Tag: Education

Students from across Southeast Asia had the chance to immerse themselves in cultural exchange, deepen their knowledge of sustainability issues and develop leadership skills at the recently concluded Temasek Foundation – National University of Singapore Leadership Enrichment and Regional Networking (TF-NUS LEaRN) programme.

The multi-phase regional programme, which ended on 22 July, is the first LEaRN programme to be held in-person since 2019 in line with the resumption of physical activities following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sponsored by Temasek Foundation, TF-NUS LEaRN is NUS Global Relations Office’s signature regional youth leadership development programme, providing students with opportunities for cultural exchange and networking. LEaRN aims to connect promising students and nurture the next generation of Asian leaders as well as foster their awareness of the key international challenges and regional opportunities. Through the programme, participants cultivate an understanding of sustainability within Southeast Asia, while being simultaneously immersed in the region’s vibrant entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation scene. Participants at this year’s programme comprised of 152 students, hailing from 20 local and Southeast Asian universities.

During the first of three phases, 27 NUS and 3 Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) participants spent two weeks from 30 May to 15 June at Thailand’s Mahidol University in Bangkok, learning about sustainability practices through lectures, presentations and field trips. They were also exposed to the rich diversity of Thai culture through hands-on Muay Thai, cooking and dance workshops.

The programme resumed in Singapore from 5 to 22 July with the second and third phases, during which the students were joined by other undergraduates from 15 universities across the 10 ASEAN member countries, as well as from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) and SUTD. Facilitated by industry trainers and experts from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP), participants attended workshops, activities and site visits based on the themes of ‘Holistic Resilience’ and ‘Futures Thinking: Technology, Innovation & Entrepreneurship’.

Addressing students during the Singapore leg, NUS Associate Vice President (Global Relations) Associate Professor Reuben Wong said: “As the world seeks to find its grounding after COVID-19, the road to recovery will be challenging. We hope that this ‘Holistic Resilience’ segment will spark new perspectives, enable you to look at the world through different lenses and make full use of this opportunity to create lasting bonds with your teammates.”

Nguy?n Van Tu?n, a participant from Hanoi University of Science and Technology, said he gained valuable insights from successful entrepreneurs and start-ups during the programme. He was particularly inspired by a conversation with Mr Alvin Poh, the founder of Vodien, a web hosting service provider. “After the conversation with him, I have a better understanding of why Singapore [has] so many globally successful start-ups and what skills youths should improve to start their own businesses.”

For Neha Mohan Hegde, a Year 1 participant from the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the programme was an opportunity to meet and share perspectives with people from different countries. “Everyone comes with their own lingo, socio-political ideas, educational insights and experiences influenced by where they come from and their cultures, so it’s good to have that exchange because it allows for meaningful mutual learning,” she enthused.

At the end, participants presented observations and experiences they gleaned over the five-week programme. They also shared their vision for the future of ASEAN in 2040. “That exercise underscores the importance of engaging young people and ensuring that they have a voice in building the future and shaping the world they would like to live in,” said Assoc Prof Wong. “It is our hope that this programme continues to provide a platform for youths around the region to connect with, learn from, and inspire each other to be active leaders and builders of the future,” he added.

Source: National University of Singapore(HighLights)

Based on a pilot clinical trial, close to 97% of dose recommendations by CURATE.AI were accepted by clinicians; some patients were prescribed optimal doses that were around 20% lower on average

A team of researchers from National University of Singapore (NUS), in collaboration with clinicians from the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS) which is part of the National University Health System (NUHS), has reported promising results in using CURATE.AI, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that identifies and better allows clinicians to make optimal and personalised doses of chemotherapy for patients.

Based on a pilot clinical trial – called PRECISE.CURATE – involving 10 patients in Singapore who were diagnosed with advanced solid tumours and predominantly metastatic colorectal cancers, clinicians accepted close to 97% of doses recommended by CURATE.AI, with some patients receiving optimal doses that were approximately 20% lower on average. These early outcomes are a promising step forward for the potential of truly personalising oncology, where drug doses can be adjusted dynamically during treatment.

Developed by Professor Dean Ho and his team, CURATE.AI is an optimisation platform that harnesses a patient’s clinical data, which includes drug type, drug dose and cancer biomarkers, to generate an individualised digital profile which is used to customise the optimal dose during the course of chemotherapy treatment.

“Chemotherapy treatment is often given at fixed doses, based on certain patient parameters. However, these toxicity-guided doses may not result in optimal response to treatment. Using CURATE.AI, which is efficacy-driven, we hope to help doctors to quickly identify the optimal doses that are customised for each patient at different stages of the treatment cycle. The ultimate goal is to improve patient and treatment outcomes,” explained Prof Ho, who heads the Department of Biomedical Engineering under the NUS College of Design and Engineering (CDE) and is a co-corresponding author of the study. He is also the Director of the Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM) under the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine) and the N.1 Institute for Health (N.1) at NUS.

He added, “The aim of CURATE.AI is to potentially find more responders to treatment, and also find the right doses for patients that can optimise efficacy and/or prolong the period the patient is responsive to the treatment. For some patients, these doses may potentially be lower than the high doses that are traditionally used.”

“An important aspect of applying AI in medicine is the direct involvement of clinicians in building individualised datasets. The pilot trial represents a promising step towards incorporating CURATE.AI into the clinical workflow of dynamic dose selection in the treatment of solid tumours. A key aim of CURATE.AI is to enable truly personalised dosing for patients while also empowering clinicians to identify the optimal dose for each patient, without adding to their workload. In this way, clinicians can focus more on the patient and the caregiver,” said Dr Raghav Sundar, Principal Investigator of the PRECISE.CURATE clinical trial, and Consultant at the Department of Haematology-Oncology, NCIS.

How does CURATE.AI work?

CURATE.AI uses a small data approach to calibrate each patient’s drug dosage using his/her own clinical data. Each patient is given varied doses of a drug and his/her responses to these varied doses are measured. This data, together with other relevant clinical data, are then used to construct a digital profile for each patient. By relating the drug dosing to treatment efficacy and safety, CURATE.AI selects the right doses to optimise treatment outcomes for each digital profile. During the course of treatment, the dose may evolve over time.

During the pilot trial, which was conducted from August 2020 to April 2022 at the National University Hospital, clinicians were permitted to accept or reject CURATE.AI dose recommendations based on clinical judgement.

“We are very encouraged by the results of the pilot trial. We’ve observed an average reduction of chemotherapy doses by around 20%, and 96.7% of the dose recommendations by CURATE.AI were accepted by clinicians,” said Dr Agata BIasiak, the presenting author and co-corresponding author of the study.

“Other outcomes of the study demonstrated 80% patient adherence to the recommended doses, and 100% compliance in providing dosing recommendations within the required timeframe. These early results serve as an optimistic step forward towards downstream implementation of CURATE.AI into clinical practice,” added Dr Blasiak, who is also from CDE, WisDM and N.1 at NUS.

Positive results presented at prestigious ASCO Annual Meeting

As a prospective and interventional study that harnesses an AI-based approach for human treatment, the results of the pilot trial were presented at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. ASCO is a leading professional organisation for healthcare practitioners who care for people with cancer, and the meeting will showcase presentations on the latest advancements in cancer research.

“On a global scale, having a clinical trial of a technology from a Biomedical Engineering department accepted for presentation at the ASCO Annual Meeting is exceedingly rare. This demonstrates the real-world and patient impact that is being realised through innovation that spans Engineering, Medicine and a number of other disciplines needed to drive practice-changing medicine,” added Prof Ho.

Next steps

Following this initial progress towards incorporating CURATE.AI into clinical workflows of dose selection in the solid tumour treatment, the NUS team will advance towards a larger, randomised trial to further validate the performance of the optimisation platform.

The research team will also be conducting clinical trials involving patients diagnosed with other types of cancers, such as multiple myeloma, and disorders such as hypertension, among others. Of note, the team is also launching an imminent trial to optimise personalised immunotherapy dosing for solid cancers.

Source: National University of Singapore

Today, Neurowyzr, the Singapore brain capital company with a vision to optimize employee brain health and performance, announced a strategic collaboration with the Singapore National Employer’s Federation (SNEF) on brain capital education and consultancy services. A first in Singapore to focus on corporate brain health, the collaboration aims to empower SNEF members to grow their organisational brain capital for the benefit of their employees and organization.

Under the terms of the collaboration, Neurowyzr will provide SNEF corporate members with training programs on various topics within the sphere of workplace brain health, such as the Neuroscience of Leadership, and Brain Capital Ambassador training for managers. Neurowyzr will also work closely with SNEF on providing expert consultancy services to SNEF members to build a happy, resilient and innovative local workforce.

Source: NAM News Network

Hardship experienced in one’s younger days is never pleasant, but a new study by researchers from NUS Business School and Peking University found that hardship can make one more entrepreneurial in adulthood. However, this effect is more significant for men than for women. The research also has economic policy implications, highlighting how early life experience shapes risk tolerance and socioeconomic outcomes in adulthood.

Source: National University of Singapore(Press Releases)

Student residents have just put in over two months of tender loving care – and already this vertical garden at Pioneer House (PH) has yielded its maiden crops of bok choy. Not limited to this vegetable, the garden is also suitable for growing romaine, rocket, kale, kangkong, wheatgrass, Japanese spinach, lettuce, mizuna, and beans.

Conceived in January, the garden is located next to PH Block 23 which was established in 2017 as a housing model in NUS that incorporates proactive pastoral care and mentoring for residents. Over the past few years, PH has rolled out innovative programmes such as community gardening and composting to develop a familial and inclusive residential community. Aligning with the theme of frugality and sustainable living, the programmes encourage residents to contribute meaningfully to the betterment of self and the community.

Coined the ‘PHertical PHarm’, the garden expands on the success of an existing one set up since 2019, which includes crops such as mint, basil and bananas. Inspired by Singapore’s vision of ’30 by 30’ to build up Singapore’s agri-food industry’s capability and capacity to produce 30 per cent of our nutritional needs locally and sustainably by 2030, an interest group consisting of 19 student residents came together to create this vertical farm.

Departing from traditional soil gardening, the vertical garden employs the Nutrient Film Technique, a hydroponics system where plants are arranged in vertical rows of descending height. Dissolved nutrients required for plant growth are re-circulated through a channel in a shallow stream of water, past the bare roots of the plants.

For the students, caring for the garden is a commitment to planning and running activities to nourishing the garden, such as germination, transplantation, monitoring the condition of the plants and hydroponics system, training and rostering themselves for daily tasks.

For Ramond Ang, second year student in Accounting, it was his family’s love of nature and passion for gardening which motivated him to join the interest group. Ramond has also learnt new things through the experience. “It was a new experience, growing edibles in mediums other than soil which is what my family uses at home to grow herbs and edibles,” shared Ramond.

Ramond’s sentiments were echoed by fellow student Jenna Ong, first year student in Business Administration. “I was always interested in gardening, however there are few opportunities to farm especially in urban Singapore. I wanted to explore and learn more about the process of farming, as well as get some practical experience in planting my own crops,” enthused Jenna.

An ecosystem of learning

The vertical garden has also provided students with a fertile environment for learning. Students nurtured their green fingers through experimentation, altering variables such as light exposure to learn more about optimal growing conditions for the plants. Residents also found it fun to see what works and what does not, according to Shirmin Lim, second-year student in Life Sciences who is overseeing one of these experiments.

With close guidance from staff, some students also took their interest to the next level and embarked on a Design Your Own Module (DYOM), an award-winning NUS initiative that leverages technology to encourage more independent, self-directed learning among students. As part of DYOM, students established learning outcomes and research pursuits pertaining to urban farming, and participated in a broad range of learning activities including seminars, research, site visits to farms and interviews with experts.

Beyond building a new ecosystem for gardening, the garden is also an avenue for PH residents to cultivate community interaction and a holistic educational journey. A successful harvest brings a community together. Students are able to relish the work of their own hands through a collaboration with the cooking interest group at PH, transforming the harvest of bok choy into a delectable dish of bibimbap!

Source: National University of Singapore(HighLights)

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid on Saturday acknowledged strides made in fields of capacity building and training as the two countries inked an agreement paving the way for connectivity between India’s National Knowledge Network and the Maldives’ Higher Education Network, Trend reports citing India Today.

National Knowledge Network is a multi-gigabit national research and education network, whose purpose is to provide a unified high speed network backbone for educational and research institutions in India. The network is managed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

“Foreign Minister Shahid and I acknowledged strides made in fields of capacity building and training. With signing of peering agreement, 1500+ Indian Institutes, Universities and centres of learning from Singapore, Europe and the US are connected to Maldives via India’s National Knowledge Network,” Jaishankar said at a joint press appearance with Maldives Foreign Minister Shahid after their talks here.

Shahid said the peering agreement signed between the Maldives’ National Centre for Information Technology (NCIT) and NIC is an important step for cooperation in the field of education, “paving the way for connectivity between the Higher Education Network of Maldives and the National Knowledge Network of India”.

A peering agreement is an agreement between two network administrators to share data routing responsibilities across multiple networks. Peering is a mainstay of the global Internet and large data mobility systems.

Jaishankar arrived in Male earlier in the evening as part of his five-day two-nation visit to the Maldives and Sri Lanka to explore the possibilities of further expansion of bilateral engagements with the two key maritime neighbours of India.

The Maldives is one of India’s key maritime neighbours in the Indian Ocean region and the bilateral defence and security ties have been on an upward trajectory in the last few years.

Source: TREND News Agency

The ever-popular NUS Open House hit new heights this year, attracting over 8.61 million visitors – a 26.2 per cent increase from the 6.83 million visitors that attended last year’s online Open House.

From 26 Feb to 5 Mar, visitors crowded the websites, livestreams, webinars and social media sessions hosted by the University’s colleges, faculties and schools. There was something for everyone, and the hybrid event covered everything from academic courses to student life and entrepreneurship programmes.

While much of the engagement happened online, prospective students got to meet NUS students and staff face-to-face for the first time since the pandemic started.

The physical Open House, held one sunny Saturday on 5 Mar, included numerous booths showcasing the University’s wide-ranging academic options and vibrant student life; sample classes and talks to get a taste of varsity life; and tours of the different colleges, faculties, and schools.

Prospective students gave the hybrid format a thumbs-up.

Joshua Chua, an alumnus of Anderson Serangoon Junior College, appreciated the online sessions and felt the physical Open House was a huge differentiating factor.

“The (physical) Open House really gave me a good image of what living and studying at NUS could look like by virtue of being an in-person event as opposed to it being virtual, so I’m really grateful to NUS and everyone involved for having this opportunity during the pandemic,” he said.

On her part, Hwa Chong Institution alumna Elsie Woo, who attended both the online and in-person sessions, said, “The experience was really welcoming and wholesome, and really exposed me to NUS as a whole.”

Showcasing the country’s first honours college

One of the highlights this year was the NUS College, Singapore’s first honours college. It will accept its first batch of students this year.

Prospective students were treated to online webinars on the College’s distinctive curriculum, its global pathways, and its focus on hands-on experiential learning. In more intimate breakout rooms, staff and student volunteers readily answered questions about student life and academic pathways. By having a home college or faculty – say Business or Science – while simultaneously being enrolled at NUS College, students will be able to get an educational experience that is as broad as it is deep.

The in-person activities featured a tour of the facilities and residential options that NUS College students would be able to enjoy.

Elsie Woo was one of many students drawn to NUS College’s unique offerings.

“I attended a few webinars, including introductory talks for NUS College and Food Science and Technology,” said Elsie, who also visited many booths in-person.

“The sessions were very well-planned and the seniors were extremely helpful and patient.”

Nanyang Polytechnic alumnus Koh Jin Yuen focused his time on NUS College, attending the College’s guided tour and virtual sharing sessions.

“The NUS College tour was informative as I got to ask the facilitators about their experiences. I think the curriculum is very meaningful,” said Jin Yuen.

“The Open House helped to deepen my understanding of how NUS College works, and allowed me to better understand the lifestyle of a student from NUS College.” He is intending to apply for the Information Systems programme offered by NUS Computing, as well as NUS College.

Ramping up interdisciplinary offerings

Exciting developments in the realm of interdisciplinary education—a major theme that NUS has been championing—were foregrounded at the Open House, with the College of Design and Engineering (CDE) also taking in its inaugural cohort. A result of the merger of the Faculty of Engineering and the School of Design and Environment, CDE is set to transform the NUS educational experience.

Across five galleries and 19 sub-categories, including Architecture, Industrial Design, Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Civil Engineering, visitors were presented with an informative display of the wide range of courses and programmes that will be on offer in the new College.

Raffles Institution alumna Grace Zai, who visited the Designing the Future exhibition and galleries, said, “The Engineering galleries were very informative as I could ask questions I had about the course, as well as student life, and get a clearer picture of what I would be studying and doing. It helped me make a more informed decision on my choices.”

Grace is considering applying to Engineering Science and Architecture, as well as Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering with a specialisation in robotics.

There were also panel discussions, both online and in-person, where faculty and current students interacted with prospective students to share their experiences and answer questions about the new interdisciplinary curriculum.

“As a prospective student, I got to see first-hand the school facilities, as well as the accommodations. My experience was pretty enriching and enlightening because I could ask the professors questions I had in mind and learn more about the courses,” said Timothy Tay, a graduate of Victoria Junior College who visited the SDE gallery on Sustainable Innovations.

“For example, I did not realise Project Facilities Management (PFM) was recently changed to Infrastructure Project Management (IPM). The professor explained that students will now graduate with a BEng degree rather than a BSc degree,” he recalled, referring to the first interdisciplinary full-time undergraduate programme to cover engineering, design, management, technology, building science and law modules.

Information was also available on the vibrant student life of the College’s various clubs and societies, as well as career programmes that enable students to better understand their interests and what it takes to marry that with industry skills and experience.

“The NUS Open House provided me with a more informed perspective on the courses offered in NUS. The various booths set up and run by students allowed for quick chats about what the courses have to offer. The responses by the students and professors were engaging and genuine, which I found informative in making my choice for courses in NUS,” said Kalepu Sai Sri Akshath, who attended CDE’s online and in-person events with his family and is intending to apply to Computer Engineering.

Drone-sensing demonstrations and the Solar Roof Tour, 5G Lab Tour, and BEEHUB Tour further showcased the College’s manifold facilities. Visitors also got a first-hand experience of NUS’ very own net-zero energy building through tours at SDE4, itself a product of both architecture and engineering, and the first of its kind in Singapore.

A marriage of the humanities and sciences

Continuing in the vein of interdisciplinarity and equipping students with a multifaceted, integrated toolbox of skills to thrive in the future economy is the College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS), which will be accepting its second intake this year.

Seminars about the CHS Core Curriculum were available at the Open House, as well as informative masterclasses that covered a vast range of interdisciplinary topics.

The Data Science and Economics masterclass saw Assoc Prof Lim Tiong Wee and Assoc Prof Chen Ying (Statistics & Data Science, Faculty of Science) and Dr Denis Tkachenko (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) break down the complexities of the digital economy with real-life examples, and explicate its relevance to Singapore’s Smart Nation goals.

The new Data Science and Economics (DSE) cross-disciplinary programme will be the first of its kind in Singapore to integrate knowledge across these two disciplines.

“I got to understand how data science and economics complement each other,” said Russell Hor, a graduate of St. Joseph’s Institution who has finished National Service and is enrolling in CHS this year.

Vanille Goh, who graduated from Anglo-Chinese Junior College and attended the Geography and Environmental Studies masterclasses, said, “[The masterclasses] provided me with a good overview of how passionate the lecturers were and how each course will adequately prepare me for what I would want to do in the future.”

Nanyang Junior College alumna Wen Xinyue also appreciated the in-person masterclasses, adding that they gave her a first-hand glimpse into studying humanities at the university level.

“I am interested in studying English, and from the English Language and Literature masterclass on Gender, Sexuality and Language, I learnt about how entrenched gender roles and stereotypes can be within the language we use,” she shared.

Meanwhile, over at the “Insights into Southeast Asia from the Martial Arts Perspective” masterclass, Dr Mohamed Effendy of NUS Southeast Asian Studies presented prospective students with a riveting intellectual and visual treat, demonstrating how useful unique perspectives on the region’s myriad communities can be gleaned by studying them through the lens of the martial arts. Students saw the concepts brought to life – witnessing first-hand an exciting live demonstration by practitioners of pencak silat – of how Southeast Asian warriors of old defended themselves using a wide array of techniques and weapons.

Action aplenty

There was action aplenty among other faculties. NUS Business School’s programmes included a 360 live tour, as well as live chats with the BBA Deans on the different majors offered by the School. Its in-person sessions included sharing sessions by the BBA Deans, BIZCareers advisors, and student ambassadors.

Year 4 Accountancy and Finance undergraduate Calvin Chur was one such student volunteer, serving as an emcee for the online Open House and sharing in-person on 5 Mar about life at the Business School.

“It was a tiring, but extremely fulfilling day engaging with prospective students, learning about their concerns with regards to entering a new phase of life and trying to address those concerns,” said Calvin. “In fact, many of their concerns mirrored those that I had as a fresh A-level graduate attending the NUS Open House back in 2016 – and I am glad that I could offer insider insights to help them make an informed decision at this major milestone of their lives.”

Year 4 Real Estate undergraduate Natasha Liem, another student volunteer who served as an emcee, added, “There was quite a large number of viewers for the panel and a prospective student actually sent me a message on Instagram to enquire more about real estate from a student’s perspective. I think the panel went well!”

For NUS Business School Executive (Marketing & Outreach) Ms Casey Jean Grant, it was an eye-opener to experience the whole planning process.

“Most of the students and parents were very curious and excited about the prospect of coming to NUS Business School,” she added. “Their excitement definitely rubbed off on us and made the rest of us excited to share about our School.”

With frontline healthcare workers being in the spotlight these couple of years, there was plenty of interest in NUS Dentistry, NUS Nursing, NUS Medicine, and Duke-NUS Medical School. Live demonstrations were conducted and prospective students got a taste of what it would be like to be a dentist, nurse or doctor.

Serving up a slice of campus life

Whether on the screen or in the flesh, visitors to the Open House also witnessed the rich and vibrant student life beyond the classroom that NUS is known for.

Besides holding talks to acquaint visitors with the wide range of co-curricular activities available, student clubs and societies rose to the occasion at the Student Village showcases to feature a spectacular smorgasbord of music, dance and sporting performance across the eight days that Open House was on. Visitors were serenaded by soulful tunes by the NUS Jazz Band and wowed by the moves of NUS Kendo Club. They were also treated to cheerleading displays, snazzy dance performances by NUS Funkstyle and BreakiNUS, catchy renditions of contemporary pop and choral music by the a cappella group Resonance, and the dulcet tones of TheNUSChoir and the NUS Mandopop group Voices.

“It was really lively with dozens of booths as well as live performances put on by really talented students! It truly allowed me to understand the culture here and makes me want to be a part of it after experiencing first hand,” Vanille Goh shared.

Students and hall masters from the halls and residences also conducted informative residential life talks, A-Day-in-the-Life-Of vlog sessions and Ask-Me-Anything sessions to help students interested in on-campus living understand its manifold aspects like academic programmes and pastoral care.

These were complemented by in-person tours of King Edward VII Hall, NUS College, Ridge View Residential College, Tembusu College, RC4, and Pioneer House, NUS’ newest housing model, giving participants a real taste of the sense of community and camaraderie that comes with residential life in NUS.

Joshua Chua, who also participated in the RC4 tour, said, “The RC4 tour was definitely a highlight because the tour guide, as with most staff and students, was welcoming and frank, which eased my nervousness.”

Matthew Yeow, an alumnus of Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) who attended both online and in-person sharing sessions by student residents of the Residential Colleges, said, “During the physical Open House, I had the opportunity to find out a lot more about the residential colleges and what made them distinct from halls. Furthermore, I also got to find out more about the individual residential colleges and their communities, as well as the additional modules they took.”

“As a prospective student, I think the Open House was executed effectively through both the online and physical mediums. Having the opportunity to come down and visit the University and talk to the current students gave me a better understanding of student life in NUS,” he added.

Source: National University of Singapore(HighLights)

Her love for bugs saves the earth

Assistant Professor Nalini Puniamoorthy

They may sting, scare and make us squirm. But insects, so often dismissed as tiny pests, are of colossal importance to the world.

Just ask Assistant Professor Nalini Puniamoorthy, who has combed the dense jungles of Costa Rica in search of a dung fly no larger than a fingertip, and bred black soldier flies in the lab to help recycle Singapore’s food waste.

“They play such big roles in our livelihoods. When we lose insects, we lose a keystone component of our biodiversity,” said Prof Puniamoorthy, a researcher at the NUS Department of Biological Sciences who has spent the last two decades studying these critters.

She cited how some bugs help pollinate food crops and are sources of treasured commodities like silk and honey. In nature, they also break down dead organic matter to release nutrients back into the environment, and are a staple diet of many larger animals.

Her research is all geared towards building a better world. “At the end of the day, we want to leave something behind that is useful for other people,” she said.

For instance, her studies on how mosquitoes reproduce is helping to combat the periodic dengue outbreaks in Singapore.

In recent years, she has also observed that insects are slowly shedding their bad reputation and gaining recognition for their importance. For example, protein-rich crickets are increasingly being viewed as a sustainable food source of the future.

“The knowledge about insects is also getting more popular in science,” she said. “There is an increasing number of people who realise that they might be useful.”

Setting the stage for this rookie actress to bloom

Ulfah Irdina Bte Affandi

Ulfah Irdina’s first foray into acting in August last year left her trembling in fear. The audition by Temasek Hall’s drama CCA, Theatrette, required her to sing in front of a room full of people – a prospect that terrified her.

“I couldn’t even open my eyes to sing and had to get people to look away,” recalled the first-year Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences student. “I was so shy. I thought it was impossible to even act.”

But six months later, she made her acting debut. For two nights, in front of over 200 people at the Gateway Theatre, she played the lead character of a musical – Labyrinth Coldridge – with aplomb.

“For me, it was about taking that leap. It’s okay to embarrass yourself – just do it,” said Ulfah, who has always had a keen interest in films and Broadway musicals.

“I felt like I had this desire to do something artistic but I just never had the chance to,” she said. University life opened a window of opportunity.

But her journey from nervous rookie to fearless thespian was not an easy one. Preparations for Labyrinth Coldridge consisted of six-hour daily practices for over two months. To hone her craft, she would also pore over the script for hours, meticulously annotating every page.

“It was fun, but also scary and tiring,” she said. To build composure, she tried everything – whether it was practising in front of friends or strangers, or simply standing on stage. Having a compilation of Broadway videos and clips of her favourite actress, Lea Salonga, at hand also offered some much-needed inspiration.

Her theatre community helped immensely too. “When you have people around you who are equally into something and are supportive, things are so much easier,” she said.

With her first musical all wrapped up, there are bigger plans in store. Works on a second production are currently underway, with Ulfah looking to broaden her skill sets in theatre by venturing into scriptwriting.

“When I envision a future for myself, it’s either writing for or standing on a stage,” she said. Her dream is only just beginning.

How holistic development led to healthcare success

Maybelline Ooi

Like the versatile Swiss Army knife, Maybelline Ooi possesses a vast armoury of skills.

She credits this to her insatiable curiosity, which led her to hone various talents during her time in NUS – from throwing kicks at karate tournaments, to shooting air pistols, to breaking out complex dance moves onstage.

“You can’t say you’re truly interested in something until you’ve tried it for yourself,” said Ms Ooi, who joined a slew of CCAs such as NUS Dance Synergy, NUS Nihon Buyo – a traditional Japanese dance club – and the university’s Air Weapons and Karate clubs.

One passion, however, stands out: healthcare. The interest was seeded when she was part of her junior college’s Red Cross Disaster Management Committee.

“I loved being with people and helping people,” said the NUS Nursing alumna. “So I knew I definitely wanted to do something related to healthcare.”

Today, she is helping to enhance the sector as the CEO and co-founder of VIRTUAI, an integrated platform that trains healthcare professionals using virtual simulations.

“Our aim is to revolutionise health training with a platform that uses AI and data analytics to enhance learning,” said Ms Ooi, who set up VIRTUAI in 2021. To better understand the technologies behind her startup, she has also picked up basic programming skills through online modules.

For her contributions, she was one of 36 NUS staff and alumni members to make the Singapore Computer Society’s SG 100 Women in Tech List, just four months after setting up VIRTUAI.

Rather than being a drain on her energy, Ms Ooi believes every venture and interest she pursued over the years has contributed to her success.

Her four-year stint as a nurse at the National University Hospital allowed her to pinpoint the gaps in healthcare, while her eclectic mix of CCAs in school helped sharpen her communication skills with people from diverse backgrounds.

“If you are passionate about something, you will find time for it,” she said.

Source: National University of Singapore(HighLights)