W H E R E C R E AT I V I T Y A N D T E C H N O L O G Y M E R G E NTU College of Engineering
Issue 05, 2016
CONNECTING TO THE WORLD “Being on exchange gave me a whole new level of experience living and studying in a new environment.” LIFE AT COE
Around Sydney in 9 Days Connecting to the World
Continue on Pages 2 & 3
Discovering the Magic of
Materials Science New Undergraduate Degree Programmes Cater to Demand in Emerging Industries NTU Bridge Design Competition 2016
PEOPLE AND EVENTS
CoE Open House 2015 CoE Tea Party 2016 Hi Profs!
SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Putting a Brain on a Chip
CoE: College of Engineering CEE: School of Civil and Environmental Engineering EEE: School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
MAE:
School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering MSE: School of Materials Science and Engineering SCBE: School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
SCSE: School of Computer Science and Engineering online-version http://bit.ly/1SlJZML
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CONVERGENCE
LIFE AT COE
Connecting to the World At NTU, we offer enriching student mobility programmes with more than 100 leading companies and 150 partner universities in more than 30 countries through our Global Education and Mobility (GEM) initiatives such as GEM Explorer and GEM Discoverer. These programmes, that range from two-week summer exchanges to semester-long experiences, offer students regional and international exposure, while developing global-mindedness and inter-cultural competency.
Let’s hear from some of our Engineering students who have participated in these global exchange programmes!
POH CHAO YAN JACQIE EXCHANGE UNIVERSITY:
Aston University of Waterloo, United Kingdom
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Going on exchange was one of the biggest decisions of my life, and I will definitely never regret it. Going to a foreign land forces a person out of the comfort zone. And by leaving my comfort zone, I saw and learnt things that I have never seen or experienced before. I started to appreciate everything around me and reminisce about the times I had in Singapore.
TEO ZHI HAO EXCHANGE UNIVERSITY:
Aalto University, Finland
Going on exchange has also taught me to manage my time better and be more independent. With the same 24 hours as before, I now have to squeeze in time for cooking, washing, cleaning and catching up with family and friends (despite the difference in the time zones), on top of studying and going to school.
Exchange student network tour in Helsinki
The biggest takeaway I have from this exchange is learning how to communicate effectively. And to do this, I had to adapt; adapt to their way of speaking, working, and way of life.
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Orientation day: tug-o-war
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Being on exchange gave me a whole new level of experience living and studying in a new environment.
Weekend adventures with fellow NTU exchange students
Studying in Aalto University was very different as compared to studying in NTU. Courses taught in NTU are more structured and easy to understand whereas learning here takes place mostly outside class and students are required to read up more on the classroom materials. It is tough getting used to the way they teach here and to studying on my own. I’ve become more independent in my study habits since I arrived.
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YAP JIAN BENG
CHAN TUCK GING
KHOO HOE CHIN
EXCHANGE UNIVERSITY:
EXCHANGE UNIVERSITY:
University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom
University of Waterloo, Canada
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States of America
Travelling around the country with fellow NTU exchange students on weekends
Jian Beng (first row on the extreme left) with colleagues from Union Multimedia where he worked part-time in
EXCHANGE UNIVERSITY:
“
Participating in a semester-long exchange in a foreign country is challenging at best – and daunting at worst.
As expected, with conversations beginning with 'bonjour' and street signs ending in ' straße ' , I encountered communication barriers wherever I travelled. Interacting with people of other nationalities made me realise that, as much as we think we understand our world, there is so much that we do not understand about other people’s lives; they have entire worlds of their own experiences, cultures and beliefs, and we typically only ever scratch the surface. I learnt that sometimes, the obstacle that keeps us from exploring is more internally induced than externally imposed. Picking up new skills should be embraced. In today’s rapidly changing world, an appetite for learning new things is central to keeping up with developments and contributing to our future. The exchange programme also entails a unique period of independent learning. In addition to learning how to feed myself and carry myself in public, I also got to know myself a lot better in terms of my strengths, weaknesses, priorities and character. Venturing out of my comfort zone allowed me to explore not only Europe, but my own identity as a young adult as well.
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“
Their lab sessions are more free-style as compared to Singapore. We have a good lab manual to follow closely in Singapore but in Waterloo, we have to figure out everything by ourselves. Instead of completing the lab project during the lab session, the lab session serves more as a time for us to ask questions of the technical assistants. We usually have to complete the lab project outside of normal curriculum time, unlike in Singapore. This really gives me the freedom to explore the various aspects of the lab and to figure things out by trial and error. That gives me the best results. People from Canada were all very friendly and speaking to them exposed me to their culture and way of life. I think the biggest takeaway is the friendships forged there and the exposure to a different culture. Even though the studies were difficult, the interactions and experiences I had outweighed the tough times. This is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I wouldn’t do it any differently if I were given the choice again.
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Duke of Wellington Statue (George Square). The cone is not an intended permanent feature. Sometimes it’s also found atop the Duke’s head!
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The most important thing I have gained from my exchange in the USA is the ability to be flexible. As we all know, America is very different from Singapore. You can find differences in almost everything: daily life, the education system and culture. In the process of adapting, I believe I have become a much more flexible person.
With everything so new and having few familiar persons to help you out, the only way forward is to discover and handle them yourself. The different culture also introduces one to new perspectives. That allowed me to understand why locals act in a certain way and see problems or issues from different perspectives. Mixing with people of various nationalities allowed me to compare cultural differences and to work with groups of different cultural backgrounds. In conclusion, I would say that overseas exchange opens up the world to you.
NTU offers several overseas exchange and attachment programmes that help undergraduates broaden their learning experience and develop global perspective. Find out more at: bit.ly/1Tv8xI7
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CONVERGENCE
LIFE AT COE
New Undergraduate Degree Programmes Cater to Demand in Emerging Industries NTU CoE has launched four new highly interdisciplinary engineering programmes with second majors in rapidly expanding fields to cater to the rising demand for engineers with qualifications and broad skills beyond their core disciplines. These programmes allow students to develop their expertise in additional areas such as medical biology, pharmaceutical engineering, and food science technology.
For more information on these programmes, please visit www.coe.ntu.edu.sg
The Bachelor of Engineering in Materials Engineering with a Second Major in Medical Biology will enable students to interface seamlessly between engineering and life sciences. This new programme will equip students with the skills to tackle emerging healthcare developments such as regenerative medicine. Designed for students who possess a special interest in biomaterials and biomedical devices field, it also equips candidates with the fundamentals of medical biology, placing a special emphasis on the principles of biological science. Graduates can look forward to engaging in research and development work in this dynamic and rapidly evolving field. Students taking the Bachelor of Engineering in Bioengineering or the Bachelor of Engineering in Materials Engineering will be able to take up a Second Major in Pharmaceutical Engineering. Students in these two programmes will gain specialised knowledge in drug design
and development. They will also have opportunities to work with leading biopharmaceutical companies to gain first-hand experience in drug design and development. This programme prepares students for exciting and meaningful careers in the vital pharmaceutical industries spanning key sectors such as pharmacy and biotechnology, biomedical and clinical sciences, healthcare and research and development. The Bachelor of Engineering in Bioengineering with a Second Major in Food Science and Technology will open up myriad career opportunities in food industries including MNCs, government regulatory agencies, research institutions a n d l o c a l S M E s . N T U ’s S e c o n d Major in Food Science Technology is offered in collaboration with the prestigious Wageningen University from the Netherlands, whose Food Technology programme is one of the best and most innovative in Europe. Students will be
at the forefront of resolving current and future challenges in Food Security for Singapore and beyond. These include system integration for enhanced food production, novel technologies for food waste reduction and conversion, food nutrition for an ageing population, as well as risk analysis and management in food safety.
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PEOPLE AND EVENTS
CoE Tea Party 2016 2016 started with a bang as the College of Engineering held its inaugural CoE Tea Party on 23rd January and welcomed about 300 prospective students and parents.
In an effort to bring engineering to people, our faculty, staff and students treated the visitors to a fulfilling and interactive afternoon at Marina Bay Sands. The Dean, Prof Chen commenced the programme by addressing the importance of engineers and their contributions to our lives, followed by Prof Goh Wang Ling’s presentation on the engineering programmes offered by CoE. Mr Teng Ting Shien, a recent graduate who was an ex-Chairman of the NTU Student Union Council and an ex-President of the SCBE club, shared his personal experiences as an engineering student on the accelerated Bachelor’s Programme, and talked about the academic and non-academic activities that he had participated during his enriching 3.5 years in NTU. Following the student’s sharing session was the Q&A segment which received an overwhelming response from the floor. Scrumptious food and refreshments were prepared for the visitors as they visited the booths of the six engineering schools and the Renaissance Engineering Programme thereafter. The booths proved to be popular with the guests as they got to engage in more intimate conversations with the professors and current students.
We are sure that our invited guests have enjoyed themselves as much as we did. We welcome more potential students to join CoE in future outreach events, like this Tea Party, and discover the wonders of Engineering at NTU College of Engineering!
“We had the opportunity to interact face-to-face with the professors and staff, who genuinely had the students’ interests in mind. The current students were also competent in their own fields and responded to our queries to the point.”
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CONVERGENCE
PEOPLE AND EVENTS
CoE Open House 2015 The College of Engineering organised its first Open House on 11 December 2015, drawing student participants from 16 Junior Colleges. The half-day event provided a platform for them to gain a better understanding of the college and its engineering courses through informative and interactive sessions. It was a fun-filled afternoon that followed the Dean’s warm address and Prof Timothy Tan’s sharing session. Participants got to view project demonstrations and take part in the hands-on activities brought to them by our 6 engineering schools during the Engineering in Action! segment. The participants were fascinated by the ‘hands-free’ activities at EEE’s mindcontrolled Mastermind game and SCSE’s gesture-controlled quadcopter drone. They also racked their brains to transfer the theories they had learnt to the action-packed challenges by SCBE (Chem-E-Car Challenge) and MAE (Flying of foam planes). Over at CEE and MSE, participants were treated to an exciting time at the driving simulator and the project demonstrations.
“I enjoyed the day’s various activities and I learnt many things. The staff also answered my questions. Thank you for the awesome event!”
The participants were fascinated by the different activities and racked their brains trying to put what they had learnt into practice
The Open House also showcased performances by NTU student clubs – Guitar Ensemble, Breakers, as well as Soul Funky Pop and Lock. A photo booth was available for participants to bring home their photo memories, and snacks and lunch were also served. We would like to thank all students, staff and faculty for their enthusiastic participation. We look forward to future events for spreading the CoE spirit to more potential students!
The participants were treated to an exciting time at the driving simulator and other project demonstrations
Not only did the participants have fun, they also gained insights and learnt about the engineering science behind these innovations.
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LIFE AT COE
NTU Bridge Design Competition 2016 The NTU Bridge Design Competition (BDC) is an annual event organised by NTU’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Club, to provide a platform for engineering students, especially – Civil Engineering students – to simulate the experience of engineering structural designs before they join the industry.
A wide array of bridges by participating teams
Themed “Sustainable Bridge Design”, the BDC 2016 attracted a total of 68 teams from universities and polytechnics in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. There were 42 teams competing in the University category and 26 teams in the Polytechnic category. During the two-day competition, the teams were given limited resources and tasked to design bridges not only for maximum load-bearing properties, but also for aesthetic appeal. On the first day, each team had to construct a 3D-model of their bridge using the materials provided (balsa wood and adhesive). Two teams caught everyone’s attention with their arch-shaped bridges. It was interesting to see how they had managed to bend the balsa wood into graceful curves, given that the wood itself is very fragile.
On the second day, participants were required to present their designs to a panel of judges composed of professors
Teams hard at work constructing their bridges
from NTU, NUS and BCA. The judging was based on aesthetics, sustained load–bearing and presentation, weighted with a 20:60:20 ratio respectively. The competition ended with an awards ceremony honouring the top five teams in each category, followed by a group photo and dinner. The teams from Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia and the BCA Academy won the First Place in the University and Polytechnic categories respectively.
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CONVERGENCE
PEOPLE AND EVENTS
Hi Profs! The Convergence team invites 3 new profs who have recently joined/will be joining NTU College of Engineering to tell us a bit more about themselves and dish out some advice for students.
ASST. PROF. JAMES JING KWAN, SCBE
ASST. PROF. LEONG WEILIN, SCBE AND EEE
ASST. PROF. GRZEGORZ LISAK, CEE
Kungfu Master: When Prof. James is not teaching or doing research, he would be practising his moves in martial arts. Having practised martial arts since childhood, it has become part of his life, and was in some aspects, his inspiration for his passion towards teaching.
Giving back to NTU: Prof. Leong obtained both her Bachelor of Engineering degree and Ph.D. degree at NTU. She hopes that she can give back to NTU through her scientific contributions and the students she mentors.
Globetrotter: Prof. Lisak loves to travel around the world to experience the different cultures and cuisines. An avid explorer, he loves visiting remote and unique places and basking in the nature. Besides that, Prof. Lisak also enjoys a good book and a good movie, a glass of wine and the company of his friends and occasionally, a game of badminton and swimming.
Students would describe me as: “A good teacher, friendly, and thorough in regards to the course material. Many have mentioned that they are engaged in my classes because of my emphasis on the “real world” application of what is being taught. I also try to make the concepts I am explaining more memorable and intuitive. I think that students would also consider me very approachable, and appreciate the open door policy I maintain. I try to remain available to them as much as possible, which I believe they will appreciate.” Advice to students: “Always be open to new opportunities - take chances and be OK with making mistakes. It is the risks, and ultimately mistakes which you make now that will help give you insight on determining the important things later in life.”
Secret recipe for effective teaching: “I believe that a truly successful teacher is one who motivates the students to understand and appreciate the beauty of the subject. Students should be able to know the ‘why’ of learning the subject. As an educator, it is important that I make sure students are not just memorising the lecture notes to score in examinations, but are able to apply or integrate the concepts and information to become good engineers and scientists. My teaching should not just be confined to the time spent in the classroom. I shall maintain an open door policy to allow students to clear their doubts and extend their understanding.” Advice to students: “Develop a genuine interest in your courses rather than just looking from the examination point of view.”
Students would describe me as: “My students would describe me as someone whom they can turn to in times of need, and seek advice in matters connected to their studies and career development. They see me as a person who is fair with them and who is always willing to assist.” Advice to students: “The time of studies is a perfect opportunity for you to get to know what you want to do in life. Please remember, your future work should be something that you enjoy doing. Now is the time for you to explore and decide what will make you happy and fulfilled in your future career. Be determined in your developmental goals and don't forget to enjoy the student life in between.”
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SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Putting a Brain on a Chip Inspired by the human brain, researchers at EEE have developed a smart chip that could imbue portable and wearable devices with artificial intelligence at minimal energy use and cost. The researchers tested the small and lightweight prototype, that can be mounted on headgear, and were able to decode a monkey’s brain waves and predict how it wanted to move its fingers with 99.3% accuracy. This could pave the way for creating implants or portable devices to help paralysed people regain use of their limbs. The researchers exploited manufacturing imperfections to make their smart chip smaller, lighter and less power-hungry than counterparts on the market. Electronic devices consist of transistors that amplify electric currents or act as switches to start and stop various processes. While transistors are supposed to have specified sizes and properties, they invariably deviate to some degree because of design differences and manufacturing inconsistencies.
Prof. Basu (extreme right) with his team members
The NTU chip takes advantage of these unintended variations in the transistors’ threshold voltage, which determines their ability to produce current for a given input voltage. It uses mathematical formulas that multiply input signals such as brain waves, temperatures, pressure, sounds and images using the array of transistors with varying threshold voltages. This fleshes out similarities and differences among the signals. The chip can then better compare each signal to specified patterns. Prof. Basu of EEE said the the chip’s low power usage and compact size allows it to be embedded in sensors so that they can sort through raw data and transmit only refined or specified information. He added that wearable medical devices that monitor physiological parameters such as heartbeats, blood oxygen levels and brain activity are becoming more common, but that most of them simply collect the data and display it in visual form with a smart-phone. The team has received funding from the Singapore – MIT Alliance for Research and Technology to improve its prototype, including its ability to recognise images.
“Our prototype can give meaning to the data by matching it with knowledge obtained from patient databases, so it can give useful, refined information to users instead of raw data.”
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CONVERGENCE
LIFE AT COE
Around Sydney in 9 Days Life in NTU as a student is never boring! 18 students from the EEE Leadership, Enrichment and Development (LEAD) programme, together with a staff member, embarked on an overseas cultural trip to Sydney, Australia. The trip sought to provide an opportunity for these students to learn more about the culture and way of life of the Australians and to gain some valuable life lessons.
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Let them take you through their exciting and enriching journey in Sydney.
Posing at Wavetronics
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Days
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3 We visited one of Australia’s most iconic geographical formations – The Blue Mountains. Enroute, we stopped by at Lincoln’s Rock – a cliff face opening out into the Blue Mountain valley. Our tour guide gave us a deeper insight into the rich cultural and geographical history of the Blue Mountains.
More leg space on the bus!
It was a day of fun at the Luna Park, one of only two amusement parks in the world protected by Government legislation. Everyone on the team tried out the different roller coaster rides and challenged themselves to overcome their initial fears. It was a good bonding session for the team as we looked out for one another constantly.
We often have to squeeze with our ‘loot’ on the bus during airport transfer but not this time round! We got to travel in comfort with ample space on the airport transfer shuttle bus. This was made possible thanks to a special trailer just for carrying our luggage. Our first visit destination was the Paddy’s Market – Sydney’s biggest market with a wide variety of stalls selling everything from food and fashion to gifts and gadgets. We also visited Sydney’s Chinatown, a colourful display of Asian culture, shopping and cuisine.
All smiles before the roller coaster rides at the Luna Park
On the fourth day, we visited Wavetronics, a company that provides electronic manufacturing services such as the production of circuit boards for other companies; and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). At Wavetronics, we had the privilege of touring the company and were shown the manufacturing lines for the production of circuit boards. The entire production process was highly automated and precise, resulting in higher efficiency with minimal errors. Next on the itinerary was the visit to UTS. We first visited Building 11, a new building for the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology (FEIT). The lobby has a high-tech interesting interactive wall. Another interesting highlight of the building is the new UTS Data Arena which is a 360-degree interactive visualisation facility exploring large databases, visualisation of scientific data for education, research and development, and for other purposes. We also visited other facilities on campus such as their technology-enabled classrooms, laboratories, Learning Precinct, Student Learning Commons, Centre for Autonomous Systems – a.k.a. Robotics Workshop – and others. We were shown some of the robots developed to inspect buildings and provide cleaning and maintenance works, etc.
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We also spent a day visiting popular tourist locations such as the Customs House, a historical landmark that served as the Customs Service headquarters until 1990. It currently houses the Sydney City Library. Following that, we visited the iconic Sydney Opera House, Hyde Park and the Sydney Fish Market.
There was also a sharing session by two Power and Biomedical Engineering research students that shed a great deal of light on the complications behind the integration of renewable energies with the grid, as well as on research life at the School of EIE.
Not forgetting to do community service while we were overseas
It was a meaningful day as we helped out at one of Australia’s largest disability organisations – House with No Steps. It is a not-for-profit packaging company which employs and supports people with disabilities. We were tasked to help the employees with the packing of different snacks and repackaging of tissue packs into separate cartons for shipping. The voluntary work at House with No Steps not only displayed our teamwork and our commitment to community service, but also exposed us to Australian community work and culture through our interactions with the company representative and the employees.
Another highlight of the day was experiencing their local sports scene. We managed to watch one of the matches of the National Rugby League 'live'. This is the top league of professional clubs in Australasia (Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean). It was an eventful day as we immersed in the beauty of the people and sights of Sydney.
The Customs House and the Sydney Fish Market
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To top off the trip, we visited the Featherdale Wildlife Park where we had close contact with kangaroos, koala bears, goats and sheep, etc. We were all excited to have some ' hands-on ' experience with the animals.
Close encounter with the animals!
We took a tour of the School of Electrical and Information Engineering (EIE) at the University of Sydney to find out more about the offerings of the school and some of their laboratories. We were impressed with the instruments at the laboratories, such as the equipment provided by ABB Technologies for microgrid simulation and classroom testing.
Immersing in the local sports scene
The trip was enriching and rewarding because we not only got to experience the local culture, but we also got to know one another better and forged new friendships.
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CONVERGENCE
LIFE AT COE
Discovering the Magic of Materials Science How many of us have the chance to learn about the science and engineering behind materials we see and use every day? Students who attended the Materials Awareness Day did.
The Materials Awareness Day is an annual event by MSE to increase awareness among prospective and current MSE students of the importance of Materials Science and Engineering in industry and in our daily lives. Held on 20 February 2016, the event welcomed about 100 students from various junior colleges. Participants had an enriching day where they got to view project demonstrations and participate in hands-on activities at the five booths that MSE had put up.
To make the whole event more exciting, there were also prizes to be won! One lucky student from Temasek Junior College found herself the unexpected winner and took home the grand prize – an iPad Mini.
Let’s hear from some of the participants:
The feedback from the participants was encouraging and positive and we are glad that the participants enjoyed themselves and discovered the interesting and exciting side of Materials Science. For those who missed out on this year’s Materials Awareness Day, please join us next year!
“It was an interesting way of learning about materials, through magic.” — Nur from YJC “I didn’t expect that science and engineering could be so interesting together.” — Michael from RVHS
Some highlights at the booths were: Superabsorbent polymers that can turn water into solid and make it disappear. Creating ferro fluid using oil, toner and magnet. Hydrophobic sand which is able to return to its original ‘dry’ state after being scooped out from water.
Сatch Us
Instant crystallisation where the mysterious material inside the hand warmers ‘freezes’ almost instantly. Lenz’ Law which explains how to implement and tune a spinstabilised magnetic levitation.
Dean’s Office College of Engineering Nanyang Technological University 70 Nanyang Drive Block N1.3-B1-01 Singapore 637457
Convergence Team Tel: +65 6316 8896 Fax: +65 6896 8757 Email: outreach-coe@ntu.edu.sg www.coe.ntu.edu.sg
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