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Shaping Future Society

Shaping public policy

Contributing to regional and international development

Serving our community

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Shaping Future Society

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Shaping public policy

Three of our distinguished alumni champion various causes in the Parliament of Singapore. They add value to Singapore’s changing political landscape by providing independent and diverse views, thereby contributing towards more robust public policy debates.

Renowned conservation scientist and Life Sciences alumnus Prof KOH Lian Pin, Department of Biological Sciences, was appointed as a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) in January 2021. He advocates for science-based efforts to fight climate change, as well as public-private-people collaborations to strengthen Singapore’s ecological, climate and socioeconomic resilience.

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Life Sciences alumnus Louis NG, Member of Parliament (MP) for Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency (GRC) speaks up on a wide variety of issues in Parliament. These include ending discrimination, helping single parents, providing a voice for marginalised communities, championing animal welfare and fighting climate change.

Mathematics and Economics alumnus GAN Thiam Poh, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC, provides a voice for low-income Singaporeans and the sandwiched class. He lends his perspectives on policies and measures that contribute to fair hiring practices, good job opportunities and working conditions for Singapore workers, and a strong Singaporean core in our workforce.

Protecting the Leopard Cat
Promoting healthy eating
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Contributing to regional and international development

The Faculty continues to make meaningful contributions in the region and beyond, through collaborative projects and events to exchange information and expertise.

Big Opportunities in the Nanoworld

Aspiring young scientists and high school students across Southeast Asia embarked on a virtual journey of scientific discovery from 15 to 26 June 2021 to understand the fascinating concepts of nanotechnology. Six classes featured interactive in-class discussions, fun experiments and virtual laboratory tours, which added a sense of realism to nanoscience phenomena. Participants acquired hands-on understanding of the properties of nanomaterial systems and how to use specialised techniques and instruments to see how atoms behave differently at the nanoscale. This programme was the first of its kind organised by the Department of Physics together with the NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Education (SCALE) to inspire youths to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) studies.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Educators Workshops

The Faculty presented our first series of webinars for ASEAN educators and students from October to December 2020, which featured pedagogical insights and research developments presented by award-winning educators and scientists.

The topics included using mathematical concepts for insights into epidemic spread and control, understanding nanoscience, reshaping research inquiry with an integrated science curriculum, understanding intermembrane lipid trafficking in bacteria, and exploring Southern Java’s deep sea. The second instalment of webinars commenced on 26 August 2021. These webinars are part of our ongoing Temasek Foundation-NUS STEM for University Educators Programme in ASEAN.

Biodiversity partnerships

Credit: Katie Bryden, courtesy of Conservation International

On 27 October 2020, LKCNHM held an online symposium with its collaborators at the Sarawak Forestry Corporation to share findings from expeditions to Lanjak Entimau Wildlife Sanctuary, Sarawak. The expeditions yielded two new records of fish, a new species of assassin bug and semi-terrestrial crab, and a terrestrial slug that is potentially new to science.

Another partnership with the Indonesian Institute of Science has led to many new discoveries, some completely new to science. These findings were published in journal articles, and there are plans for another expedition and more joint research opportunities.

Managing dog-wildlife conflict in the Himalayas
Shaping leaders of tomorrow

Biodiversity partnerships

Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) researchers and curators actively contribute to biodiversity education and research locally and in ASEAN by studying specimens in situ and collecting specimens for identification and study. A partnership inked on 2 August 2021 with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, will foster academic and research collaboration to study Timor-Leste’s protected forests and marine ecosystems.

Credit: Chan Kin Onn

Serving our community

Our Science family continued to contribute generously to help disadvantaged communities. Our work includes scientific solutions to fight the pandemic and innovations that address broader societal needs.

Our pandemic heroes

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Dr Vinayak Ghate

Food Science and Technology
PhD student

Current disinfection technologies cannot effectively stop the spread of COVID-19. These episodic technologies can only be used once every few hours and are unsafe for humans.

Dr Vinayak GHATE set up SafeLight Pte Ltd to utilise its patented visible light technology for continuous disinfection to provide high-risk surfaces round-the-clock protection against bacteria, moulds and viruses.
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Dr Judy Sng

Life Sciences alumna
Senior Lecturer and Education Director (Nursing Curriculum, Digital Transformation and Extramural Courses)
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Dr Judy SNG developed the Virtual Integrated Patient online portal which provides medical students a safe space to hone their clinical skills anywhere, anytime. This was especially timely to avoid learning disruptions when classes moved online during the pandemic.

She is also an active grassroots leader in MacPherson, and was part of SGUnited Buka Puasa, a ground-up initiative where volunteers went door-to-door to deliver 20,000 meals a day to healthcare workers and others in need during Ramadan this year. 

Benjamin Fong

Year 4, Life Sciences student

Benjamin FONG was part of a team from NUS’ College of Alice and Peter Tan (CAPT) who set up a food delivery service, Hawkerjio, to support hawkers and private hire car drivers during the pandemic. The team linked up with various hawkers to prepare bulk orders collated through a Telegram channel within the CAPT community. They also partnered private hire car drivers to deliver the orders.

Over 1,500 meals were delivered during the pilot run and a new website was launched.

Rishika Madan

Statistics
Postgraduate student

Rishika MADAN witnessed firsthand the COVID-19 humanitarian crisis in India and she was also infected twice herself.

This inspired her to set up Mission India, a project led by the NUS Graduate Students’ Society together with non-profit organisation TiE Singapore, which has raised about $120,000 for the Swasth Act Grant to help build medical capabilities and infrastructure in India. They also raised $60,000 for the Red Cross Society Singapore.
Championing community causes
Stalwart of nature
Prof Shen Zuowei
Department of Mathematics
Assoc Prof Kuldip Singh
Department of Physics

The National Day Awards recognise various forms of merit and service to Singapore. 

Prof SHEN Zuowei received the Public Administration Medal (Silver).

Assoc Prof Kuldip SINGH received the Public Administration Medal (Bronze).

Shaping Future Solutions

Dean's Message

Biological Sciences

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Credit: Singapore Wildcat Action Group (edited)

Protecting the leopard cat

In October 2020, an interdisciplinary team of students – comprising Sean NG and TOH Weiyang (Year 3, Environmental Studies), Anna LOW (Year 2, Environmental Studies) and Janelle LEE (Year 3, Life Sciences), together with friends from the Faculties of Engineering, and Arts and Social Sciences – worked with the Singapore Wildcat Action Group on a documentary on the leopard cat in Singapore. The team filmed the leopard cat in the Night Safari, interviewed environmental experts and engaged a Bengal cat breeder to explore challenges that the leopard cat faces in Singapore. They hope to raise public awareness on environmental conservation through their work.

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Promoting healthy eating

Yukta Tanvi MAHENDRAN, Year 3, Food Science and Technology, has been a vegetarian since young. She joined NUS Vision of Equality for a Greener Earth (NUS VEGE), the university’s newest interest group, to help raise awareness on the ethical, environmental and health aspects of plant-based diets. As one of the society’s community ambassadors, Yukta organises events like vegan potlucks and baking sessions. NUS VEGE is collaborating with canteen stallholders to expand meat-free offerings on campus.

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Credit: National Geographic Explorers Festival (2019)

Managing dog-wildlife conflict in the Himalayas

Biological Sciences PhD student Debby NG founded the first Community Disease Alert Network, based in Nepal, where she leads a team of veterinarians and community leaders to study the potential for pathogen spillover from canine distemper. This is a deadly and highly contagious virus which threatens fragile Himalayan ecosystems. Her work adds to the body of knowledge on disease ecology of domestic dogs, enabling conservation measures to protect local wildlife. She presented her research at the National Geographic Explorers’ Festival (2021), which brings together scientists, educators and changemakers from around the world to share their discoveries and insights.

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Shaping leaders of tomorrow

Our students gain valuable insights through active participation at regional leadership and networking programmes. Fresh Chemistry graduate Arnold TEO was part of NUS’ STEP Asian Undergraduate Summit, where he joined youth leaders across Asia to engage in academic and intercultural exchange to discuss complex problems of the future. Arnold offered insights on economic growth from a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) perspective, the tradeoffs at the expense of growth and the mitigation of these tradeoffs. The Summit was held online in June 2021.

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Championing community causes

“The best way to facilitate community growth is to promote the growth of the family institution. It has no substitute, and it is the foundation of our entire society.”

Muhammad Ashik BIN MOHAMED DAUD (Chemistry, 2013) is a strong advocate of volunteerism. He was a mission leader for the Singapore Red Cross (SRC), where he contributed to education, medical and psychosocial support as well as livelihood programmes across countries such as Indonesia, Nepal and the Philippines. He is currently a Vice President of the Malay Youth Literary Association, where he focuses on helping youths and families.

Ashik founded Cahaya Community, a ground-up initiative that provides holistic opportunities for underprivileged children. He plans to connect orphanages across communities so that they can provide extended educational, social and livelihood support. He received the SRC Commendation Award (2019) for his leadership in SRC’s missions and overseas disaster deployment training.

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Credit: Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment

Stalwart of nature

“I hope my story will ignite the passion of young Singaporeans in championing nature conservation and sustainability causes, and add a Bright Green Spark to our Little Red Dot.”

Alumnus and nature conservation advocate Joseph K H KOH (Zoology, 1972) has made a lifetime of contributions to biodiversity research and nature conservation to NUS and Singapore. Under his Chairmanship (2019 to 2020), the World Wide Fund for Nature in Singapore significantly broadened its collaboration with government agencies and the business community. He also developed a network of partnerships to involve more Singaporeans to protect, restore and enjoy the Bukit Timah forest ecosystem.

He partnered the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum to raise funds for two scholarships to groom young environmental advocates.

He received the prestigious President’s Award for the Environment (2021) for his multifaceted contributions to environmental sustainability.

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Sharing Public Policty
Contributing regional and international development
Serving our community
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New bent-toed gecko species in Timor-Leste

“We have barely scratched the surface of Timor-Leste’s biodiversity. New discoveries can have profound impacts on conservation and policy-making.”

In August 2022, we led an expedition to Timor-Leste in collaboration with Conservation International and the government of Timor-Leste. The Museum’s herpetologist, Dr CHAN Kin Onn, discovered a new species of bent-toed gecko which was named Cyrtodactylus santana, in reference to the Nino Konis Santana National Park, in which the gecko was discovered.