The Innovation & Design Programme (iDP) ran a series of leadership development opportunities for students in 2018 and 2019. Students were engaged in basic leadership training and were provided with opportunities to apply their leadership skills through experiential learning. The initiatives carried out include an innovation study trip to Shenzhen and Hong Kong, a self-discovery trip to Perth, and activities such as NUS Open Day and technology development bootcamps. Students were asked to reflect on their leadership experience and identify areas for improvement as they execute the initiatives. The objective was to create the environment for students to explore the leadership style that is most suitable for their personal leadership development.
Student testimonials
“Through the leadership workshop, I learnt about what makes a good leader… The life of a leader is not glamourous or easy; it involves many late nights thinking, planning and executing the best way forward for the entire organisation.” – Peng Jia Xin
“I was recently made the President of IES-NUS Student Chapter. Having a huge responsibility on my shoulders, I want to gather what I have learnt from this leadership programme and apply the lessons to become a leader.” – Phang Fu Chun
“Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to accomplish a shared goal… Leadership style should change under different contexts and when accomplishing different goals.” – Zhang Xingyao
“Leadership is not about the decisions you make, but the influence you have on those around you. This is my most important learning outcome from the programme.” – Harsh Singhal
Further information on this initiative can be directed to Dr Edwin Koh (edwin.koh@nus.edu.sg).
