THE NUS

ENGINEER
NOVEMBER 2015 – APRIL 2016  |   ISSUE 01

60 YEARS OF
ENGINEERING
THE ROAD
IN SINGAPORE
AHEAD
Unique air-conditioning system wins highest
award at URBAN SUSTAINABILITY R&D CONGRESS
06
NUS ECE team develops NOVEL
OPTICAL SIEVES to counter forgery
07
CENTRE FOR NEXT GENERATION LOGISTICS
helps Singapore to stay ahead
12
 Cover Story Cover Story

60 years of engineering
in Singapore
ACHIEVING rapid growth through the last 60 years, the NUS Faculty of Engineering is
now ranked in the world’s top 10. During its formative years, the Faculty contributed to
Singapore’s economic transformation through supporting infrastructural nation-building such
as land reclamation, new industrial and public housing estates, urban renewal, and strategic
construction of land, sea and air transportation systems.

In the 1980s, the Faculty responded speedily to meet the needs of high-tech manufacturing
industries; and from the late 1990s, the knowledge-driven industries. Working with
government statutory boards such as the National Science and Technology Board and its
successor, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the Faculty was
instrumental in the formation of science parks and national research institutes.

In its mission to nurture engineer-leaders with global outlook, two

flagship initiatives were launched in 2009 — the Design-Centric
Programme (DCP) and the Global Engineering Programme (GEP).
DCP provides a platform for engineering students from all disciplines
to come out with holistic solutions for solving complex real world
problems. GEP enables the Faculty’s best students to finish their
B Eng degree in just three years, and to further their studies with a
top international partner university in their fourth year.

The Faculty’s status today is reflected in a new agreement sealed this year with the University
of Oxford for a year-long student exchange programme (see story on page 11). Coupled with
an earlier agreement signed with the University of Cambridge in 2010, the NUS Faculty of
Engineering is the only school in the world to have secured such an agreement with these two
topnotch universities.
Minister for Communications and Information, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim (centre) blowing out the candles. Joining in the big moment (from left): Former deans,
CELEBRATING 60 YEARS Prof Andrew Nee, Prof Goh Thong Ngee, Prof Poo Aun Neow; NUS Chairman, Mr Wong Ngit Liong (on Minister’s right); Dean of Engineering, Prof Chua
Kee Chaing (on Minister’s left); former dean, Prof Chan Eng Soon and Vice Dean (External Relations) Prof Victor Shim. The 60th Anniversary bash was held
OF ENGINEERING at the Shangri-La Hotel on 16 Oct, with more than 600 guests.

Honouring engineering alumni investment holding company, he

led a group of alumni to establish a
faculty-level endowed bursary fund in
2009, providing financial assistance
to needy full-time undergraduates.
NUS Engineering alumni were honoured at the Faculty’s 60th Anniversary gala dinner held He also initiated the inaugural NUS
at the Shangri-La Hotel (16 October). Mr Seah Cheng San (Civil Engineering Class of 1982) Engineering Charity Golf event and
received the Engineering Alumni Service Honours. Director of 3Fleur Pte Ltd, an raised more than $400,000.
The Distinguished Engineering
Alumni Award was conferred on
Dr Shahzad Nasim, Group Executive
Chairman of Meinhardt Singapore
Pte Ltd. Dr Nasim graduated with a
Master of Civil Engineering degree
in 1976, and grew Meinhardt,
establishing 42 offices around the
globe which carry the Singapore
brand. Projects led by him include
landmark buildings in Singapore such
as The Sail @ Marina Bay, One Raffles
Quay and the Marina Bay Financial
Centre. Overseas, buildings that carry
From left: Engineering Dean, Prof Chua Kee Chaing; recipient of Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award,
his stamp include The Dubai Mall,
Dr Shahzad Nasim; Minister for Communications and Information, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim; NUS Chairman, Mr Wong
Ngit Liong; recipient of the Engineering Alumni Service Honours, Mr Seah Cheng San; and Vice Dean (External The River in Bangkok and the Bank
Relations) Prof Victor Shim. of China in Hong Kong.
The road ahead: Two engineers’ perspectives
SINGAPORE research talent need to pick lecture The Pacific Century Beckons: Perspectives from an Explorer-Engineer-Educator,
up more skills in the management of also has advisory roles with Peking University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Universiti
technologies. Speaking at a public lecture, Teknologi Petronas, among others. He commented that even as the world has been
Singapore’s Research & Innovation brought to Singapore, we now need to take Singapore to the world. We need to set up
Journey: What’s Next?, Professor Hang incubators all over the world and to send more students abroad.
Chang Chieh, Executive Director, Institute
for Engineering Leadership and Head, The two public lectures were held at the NUS Engineering Auditorium on 2 & 9 October
Division of Engineering and Technology as part of the Engineering Lecture Series to celebrate the Faculty’s 60th Anniversary.
Management, urged Singapore to
“think local and act global” in order
to turn knowledge and capability into
business value.
Possessing “global minds and Singapore
hearts” will also help Singapore sail the
winds of change as it enters its next phase,
said University Professor Shih Choon
Fong, former NUS President and Founding
President of King Abdullah University of
Science and Technology (Saudi Arabia).
Prof Shih, who was speaking at his public Global minds, Singapore hearts: Prof Hang Chang Chieh (left) and Prof Shih Choon Fong.

02 THE NUS ENGINEER THE NUS ENGINEER 03

 Accolades Accolades

Accorded Singapore’s highest honour for membrane research
PROFESSOR Neal Chung, faculty member with the NUS
Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, was
accorded the 2015 President’s Technology Award (PTA) in
recognition of his outstanding research work on membranes,
particularly in the field of water.
Not only has he furthered the fundamental
understanding of membranes, he was also
responsible for the development of numerous
novel membrane designs that have been
recognised by academics for their innovativeness.
Prof Chung’s research has set Singapore at the forefront of
membranes research for clean water and energy applications. His
novel membrane designs have been commercialised by various
companies, including an ultrafiltration membrane which he
co-invented with Hyflux. This technology has been adopted in
Singapore’s water plants and worldwide.
Earlier this year, Prof Chung won the NUS Outstanding Researcher
Award. He also received the inaugural IChemE Underwood Medal
for Exceptional Research in Separations in February. Introduced
in 2014, the Underwood Medal is awarded to individuals from
academia or industry who have made a significant sustained
contribution to research in the area of separations and generated
impact within and outside their specialised field.
Associate Professor Marcelo H Ang Jr
received the Capek Award at Innorobo
2015 in Lyon (France), for his exceptional
contributions to robotics. Assoc Prof
Ang, Director, Advanced Robotics Centre
at the NUS Faculty of Engineering, also
gave a talk on autonomous vehicles at
the Conference. Innorobo is Europe’s only
international event 100 per cent dedicated
to robotics and all disruptive innovations
from around the world.
NUS BumbleBee student team led by 4th-year Mechanical Engineering student
Hoang The Huan emerged 2nd at the 18th International RoboSub competition
held in San Diego in July. They were 7th in 2013 and 5th in 2014. This year, they
were the only team that attempted active manipulation tasks successfully, with no
other team displaying the combined capability in computer vision and mechanical
actuation to complete these hybrid tasks.

The President’s Science and Technology Awards (PSTA) are the
highest honours bestowed on exceptional research scientists and
engineers in Singapore for their excellent achievements in science
and technology, and outstanding contributions to the development
of the research and development landscape in Singapore.
Award winner back to do research on photonics
NUS ENGINEERING graduate Chen Lianwei, recipient of the
Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award, has already
written three scientific papers as an undergraduate. Receiving
his B Eng (Engineering Science) degree with first class honours
in July, he is now back at what he enjoys most — research.
Now in a direct PhD programme at the NUS Graduate
School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering (NGS) he has
published a paper in Nanoscale, as the lead author.
Lianwei has been offered places by top US
universities to pursue his PhD. But he has
chosen to stay on in NUS. Commenting on his
decision, he said, “NUS offers a highly flexible
programme and I wanted to explore deeper
into what I have done for my final year project
where I was introduced by my supervisor
into the colourful and interesting world of
photonics. Furthermore, we have world-class
experimental instruments which are open to
enthusiastic young students like me.”
Photonics is the science and technology of the emission
and transmission of light through the control of photons.
Now under the guidance of Professor Hong Minghui,
Director, NUS Optical Science and Research Centre, Lianwei
targets to bring next-generation photonics such as photonic
computing into reality.
Professor Choo Yoo Sang, Lloyd’s
Register Foundation Chair Professor,
Department of Civil & Environmental
Engineering and Centre for Offshore
Prof Neal Chung, receiving the PTA from Singapore President Dr Tony Tan. Research & Engineering, received
the prestigious Kurobane Award at
the 15th International Symposium
on Tubular Structures (ISTS) in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil. He is also the recipient
of the IES Prestigious Engineering
Achievement Award 2015 for his
research in offshore engineering.
A Design-Centric Programme team
led by instructor Mr Soh Eng Keng
won the Silver Prize for an oral research
presentation in the Undergraduate
Category at the Bioengineering Society’s
9th Scientific Meeting (BES9SM)
organised by the Bioengineering Society
of Singapore (BES Singapore) in May.
Associate Professor Ho Ghim Wei,
NUS Department of Electrical & Computer
Engineering, received the honoree
award (Scientific and/or Technological
Development) at the Junior Chamber
Mr Chen Lianwei doing what he loves best — research. Standing by is his
supervisor, Prof Hong Minghui. International (JCI) Ten Outstanding Young
Persons (TOYP) 2015 award ceremony.
Currently, Lianwei leads a project to explore a novel hybrid frozen
matrix highlighting the transition phase between liquid and solid.
Adjunct Professor Ng Kim Choon and
This is a world-first and has proven so far to be promising, paving
Assistant Professor Ernest Chua Kian
the way for further development in nonlinear optical material
which is the key to high power laser and photonic circuits. Jon won the IES Prestigious Engineering
Achievement Award 2015. The NUS
He and his team have fabricated a graphene-oxide-hybrid Mechanical Engineering team which
frozen system — a new record that could lead to super includes Dr Kyaw Thu and Dr Thuan
performing devices offering high resolution bio-imaging as well Buc Dui, has invented the world’s first
as advanced micro-processing techniques. The team plans to compressor-less dehumidifying & cooling
form a startup by next year, to commercialise their technology. system for all weather conditions.
Engineering Science Programme Assistant Professor Yan Ning,
student team comprising Ling Evan, NUS Department of Chemical &
Lim Zeming, Eugene Soh and Biomolecular Engineering, was awarded
Tan Yan Han clinched the 2nd the inaugural G2C2 Young Researcher
prize and Merit award at the Energy Award in June. His achievements in
Innovation Challenge 2015 organised the field of green catalysis has set him
by the Institution of Engineers apart from his peers. At 33, Dr Yan has
Singapore in conjunction with the already co-authored 60 peer-reviewed
World Engineers Summit. Facing strong
competition from 22 teams comprising
scientific publications and 1 book
chapter. His citations exceeds 1700 and
local and international universities, his h-index is 22.
they walked away with a cash prize of
$6,000 and a trophy.
Professor Lim Chwee Teck was conferred
the Vladimir K Zworykin Award by the
International Federation for Medical and
Biological Engineering (IFMBE). He received
the Award in June at the opening of the
World Congress on Medical Physics and
Biomedical Engineering 2015 in Toronto,
Canada. The conference was attended by
2,000 delegates from all over the world.
Research Fellow Dr Magdiel Inggrid
Setyawati, Department of Chemical
& Biomolecular Engineering, received
the World Future Foundation (WFF) PhD
Prize in Environmental and Sustainability
Professor James Goh, Head,
Research, an award of US $10,000. She
NUS Biomedical Engineering
was among 10 postgraduate students
Department, was elected President
recognised for their outstanding
environmental and sustainability research.
of the International Federation for
Medical and Biological Engineering
(IFMBE) during the IFMBE General
Assembly held in conjunction
NUS UAV team, V Lion emerged 2nd in
with the 2015 World Congress on
the recent International Micro Air Vehicle
Medical Physics and Biomedical
(IMAV) Competition held in Germany,
Engineering in Toronto, Canada.
battling gusty wind and rain. The most
challenging mission was firefighting
which the team excelled.

04 THE NUS ENGINEER THE NUS ENGINEER 05

 Accolades Research

Unique air-conditioning system wins NUS ECE team develops

highest award at Urban Sustainability novel optical sieves to
R&D Congress counter forgery

AN NUS Engineering solution based on membrane
technology to reduce air humidity was the sole winner of the
Distinguished Award at the Urban Sustainability R&D Congress
(9 to 10 July). The project, Novel Nano-Woven Membrane
Air Dehumidification to Enhance Building Energy Efficiency,
led by Assistant Professor Ernest Chua, was showcased as
part of the event’s exhibition. The Distinguished Award is the
highest category of award to be conferred, with the other
awards being “Merit” and “Special Mention”.
The technology contributes towards more energy efficient
buildings as well as reducing carbon emission. It involves the
use of a revolutionary membrane air dehumidification system
to remove moisture from air entering a building. By separating
the moisture dehumidification process from air cooling, the
energy efficiency of existing buildings’ cooling plants can be
Said Dr Chua, “In tropical climates, air-
conditioning efficiency decreases dramatically
when removing moisture from the air.
We have evolved an innovative technology to
dehumidify the intake of moist air using the novel
membranes, and then to cool the dehumidified
air. The technology does not involve the use of
environmentally harmful refrigerants for cooling.
This translates to a sustainable air conditioner
that is totally green!”
The membrane system is uniquely designed so that the electricity
COUNTERFEITS in credit cards, passports and identity
cards may become a thing of the past. A team at the
NUS Electrical & Computer Engineering led by Assistant
Assoc Prof Michael Raghunath will work with Thermo Fisher Scientific Professor Qiu Cheng-Wei has come out with a novel
on the research. counter forgery method using optical sieves. Their findings
were published in Nature Communications (5 May 2015).
Their revolutionary technology employing nanoscale
Thermo Fisher Scientific works precision, opens up a new avenue for unparalleled
security. The essence of the invention lies in the design of
with NUS physician scientist an “ultra-capacity nano-photon sieve” — a unique device
with capacity to incorporate more than 34,000 nanoholes
to come out with novel (each ~300nm in diameter) randomly distributed in its
surface. This feature enables the display of a high-pixel
methods to grow stem cells holographic image.

dramatically improved. consumption is significantly lower — less than 50 per cent

Currently, his team is developing the second generation of
membrane dehumidifiers that can bring the humidity of
supplied air to very low levels that are critical for the continuous
operation of delicate equipment such as those in field hospitals,
armoured personnel carriers and operation decks of navy ships
and aircrafts.
conventional mechanically-driven cycles. The patented cooling
technology serves to reduce carbon and water footprints
sustainably for modern living in mega-cities. This ground-
breaking technology is strategically poised to enable a city-state
like Singapore and other global mega-cites to markedly improve
energy efficiency in all types of buildings including residential,
commercial and industrial.
THE TECHNOLOGY
CONTRIBUTES TOWARDS
MORE ENERGY
EFFICIENT BUILDINGS
AS WELL AS REDUCING
CARBON EMISSION.
IT INVOLVES THE USE
OF A REVOLUTIONARY
MEMBRANE AIR
DEHUMIDIFICATION
SYSTEM TO REMOVE
MOISTURE FROM AIR
ENTERING A BUILDING.
DR ERNEST CHUA
Explaining how their technology works,
Dr Qiu said, “Highly secured virtual
SCIENTISTS all over the world are trying to grow stem cells information is stored in the collection of these
in numbers sufficient for treatment and to preserve their
functionality. However, current cell culture systems do not nanoholes and they can only be retrieved and
present an optimal microenvironment for stem cells, resulting in read at a particular distance when a proper
deterioration of their growth and functionality in vitro. polarised illumination is employed. Our device
can be customised for various applications.
Now, with a major boost from Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc,
Associate Professor Michael Raghunath, Department of The dimensionality, display distance,
Biomedical Engineering, will work with the company’s Cell polarisation and wavelength dependence can
Biology R&D team to develop novel processes and methods for be tailored according to needs.”
improving the growth of human stem cells.
Assoc Prof Raghunath, an internationally distinguished physician Dr Qiu says that with their capability to handle such a large
scientist in the field of matrix biology and skin wound repair, quantity of nanoholes, they will be looking into developing
multiple holographic images at multiple displaying planes,
is also with the Department of Biochemistry and Principal
Investigator, NUS Tissue Engineering Programme, NUS Life wavelength or polarisation-dependent 3d images — and other
emerging applications.
Sciences Institute.
“Our work will drive applications for research use, for the
manufacturing of stem cells, and eventually, to using these cells
in clinical treatments,” he said.
Stem cells have the unique ability to differentiate into various
cell types, such as bone or liver cells and taking up respective
cell functions. Thus, stem cells can potentially be used to treat
a wide range of human illnesses and diseases, including cardiac
disease and metabolic disorders.

“The key to realising this potential is the

Dr Ernest Chua (far left) has
come out with a system that
could reduce humidity using
membrane technology.
ability to grow them in the laboratory
to reach numbers that are sufficient
for treatment and to preserve their
functionality,” added Assoc Prof Raghunath.
The project will receive a grant of up to $300,000 per year in
the five-year strategic alliance established in 2014 between NUS Dr Qiu Cheng-Wei (seated) with his team, Dr Teng Jinghua, Principal
Scientist and Head (Patterning & Fabrication), Institute of Materials
and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Assoc Prof Raghunath’s project Research and Engineering (right); and Dr Huang Kun, research fellow
was one of three proposals selected based on the applications with NUS Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering.
of their research.

06 THE NUS ENGINEER THE NUS ENGINEER 07

 Research Research

Cheaper ways of producing Robotic socks NUS environmental

biodiesel from waste inspired by coral engineering team works
grease using E coli and tentacles to prevent with PUB to find out what
other novel catalysts blood clots in legs cause algae to multiply

RESEARCHERS at the NUS Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EACH year, 600,000 to 800,000 people in
Engineering have pioneered three new techniques to produce biodiesel from the world die from Deep Vein Thrombosis
waste grease. Biodiesel is a renewable alternative to fossil fuel. It also gives (DVT). This is a potentially life-threatening
better combustion. condition caused by blood clots forming
along the lower extremity veins of the
Some 30,000 tonnes of waste grease is discharged in Singapore annually, from legs. About 10 to 30 per cent of patients
homes as well as food and beverage establishments. Currently, by blending will die within one month of diagnosis.
waste grease with pure oil, the high free fatty acid (FFA) content in waste grease Patients who are 75 and above, are more
can be reduced and thus can be made into biodiesel — albeit at a high cost. prone to DVT.
A team of researchers from the NUS
The team led by Professor Li Zhi has come up with Faculty of Engineering and the Yong Loo
more cost-effective methods using specially engineered Lin School of Medicine, has come out
magnetic catalysts and biocatalysts. These high- with a sock that can improve the survival
performance catalysts can be separated easily from rates of patients. The team comprises
Assistant Professor Raye Yeow Chen Hua,
the biodiesel mixture at the end of the transformation Department of Biomedical Engineering; his
process. They can also be reused multiple times first-year PhD candidate Mr Low Fanzhe;
without losing efficiency. and Assistant Professor Lim Jeong Hoon,
Department of Medicine.
One approach uses Escherichia coli (E coli) enzymes cells, expressed with Their method was inspired by the natural
a unique lipase derived from a bacterial strain extracted from the soil. This role of the human ankle muscles in
biocatalyst achieves a 97 per cent biodiesel conversion yield in 72 hours. E coli facilitating blood flow back to the heart.
biocatalysts can be produced in large quantities and at low cost and a high The patient wears a sock on the affected
conversion efficiency can be maintained by simply adding more E coli biocatalysts leg, connected to a soft artificial muscle
for every fresh cycle.
(an actuator) made of silicon rubber. The
mechanism which mimics the suction and
Another method involves the use of magnetic solid acid nanoparticles
contracting movements of coral tentacles
as catalysts, attaining a 98 per cent biodiesel yield in 24 hours. The third
to grab food, promotes ankle joint motions
approach uses specially engineered magnetic nanobiocatalysts, with the help as well as facilitate blood flow in the leg.
of an enzyme derived from a fungus. This method achieves a 99 per cent The sock is also embedded with sensors to
biodiesel yield in 12 hours. track the angle of the ankle joint.
The sock complements conventional ALGAE blooms in our waters posed a great problem for fish farmers in Singapore
ankle therapy exercises that therapists as they affect aquatic life.
perform on patients. It can also be worn
for prolonged durations to provide
robot-assisted therapy. A team led by Associate Professor Karina Gin,
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, is
Said Dr Yeow, “Given the conducting a five-year study on a type of algae called
compact size, modular cyanobacteria which can affect quality of fresh water.
design and ease of use, the Their project, a collaboration with the national water
soft robotic sock can be agency PUB, aims to better understand the different
types of cyanobacteria found in fresh water and the
adopted in hospital wards
and rehabilitation centres conditions that cause them to multiply.
for on-bed applications to
prevent DVT among stroke
patients or even at home
for bedridden patients. By
reducing the risk of DVT
using this device, we hope
to improve survival rates
of these patients.”
The team hopes to conduct trials across
different hospitals for better evaluation,
with target to commercialise the device
in the future.
Dr Raye Yeow Chen Hua (far right) and his PhD
student Mr Low Fanzhe, demonstrating how the
robotic sock works.

CURRENTLY, BY
Assoc Prof Karina Gin (front, centre) leads her team in study of cyanobacteria to help PUB
BLENDING WASTE develop detection tools and models for managing algae blooms.
GREASE WITH PURE
OIL, THE HIGH FREE
FATTY ACID (FFA)
CONTENT IN WASTE Assoc Prof Gin said that cyanobacteria tends to dominate tropical freshwater
GREASE CAN BE systems and that they have been conducting studies on cyanobacteria for the
REDUCED AND THUS last two years. So far, 80 cyanobacteria species have been isolated and these
are being used to study the amount of chemicals they produce under various
CAN BE MADE INTO
environmental conditions.
BIODIESEL — ALBEIT
AT A HIGH COST. With their findings, PUB hopes to develop detection tools and models which
will enable them to better manage the algae blooms.

08 THE NUS ENGINEER THE NUS ENGINEER 09

 News
Gathering of Engineering minds at the Asian Engineering Deans’ Summit.
Reimagining Engineering at Asian Deans’
Engineering Summit 2015
THE NUS Faculty of Engineering played
host to the 4th Asian Engineering
Deans Summit for two days in May.
NUS Engineering Dean, Professor
Chua Kee Chaing who was also the
Summit’s General Chair; Chair of
Global Engineering Deans Council,
Professor John Beynon, University of
Adelaide; and NUS Provost and Deputy
President (Academic Affairs), Professor
Tan Eng Chye, warmly welcomed
the delegates from Australia, New
Zealand, China, Hong Kong, Japan,
S Korea, Taiwan, India, Malaysia,
Philippines and Singapore.
Nobel Laureate and former US Energy Secretary
urges low-carbon economy
Prof Steven Chu (left) with Prof T Venky
Venkatesan, Director of NanoCore (centre) and
Engineering Dean, Prof Chua Kee Chaing.
10 THE NUS ENGINEER
Norwegian visitors at the faculty to discuss possible
AKER Scholarships tie-up
THE founder of AKER Scholarships,
Mr Kjell Inge Rokke accompanied by
the CEO of AKER, Mr Oyvind Eriksen
and Norwegian Ambassador to
Singapore, Mr Tormod Cappelen
Endresen, visited the Faculty of
Engineering on 17 September, to explore
possibilities of a tie-up with the Faculty.
The Faculty has a long
standing relationship in
the area of marine and
offshore technology with
Norway, especially with
the Norwegian University
Said NUS Engineering Dean, Prof Chua, “Engineering schools of Science and Technology.
around the world are facing new challenges, opportunities and AKER Scholarships support
expectations. These require us to reimagine Engineering to young talented Norwegian
serve the needs of a new generation of Engineering students, and students wanting to pursue
businesses and societies in a rapidly changing world economy. their postgraduate studies in
It is even more important for deans of engineering faculties in the very best universities in
Asia, a burgeoning region, to reflect on the core of engineering, the world outside Norway —
as we refine our directions to meet the increasing demands and namely the UK, USA and Asia.
challenges in our own countries.”
Besides keynote addresses, the Summit included dialogue sessions addressing current issues
like how engineering education can contribute to “grand challenges” or global initiatives. Oxford seals deal for year-long student
exchange programme
THE NUS Faculty of Engineering has signed
a new agreement with the University
of Oxford for a student exchange
programme. Under the agreement, five
NOBEL Laureate Steven Chu brought with him a compelling NUS Engineering undergraduates can
message on sustaining the earth for the future generation when he study at Oxford for a year, with the same
number coming to NUS.
visited NUS. The former US Secretary of Energy (2009 to 2013)
who is a professor of physics at Stanford University, spoke to a In 2010, a similar agreement was signed
packed hall, advocating more research into renewable energy to with the University of Cambridge (for two
form a low-carbon economy. students from each university). Professor
Victor Shim, NUS Faculty of Engineering’s
Vice Dean (External Relations) who was
The Faculty of Engineering was the first stop for Prof Chu’s visit to NUS, hosted by the Dean instrumental to initiating the exchange
of Engineering, Professor Chua Kee Chaing and Professor John Wang, Head, Department programme with the British universities
of Materials Science & Engineering. In a session with Prof Chu, Associate Professor Liu Bin, (and himself an alumnus of Cambridge)
Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and Associate Professor Wang Qing, noted: “The clinching of both programmes
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, also shared their work related to energy. is a confirmation of the international
stature of our Engineering Faculty.”
Before heading off for lunch hosted by NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan,
Prof Chu also found time in his busy schedule to visit the Materials Science & Engineering Professor Gopal Madabhushi, exchange
Battery Lab (led by Associate Professors Stefan Adams and Wang Qing) as well as the coordinator at Cambridge’s Department
Mechanobiology Institute led by Professor Michael Sheetz. Prof Chu was also taken of Engineering, said: “The exchange with
on a short tour of the facilities at the NanoCore Research Centre by its director, Professor NUS provides students an introduction
T Venky Venkatesan. to Asian engineering practices. Such an
News
Mr Kjell Inge Rokke (4th from left), Mr Oyyind Eriksen (4th from right) and Ambassador Mr Tormod
Cappelen Endresen (far left) with NUS officials (from left): Prof Chan Eng Soon, Prof Chua Kee
Chaing, Prof Andrew Wee, Prof Quek Ser Tong and Assoc Prof Loh Wai Lam. They were especially
happy to see their former colleagues, Prof Alistair Birnie (left, in light blue shirt) and Prof Allan Magee
(centre, in white shirt) who are now with NUS.
In session with the visitors were NUS Vice President (University and Global Relations)
Professor Andrew Wee, NUS Vice Provost (Special Duties) Professor Chan Eng Soon and
NUS Dean of Engineering, Professor Chua Kee Chaing.
experience can stand them in good stead
during their long careers.”
From left: NUS Engineering students Rubegan
Professor Frank Wood, student exchange Sondarajan and Cassey Chua, who have gone
on the exchange in Cambridge; Prof Victor
coordinator of Oxford’s Department Shim with Cambridge exchange student Grace
of Engineering Science commenting Beckham who has since returned to UK.
on why they have decided to establish
an exchange programme with NUS
Engineering, said: “Study abroad in traditions. It is also home to some of
programmes provide a wealth of cultural the brightest students and it would be
and academic opportunities. This is why interesting to interact with them.”
Oxford’s Engineering Science Department
has sought to expand its offerings.
When it came to identifying a partner in Recalling his experience in
the Far East, the National University of Cambridge last year, 3rd-
Singapore was the obvious choice. NUS year Mechanical Engineering
is a recognised leader in engineering and
Singapore itself is ideally positioned as
student Rubegan Sondarajan
a physical, cultural, and economic link said, “There was more
between east and west.” emphasis on independent
learning over there. We found
Dylon Peng, a 2nd-year Biomedical
Engineering student at NUS who has
it hard to adjust at first, but our
headed for Oxford, said, “Oxford has schoolmates were friendly and
an edge over other schools as it is rich helped us settle in quickly.”
THE NUS ENGINEER 11
 News
Centre for Next Generation
Logistics helps Singapore
to stay ahead
NUS ENGINEERING has launched the Centre for Next Generation
Logistics with a seed funding of $1.2 million, in collaboration
with the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). It will
help to identify potential and existing industries that can bring
sustained and high economic growth to Singapore’s economy,
as well as to develop innovative logistics and supply chain
concepts and infrastructure that will strategically support the
activities of these industries.
Associate Professor Lee Loo Hay, Principal
Investigator with the Centre, said, “People
are living longer, and the growth of the
middle class and their discretionary income
continues, especially in Southeast Asia. These
changes affect the nature and number of goods
manufactured and transported, for example,
healthcare products and services and the
need for high quality cold supply chains. The
rapid embrace of social media, new customer
demands, and the challenge of cross-border
e-commerce, also results in a greater need
for multi-channel logistics, logistics for mass
customisation, and anticipatory logistics.”
Added Professor Chelsea C White III, a faculty member of
Georgia Tech who is co-leading the development of the new
Centre, “Next-generation technology, data availability, customers,
manufacturing innovations, and demographic trends will shape
next generation logistics and supply chain systems, and it is critical
that both nations are leaders in these areas to insure sustainable
economic growth and prosperity.”
The Centre for Next Generation Logistics was launched on 24 July, at the
NUS Engineering Auditorium. From left: Assoc Prof Ng Szu Hui, Assoc Prof
Chew Ek Peng, Assoc Prof Lee Loo Hay, Prof Chua Kee Chaing (Dean, NUS
Engineering), Prof Lim Teng Joon, Prof Tan Eng Chye (NUS Provost), Prof
Rafael Luis Bras (Provost, Georgia Tech), Prof Chan Eng Soon (NUS Vice
Provost), Prof Chelsea C White III (Georgia Tech), Ms Marta H Garcia (Georgia
Tech) and Mr Shelton Chan (Georgia Tech).
12 THE NUS ENGINEER
Signing of the MOU at the Energy Forum 2015. From left: Prof Lee
Jim Yang, Director, CERT, Mr Chris Lim, Director, SIPG, and Mr Bernard
Tan, President of the Commercial Business Group at ST Kinetics (parent
company of STS).
CERT to boost
synergy of energy
storage systems
NUS Centre for Energy Research and Technology (CERT)
helmed by Professor Lee Jim Yang, Head, Department
of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, has joined
hands with Singapore Institute of Power and Gas (SIPG)
and Singapore Test Services (STS) to create training
opportunities for integrating Energy Storage Systems
(ESS) with Singapore’s power grid.
Grid-level energy storage refers to the technologies
capable of storing electricity on a large scale within an
electrical power grid. Examples include electrochemical
batteries and flywheels.
Prof Lee said that the collaboration is
certainly timely as Singapore steps up
its efforts towards energy sustainability.
“Through this collaboration, we will
introduce the latest R&D in energy
storage systems of local relevance
through university and continuing
education, translational research and
standardisation. We believe Singapore
can be a significant global player in energy
storage systems by focusing on important
niche areas such as standardisation, as
well as the development of plug-and-play
components for eventually, an internet of
energy storage systems,” he said.
World experts at NUS
for carbon dioxide
research forum
THE 13th International Conference on Carbon Dioxide
Utilization (ICCDU XIII) (5-9 July) went into session just
as Singapore announced its intention to reduce carbon
emissions by 36 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030.
Speaking at the conference held at Stephen Riady Centre,
NUS University Town, Professor Kishore Mahbubani, Dean
of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy who was
guest of honour at the event, said ideas arising from the
Conference may help Singapore meet its target.
Mr Tan Tuck Weng, Senior Director, National Climate
Change Secretariat (NCCS), Prime Minister’s Office,
elaborated on Singapore’s strategy towards carbon
mitigation. For example, increasing the use of public
transportation from 60 per cent to 70 per cent in 2030; and
introduction of incentives for vehicles emitting less carbon
dioxide and a levy for those with heavier emission. Existing
buildings will undergo retrofitting towards meeting the
“green mark” standard. The good news is that Singapore
is currently among the lowest 20 per cent in the world in
emission intensity.
The ICCDU XIII chaired by Professor Sibudjing Kawi,
was organised by the NUS Department of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering and A*STAR’s Institute of Chemical
and Engineering Sciences (ICES). The Conference provides
a platform for multi-disciplinary discussion on recent
innovations in carbon dioxide, conversion and utilisation.
Over 300 delegates from 30 countries participated with
leading researchers and policy leaders as plenary and keynote
speakers, as well as panelists at the roundtable session.
THE CONFERENCE PROVIDES A PLATFORM
FOR MULTI-DISCIPLINARY DISCUSSION ON
RECENT INNOVATIONS IN CARBON DIOXIDE,
CONVERSION AND UTILISATION.
Prof Sibudjing Kawi, Chairman, ICCDU XIII), kicking off the conference.
News
Sailing in style —
powered by wind
and solar energy
FROGWORKS has leapt into action again. You may have
remembered them as the smart guys who came out with
technology to convert motorbikes into e-bikes — cheaply
and in a jiffy. Now, the team, comprising students from
the University Scholars Programme (USP) and the Design-
Centric Programme (DCP) at the Faculty of Engineering, have
developed a yacht powered by solar energy through 825W
solar panels placed over the cockpit as roof.
The crew with Dr Weigl in the fore (right) setting sail from Singapore to
Indonesia. They are so happy with their yacht, they are planning to sail to
Tioman come December.
Led by Associate Professor Martin Henz from USP and
Dr Joerg Weigl from DCP, they have tested their yacht,
sailing it from Singapore to Bintan, Indonesia. Their successful
trip, some 30 nautical miles (about 55 kilometres), left no
carbon footprints as their boat was propelled entirely by wind
and solar energy.
Said Dr Weigl, “The solar energy is stored
in a lithium storage battery so that we will
not run out of fuel. In fact, we feel we have
so much solar energy to spare that we are
considering getting some of it to power an
air conditioner for the cabin!”
The team also attended the International Conference on
Marine Development (ICMD) held in Indonesia, where they
presented their projects in a keynote technical presentation
as well as a poster session.
You may say they arrived in style!
THE NUS ENGINEER 13
 Key New Hires
PROFESSOR STEPHEN JOHN PENNYCOOK
Dr Stephen John
Pennycook, an internationally
renowned pioneer in Atomic
Resolution Transmission
Electron Microscopy, joined
the Department of Materials
Science and Engineering as
Professor on 2 January 2015.
Previously, he was Corporate
Fellow in the Materials
Science and Technology
Division of Oak Ridge National
Laboratory and leader of
the Scanning Transmission
DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR PHILIP LI-FAN LIU
Dr Philip Li-Fan Liu has
been appointed Distinguished
Professor in the NUS
Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering
and also Vice President
(Research and Technology) at
NUS from 31 August 2015.
Holder of Kwoh-Ting Lee
Chair Professorship at the
National Central University,
Taiwan, he is affiliated with
the Institute of Hydrological
and Oceanic Sciences.
After graduating with a B S degree in Civil Engineering from
National Taiwan University in 1968, Prof Liu furthered his studies
at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He joined Cornell
DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR CHRISTINE A SHOEMAKER
Dr Christine A Shoemaker
has been appointed
Distinguished Professor in
the Department of Civil and
Environmental Engineering
and Department of Industrial
& Systems Engineering at
NUS from 31 August 2015.
Prof Shoemaker obtained her
PhD in Mathematics from
the University of Southern
California. Upon graduation,
she joined the School of
Civil and Environmental
Engineering and School of
Operations Research and Information Engineering at Cornell
University, Ithaca, NY. In Cornell University, she was the
Associate Director, School of Civil & Environmental Engineering
from 1983-1985 and the Chairperson in the Department of
Environmental Engineering from 1985-1988.
14 THE NUS ENGINEER
Electron Microscopy Group. He completed his PhD in Physics
at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge in 1978.
Prof Pennycook is a Fellow of the American Physical Society,
the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the
Microscopy Society of America, the Institute of Physics and the
Materials Research Society. He has received the Microbeam
Analysis Society Heinrich Award, the Materials Research Society
Medal, the Institute of Physics Thomas J Young Medal and Award
and the Materials Research Society Innovation in Characterization
Award. He has 38 books and book chapters, over 400 publications
in refereed journals and has given over 200 invited presentations
on the development and application of atomic resolution
Z-contrast microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. His
latest book is “Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy.”
University’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering in
1974 where he became the Class of 1912 Professor and Director
of the School from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2015.
He is recognised as one of the world’s foremost researchers
in coastal engineering and well known for his work in the
development of nonlinear and breaking wave theories, tsunami
models, and sediment transport models. A member of the
National Academy of Engineering (NAE), he is also a fellow of
the American Geophysical Union (AGU), and a distinguished
member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He has
served on numerous leading editorial boards and received many
academic awards, including the prestigious ASCE Walter L Huber
Civil Engineering Research Prize (1978), the J S Guggenheim
Fellowship (1980), the ASCE John G Maffatt & Frank N Nichol
Harbor and Coastal Engineering Award (1997), the International
Coastal Engineering Award ASCE (2004) and the Alexander von
Humboldt Research Award (2009).
Prof Shoemaker’s research focuses on finding cost-effective,
robust solutions for problems in engineering and science by
using computational mathematics for optimisation, modelling
and statistical analyses. In her recent research, algorithm
efficiency is greatly improved with the use of statistically
based surrogate response surfaces iteratively built during the
search process and with intelligent algorithms that effectively
utilise parallel and distributed computing. The optimisation
and uncertainty quantification effort is used to improve model
forecasts, to evaluate monitoring schemes and to have a tool
for comparing alternative management practices and design in
water resources and other areas.
Prof Shoemaker is a member of the National Academy of
Engineering and a Distinguished (Honorary) Member of the
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE’s highest award). Among
her many national and international honours and awards, her recent
achievements include a Lifetime Achievement Award, American
Society of Civil Engineers in 2015 and the National Engineering
Award, American Association of Engineering Societies 2014.
Profiles
From no knowledge to being a world champion
in applied technology
DESIGN-Centric Programme student A huge portion of the time was spent learning how to get the code right and
Shia Jun Jie engineered a simple and debugging it when it wasn’t. I am fortunate to have my team mates who are willing to
innovative wireless telemetry system for stay till late night and even overnight on many occasions to brainstorm,” Jun Jie said.
the NUS FSAE car which helped the team
clinch the World champion for Cummins
Inc. Applied Technology Award at the
international competition in Michigan, Commented NUS FSAE advisor, Professor Seah Kar Heng,
USA (13 to 16 May).
“Jun Jie was a direct-intake Year-2 student. Armed with a
The NUS FSAE car returned from polytechnic diploma and an innate interest in engineering,
Michigan, ranking 7th in the world he was well placed to tackle this difficult task of developing
(out of 120 teams). This is a new record a telemetry system for our race car. After years of hard
since NUS took part in the competition
in 2004. Besides the World Champion
work and perseverance, he finally managed to deliver the
title for Applied Technology, the team goods. It is a testimony to his consummate competence.”
also clinched four other awards.
Recalling his experience in Michigan,
Jun Jie who graduated in July with a
B Eng degree in Electrical Engineering,
said, “Getting 1st place in the Cummins
Award was truly unexpected as there were
many outstanding entries and innovations
submitted during the competition from
many schools.”
Explaining their award-
winning system, Jun Jie
said, “It is an in-house
development using the
Arduino platform. It receives
data from the logger that is
on the car. After a series of
decoding, data is extracted
and packaged into usable
information to be sent out.
It is then received on the
PC and mobile Android
platform for data analysis Dream comes true: Jun Jie has always relished the chance to be in an FSAE car.
on the go.”
The clinching factor, Jun Jie says, lies in the Jun Jie came from a family which has no engineering background. “But since young,
innovative use of a simple mobile phone to my dad and I would sit down and start dismantling household appliances to see how
receive real time data from the car. “They things work on the inside. We even managed to repair a speaker together when I was in
were also impressed with the use of simple secondary school. My mum inspired me to work hard. She has always been the best role
and low cost devices to achieve the results model in hardwork and perseverance. She never gave up trying to give me a better life
that would otherwise cost hundreds or and always picked me up at midnight when I took the last bus home after leaving the
even thousands of dollars!” he added. design lab,” Jun Jie said.
Jun Jie faced many challenges in the Commenting why NUS was his choice, Jun Jie said, “It has always been my goal to study
course of the project. For example, the at NUS Engineering as it offers a full spectrum of learning. I was accepted by NTU but I
entire project was built on little or even chose NUS as I think it offers a more holistic education.”
no prior knowledge. “Most of what went
into the wireless telemetry system was
self learnt and outside academic syllabus.
THE NUS ENGINEER 15
 Profiles
Committed to sharing his passion in the
science behind communication systems
IF he had not become a scientist, he would probably have been a
high-school teacher, Assistant Professor Vincent Tan told the Asian
Scientist Magazine. This faculty member with the Department of
Electrical & Computer Engineering (and the Faculty of Science’s
Department of Mathematics), was featured by the magazine in a
monthly series called “Asia’s Rising Scientists”.
Dr Vincent Tan, one of Asia’s rising scientists.
PRODUCED BY: OFFICE OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS, FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
National University of Singapore, Blk EA #03-15, 9 Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117575
www.eng.nus.edu.sg
16 THE NUS ENGINEER
Hailing from the University of Cambridge (B Eng and
M Eng in Electrical and Information Sciences Tripos) and
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (PhD in Electrical
Engineering & Computer Science), Dr Tan said he has always
loved to teach and share his passion with the younger
generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians.
His research interests include information theory, machine
learning and statistical signal processing. He is an
associate editor for coding and communication theory
for the journal IEEE Transactions on Communications.
He has also written a monograph on his work in
information theory. The monograph, titled “Asymptotic
Estimates in Information Theory with Non-Vanishing Error
Probabilities”, was published in 2014 by the Foundations
and Trends in Communications and Information Theory.
Having won several awards for his work, including the
A*STAR Philip Yeo Prize for Outstanding Achievement
in Research in 2011 and the NUS Young Investigator
Award in 2014, Dr Tan hopes to push the frontiers in the
understanding of optimal schemes for transmission and
compression of data across noisy media.
Said Dr Tan, “Looking forward, I hope
to work with my team of students and
research scientists to solve challenging
mathematical problems with direct or
indirect applications in communications,
machine learning and beyond. In
addition, as an academic who has
gone through the Singapore education
system, I hope to be a good role model
for students in secondary school, junior
colleges and polytechnics to take up a
career in science and engineering.”