecture beyond form and function
At the M.Arch Gradshow, Master of Architecture graduate projects pushed architecture beyond form and function, opening up questions of labour, memory, ritual, and the futures we imagine through the built environment.
In their opening addresses, Guest of Honour Chan Kok Way, President of the Board of Architects, welcomed graduates into the profession while Professor Jeffrey Hou, Head of Department of Architecture, reflected on how students are willing to take on the challenge of working through today’s pressing issues with thoughtfulness and experimentation, even when the process is not easy or smooth. Associate Professor Tsuto Sakamoto, M.Arch Programme Director (AY25/26), framed the exhibition theme, IDEK – Impermanence, Dilemma, Existence, and Kinetic – as tensions that animated students’ works, noting that these projects “are not conclusions”, but rather, “remain in motion”.
Tokens of appreciation were also presented to the venue sponsor, represented by Lay Bee Yap from the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore (URA), as well as to Gold Sponsors — Foster + Partners, Mitsubishi Jisho Design Asia, Aedas, GuocoLand Group, WOHA Architects — and Silver Sponsors — DP Architects, OMG Atelier, and Swan & Maclaren Group.
Some project highlights include:
Terrains of Guilt – Bryan Lee Jia En
The project examines mining’s afterlife in East Kalimantan, where abandoned pits sit beside Nusantara’s development, and proposes small infrastructures that support repair, livelihoods, and collective life. Rooted in fieldwork, it translates complex lived realities into architecture without oversimplifying them.
Three Sticks of Incense – Jolene Sim Xin Ni
Three Sticks of Incense reimagines the Hungry Ghost Festival as an atmospheric hotel for both ghosts and humans, creating an unassuming building with immersive interiors and hidden spaces that respond to ghostly behavior and ritual. The project balances cultural adaptation, curiosity, and regulatory constraints while keeping the tradition legible in contemporary Singapore.
“Kopi Pangalengan” Takes Command – Aw Wei Kang
The project rethinks coffee production in Pangalengan, West Java, by revealing the labour and unequal value chains behind each cup. Through a mountain trail supported by six small coffee infrastructures, it imagines a new rhythm where coffee infrastructure can support processing during harvest, alternative income during the off-season, and greater public recognition of coffee producers.
Together, the projects in this year’s gradshow reflect architecture that is attentive, questioning, and deeply engaged with the worlds it inhabits.
Visitors who are unable to attend in person may explore the virtual exhibition here.
MLA students showcase thesis projects at international exhibition in Taiwan
Two Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) final-year students, Wayne Tan Pei Wee and Li Xiyuan, had their thesis projects selected for the 12th Landscape Architecture Student Graduation Exhibition & International Student Exhibition, held at the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park in Taipei from 29 May to 1 June 2026.
Organised annually by nine leading landscape architecture programmes in Taiwan and supported by the Taiwan Institute of Landscape Architects, the exhibition is a major platform for graduating students in the region to present their work. This year’s edition, themed “Floating Resilience,” introduced an international showcase, inviting overseas programmes to take part alongside the nine Taiwanese schools. Click here to view the featured projects.
MLA Studio 'Politics of Conservation' received an Honourable Mention for the 2026 World Landscape Architecture (WLA) University Studio Award
The Department of Architecture's Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) studio "Politics of Conservation" has been awarded an Honourable Mention for the 2026 World Landscape Architecture (WLA) Student Awards – University Studio Award.
The studio was selected from over 130 entries spanning more than 20 countries, submitted by students and academics from leading university programmes worldwide.
PhD student Zhao Chendong wins Best Poster Award in the 5th International Conference on Disinfection and Disinfection By-Products 2026
Zhao Chendong (second from right), a PhD student supervised by Professor Hu Jiangyong from Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was awarded Best Poster Award in the 5th International Conference on Disinfection and Disinfection By-Products (DDBP) 2026, held in July 8-10, at Shanghai China.
CEE students receive the “Best Product-to-Time Ratio” award at Floating Wind Challenge
An undergraduate team from CEE, PEARLOS, won the “Best Product-to-Time Ratio” Award for its innovative floating wind platform design at the Floating Wind Challenge on 9 July. The international competition brings together young engineers from around the world to design and build the best floating wind support structure, with its final round held in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, France.
The team is made up of Year 2 students: Lai Jillene, Wilson Soo, Benn Low, Le Duong Thu Minh, Adam Teng Dao Foong, Darren Fortino Tan, and Fransiska Halim Santoso. They were supervised by Assistant Professor Yuzhu Pearl Li and PhD researcher Carlos Pérez Moreno.
NUS sportsman Gabriel Lee set for Commonwealth Games debut
Gabriel Lee (Year 3, Computer Engineering) will be among the 53 national athletes competing at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland! Representing Singapore on the world stage, he brings with him the discipline, grit and resilience he has built as an NUS sportsman.
He heads into Glasgow on the back of a memorable SEA Games 2025 debut, where he broke a 50-year-old record with a 16.09m leap in the men’s triple jump, securing Singapore’s first medal in the event since 1971.
Balancing training, competitions and his studies were a challenge. There were periods where everything came at once, but Gabriel learnt how to stay organised and prioritised tasks to keep going even when things got tough.
Reflecting on how CDE has shaped him beyond sport, he shared, “The emphasis on structured thinking, problem-solving, and reflection at CDE has helped me approach training and competitions more intentionally. I learnt to reflect on setbacks and stay composed under pressure.”
CDE will be cheering Gabriel on as he soars across the Commonwealth track! Go Gabriel!
Team Bumblebee surges to overall win at RoboSub 2026
Three cheers for Team Bumblebee, who surged ahead at RoboSub 2026 to become the overall champ!
Held at the Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine, California, RoboSub 2026 brought together 58 teams from around the world. Team Bumblebee rose to the top once again, successfully defending its title as the reigning RoboSub 2025 champion.
The team excelled in both competition categories: Design Documentation and the Autonomy Challenge. In Design Documentation, teams were judged on five main components: technical design report, team video, team website, design presentation, and system presentation. Team Bumblebee delivered strong performances, attaining top technical report and top team video.
In the main event, the Autonomy Challenge, Team Bumblebee’s newest vehicle, AUV 5.0, worked along AUV 4.5 to navigate the obstacle course unassisted, tackling a series of complex underwater tasks, including targeted navigation, object manipulation, torpedo firing, and acoustic beacon tracking.
Reflecting on the team’s win, team lead Sheng Bin Chan (Year 4, Computer Engineering) shared, “Winning RoboSub 2026 is a massive validation of every team member’s hard work and resilience. Autonomous systems are inherently fragile, and real-world conditions will always find ways to test your assumptions. What made the difference this year was our team's ability to debug, adapt, and deploy real-time fixes under pressure. This victory reflects years of continuous iteration and relentless grit across our mechanical, electrical, and software sub-teams.”
Beyond the technical achievement, what made the experience truly memorable was the camaraderie and sportsmanship. The team cherished the chance to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. They also continued their efforts to provide technical support for other teams, as they had done in previous competitions.
Here’s to Team Bumblebee for making waves once again at RoboSub 2026!
Students win Runner Up at Core77 Design Awards 2026
Class of 2026 graduate Vina Setiawaty and Year 4 student Basil Wee won Runner up in the Toys & Play category of the Core77 Design Awards 2026, an international awards programme that celebrates excellence in design across professional and student categories.
Cubic Rhythms is a hands-on puzzle game that reimagines the traditional marble run through string-actuated cube nets and physical interaction. Instead of simply releasing a marble, players manipulate folding cube nets to guide it upwards through a maze, transforming movement into a challenge of strategy, coordination, and timing.
Inspired by cube nets commonly used to teach geometry, the game encourages experimentation and learning through play, with different configurations creating unique pathways and interactions. A progressive difficulty curve, alongside multiplayer gameplay and risk–reward mechanics, ensures each playthrough remains engaging and unpredictable.
Under the supervision of Associate Professor Donn Koh, Cubic Rhythms was developed without electronics, batteries, or motors. Cubic Rhythms demonstrates how meaningful gameplay can emerge entirely from tangible interaction, highlighting the potential of physical play to foster curiosity, problem-solving and discovery.
CDE greets incoming students at Freshman Welcome 2026
As we bade farewell to the Class of 2026, we were also delighted to welcome our incoming students at CDE Freshman Welcome 2026.
In his opening address, Associate Professor Martin Buist (Deputy Dean, Education) encouraged incoming students to be bold, be brave in testing out ideas, and embrace failure as part of the learning journey. He reminded them that in CDE, “The ecosystem around you — your professors, your peers, and industry partners — is here to back up your ambitions.”
Associate Professor Darren Chian (Vice Dean, Student Life) spoke about student life and community, highlighting the many ways students can enrich their CDE experience – through sustainability initiatives, stepping up as student leaders, internships, entrepreneurship opportunities and more.
Mallory Cho (Year 3, Civil Engineering), co-lead of the Peer Student Supporter Group (PSSG) and a Wellness Ambassador, introduced student-led support initiatives. "I believe it’s important for freshmen to know what mental wellness resources are available to them, so they know where to turn to when they need support."
After the talks on student life and academic resources, incoming students enjoyed refreshments, met CDE student competition teams such as FSAE and Calibur Robotics, explored projects such as Galassia-5, and learned more about the many opportunities ahead.
Gracia Zhang, an incoming Year 1 Biomedical Engineering undergraduate, said, “CDE encourages us to build our own degree, so I’m exploring second majors and minors that could complement mine, including Mechanical Engineering and Public Health. I’m also excited to learn more about student societies like NUS MedTech.”
Sessions on degree pathways, Innovation & Design Programme (iDP), and NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC), followed by departmental briefings and networking sessions with faculty, gave students a deeper look into their upcoming academic journeys.
We cannot wait to see our freshmen grow, explore, and make their mark at CDE. Welcome aboard!
CDE Orientation Week welcomes freshmen to a new beginning
CDE welcomed freshmen to Orientation Week, kicking off the new academic year with four unforgettable days of fun and friendship!
Months of planning went into creating an immersive experience for the freshmen, including the creation of a unique kingdom-saving storyline that split freshmen into four houses. Along the way, freshmen bonded over water games, an amazing race, escape rooms, a carnival segment, and even a night trail.
Beyond the games, freshmen also received valuable guidance on programme registration and course planning. They got a taste of CDE life through sharing sessions on programmes such as the NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) programme, as well as through interactions with competition teams and student-led initiatives such as Project OceaNUS.
By the final day, the friendships were clearly here to stay, with freshmen and orientation leaders exchanging heartfelt notes and memories to take home.
Project directors Ng Ze Xian (Year 2, Chemical Engineering) and Ng Kang Yang (Year 2, Mechanical Engineering) shared their joy in leading the freshmen into this exciting new chapter.
Ze Xian said, "We hope the freshmen have made lasting friendships and created unforgettable memories."
Kang Yang added, “I believe the camp has helped set the freshmen off to a great start in their university life. To the freshmen, from here on out: make the most of every moment, step out of your comfort zone, and most importantly, have fun.”
CDE students take to the streets for NUS Flag Day
From the heart of campus to the streets of Singapore, NUS Flag Day brings students together in a shared effort to give back. As part of NUS Students’ Union (NUSSU) RAG & Flag, CDE students joined this annual university-wide fundraising tradition in support of Community Chest, lending their energy to meaningful social causes.
This year, CDE students were stationed across Somerset, Lavender, City Hall and Bencoolen, raising funds for Youth Guidance Outreach Services, a social service agency dedicated to supporting youth-at-risk.
Behind the scenes, the Student Life Cell of CDE Club led the planning for CDE's part of Flag Day, making sure that volunteers had the flexibility to flag where they felt most comfortable, while keeping logistics carefully coordinated.
With only one vehicle and one staff advisor handling distribution of donation cans and welfare across multiple sites, the committee worked out detailed timelines to ensure each location received its supplies on time. To keep things running smoothly and conveniently, the committee also set up three collection sites near the flagging locations, so volunteers could get to their posts quickly and spend more time fundraising.
Capping off a day filled with purpose and teamwork, Community Outreach Director of CDE Club, Tay Hock Jun (Year 2, Double Degree in Biomedical Engineering and Social Work) shared, "I hope that volunteers and donors understand that our efforts to support our beneficiaries go beyond Flag Day. I believe that there is always more that we can do to give back to our community and serve the underprivileged, and I hope that our volunteers can continue to carry the spirit of volunteerism with them and dedicate themselves towards supporting causes that they believe in."