Electronic skin systems are increasingly used in healthcare, robotics and wearables, but most rely on arrays of sensors connected to external electronics for signal processing and display. These designs often face limitations such as low spatial resolution, wiring complexity and inefficient signal interpretation, making intuitive real-time feedback difficult.

To address these challenges, a team led by Professor Lim Chwee Teck from the NUS Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Institute for Health Innovation & Technology (iHealthtech) developed a soft, ultrathin device called the “eLuminator”. The findings were published in Nature Communications on May 2026.

A new paradigm beyond conventional electronic skin

Unlike traditional electronic skins that rely on discrete sensing pixels and typically achieving less than 100 dpi (where dpi indicates how finely pressure details can be resolved within a given area), the eLuminator uses a continuous, pixel-free design. With a spatial resolution of approximately 30 µm (847 dpi), it can detect much finer pressure details, enabling high-precision tactile sensing for advanced applications.

At the core of the technology is a mechano-electroluminescent response, where applied pressure directly changes the device’s light emission. When pressure is applied, the device generates visible light patterns that map both the magnitude and shape of contact. This enables immediate and intuitive visualisation without the need for separate processing or display systems.

The high-resolution luminescent response allows fine surface features such as the ridges and valleys of fingerprintsto be clearly captured in real time, demonstrating its capability for detailed tactile imaging and potential use in biometric applications.

“This technology transforms how we interact with tactile information,” said Prof Lim. “Instead of relying on complex electronics, users can immediately see force distribution as it happens, making the process far more intuitive.”

Applications in healthcare and intelligent systems

The eLuminator shows strong potential in surgical training and healthcare monitoring, where precise force control is critical but difficult to achieve due to the lack of tactile feedback. When integrated into surgical tools, it provides real-time visual feedback on applied force, improving precision and reducing the risk of tissue damage. It can also map pressure distribution on the foot, supporting early detection of areas with high risk of foot ulcers in diabetic patients.

Beyond healthcare, the device enables more responsive human–machine interface. It supports both static and dynamic sensing, with optical feedback of around 15 milliseconds and digital readout of around 110 milliseconds, allowing force interactions to be visualised and quantified in near real-time. Its high sensitivity also enables the detection of gentle touches, which is important for robotics and prosthetics.

Soft, durable and versatile platform

The eLuminator is ultrathin, approximately 70 µm thick, and made of flexible, non-toxic materials designed to mimic the mechanical properties of human skin. It can stretch beyond 100 per cent strain and conform to curved surfaces such as the body or medical devices.

The device remains stable under repeated mechanical stress, with consistent performance demonstrated over more than 1,000 to 4,000 cycles. It also operates across a broad pressure range, from light touch to approximately 180 kPa (similar to the pressure felt when balancing a heavy textbook on a fingertip), making it suitable for diverse applications.

By combining visual and digital sensing in a single system, the eLuminator simplifies device design and enables easier integration into next-generation wearable and biomedical technologies.

Future directions

The research team is working to further improve the device’s sensitivity and reduce its power requirements, while advancing deployment in high-impact healthcare applications.

“Our focus moving forward is not just to improve the technology, but to apply it where it can make a real difference to patient care,” said Prof Lim. “By working closely with clinicians, we aim to develop solutions that improve outcomes and support better decision-making.”

“My dream is to have an app where people commute to work and watch our lifelong learning content instead of TikTok,” said the Dean of the NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Education (SCALE).

Behind the light-hearted proposition is a serious challenge. Unlike undergraduates who can devote much of their time to study, adult learners juggle work, family and other commitments. In Assoc Prof Chai’s words, learning can come with considerable “friction”.

Reducing that friction — and making learning part of everyday life — is central to his vision of lifelong education. As SCALE marks its 10th anniversary, that philosophy points both to how far SCALE has come and where it hopes to go next: towards a university that learners can return to throughout their lives.

Lifelong learning in NUS’ DNA

When SCALE was established in 2016, its focus was on degree programmes for adult learners and continuing education courses. A decade later, Assoc Prof Chai sees its most significant achievement not simply in the number of programmes it runs, but in how lifelong learning has become embedded across NUS.

“The proudest achievement of SCALE is moving very quickly from the early days as simply a school that offered the Bachelor of Technology programmes and some short courses…to today, really a system enabler,” said Assoc Prof Chai, who became SCALE’s third Dean in 2025.

“We have evolved into a catalyst and an enabler [that makes] lifelong learning an integral part of NUS.”

Assoc Prof Chai credits his predecessors — Professor Wei Kwok Kee (2016–2020) and Professor Susanna Leong (2020–2025) — as well as colleagues across SCALE and NUS, for building the foundations on which the School continues to grow.

Over the decade, SCALE has supported NUS in delivering more than 130,000 training places in SkillsFuture Singapore-funded courses. The number of such courses offered by NUS grew from three in 2016 to 550 in 2025, with 14 faculties and schools participating, up from two. 

For Assoc Prof Chai, the next challenge is meeting learners where they are. He recalled engineers working in Woodlands who would charter a bus together to reach NUS for their master’s classes. Even then, getting to campus on time was difficult.

“We should not expect them to adopt the lifestyle of undergraduates and then come to university to learn from us,” he said. “We have to go to them.”

That thinking is also behind SCALE’s experimentation with bite-sized, problem-based learning inspired by microdramas. Short episodes begin with a problem, offer an answer, then end with another question to draw learners further into the subject — an attempt to fit learning more naturally into busy lives.

Learning when knowledge is everywhere

The question of what universities are for becomes more pressing as AI makes knowledge increasingly accessible.

Assoc Prof Chai has already seen that shift in his classroom. One student fed his lecture notes and recordings into an AI tool, allowing the material to be customised and condensed for listening at the gym.

“They can take your knowledge [and] customise it in whatever ways they want,” he said. “What is my value as an instructor?”

His answer is not for universities to compete with AI as repositories of information. Instead, as knowledge becomes increasingly democratised, he believes education must place greater emphasis on helping learners ask meaningful questions, exercise judgement and apply what they know.

“AI is very good when you know what you do not know,” he said. If someone already knows the question, AI can help find answers quickly. “AI is useless if you do not know what you do not know. And so this is a blind spot.”

“We need to teach our students how to identify meaningful questions,” he added.

That requires learners to empathise with stakeholders, distinguish meaningful signals from noise and develop the systems thinking needed to “see the forest, not just the trees”. Exposure to different disciplines and perspectives becomes even more valuable in developing that broader view.

Even as knowledge becomes available on demand, Assoc Prof Chai believes learning remains a human and social process. Universities bring together people with shared interests but different perspectives, creating opportunities to “discuss, debate, exchange views” — experiences that remain important in the age of AI.

Learning across a lifetime

If technology is changing how people learn, longer and more varied lives are also broadening why they learn.

Assoc Prof Chai envisages a university that people encounter repeatedly: as undergraduates, as working adults developing new capabilities or navigating career transitions, and later in life when they may have more time to pursue other interests.

“At some point when they are retired, they might then come back to the university,” he said. “They want the human touch again. They have a bit more free time. They want to reconnect and rediscover the joy of learning.”

Initiatives such as SCALE’s Joy of Learning and Distinguished Senior Fellowship programmes reflect this broader view of lifelong education — one driven not solely by employability, but also by curiosity, personal growth and contribution.

For Assoc Prof Chai, sustaining that desire to learn ultimately comes down to something deceptively simple: habit.

“For lifelong learning to happen, it has to be a habit,” he said.

He has put the idea into practice himself. For years, his default after boarding a flight was to switch on the in-flight entertainment. Then he began buying a book before flying and setting himself a goal to finish it before landing. Over time, reading became the habit and the screen increasingly stayed off.

The same principle underpins his hope for SCALE’s next decade: that learning becomes not an occasional response to disruption, but an integral part of life.

By 2036, he hopes SCALE will be a place people instinctively turn to when they want to learn — whether it already offers what they need, can develop something with them or can connect them with a trusted partner.

More fundamentally, he hopes that relationship begins from the moment students enter NUS.

“When our students join NUS as a Year 1 undergraduate, they already think about this [as] a beginning…of a long journey,” he said.

“Learning for employability, learning for growth…but also learning for fulfilment,” he added. “We think all can coexist, and can actually mutually reinforce each other.”

These questions about how people learn, work and adapt in the age of AI will take centre stage at the NUS Lifelong Learning Festival on 26 and 28 September 2026. Themed “Human in the Age of AI”, the Festival will explore the changing relationship between people and technology, and how lifelong learning can help individuals and organisations navigate a rapidly evolving world.

Driven by the rapid growth in the use of artificial intelligence (AI), electric vehicles and other advanced technologies, the global semiconductor market is projected to reach US$1.6 trillion (S$2.03 trillion) by 2030, with Singapore standing out as a critical industry hub. Backed by a trusted business environment and strong intellectual property protections, Singapore has attracted more than S$30 billion in semiconductor investments from 2022 to 2025 and today accounts for one in 10 semiconductor chips and one in five semiconductor equipment units produced globally. Building a strong pipeline of skilled future semiconductor talent will therefore be critical to meeting the industry’s increasing manpower needs and sustaining Singapore’s leadership.

The MSc STO programme is a multidisciplinary coursework programme hosted by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Design and Engineering at NUS, in collaboration with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Department of Industrial Systems Engineering and Management. The programme is further enriched by NUS’ major semiconductor research initiatives, including the Singapore Hybrid-Integrated Next-Generation µ-Electronics (SHINE) Centre, which provide students with exposure to cutting-edge research and industry-relevant technologies.

Offered on both a full-time and part-time basis, the MSc STO programme equips STEM graduates and working professionals with comprehensive expertise across the semiconductor value chain, from materials and devices to manufacturing, packaging, supply chain management and strategic decision-making. Students can also pursue specialised industry pathways, including AI training combined with experiential learning. Graduates are prepared for diverse engineering and management roles across foundries, equipment suppliers, and government agencies. Through formal training and cross-disciplinary perspectives, the curriculum fosters critical thinking, technical expertise, and an awareness of industrial impacts on society.

"By combining rigorous postgraduate education with industry internships and expert mentorship, this partnership will accelerate the development of highly skilled industry-ready talent," said Professor Aaron Thean, Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost at NUS. "It will build talent capacities needed to power the next phase of semiconductor innovation and manufacturing, strengthening Singapore's position as a global semiconductor hub."

Micron-Applied Materials-NUS Graduate Scholarship Programme

The joint scholarships will be funded by Applied Materials and Micron. In its pilot phase, 4 local scholars will be selected annually, and they will receive tuition support for the MSc STO programme, alongside industry internships with exposure to real-world projects, and potential employment upon graduation. Following the pilot, the initiative could scale to 10 to 20 scholars per cohort and expand to other semiconductor-related programmes and university partnerships.

Joshua Lee, Corporate Vice President and Singapore Country Manager at Micron Technology, said, "At Micron, we are committed to developing Singapore's next generation of local semiconductor talent. We believe that talent is one of the most critical enablers of semiconductor advancement. By connecting academic learning with real-world industry experience, this partnership will help aspiring talent develop the expertise and skills needed to support the industry's future growth and innovation in Singapore."

“One of the biggest challenges facing our industry is not a lack of opportunities, but making sure more people can see a future for themselves in semiconductors. Through this partnership, we are giving students firsthand exposure to an industry that touches nearly every aspect of modern life, while helping them discover where their strengths can contribute to the technologies of tomorrow,” said Mr Brian Tan, Regional President, Southeast Asia, of Applied Materials.

IntelligenceX brings together leading researchers, technologists and industry leaders to explore how quantum computing and AI could open new approaches to challenges in precision medicine, logistics optimisation and scientific discovery. Mdm Rahayu Mahzam, Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, opened the conference as the Guest-of-Honour.

The programme features keynote addresses, panel discussions and hands-on tutorials in agentic AI coding and quantum computing, with participants from leading organisations across Asia, Europe and the United States, including NUS, ETH Zurich, UC Berkeley, D-Wave, IBM and NVIDIA. Technology showcases will demonstrate emerging applications combining quantum and AI technologies across sectors.

“AI has already shown us how quickly a frontier technology can move from research into everyday life. Quantum computing is at a much earlier stage, but the convergence of these technologies gives us an opportunity to think ahead,” said Associate Professor Chen Ying, President of the Society of Algorithmic Intelligence.

She added, “The next frontier will not be defined by a single technology. It will come from combining advances in AI, quantum computing and other forms of high-performance computing with deep scientific and industry knowledge. To prepare for that future, we need to work on three things at the same time: advancing the science, identifying meaningful real-world problems, and developing a new generation of talent able to bridge the two. That is what we want IntelligenceX to help catalyse”. Assoc Prof Chen is from Institute of Operations Research & Analytics, Risk Management Institute and Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science at NUS.

Global competition puts AI trading strategies to the test

A key highlight of the conference is the International AI Algorithmic Trading Hackathon, which was held in the lead-up to IntelligenceX 2026. The hackathon has attracted 45 teams from Singapore, Australia, China, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Switzerland and the United States, among others, with participants affiliated with institutions including NUS, Bocconi University, Carnegie Mellon University, EPFL, ETH Zurich, HKUST and New York University.

Using real financial data, the teams applied AI and quantitative methods to develop and test algorithmic trading strategies, challenging participants to go beyond theoretical approaches and apply emerging technologies to address a complex real-world problem. The competition also brought together participants, researchers, industry experts and international partners, providing a platform to identify promising talent, encourage cross-border exchange and seed longer-term research and innovation collaborations.

Team Mushroom emerged as the top-performing team, with meloilz and Team Ember taking second and third place respectively. The three teams received their prizes at the IntelligenceX Opening Ceremony.

Taking Quantum × AI from research towards application

The conference builds on a broader NUS effort to move Quantum × AI from research towards practical adoption. Central to this effort is the NUS Integrated Quantum & AI Computing Consortium, launched in January 2026 to bring together researchers, industry partners and government agencies to identify and develop real-world applications at the intersection of quantum computing and AI.

The Consortium now includes six members – PCS Security, Singapore Airlines, STTGDC, ST Engineering, the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) and the Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) – working together to build a pipeline of quantum- and AI-ready talent, and explore potential applications of the technologies. Members tap NUS' multidisciplinary expertise and participate in hands-on workshops using open-source quantum computing tools to explore potential use cases. The Consortium is also developing an executive quantum-readiness programme to help industry leaders assess how their organisations can prepare for the adoption of quantum and AI technologies.

IntelligenceX 2026 is designed to go beyond a single event, creating sustained connections between researchers, industry and government that can drive long-term collaboration in quantum computing and AI. The full conference programme is available at https://www.soc-ai.org/events/intelligencex-2026.

The researchers base their claim on measurements showing that their atomic clock, built from the element lutetium, outperforms previous record holders built from different elements.

More accurate clocks hold promise to probe unknowns in fundamental physics and monitor gravitational changes across the Earth – and they are vying to redefine the second.

Pushing the limits of timekeeping

Atomic clocks keep time with reference to an atomic transition, when one of the atom’s electrons swaps energy levels. The frequency of this transition is a fixed property of the atom. A laser is matched to this ‘clock transition’, and the light oscillations act like a pendulum to count time.

The basic method has been in place for decades. Caesium atoms have set the global standard for time since the 1960, and caesium atomic clocks already support the Global Positioning System (GPS) and synchronise communication and transport networks.

But scientists have been pushing the limits of timekeeping with other elements.

Elements such as recent record-holders ytterbium, strontium and aluminium oscillate much faster than caesium, helping them to keep time more accurately. The international body responsible for time standards is considering data from such new optical atomic clocks towards a redefinition of the second expected in or after 2030.

The CQT team started working with lutetium over a decade ago on the hunch that it had the right properties to join the set of top-performing clocks. The team, to its knowledge, is the only group working with this element for timekeeping so far.

Now, the team has measured the frequency of their lutetium clock to 19 decimal places, reporting an uncertainty of 1 x 10^-19 which is the lowest reported for any optical atomic clock to date. They also built two clocks and compared their ticking to each other. The clocks agreed to an uncertainty of 5.7 x 10^-19, which is the most precise clock comparison ever made. More measurements could reduce that uncertainty further.

Lutetium’s advantage

Lutetium’s strong performance comes from properties of the atom: its clock transition hardly feels changes in temperature or magnetic field. In other elements, these environmental factors can gently vary the frequency of the clock transition.

“In the future, I just don’t see how this clock can be beat,” says Associate Professor Barrett. His team has done over a decade of precision engineering on their atomic clock setup, testing different properties of the atom. That work included inventing a scheme called ‘hyperfine averaging’ to define the clock transition.

“The good properties mean that high accuracy can be achieved even in a wide range of environments,” says Associate Professor Barrett. “The lutetium clock would be stable even if you went from the hottest place recorded on Earth in Death Valley to the coldest place in the Antarctic plateau.”

Two is better than one

The team’s confidence is bolstered by their clock comparison, carried out using a technique known as correlation spectroscopy over 200 hours of measurement.

Each lutetium clock consists of a single charged ¹⁷⁶Lu+ ion having a clock transition matched to a laser with wavelength of 848 nanometers.

“There is a humorous saying that ‘A man with a watch knows what time it is. A man with two watches is never sure,’” says Dr Kyle Arnold, a Senior Research Scientist from CQT at NUS and joint first author on the paper. “It basically tells you that the only way to test the accuracy of a standard is to compare clocks and demonstrate reproducibility.”

Ideally, the team would also compare their lutetium clock to the world’s other best atomic clocks, but there’s a challenge. Optical atomic clocks at the 10^-19 level are so precise they can feel the slowing down of time by gravity over height differences of millimetres. The CQT team’s comparison measurement could resolve a 5mm height difference between their clocks on the same table. To ensure that this did not limit their measurement, they independently measured the height difference of the Lu+ ions below the millimetre level. Differences in gravity between different places on Earth are not yet known well enough to compare clocks at this level.

To enable new comparisons and explore future applications, the clock should come out of the lab. “The next step is to take the lab-scale clock and miniaturise it into a transportable system,” says Mr Michael Lee, joint first author on the paper and a PhD student on the NUS team. The researchers expect they can make their clock smaller without compromising the accuracy.

• The Straits Times, 23 September 2026, Opinion, pB4

An alumnus of the NUS Business School, Mr Hsieh first joined the University’s Council in 2003 and continued to serve on its Board of Trustees from 2006 to 2012. In 2017, he returned to helm the Board as Chairman.

Stewardship across a decade of change

Mr Hsieh, working closely with NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye and his leadership team, has guided the growth of Singapore’s largest university. Under his stewardship, NUS launched many initiatives to develop future-ready graduates, enhance research impact and deepen partnerships with industry and community. These included major educational reforms to promote interdisciplinary and lifelong learning, as well as the creation of new research platforms in areas of strategic importance to Singapore.

During Mr Hsieh’s tenure, NUS significantly expanded interdisciplinary education through the establishment of the College of Humanities and Sciences, College of Design and Engineering, and NUS College. He also placed strong emphasis on student life to support students’ holistic growth beyond academics.

Mr Hsieh’s contributions have helped NUS for the longer term. He encouraged the University leadership to push boundaries and set higher standards in the quest for excellence. Together with the Board and Management, he also saw the University through major challenges and worked to build resilience, grow talent, groom leadership and ensure continued financial and campus climate sustainability.

Above all, Mr Hsieh believes that NUS, as a leading global university, should be anchored in its Asian context and values: one that is deeply connected to its community and nation, and committed to fostering common ground in an increasingly fractured world.

Mr Hsieh said, "It has been most meaningful serving NUS through much of the time it became autonomous since 2006. I was brought in by Dr Cheong Choong Kong, served under Dr Wong Ngit Liong and later took over the baton from him. Having fulfilled my part, it is my privilege now to hand over to Mr Leo Yip who will undoubtedly steward NUS much farther ahead."
 

Sustaining growth and deepening impact

Mr Leo Yip is currently Deputy Chairman of the NUS Board of Trustees, a position he was appointed to in April 2026. He brings to the role more than four decades of distinguished public service and leadership, making significant contributions to, among others, Singapore’s economic development, national security, as well as public-sector transformation and capability-building.

Mr Yip served as Head of Civil Service from 2017 to 2026, where he played a key role in driving transformation across Singapore’s Public Service and leading its collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the years he had served in various police appointments, as well as Principal Private Secretary to then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Manpower; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs; and Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office. He was the founding Chief Executive of the then Singapore Workforce Development Agency in 2003 and also served as Chairman of the Economic Development Board from 2009 to 2014.

Mr Yip said, “I am deeply honoured to be appointed Chairman of the NUS Board of Trustees. Fu Hua has set an exceptional standard of leadership, stewardship and dedicated service, steering the university to become the globally leading institution it is today. I look forward to building on this strong foundation together with the Board, faculty, staff, and students, for NUS to grow in impact and in service of Singapore in its next phase of development.”

NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye shared, "We are deeply grateful to Mr Hsieh Fu Hua for his visionary leadership and dedication to NUS. His emphasis on cultivating our distinctive identity while pursuing excellence has fundamentally shaped who we are today. We warmly welcome Mr Leo Yip as our new Chairman. His wealth of experience in public service, strategic acumen and deep commitment to developing people and institutions will be instrumental in shaping NUS’ next chapter.”

Commenting on the leadership succession, Minister for Education Mr Desmond Lee said, “Mr Hsieh Fu Hua’s deep commitment to advancing education, learning, and research has been instrumental to NUS’ growth as a world-class university, and in enriching our higher education sector. I thank Mr Hsieh for his dedication and service across his decade-long tenure, during which he provided thoughtful stewardship as NUS strengthened its educational offerings, advanced research excellence, and expanded its contributions to Singapore and the world. I look forward to working with Mr Leo Yip as the incoming Chairman and am confident that he will continue to steer NUS towards greater heights.”

Years later, Yoga found himself returning to the same story from a different perspective. He became a researcher on the Child Health and Migrant Parents in Southeast Asia (CHAMPSEA) project in the Migration and Mobilities cluster at NUS’ Asia Research Institute (ARI), the Institute’s longest-running research study, which investigates how long-term parental migration affects children left behind.

Having grown up as a “left-behind child” himself, he now works alongside researchers who study families like his own.

Yoga’s journey captures a distinctiveness about ARI’s work over the past 25 years – that research on Asia can extend beyond academic papers to changing the lives of the people whose stories make that research possible.

Set up in 2001, ARI was founded to bring scholars and researchers from around the world to Singapore to study the Asian region.

“ARI was one of the first institutions within the University to have a very robust visiting academic scholars’ programme, established since our founding in 2001,” said Associate Professor Maitrii Aung-Thwin, Deputy Director of ARI. “It was a testing ground for the type of international interaction that other units of the University would start to develop as well.”

Over the years, ARI has expanded beyond its strong base of faculty comprising primarily experts from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences to bring together researchers from across NUS, including from fields like law and architecture.

Its network also now extends beyond NUS, connecting researchers from Singapore, Asia and around the world. “By opening our doors to international scholars, we are strengthening the broader research ecosystem of Southeast Asia,” said Professor Vineeta Sinha, Director of ARI.

More than a revolving door for researchers

A longstanding practice of joint appointments between NUS faculties and ARI has provided stability for the Institute. “By nature, people come and people go at ARI. But we’ve also built a critical mass of faculty members from NUS who have a presence at ARI and are connected to it,” said Prof Sinha.

These established scholars mentor the next generation through initiatives such as the Singapore Graduate Forum, where graduate students and recent PhD recipients spend a month acquiring knowledge and skills before presenting their research at a two-week forum.

Many participants have gone on to build successful careers. One of them is Dr Darshana Sreedhar Mini, who attended and presented at the Forum in 2018 while she was a PhD student at the University of Southern California. Today, she is a tenured associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has since returned to ARI while she writes her next book.

Another alumnus, Dr Biao Xiang, joined ARI as a postdoctoral fellow before teaching at the University of Oxford, and later becoming Director of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Germany – one of the world’s leading centres for the discipline. “He’s taken the ARI model, the ARI influence, and gone off to build it in his own institute,” said Assoc Prof Aung-Thwin.

ARI is now extending its support to post-doctoral scholars by equipping them with the professional skills they need when they enter their respective fields, whether as researchers or in non-academic careers in the public or private sectors.

One initiative is the newly launched ARI-Luce Collaboratory, funded by the New York-based Henry Luce Foundation. Piloted this year as a two-week programme, it combines skills training, a writing residency and networking – allowing early-career scholars from North America and Asia to learn from and network with senior researchers. “After one gets one’s PhD, there’s still a lot of room to grow, and what a better place to grow than at ARI with a fantastic community of scholars,” Assoc Prof Aung-Thwin added.

Creating real-world relevance and impact

With an eye to delivering tangible impact and studying topics with real-world relevance – such as Asian urbanism, religion and food politics – ARI recognises that academic domains should not work in silos.

To facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration, ARI structures itself around clusters, bringing experts from different departments together around a common theme. “By combining different lenses and methods from across disciplines and faculties, I think ARI is able to holistically and comprehensively address some of the most compelling crises that we face,” said Prof Sinha.

The Transnational Relations, Ageing and Care Ethics (TRACE) project, for instance, brought together geographers, sociologists and anthropologists to study the challenges of ageing populations. The researchers have also engaged policymakers in Singapore to share their research insights. “It actually produced knowledge that can shape how we develop meaningful, impactful and effective practices of elder care,” said Assoc Prof Aung-Thwin.

The reach of ARI’s research extends beyond the academic field to across the region and closer to home. The Climate Governance of Nature-Based Carbon Sinks (CGSEA) project in the Science, Technology and Society cluster, running since 2022, studies how mangroves and peatlands across Indonesia and Malaysia are managed amid climate change – work that has direct relevance to environmental planning across Southeast Asia’s coastlines. Closer to home, ARI helped digitise more than 72,000 burial records at Bukit Brown Cemetery between 2017 and 2018, creating what Prof Sinha calls “a kind of genealogy for Singapore”.

ARI’s research structure has evolved over time. Beyond its six clusters, it now runs four strategic research programmes – the Muhammad Alagil Distinguished Professorship in Arabia Asia Studies, the Asian Peace Programme, the DIJ-ARI Infrastructures Research Partnership and the Nalanda Professorship in India-China Studies – expanding into new thematic and regional territory, with the work guided by a shift toward “decolonising knowledge production” that moves beyond research on Asia toward research grounded in Asian perspectives, noted Prof Sinha.

One example is the Arabia Asia Archives, launched in August to digitise rare and indigenous-language texts long excluded from colonial archives, connecting communities from Indonesia to Yemen.

Breaking borders around research

For Prof Sinha, more than half her time since taking on the directorship of ARI in January has been spent building international partnerships to strengthen ARI’s role as an incubator and accelerator for research – one that external bodies increasingly approach to seek new areas for research collaborations.

A recent success is a memorandum of understanding (MOU) inked with Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation, making ARI part of a consortium of universities and research institutions in Asia, including Korea University’s own Asiatic Research Institute, to focus on developing talent, internships, and conferences to build Korea-ASEAN relations. “These partnerships are valuable because they allow us to scale up the research,” she said.

As ARI celebrates its 25th anniversary, Assoc Prof Aung-Thwin emphasises the need to deepen integration with ASEAN and Central Asia, continue innovating its research on how societies cope with a constantly evolving world, and make sense of diverse social infrastructures in Asian societies.

None of these, the pair agrees, would have been possible without the people behind the scenes. “These people are the ones who make ARI work,” noted Prof Sinha of ARI’s administrative staff, who she says have worked with passion and professionalism since ARI’s earliest days. Assoc Prof Aung-Thwin agreed. “Some have been here since the beginning, and they are the tissue that connects the different generations of ARI scholars.”

Twenty-five years on, it is that same spirit of connection between people, disciplines and countries that ARI hopes to carry into its future.

NIMOS is established by NParks and hosted at NUS, with Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) as a partner institution, and St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory as a key national facility. It brings together expertise across universities, research institutes and public agencies to address how Singapore can develop management and conservation strategies for marine ecosystems, advance Singapore’s blue economy, build local talent, and establish Singapore as a regional thought leader in marine science.

“As marine environmental challenges in Singapore and the region become increasingly complex – crossing disciplines, sectors, geographies and national boundaries – research and innovation must keep pace to deliver the knowledge and solutions needed to address them. NIMOS, hosted at NUS, brings together universities, research institutes, government agencies and partners across the region to align our research priorities, deepen Singapore’s marine science capabilities, and develop practical solutions that support both environmental resilience and sustainable growth,” said Associate Professor Huang Danwei, Director of NIMOS and Deputy Head of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum at NUS.

NIMOS builds on earlier and existing national marine science efforts, including the Marine Science Research and Development Programme (MSRDP) managed by NUS and the Marine Climate Change Science Programme (MCCS) led by NParks. These programmes established important scientific baselines and research capabilities; NIMOS will consolidate and expand this foundation into a coordinated national platform with a stronger focus on interdisciplinary solutions, talent development and regional leadership.

The launch was also part of NUS Sustainability CONNECT, the University’s flagship sustainability festival.

A whole-of-coast approach to conservation

NIMOS will take a whole-of-coast approach, which involves studying and managing an entire coastal sea space as an interconnected system, to address complex marine challenges with research projects expected to be inter- and trans-disciplinary, bringing together academic and non-academic experts, and across various marine ecosystems.

NIMOS will focus on research areas comprising biodiversity and nature, environment and climate, and ecosystem resilience, with technology being harnessed across research projects. NIMOS’ key strategic priorities include:

1. Developing targeted and effective management and conservation strategies

NIMOS will develop adaptive management tools and science-based approaches that enable marine ecosystems to withstand multiple stressors while continuing to provide essential ecosystem services. This includes developing predictive models for ecosystem tipping points, enhancing habitat resilience with restoration guidelines tailored for the local environment, and creating monitoring frameworks that can detect early warning signals of ecosystem degradation.

2. Deliver inter- and trans-disciplinary solutions to advance Singapore’s blue economy

NIMOS will undertake marine science research that can guide the optimisation and management of Singapore’s sea space. This includes studying how much activity, such as aquaculture and recreation, Singapore’s waters can sustainably support. NIMOS aims to develop inter- and transdisciplinary solutions to balance economic productivity with ecological resilience, ensuring that marine and coastal resources can scale and sustain Singapore’s blue economy – the sustainable use of marine resources for economic growth.

3. Building local talent and capabilities

NIMOS will focus on developing a robust pipeline of local talent that can help build capabilities across academia, industry, and government, ensuring Singapore has the capabilities needed to address complex marine environmental challenges.

4. Establishing Singapore as a regional thought leader in marine science

NIMOS aims to establish Singapore as a regional thought leader in marine science, by consolidating capabilities from key regional institutions and fostering partnerships across Southeast Asia. Building these meaningful regional partnerships can also enable data sharing and comparative assessments of marine health, across Southeast Asia. This would strengthen Singapore’s resilience against complex global marine challenges

Boosting resources for research and talent development

The S$60 million funding for NIMOS under the Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 Plan (RIE2030) will support research, training and capability building.

Over the next 10 years, the institute will offer up to 12 PhD Research Scholarships for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, supporting the growth of local expertise for academia, government and industry. NUS has also committed 10 additional PhD Research Scholarships for NIMOS projects.

NIMOS’ research projects will also create internship and training attachment opportunities for undergraduate and polytechnic students in marine science laboratories across institutes of higher learning.

Bringing the research community together to accelerate discovery

NIMOS will begin operating as a virtual institute, enabling research collaborations to start immediately while longer-term facilities are being developed. The future space will house the NIMOS staff, NUS researchers and collaborators working on NIMOS projects. Its permanent home on NUS campus is expected to include wet science laboratory facilities and collaborative office space for project teams.

To strengthen coordination across the marine science community, NIMOS will also convene the inaugural Singapore Annual Symposium for Marine and Ocean Sciences in 2027. The symposium will serve as a national platform for researchers, policymakers, industry partners and public agencies to share findings, identify emerging priorities and accelerate the translation of marine science into coastal planning, ecosystem management and climate resilience.

Strengthening Singapore’s regional role in marine science

NIMOS will also deepen Singapore’s regional and international marine science partnerships. These collaborations will support data sharing, comparative assessments of marine health and joint research on transboundary issues such as ecosystem connectivity, marine pollution, ocean warming and biodiversity loss. The Institute will build on existing research ties with various institutions worldwide, including those in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, and engage a regional network of institutions in Southeast Asia.

The first such agreement between NUS and an Indian state government, the MOU was signed during a two-day series of engagements in Chennai from 28 to 29 August 2026. Spanning industry, government, academia and prospective students, the programme also included an Industry Networking Session and the inaugural NUS Postgraduate Fair.

Organised by NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Education, the Chennai engagements are part of NUS’ broader efforts to build sustained international partnerships and create more opportunities for students, researchers, industry and institutions to exchange knowledge, develop capabilities and collaborate across borders.

Bridging academia and industry

The Industry Networking Session on 28 August brought together senior representatives from NUS, the Tamil Nadu Government and industry to exchange perspectives on emerging industry and talent needs; and explore opportunities for closer collaboration in areas such as talent development, knowledge exchange and innovation.

“India presents opportunities and challenges that are often very different from those we encounter in Singapore. Its scale and diversity expose us to a rich range of perspectives, possibilities, and complex realities. A great university should not only export its ideas but also learn from different contexts that broaden the questions we ask and challenge how we think. I would therefore welcome deeper intellectual connections between NUS and Tamil Nadu - not only to contribute, but also to learn,” said Professor Wong Lim Soon, Acting Dean of the NUS Graduate School.

Expanding knowledge exchange

NUS and Guidance Tamil Nadu signed a first-of-its-kind three-year MOU on 29 August to deepen cooperation in postgraduate education, talent development and knowledge exchange.

The agreement creates opportunities for government agencies, industry and universities in Tamil Nadu to explore collaborations with NUS in areas including student exchanges, industry-linked projects, immersion programmes, masterclasses and seminars. It also provides a framework to explore scholarship and co-funding arrangements that could support postgraduate and doctoral education and exchange between NUS and Tamil Nadu.

“Our partnership with Guidance Tamil Nadu gives us a platform to build deeper and more sustained connections in postgraduate education and knowledge exchange. By creating more opportunities for students, educators and institutions to learn from and work with one another, we hope to develop talent with the knowledge, networks and perspectives to contribute across India, Singapore and the wider region,” said Professor Ang Wee Han, Acting Vice Provost (Masters’ Programmes and Lifelong Education) at NUS.

Showcasing postgraduate opportunities

The engagements culminated in the inaugural NUS Postgraduate Fair 2026 in Chennai, which brought together 14 NUS Colleges, Schools and Faculties to showcase postgraduate education opportunities across the University.

More than 3,500 prospective students and accompanying guests turned up on the day, reflecting strong interest in NUS’ postgraduate programmes and opportunities for advanced study in Singapore.
 

By NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Education

• The Straits Times, 21 September 2026, Opinion, pB4

• The Straits Times, 21 September 2026, Opinion, pB3

The NUS–Lancet Pandemic Readiness through Institutions, Mobilising Communities and Equity (PRIME) Commission launched its report, “Transforming Pandemic Readiness for Equity”, on 21 September 2026 at Instituto Cervantes, New York, during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week. The launch advances a broader approach to pandemic readiness that focuses on how pandemic readiness can better incorporate equity, whole-of-society action and the protection of communities.

Professor Teo Yik Ying, NUS Vice President (Global Health) and Dean of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, participated as a panellist at the launch. He is also a member of the NUS–Lancet PRIME Commission and a co-author of the report.

Based on the report’s findings, the Commission advised that conventional measures of pandemic preparedness — including surveillance, laboratories, stockpiles and emergency plans — remain essential, but do not by themselves guarantee protection when systems come under pressure. Instead, it defines pandemic readiness as a whole-of-society capacity to prevent, prepare for, respond to, recover from and redress the effects of pandemics while protecting people's wellbeing.

From preparedness on paper to protection in practice

The report draws on research across 20 countries, engaging stakeholder from government, civil society and the private sector, as well as six evidence reviews, future scenarios and epidemiological modelling. It brought together expertise spanning infectious diseases, health emergencies, health systems, governance, social protection and community engagement.

Its findings point to five systemic vulnerabilities that can leave communities unprotected during crises: (1) insecurity in basic needs; (2) housing insecurity and crowding; (3) administrative exclusion from healthcare and social protection; (4) distrust of institutions and health information; and (5) fragile health and social systems. The Commission calls for attention to the systems that create vulnerability, rather than labelling particular groups as “vulnerable”.

The Commission’s modelling of a hypothetical future influenza A pandemic found that rapid vaccine development could reduce deaths by 59 per cent, from 58.5 million to 23.9 million, even under scenarios where countries with greater purchasing power received vaccines first. Population-based vaccine allocation could further avert 2.7 million deaths, particularly in middle-income countries, while measures to improve vaccine confidence could save another 1.9 million lives.

Singapore’s efforts and NUS leadership for global pandemic readiness

Established by NUS and The Lancet, PRIME reframes pandemic readiness around the equitable protection of all people before, during and after a crisis. It offers countries 10 priority areas for planning, six Foundational Blocks to build readiness, and a PRIME Test to assess whether policies and investments will actually protect people in practice.

NUS has played a central role in convening this international effort. In January 2026, the Asia Centre for Health Security, headquartered at NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, hosted a PRIME Commission meeting at NUS involving representatives from 22 countries. NUS researchers are also represented in the Commission’s scientific coordination group, and they will be part of the leadership driving the international partnership on implementation of the report’s recommendations.

Prof Teo shared, “For NUS to partner The Lancet on the PRIME Commission reflects strong global recognition of NUS’ leadership in global health. The Commission’s recommendations are intended to ensure that countries focus not only on strengthening technical capabilities, but also on investing in the social and community infrastructure necessary to provide genuine protection for their populations. More importantly, the Commission proposed a practical framework to address systemic weaknesses and, in so doing, help prevent the unnecessary loss of millions of lives worldwide.”

Explaining the relevance of the findings to Singapore, Prof Teo shared that the report builds on existing strengths in disease surveillance, laboratory testing, healthcare delivery and emergency coordination by examining whether these systems continue to protect people under prolonged pressure.

Singapore entered the COVID-19 pandemic with strong capabilities in disease detection, laboratories, and contact tracing, but the crisis underscored the importance of translating technical preparedness into systems that protect people in practice. The country’s experience showed how pandemic readiness extends beyond healthcare: wage support and business continuity measures helped protect livelihoods and made public health measures more sustainable, while collaboration among government, scientific and community stakeholders supported service delivery and public communication.

Rather than replacing Singapore’s existing disease-agnostic, modular pandemic preparedness framework, the PRIME Test could complement it by stress-testing whether measures protect health, livelihoods and wellbeing; reach people facing financial, administrative, housing or digital barriers; incorporate the perspectives of affected communities and frontline stakeholders; and anticipate consequences across healthcare, social services, businesses and families. Applying these questions to different pandemic scenarios could help determine whether measures remain feasible, trusted and equitable under pressure.

Prof Teo cited Singapore’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak in migrant worker dormitories, where authorities worked with migrant worker leaders to build trust, as an example of involving the communities being protected. He also highlighted transparent communication and trust as foundations that need to be built before a crisis, rather than only during one.

Turning recommendations into action

To translate its findings into practice, PRIME proposes 10 integrated recommendations, six “Foundational Blocks” and a “PRIME Test” to assess whether policies, plans and investments protect wellbeing, advance equity, strengthen trust and voice, and anticipate effects across systems.

The report is intended as a first step. Through the proposed PRIME Collective — a global platform for collaboration, shared learning and implementation — the Commission plans to work with countries and communities to apply the PRIME Test, adapt its approach to different contexts, develop practical implementation plans and measurable indicators, and support continued learning and accountability.

The next phase is about moving “from paper to action”, with NUS continuing in a leadership role as PRIME moves into implementation.

Please refer to the full NUS-LANCET PRIME Commission report here.

Speaking at the Kent Ridge Ministerial Forum (KRMF) 2026, Mr Ong urged young people to remain confident about Singapore’s economic prospects, tap on the support available to them and focus on building expertise for the long term. He also called on employers to help cool an escalating hiring “arms race” by looking beyond grades and internship counts to recognise candidates’ potential and broader life experiences.

Organised by the NUS Students’ Political Association (NUSPA) at the University Cultural Centre, the event on 7 September 2026 drew about 250 students from various tertiary institutions across Singapore.

The “arms race” and “broken ladder syndrome”

Mr Ong acknowledged the anxieties facing graduates today: some are stacking multiple internships and sending out hundreds of CVs, only to find themselves screened by AI before they meet a human recruiter.

Citing the Graduate Employment Survey data, Mr Ong noted that the proportion of graduates who secured employment within six months of graduation had declined from about 93 per cent in 2023 to 89 per cent in 2025, reflecting a more competitive job market. But attributing this simply to AI, he cautioned, would be an oversimplification.

When he graduated in the 1990s, about one in five students made it to university. Today, it is one in two. While lauding the greater access to higher education for Singaporeans, he noted, “A degree remains valuable, but it distinguishes you less than before.”

This is why, in addition to grades, employers now look at internship experience to distinguish among applicants, he added.

This can create a self-reinforcing loop: as students accumulate more internships and credentials to stand out, employers look for further ways to differentiate candidates, prompting students to do more, in what Mr Ong described as a hiring “arms race”.

AI is adding another dimension. By automating some of the structured, routine tasks traditionally performed by new hires, it may raise the baseline expectations placed on fresh graduates. Mr Ong called this the “broken ladder syndrome”: the career ladder remains, but some of its lower rungs are being automated, requiring new hires to take a bigger first step.

He cautioned that employers should pay attention to the implications, as these early-career tasks have traditionally helped young workers learn the ropes and build professional competencies.

The biggest competitive edge

Against this backdrop, Mr Ong encouraged graduates to focus on building mastery, with genuine expertise becoming more valuable than ever before.

“This means finding an area that you care about, going deep into the craft, and working at it for the long haul,” he advised. “It may or may not be the course that you are studying, but you have to find something you are prepared to invest in and go through some difficulty learning it.”

“A mastery of your craft will define you as a professional and become your biggest competitive edge…mastery is what sets you apart and will be more valuable than before.”

On this note, Mr Ong also encouraged graduates to keep an open mind about their first job, even if it does not tick every box. Early in one’s career, he said, the opportunity to learn and build a strong foundation should weigh heavily alongside considerations such as salary and work-life balance.

“Your first job is a starting point, not a settling point,” he said, adding that an imperfect opportunity could still provide a platform from which to build towards longer-term goals.

Fortunately, graduates have a strong, ever-evolving support system to tap on. Mr Ong noted that Singapore’s tertiary institutions have continued to update their curricula with industry input, incorporate more real-world and interdisciplinary teaching, and build data and AI fluency among students. University career offices are also playing an active role in connecting graduates with employment opportunities.

At the same time, the wider employment ecosystem is stepping up, with career fairs connecting graduates directly with employers. The new Skills and Workforce Development Agency is also expanding support for job seekers through career guidance, job matching and training.

With these pillars in place, graduates should reconsider the efficiency of sending out hundreds of CVs. Instead, they should focus on industries, roles and organisations that genuinely interest them.

But easing the pressure on graduates is not their responsibility alone — employers also play an important role in preventing hiring from becoming an ever-escalating “arms race”.

Without lowering hiring standards, employers could look more holistically at candidates and recognise experiences beyond conventional measures such as grades and internships, he said. Competitive sport, the arts, volunteering, caregiving and other life experiences can reveal qualities such as resilience, initiative, discipline, empathy and work ethic.

A dynamic economy, not a declining one

While acknowledging the uncertainty created by AI and a more competitive employment landscape, Mr Ong urged young people to remain confident about the future.

Pointing to continued investment by multinational and local companies, as well as major infrastructure projects, he said Singapore remained competitive, continued to attract investment and was still creating jobs.

His conversations with people across different professions also suggested that, for now, AI is more often replacing specific tasks than entire jobs. In other words, it is reshaping work and, in some cases, enabling people to do more.

This is reason for optimism. Borrowing a Gen Z expression for being doomed, he drew laughter when he told the students: “So you are not cooked.”

Ultimately, navigating uncertainty is about focusing on what one could do in the present, he said: seizing opportunities, continuing to learn and investing in mastery.

Nearby, his 80-year-old friend would similarly sell tissues for a few hours a day to support his wife with dementia and his daughter, despite his poor health — up until his recent passing. Their stories are a reminder of the harsh realities faced by those on the margins of Singapore’s bustling metropolis.

Dr Kevin Tan, a cultural anthropologist and lecturer at the NUS Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Centre (CTPCLC), describes individuals like Tommy and his friend as members of the "precariat".

“The precariat — a blend of ‘precarious’ and ‘proletariat’ — describes someone who copes with life day by day, but is just one crisis away from falling through the cracks,” explained Dr Tan. “If Tommy falls and gets hurt, he cannot turn up at the temple entrance for weeks. That means income lost. It is a constant struggle.”

For months, Dr Tan and Ms Kuah Ting Ting, an instructor at CTPCLC, conducted field research on Waterloo Street. They found that, beyond being a religious urban enclave, the area served as a sanctuary for a vulnerable community: older, lower-income individuals who often navigate physical disabilities and constrained circumstances.

“As prosperous as we have become as a nation, we must remember that many are still struggling,” noted Dr Tan. “While policymakers and social services are doing what they can, our contribution as educators and academics is to go to the ground, gather these personal narratives and share the realities of people’s lives. Hopefully, this reaches those who can drive meaningful change in decision-making.”

Furthermore, such research is crucial for education. By bringing real-world context to class, educators can humanise the curriculum, helping students understand the visceral realities of poverty and marginalisation. This cannot be taught from textbooks alone.

15 years of nurturing community leaders

The intersection of academic research and on-the-ground community engagement is at the heart of the work at CTPCLC. Established with a generous donation from Dr Chua Thian Poh, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ho Bee Land, the Centre nurtures Singapore’s next generation of community leaders.

Now in its 15^th year, the Centre's work spans education, research and community partnerships, giving students opportunities to apply what they learn to real-world social issues. Many graduates of the programme join the social sector or initiate ground-up community projects, creating a ripple effect of positive change.

Giving youths a voice through applied research

The strong alumni ecosystem at CTPCLC has been instrumental in driving community development research and collaboration. A connection made by a CTPCLC alumna led to a year-long research practicum with =DREAMS Singapore, a first-of-its-kind weekday boarding programme for children from under-resourced backgrounds.

Working closely with =DREAMS Singapore’s Executive Director Ms Juliet Tanuwira and her team, four NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences graduates who are also CTPCLC fellows — Ang Wei Cai, Christine Devina Wibisono, Edice Koh Ying En and Megan Wang May-En — were tasked with evaluating the programme's holistic impact from the perspective of its scholars.

Conducting focus groups with teenagers after a long school day called for empathy and creativity. To keep the youths engaged, the NUS team used interactive tools like laminated cards and worksheets, allowing the scholars to physically rank programmes and comfortably share their thoughts.

The experience was profoundly transformative. For Edice, a Social Work major, the project underscored that research is a "precious mode of communication" meant to be shared. “Sharing our findings with the scholars and staff brought honest conversations and validation. It emphasised the importance of involving the community in our research,” she said.

Wei Cai, a Chinese Studies major, learnt the value of adaptability. “It is always important to either have a contingency plan or be able to improvise on the ground to achieve your objectives,” he said.

Translating their findings into action, the team provided =DREAMS Singapore with practical recommendations, including structuring family bonding sessions to better bridge residential and home life, and tailoring mandatory tuition at the boarding to student performance to better balance academic rigour with students’ individual strengths and learning needs. They also designed an annual survey that can help =DREAMS Singapore track the programme's long-term impact.

“The CTPCLC students offered a valuable opportunity to gain an independent snapshot of our scholars' well-being and experience,” said Ms Tanuwira.

Beyond the research, she noted the partnership's broader impact: “Supporting under-resourced youths is one part of our work; another is to galvanise young people with greater access to opportunities to support their less-resourced peers.”

Ultimately, she hopes this inspires a culture where youths actively use their voices to uplift one another.

Multiplying impact

Noting how the project encapsulates the core educational goals of CTPCLC, CTPCLC instructor Ms Kuah, who supervised the practicum, said she hoped the students had gained the ability to apply classroom theories to diverse, real-world contexts.

"Impact is not just about the time or money invested in the community space, though both are important resources. Impact is also about action driven by critical thought, backed by research and rooted in learning to build trust with stakeholders. This is a skill that will serve these future leaders well," she said.

As a culmination of their efforts, students will present their work and share their experiences at the annual CTPCLC Symposium on 19 September, alongside their peers and alumni who continue to co-create a more inclusive, compassionate and resilient Singapore.

This story is part one of a two-part series celebrating the 15^th anniversary of the Chua Thian Poh Community Leadership Centre at NUS. Stay tuned for part two.

• The Straits Times, 16 September 2026, Opinion, pB4