It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) — One of the top ranked ME departments in the world.

The central concept of ME is that of a ‘machine’, i.e. a device that converts energy to motion or vice versa. Automobiles, jets and rockets, power turbines, windmills, prosthetic limbs, oil rigs, automated ports, and robots are all examples of machines. Even biological cells can be viewed as machines. Mechanical Engineers are concerned with all aspects of machines, ranged from their design, fabrication, materials selection, analysis, control, power generation, and impact on the environment. ME has been a cornerstone of engineering for more than a century (e.g. the steam-powered trains of the 19th century). Now, ME remains at the center of almost all technical advancements, from healthcare to  transportation, and all the infrastructure that you see around you. The Mechanical Engineers of today are multidisciplinary, with knowledge from other areas such as computing, artificial intelligence, and electronics.

We are proud to note that NUS Mechanical Engineering has been consistently ranked amongst the top ME departments in the world. This reflects the continual effort of our academic, research, technical and administrative staff in our daily tasks, and the quality of our students. Our curriculum undergoes regular revisions to ensure local relevance with a global outlook. We believe in a broad education which instills a sense of lifelong learning, community and leadership values in students, together with an appreciation of global issues. Additionally, we offer various overseas exchange programmes to further the global outreach of our Mechanical Engineering degree. A degree from NUS Mechanical Engineering has been known to have a large employability factor worldwide, ensuring an enriching career and leadership opportunities in engineering practice, industries (beyond mechanical engineering), government, and research.

Our distinguished faculty and their laboratories showcase the diverse research interests, and in many instances, new devices and better industrial processes developed here at NUS Mechanical Engineering. Our research ranges from molecular to nano- and micro- devices, to aircrafts as well as offshore engineering and beyond, focusing on mechanical systems (i.e., machines), both natural and man-made. Multiple spin-offs (non-exclusive examples are GCoreLab: thermal management, Medad Technologies: desalination) have been formed based on many patents and disclosures resulting from the research done here in the department.

I welcome your interest in our department and wish you a very successful and enjoyable experience with us. While this website attempts to provide you information that will help you discover our facilities, should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or any of our faculty. To our potential students, whether undergraduate or postgraduate, I hope to be receiving an admission application from you. Last but not least, we value any comment or suggestion you may have regarding your experiences with this website or the department. Please feel free to come and talk to us at any time, or contact us via the details found here.

Once again, I very much look forward to meeting you in the near future.

Professor Gregory S. Chirikjian
Fellow of ASME and IEEE