Nano, nano, jobs for the future
Prof Thirumalai Venky Venkatesan, Director of the NUS Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Institute (NUSNNI) noted that not enough Singaporean students are going into science careers, as many prefer to become doctors, lawyers or businessmen. He believes that the right approach to overcoming the lack of interest in nanotechnology is to enthuse Singaporean students to do science. This is why he hopes to start a programme for secondary school and junior college students to do stints at NUSNNI to experience cutting-edge nanotechnology research. Prof Andrew Wee from the Dept of Physics at NUS Faculty of Science highlighted that the physics, chemistry and engineering degrees at NUS give students a strong foundation in the properties of nanomaterials. He added that more importantly, the university educates its students in fundamental concepts that they can apply to rapidly changing technologies in the future.
