What does it mean to lead with both creativity and conviction?
That question anchored the conversations at this year’s CDE Women Symposium, where alums, students and faculty gathered to hear from four exceptional women whose careers are shaping the future of their fields. Held on 8 August 2025 at Lecture Theatre 7A, the annual event continues to celebrate the voices and impact of women in design and engineering.
Centred on the theme Inspiring Creativity, Driving Innovation, the symposium highlighted not just professional milestones, but deeply personal reflections on resilience, purpose and growth.
The programme featured the sharing of experiences and reflections by CDE alumnae
- Ms Ho Pui Yng, former Concept Lead, Lucid Experiences
- Ar Lee Hui Lian, Principal Architect, OMG Atelier
- Ms Sum Kun Shan, Director of Strategy, Asia Sustainable Aviation Fuel Association (ASAFA)
- Dr Betty Tsai, former Head of AI Talent and Innovation, AI Singapore
Personal journeys, shared values
Ms Ho Pui Yng (Industrial Design, '19) spoke about her journey from the studios of NUS to her work in immersive event design. Her role in curating Lee Kuan Yew: The Experience exhibition became a point of reflection, not just for its national recognition, but for how it underscored the importance of grounding creativity in clarity, feasibility and emotional resonance. Â She shared that, over time and with experience, she has come to realise that good design should serve and support not only the users but also the team that delivers the product. She is inspired by the power of people, possibilities and creative thinking.
From the world of immersive design to the built environment, Ar Lee Hui Lian (Architecture, '09 and M Arch, '10) followed with insights from her architectural practice and the lead up to the naming and founding of OMG Atelier. One of her more vivid memories of her time as a student was undertaking a project that required not only design capability but considerable physical endeavour, which impressed on her the intertwining of built and non-built environments. Speaking of design as a form of quiet transformation and a means to effect change, now as an educator herself, she encourages students to grab opportunities to challenge themselves.
Ms Sum Kun Shan (Chemical Engineering, '07; MSc Environmental Engineering, '11) reflected on how she has pivoted from a start as a process engineer. Realising early on in her career that she was drawn to work that allowed her to connect more with people, she embarked on a path with a focus on clean energy and sustainability. Throughout her career, she shared projects ranging from the Pulau Ubin Clean and Renewable Energy Test-bedding Project to the Asia Green Grid Network (AGGN), demonstrating a key skill: the ability to bring people together to spur action. She ended by asking the audience to reflect on the chances they are taking now, and whether the fear of an imperfect plan has led to paralysis of action.
Rounding off the individual sharings, Dr Betty Tsai (Chemical Engineering, '12; PhD, '19) offered a somewhat poetic exploration of her life and experiences as different seasons – from exploration to creation and now with a family focus. The call about taking chances articulated by Ms Sum was echoed by Dr Tsai, who shared that she had dropped plans to pursue a PhD immediately after her undergraduate degree to seize an opportunity at the P&G Singapore Innovation Centre. Since then, her path, like that of the other speakers, has pivoted around connecting with people and developing talent. Calling her path a ‘squiggly’ one, based on the book, The Squiggly Career, she called on the audience to be open to exploration and positive connections.
Celebrating community and connection
Beyond the individual sharing, the symposium offered a platform for reflection, inspiration and dialogue. Although it would have been expected that a panel discussion in a women symposium would focus on women-specific concerns, in actuality most of the discussion focussed on commonalities we all as humans share – such as making conscious decisions on what we hold important and allocating time for these, building a community that you can count on, to take risks and be brave enough to ask for help, and how to reframe failures as steps to do better.
The symposium closed with a tea reception, where guests had the opportunity to meet the panellists, reconnect with faculty and peers, and continue conversations sparked during the programme. For many alums, it was a welcome return to campus and a reminder of the strength and diversity of the CDE community.
Far from being a one-time conversation, the CDE Women Symposium reaffirmed the College’s commitment to building an inclusive and supportive environment for all. As each speaker shared their path forward, marked by setbacks, pivots, and moments of clarity, the event became a call to keep redefining leadership in ways that are bold, authentic and community driven.
