Director’s Message

Welcome to the Innovation & Design Programme, popularly known as the iDP.

This programme is a unique opportunity for all Engineering students to hone their engineering and entrepreneurial skills through real world projects, regardless of which discipline they come from. The journey begins with a module in Design Thinking, followed by Case Studies in Engineering in which you will first encounter the broad framework for innovation, involving understanding design from the perspectives of feasibility, desirability and viability. It is in this Case Studies in Engineering module that you will initiate your design problems, often in partnership with industry. This project is taken forward to the next two semesters in which you will experience the process of uncovering deeper insights about user needs, consider enterprise creation, develop systematic solutions for the technical design and prototyping. Along the journey to your final year, you will pick up electives which deepen your entrepreneurial skills and at the same time, improve your technical design skills to build your next prototype in your final year project. I trust that this complete educational journey will be exceptionally rewarding as you capitalize on every opportunity to apply your Engineering discipline skills and knowledge in your project.

This programme is designed to imbue graduates with transferable skills which can withstand the test of time. Firstly, your confidence to deal with uncertain and ill-defined problems will be undoubtedly improved, as you will experience repeated cycles of brainstorming and questioning in order to make sense of the problem that you are solving. Secondly, you learn to think in different dimensions and to communicate in different Engineering and non-Engineering languages which makes for the multi-disciplinary experience. You will encounter unique situations which require critical thinking, thinking on your feet with constant questioning by project supervisors, and communicating your ideas openly to your fellow students, visitors and professors. Last but not least, teamwork will inculcate the value of working well with project partners.

Throughout this journey, you will grow to be more confident, self-reliant, resourceful, and develop a can-do attitude which is most valuable when you venture into the real world of Engineering beyond NUS. The resilience and positive attitudes which you will develop will help you tremendously in your future careers, whatever that may be.

I truly believe these are the qualities that will set you apart from the other students.

Assoc. Prof. Loh Ai Poh
Director, Innovation & Design Programme