Dear students, alumni, colleagues, and partners of CDE,

It’s a brand-new academic year, and as always, we start with a bang – with the NUS Rag and Flag.

The NUS Rag and Flag had its start in 1958 and has become one of our university’s most cherished annual traditions. It provides an opportunity for incoming and current students to bond at the start of the academic year. Such experiences awaken in our students the understanding that their time here can be enriched through such meaningful and fun activities.

Even more importantly, Rag and Flag is when we, as a community, reaffirm our commitment to give back to society. That commitment to giving back runs through all that we do in CDE and in our community.

This year, we also commemorate a remarkable milestone: the 70th anniversary of engineering education at NUS. We marked Engineering’s rich history and networks and thanked those who supported us along the way. This was made even more significant as in 2025, we are also celebrating SG60 and NUS120.

But Engineering is only one part of the rich tapestry of CDE. As a combined force together with the Department of Architecture, the Department of the Built Environment and the Division of Industrial Design, we have even greater potential to make a tremendous difference in the lives of others. So, I think we will have more to look forward to in the next 70 years!

Wishing all our students, staff and faculty a great academic year ahead.

Professor Teo Kie Leong
Dean
College of Design and Engineering (CDE)