Annual Report 2024

Today's Actions, Tomorrow's Impact
Assoc Prof Chng Shu Sin

Assoc Prof Chng is the Faculty’s Vice Dean (Student Life and Alumni Relations). His team actively supports students in their NUS and College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) journeys to ensure future success in their personal and career goals.

Our Stories of Impact

Dr Ronny Sondjaja
Vice President / Head of Research, Development and Innovation (Region Asia), Evonik
“True innovation extends beyond technology; it calls for the diversity of ideas and perspectives from multicultures to strengthen co-innovation in research.”
Dr Sondjaja leads Evonik’s talent development initiatives through collaborations with universities, where Evonik offers on-the-job training, guest lectures, mentorship and other outreach programmes.

Dohadwala Alefiya Taher

Year 4, Major in Life Sciences and Minor in Psychology
“Through internships, I explored a variety of areas and roles, from digital marketing to research on cell therapy. This helped me to narrow down my preferred career.”
Alefiya believes that biotechnology offers transformative potential in many fields. She has acquired a better understanding of the research ecosystem through her internships and plans to pursue a career in research.

Mr Leon Tan

Career Advisor, NUS’ Centre for Future-ready Graduates

“I help CHS students to bridge the gap between academic learning and the professional world by providing personalised guidance throughout their undergraduate journey.”

Mr Tan provides career advice to help CHS students develop job-seeking and employability skills and connect with internship and job opportunities. This better prepares them for the world of work.

What Employers Say

What does interdisciplinarity look like at the workplace? Employers from various industries share how teams in their respective organisations work across different disciplines, job functions and geographies, as well as the attributes they seek in their hires and employees.

Stories:

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Market-Relevant Programmes

Our programmes and initiatives are developed with a single goal in mind – to gear our graduates for employment resilience in a volatile job market.

We continued to introduce new courses in response to industry requirements. For instance, this year we launched new courses under the Minor in Meteorology and Climate Science to expand local climate science expertise in support of national climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. 

Real-World Exposure

Our departments led various initiatives to give students a preview of the working world. Here are some examples.

Courses taught by adjunct Faculty with industry expertise

Students are taught genomic science, fraud analytics, computer security, health and medicine topics by Faculty members with industry expertise in our Sense-making Case Analysis course.

Collaborations with companies

Students go through the various stages of producing a new food product at a food company in the Food Product Development and Packaging course.

Engage industry in course development and delivery

Industry experts are engaged to shape course curricula to ensure that students receive market-relevant education.

Industry projects

Students work on industry projects managed by the Data Analytics Consulting Centre, such as designing predictive models for revenue and service quality optimisation for a startup in the property management sector, as well as projects in financial services, hospitality and consumer health.

Industry events

The yearly FST Industry Day allows students to showcase their Final Year Projects and meet potential employers from regulatory agencies, research institutes and the food industry.

Company visits

Students visit pharmaceutical and healthcare companies to gain insights into company operations and real-world projects.

Continual Learning for Career Relevance

Our MSc programmes benefit many who wish to advance their knowledge and careers in their chosen fields. 

“My postgraduate learning journey immersed me in the latest trends in chemistry, including machine learning, cheminformatics, intellectual property, drug research and advanced analytical techniques. These experiences have been invaluable in revitalising my knowledge.” 

Chemistry alumna (2024) Ms Yong Soh Wah decided to pursue the MSc in Chemical Sciences. This advanced degree deepened her understanding of chemical analysis and provided specialised knowledge and technical skills. She is currently a Senior Superintendent II-QC at Alcon, where she works on quality control to ensure the safety, comfort and effectiveness of contact lenses used by millions worldwide.  

“My passion for working with data and deriving actionable insights drove me to pursue this programme. The courses provided in-depth insights that prepared me for more advanced projects in the workplace, such as entity resolution and financial transaction analytics, both of which utilise Big Data techniques.”

Ashwin Kumaar Raviraj, a Software Engineer at JP Morgan, decided to pursue the MSc in Data Science and Machine Learning to help him pivot from engineering into a field he is passionate about and which he would like to build his career in – financial services.   

We introduced two new Continuing Education and Training courses this year – ChatGPT Begins With Me and Data Visualization Mastery in Practice – to equip professionals with practical skills to use generative Artificial Intelligence effectively in their work and to apply data analytics to solve business challenges, respectively.

“I improved my data cleaning, visualisation and reporting skills. This better enables me to present insights gleaned from data to convince stakeholders and to help them make informed, data-driven decisions.”

Mr Nathaniel Chee, a Product Development Analyst at Singapore Airlines, took the  Data Visualization Mastery in Practice short course to upskill for his professional career development.   

CAREER PREPAREDNESS

First College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS)
Career and Internship Fair

The fair on 4 September 2024 gave CHS students a direct opportunity to connect with employers and gain exposure to a variety of industries and roles from the public and private sectors. The event also offered access to internships and job opportunities, as well as advisory sessions by NUS’ Centre for Future-ready Graduates’ advisors.

Over
2,000

CHS students attended

Over
60

Employers

The fair served as a key resource to help students, especially the first cohort of CHS students graduating in 2025, by equipping them with the knowledge and networks to transition from university to the workplace.

Alpha Ho

Year 4, Food Science and Technology

“Moving from a ‘protected’ environment in school to the working world is a challenge. I wanted to meet potential companies I can work at after graduation, to better understand employers’ expectations and the skills needed for the job market.”

Career Advisory Initiatives

The NUS Centre for Future-ready Graduates’s (CFG) CHS Career Advisory team provides CHS students guidance in career planning, resume critique, internships, job search strategies and interview preparation. Its initiatives include employer engagement events such as career fairs and recruitment talks, internship and graduate briefings, workshops and 1-on-1 career consultations.


The Faculty and CFG also introduced CommsLab, a new unit-bearing course for NUS Science students that focuses on the enhancement of public speaking and communication skills. 

Experiential Learning

Internships provide valuable on-the-job training and give students an early headstart into the workplace.

A leg-up into the job

“My internship showed me how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data science can bring tangible benefits to strategies and processes across industries. I also gained insights into both the technical and business aspects of applying these technologies. The experience spurred my interest in leveraging technology to solve real-world problems, and I wanted to continue developing my career in this domain.”

Data Science and Analytics alumna Ms Celine Lim (2021) participated in the GIC Internship Programme as an undergraduate where she acquired hands-on experience on the investment and asset management industry. She joined GIC upon graduation and is now a Public Equity Quantitative Strategist there.

A leg-up into the job

“I gained exposure to industrial research and development and I greatly enjoyed being challenged in research. This gave me the confidence to choose my career path in this sector. Because of my internship, I am confident I can contribute to the pharmaceutical industry and high-functioning project teams.”

Pharmaceutical Science alumnus Gavin Han (2023) interned at Roquette Asia Pacific where he worked on improving the efficiency and stability of viral vectors. He is now an Assistant Research Scientist there where he pursues his passion in developing life-saving vaccines.  

The Science and Technology Global Industry Insights course brings students on week-long overseas study trips to India and Vietnam and is developed specially for Science students by the Faculty of Science and NUS’ Centre for Future-ready Graduates. Through immersive industry visits, employer networking sessions and cultural appreciation activities, this course helps students gain an understanding of fast-growing regional economic hubs, enhances their global perspectives and provides them insights into work opportunities overseas.

Industry immersion abroad

“I learned the importance of building connections and how to network professionally, which helps in future job searches. The experience provided valuable learnings that help me prepare for the workplace.”

Year 2 student Chan Thong Fong, who majors in Data Science and Analytics and minors in Quantitative Finance and Computer Science, participated in the programme in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Through industrial visits to various companies, he received firsthand insights from industry leaders on career prospects and market dynamics in Vietnam’s emerging economy.

Other experiential learning opportunities, such as competitions, ambassadorships for various causes and unique learning journeys also provide students real-world exposure.  

Competitions

Ambassadorships

Learning Journeys

Studies and work have a major impact on physical and mental health. Our Peer Student Supporters (PSS) play an important role in encouraging our students to adopt positive lifestyle habits that will carry them through the challenging transition period from school to the workplace. 

An advocate for wellbeing

“When I first started as a PSS, I tried to offer solutions. But I have learned that sometimes just offering a listening ear and being present can make a difference.”

Year 3 student Tan Jie Quan, who majors in Life Sciences and Nutrition and minors in Botany, is an advocate for student mental health and wellbeing. As the Science PSS team lead, he drives wellness and outreach activities in the Faculty of Science.

The Faculty of Science is one of the top in Asia and the world for science education and research. The Annual Report showcases the Faculty’s achievements for the year and highlights the transformative impact of our endeavours in education, research, enterprise and community through inspiring stories of our science community. 

Produced by

Science Dean’s Office, Corporate Communications

Advisors

Prof Sow Chorng Haur, Vice Dean (Outreach & Admissions)

Assoc Prof Chew Fook Tim, Vice Dean (Undergraduate Studies)

Assoc Prof Chng Shu Sin, Vice Dean (Student Life & Alumni Relations)

Contact

For enquiries, please email corpcomms.science@nus.edu.sg