Welcome to the homepage for the Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Management (ISEM). We hope that you will find interesting and relevant information about the education, application and research opportunities that our department offers.

Our vision is to be a global force in advancing the knowledge of industrial and systems engineering and technology management through excellence in education, research and applications development, and social responsibility. The Industrial and Systems Engineering Department (ISE) was first established at NUS in 1972, and is the first and only ISE programme in Singapore. Recent changes include a merger with the Division of Engineering and Technology Management (ETM), bringing about the subsequent renaming of our department as the Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Management (ISEM).

Traditionally, industrial engineers have focused on improving performance of an entire system, keeping in mind productivity, quality, cost, safety, sustainability, and product or service enhancement. However, industrial needs have evolved. Indeed, today’s engineers are also increasingly being required to engage in science based on algorithms, computation and mathematical modeling to aid decision making in complex and uncertain environments. While the fundamental ISE knowledge has not changed, the department recognises the evolving necessary skills to empower the modern industrial engineer and have been providing the corresponding evolving knowledge in areas such as data analytics, optimization, logistics, financial engineering, technology management and innovation through our programme offerings. The merger represents our resolve to deliver a robust multidisciplinary curriculum that will better serve our students to meet and exceed knowledge requirements in the ever-changing industrial landscape.

Our curriculum focuses on theoretical mastery and extensive hands-on learning via industry attachments and research opportunities. Our programmes are led by faculty who are internationally renowned research leaders in the areas of port design and technology, logistics and supply chain management, fintech, operations research, management sciences, innovation and management of technology. Our graduates have been well trained to enter roles in industry, academia, government, and non-government organisations here and internationally. They are highly sought after by organisations like Citibank, Exxonmobil, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), IBM, JP Morgan, Boston Consulting, OCBC, and Tan Tock Seng Hospital, cementing the versatility of the ISEM degree.

ISEM students can also choose from a multitude of overseas exchange programmes with prestigious engineering institutions such as Georgia Tech (USA), University of Toronto (Canada), Technical U of Munich (Germany), Linkoping U (Sweden), and Tsinghua and Nanjing University (China). This represents our commitment to making sure our students gain a sense of global perspectives and take a broader, more critical view of experience and learning.

At ISEM, we strongly believe that knowledge should not be confined to the classroom; that students should experience first-hand how what they learn can make a difference in an organisation. This is highlighted by our Systems Design Project (SDP) core module, in which students spend two semesters working with established organisations such as Keppel Fels, Philips and PSA, applying the theories they learned in school to improve existing systems. The opportunity to receive guidance from industry leaders and witness their solutions implemented in an organisation is immensely rewarding for our students, and is central to the ISEM experience.

Here at ISEM, we are dedicated to developing students to be intellectually curious, bold, and ready to think out of the box. Come and take up our challenge, and be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Welcome to ISEM.

Associate Professor Ng Szu Hui

Head of Department