Over two weeks in the towns of Maun and Kasane, 24 students from NUS College of Alice & Peter Tan (CAPT), affectionately known as CAPTains, heard from community leaders, researchers, educators, local organisations and conservation practitioners about the choices and trade-offs involved in protecting the environment while supporting livelihoods and communities. The journey was part of the NUS Global Relations Office’s Study Trips for Engagement and EnRichment (STEER) programme, which gives students first-hand exposure to the diverse sociocultural environments of emerging regions.

For many, the experience challenged assumptions about what conservation looks like on the ground — and revealed how questions of wildlife, livelihoods, tourism and local knowledge are closely intertwined.

The many sides of the Okavango Delta

These questions came into sharp focus at the Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s largest inland delta systems.

The Delta offered students a window into the different ways in which the same landscape can be understood. It is an important ecosystem rich in biodiversity, a source of livelihood and tourism, and a place with deep cultural significance for communities who have lived in and around it for generations.

For Year 2 Industrial Systems Engineering and Management student Jayven Koh, the experience changed how he thought about the relationship between conservation and communities.

"What struck me was that the Delta isn't just a wildlife area; it's a vital water source that entire communities depend on. I also realised how important it is to distinguish between local and indigenous communities, because they have different relationships with the land,” he said.

“Without recognising those differences, conservation efforts risk overlooking the knowledge, histories, and needs of the people they aim to support."

At the Okavango Research Institute, the students learnt how researchers study the Delta’s ecology, water systems and conservation challenges. Conversations with local guides and educators added another dimension: environmental knowledge can also be built through generations of lived experience.

Safari guides, herders and community members, for example, may draw on close observation of seasonal flood patterns, animal behaviour and wildlife movement in their everyday lives.

Encountering these different perspectives underscored that understanding a landscape can require more than one way of seeing it — and that locally grounded knowledge can complement scientific research in shaping approaches to conservation.

Conservation starts with community

Another important lesson emerged from encounters with community organisations: conservation and sustainable development can also depend on whether local people have opportunities to participate and benefit.

At social enterprise Thari-E-Ntsho Storytellers, the students saw how storytelling, upcycling and cultural tourism could help preserve traditional knowledge while creating income opportunities for women, young people and informal workers.

They also encountered initiatives such as Green Horizons Network, which seeks to make environmental education more accessible and give young people opportunities to engage with conservation.

Its upcycling project, which taught women to make affordable bead-making tools and work with readily available scrap materials rather than expensive ready-made supplies, left a lasting impression on Year 1 Psychology student Ravshaan Singh.

“What stayed with me was that in Botswana, community-based work wasn’t just about generating income, it was about making participation possible. This really reflected how inclusion was intentionally built into the project,” he said.

Across their visits, the students saw a recurring emphasis on keeping initiatives accessible, locally appropriate and rooted in the communities they served.

They also learnt about the challenges such organisations face in sustaining their work over the longer term, particularly when programmes depend on donor funding. Some are therefore exploring hybrid models of combining tourism, education and community enterprises to broaden their sources of income and strengthen local ownership.

Living alongside wildlife

Perhaps one of the most immediate takeaways from the Delta experience was the everyday negotiation between human and wildlife spaces.

For instance, the students were prompted to think differently about the commonly used term “human-wildlife conflict”.

“Calling it ‘conflict’ puts blame on the animals,” said a trainer from the Botswana Wildlife Training Institute.

Rather than seeing people and animals simply as opposing forces, students were encouraged to consider their coexistence and the overlapping needs and pressures that arise when both depend on the same land and resources. The strategies used to manage these interactions vary widely, from fencing and chilli-based deterrents to reduce elephant crop damage, to compensation schemes and regulated hunting quotas.

One major approach is community-based natural resource management, which seeks to give communities a greater stake in managing and benefitting from the natural resources around them.

This challenged some of the students’ assumption that communities living close to Botswana’s wildlife would naturally want to protect it. What they encountered was far more complex — living alongside wildlife can bring costs as well as benefits, particularly when animals threaten crops, livestock or livelihoods. Conservation therefore depends not simply on an appreciation for wildlife, but also on finding ways for communities and conservation goals to coexist.

Bringing the lessons home

By the end of the journey, Botswana had given the students more questions to consider than simple answers.

For one, the students’ experiences abroad prompted them to look closer to home. While Singapore and Botswana face very different environmental circumstances, the underlying question remained similar: how can societies protect nature while taking into account the people and communities that live alongside it?

Significantly, such exchanges were made possible by a partnership that CAPT has built and sustained in Botswana for close to a decade.

Dr Toh Tai Chong, Director of Residential Life at CAPT and co-lead of its STEER programme, said: “In 2027, CAPT will mark 10 years of partnership with communities and organisations in Botswana. Their generous support over the years has enabled our students to see issues from different perspectives, deepen their understanding of Botswana, and forge lasting friendships and connections across our communities.”

But perhaps the most enduring lesson from Botswana was this: learning to see conservation not as an isolated environmental issue, but something shaped by people’s livelihoods, cultures, economic realities and relationships with the land.

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 Straits Times, 16 September 2026, Opinion, pB3

Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) on 14 September 2026, the study was led by Associate Professor L. Roman Carrasco from the Department of Biological Sciences, and conducted in partnership with Research Fellow Ms Yingtong Zhu, and Professor Johan Sulaeman from the NUS Sustainable and Green Finance Institute. The team investigated whether major ESG rating systems reflect companies’ actual deforestation exposure.

Many investors today seek to direct their money towards companies that are responsible stewards of the environment and society. Companies are therefore given ESG ratings, which are meant to indicate whether a business is environmentally and socially responsible. These ratings increasingly influence investment decisions worldwide, but it remains unclear whether they accurately capture one of the biggest environmental impacts of businesses: deforestation.

A multi-source approach to measuring deforestation exposure

The researchers combined satellite-derived forest loss maps, company asset locations, forest-risk commodity supply-chain information, media coverage, and commercial ESG and financial characterises databases to examine the relationship between corporate deforestation and ESG scores. In total, they examined 18 overall ESG scores and 12 deforestation-related sub-scores from five major international providers alongside two independent measures of company-level deforestation.

The analyses included forest loss surrounding the assets of 13,841 companies worldwide between 2013 and 2024 and deforestation exposure of 210 companies through global supply chains for deforestation-risk commodities such as palm oil, soy, beef, pork, chicken and wood products between 2013 and 2020. The team also assessed whether deforestation-related media coverage, rather than actual deforestation, influenced ESG scores.

Ratings track public image, not forest loss

The study found no evidence that ESG ratings consistently capture companies’ actual exposure to deforestation. Instead, ESG scores responded more strongly to media attention related to deforestation, whether positive coverage of companies’ management actions, or negative coverage of deforestation scandals.

The researchers also found that companies involved in palm oil production were more likely to receive lower ESG scores for deforestation than companies associated with soy, pork, or chicken supply chains, suggesting potential commodity biases.

“This is the first study to evaluate multiple commercial ESG rating systems against independently measured corporate deforestation at the global scale. There is a need for ESG providers to integrate objective, spatially explicit deforestation information derived from satellite observations into future assessments, allowing investors to better contribute to reducing deforestation,” said Ms Zhu.

“Our study does not imply that ESG ratings are not useful as a tool to move capital away from companies behind deforestation. In fact, ESG ratings have high potential given their wide coverage of companies. The main problem is that ESG analyses do not incorporate geospatial data. If these data were to be included, ESG investing could be a gamechanger in halting deforestation globally,” added Assoc Prof Carrasco.

ENSULIB recognised NUS Libraries as “a regional representative example of Singapore's long-term commitment to embedding environmental responsibility, social inclusion, cultural preservation and innovation into library strategy and practice”.

“Receiving this Special Recognition from IFLA ENSULIB is a meaningful affirmation of NUS Libraries' dedication to making sustainability a core part of everything we do — from the spaces we design to the programmes we run and the digital tools we develop,” said University Librarian, Associate Professor Natalie Pang.

“This recognition reflects the collective effort of our team and reinforces our belief that libraries have a vital role to play in shaping a more sustainable future.”

A holistic approach to sustainable libraries

NUS Libraries’ winning submission, Building Sustainable Libraries at NUS, outlines its systematic approach through its four Sustainability Pillars — Green Resources, Green Programming, Green Libraries, and Green Digital and Innovation — embedded across its operations, collections, programming and digital initiatives.

The approach, which is aligned with the Singapore Green Plan 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, demonstrates how environmental and social responsibility can be woven into a library’s work, rather than treated as a separate initiative. Such was the case in the recently renovated Medicine + Science Library, which integrates sustainability and functionality in its design.

“We hope that our approach can inspire other libraries, particularly in the region, to explore how they too can integrate sustainability holistically into their work and contribute meaningfully to national and global sustainability goals,” said Vice University Librarian Dr Magdeline Ng.

Watch a video about NUS Libraries’ sustainability efforts here, and visit this page for more information about its sustainability initiatives.

• The Straits Times, 10 September 2026, Opinion, p17
• Lianhe Zaobao, 9 September 2026, Opinion, p12

• The Business Times, 5 September 2026, p29

The study, led by Associate Professor Duong Hai Minh from the Department of Mechanical Engineering under College of Design and Engineering at NUS, was published in the scientific journal Waste Management on 29 June 2026.

A growing recycling challenge

Carbon fibre and epoxy composites are widely used in aerospace, wind energy, automotive and marine applications because they are light, strong and resistant to corrosion. However, the epoxy component is a thermoset polymer that, once cured, cannot be melted down and reshaped like some plastics, making these composites difficult to recycle.

Most existing recycling methods focus on recovering the carbon fibres. The epoxy resins are usually destroyed, discarded or treated as a lower-value by-product. Additionally, some methods require high temperatures, strong chemicals or large amounts of energy.

Assoc Prof Duong’s team took a different approach by using both the carbon fibre and epoxy components of the waste. The researchers mechanically processed the composite into a mixture of fine powder and short fibre fragments, combined it with carboxymethyl cellulose, a cellulose-based binder, and freeze-dried the mixture to form an aerogel.

During the freeze-drying process, the processed composite waste forms a light, sponge-like structure filled with tiny, connected pores. Much of this structure is air, which helps slow the movement of heat through the material. In laboratory tests, the aerogels showed low thermal conductivity, suggesting that they could be used as lightweight insulation materials.

“Our goal was to show that carbon fibre composite waste does not have to be treated only as a disposal problem,” said Assoc Prof Duong. “By using the whole material, including both the fibre and epoxy fractions, we can turn this waste stream into functional materials with higher value.”

From waste to useful material

Beyond thermal insulation, the aerogels also absorbed sound effectively, pointing to their potential use in sound-control materials.

The team also explored their use in environmental clean-up. After being treated to repel water, the aerogels were able to absorb large amounts of oil, suggesting that they could be useful for oil spill clean-up and oil-water separation.

Tests with fibroblast cells also found that the aerogels were non-toxic under the study conditions, supporting further investigation into potential applications involving humans or the environment.

The team is now exploring collaborations with partners in the aerospace, advanced materials, manufacturing and waste management sectors. Future work will focus on scaling up the technology and assessing its environmental and economic performance for industrial use.

“Advanced composites have enabled lighter and more efficient structures in many industries,” said Assoc Prof Duong. “The next step is to ensure that these materials can be managed sustainably at the end of their service life.”

The programme is designed to build an integrated R&D platform for sustainable specialty polymers, using lignocellulosic biomass, which refers to renewable plant dry matter typically produced as a waste by-product from agriculture and forestry, as an alternative raw material to petrochemicals. Southeast Asia produces an estimated 500 million tonnes of agricultural and forestry residues annually which could be a reliable and sustainable source of lignocellulosic biomass. The programme will focus on developing drop-in monomers for specialty polymers used in adhesives, specialty coatings and electronics.

The Energy and Chemicals sector is a critical part of Singapore’s economy, contributing 18.5 per cent of total manufacturing output. As the sector responds to the global sustainability transition, companies are increasingly exploring more sustainable product pathways while remaining competitive. SG Bio-SPRINT aims to expand the range of carbon sources available to Singapore’s specialty chemicals sector by helping shift production away from fossil-based inputs and toward more sustainable pathways. In doing so, the programme supports industry’s transition toward a circular bioeconomy while meeting growing market demand for greener products.

At the same time, specialty chemicals, including specialty polymers, remain a key growth area, with multinational companies continuing to invest in research, development, and production in Singapore. SG Bio-SPRINT will strengthen this momentum by providing targeted scientific support that complements industry R&D and unlocks new opportunities in sustainable materials.

“The NUS Department of Chemistry is proud to lead this programme, which brings together complementary expertise from NUS and A*STAR to develop high-performance, sustainable polymers from biomass feedstocks while assessing their commercial potential. The team offers deep experience and a strong track record in catalysis, green chemistry, polymer science, and materials engineering. Through three synergistic workgroups, we look forward to harnessing the team’s collective strengths and discoveries to help advance the circular bioeconomy.,” said Professor Lu Yixin, Lead Principal Investigator from the NUS Department of Chemistry.

“Ultimately, we hope that SG Bio-SPRINT will reinforce Singapore’s position as a regional hub for specialty polymers R&D and production while contributing meaningfully to the country’s broader net-zero ambitions,” added Professor Koh Ming Joo, co-Lead Principal Investigator from the NUS Department of Chemistry.

Addressing current industry challenges

Although bio-based alternatives are attracting growing interest, major gaps remain before they can be widely adopted in specialty polymer production. One challenge is that methods to convert lignocellulosic biomass into useful products are not fully developed, which limits the range of monomers and polymers that can be produced. Cost-effectiveness and scalability are also challenges, especially when moving from laboratory synthesis to commercial production.

SG Bio-SPRINT is designed to tackle these issues directly. The project focuses on creating industry-relevant drop-in monomers, which are molecules that share identical chemical structures as their fossil-fuel derived equivalents, that can be integrated into existing polymer production lines, rather than relying only on entirely new biomass-derived products. This approach should make adoption easier for manufacturers and help align chemistry design, performance requirements and supply chains.

The programme also responds to a broader global shift. Across government, research, and industry, there is growing urgency around defossilisation in the chemicals sector. While many current efforts focus on biofuels or commodity chemicals, SG Bio-SPRINT targets a more demanding area: specialty polymer applications, where materials must be carefully designed for performance and commercial use.

Developing new sustainable and high-performance polymers

SG Bio-SPRINT is structured around three closely connected workgroups comprising researchers from NUS and A*STAR.

Workgroup 1: Developing biomass-to-monomer pathways

The first workgroup will focus on converting lignocellulosic biomass into promising drop-in monomer candidates. This includes developing chemical routes, improving catalyst performance, and identifying pathways that can produce useful building blocks for specialty polymers.

Its goal is to create monomers that can be used in existing production systems, helping industry adopt greener feedstocks without needing completely new manufacturing infrastructure.

Workgroup 2: Validating performance for real applications

The second workgroup will test whether the new bio-based monomers can perform as well as conventional fossil-based materials. The team will examine purity, reactivity, and post-polymerisation properties, and compare them against industry incumbents.

The validation will focus on three application areas: adhesives, specialty coatings, and electronics. These are high-value sectors where performance is critical, so the workgroup’s findings will help determine whether the new materials are ready for real-world use.

Workgroup 3: Digital, economic, and sustainability support

The third workgroup will use artificial intelligence, molecular modelling, techno-economic analysis, and life cycle assessment to support the rest of the programme. Its role is to evaluate technical feasibility, cost, and sustainability together, helping the team prioritise the most promising routes.

This workgroup will also build a unified data framework that connects current research literature, experimental results and modelling insights. By doing so, the workgroup will help the project make better decisions earlier and accelerate the path from discovery to deployment.

Next steps

SG Bio-SPRINT’s immediate research goals include developing candidate monomers, validating them in application-relevant settings and building a data framework to identify potential polymers to focus on. The programme will also work closely with industry and innovation partners to support translation, intellectual property and future collaboration. Through the programme, the team aims to build foundational expertise and boost confidence in expanding sustainable chemical transition research to cover more applications in the chemical sector.

Earlier this year, 17 students from the Global Studies Programme at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) had the opportunity to embark on a 10-day field immersion trip to Ecuador to experience the country's environmental landscapes, Indigenous communities, political institutions and social dynamics as part of the NUS Study Trips for Engagement and EnRichment (STEER) initiative.

More than an opportunity to explore one of the world’s most biodiverse countries, the programme was a rare chance to see familiar issues through unfamiliar perspectives. Through shared experiences, such as trekking through forests and engaging with local communities, students examined Ecuador through different academic lenses and returned with insights that extended far beyond their individual disciplines.

Three students — Chloe Ribbon Chan, Kelyn Chan and Samuel Loh — share their reflections on how one journey inspired different ways of seeing and understanding the world, as well as fostered a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of environmental, political, social and cultural issues.

One journey, many lessons

For anyone passionate about biodiversity and conservation, a trip to the Galapagos islands, a volcanic archipelago in Ecuador, can be considered a pilgrimage. Indeed, for Samuel, a third-year Environmental Studies undergraduate at the Faculty of Science, this was a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

“I was in awe of the sheer biodiversity that roamed free and frequently lived amongst urban areas, providing the group with a unique lived experience quite unlike anywhere else on earth,” he said.

For example, students learnt how the unique geography of Ecuador's cloud forests and alpine tundra directly influenced water and resource management in the capital of Quito and other parts of Ecuador. They even had the opportunity to dive amongst shoals of critically endangered Scalloped Hammerheads and witness Blue-footed Boobies and Frigatebirds soaring high above during a visit to Kicker Rock.

“We also got our hands dirty by participating in various habitat restoration initiatives to strengthen ecological corridors that facilitate the movement of flora and fauna across increasingly fragmented habitats, connecting Ecuador with other biodiversity hotspots in Latin America,” said Samuel.

While Ecuador's extraordinary biodiversity left a lasting impression on many students, others found themselves equally captivated by the people and cultures that shaped the country's relationship with its rich natural world.

For Chloe, a final-year Sociology and Political Science major who is also pursuing a Minor in Religious Studies, one of the most fulfilling parts of the Ecuador trip was realising how much she could learn from people outside her own discipline.

“I was especially fascinated by the Indigenous communities we learned about. What struck me most was how many of them spoke about their natural surroundings as something to live alongside, rather than manage or control. They had a deep sense respect for the environment. It made me realise how culture and belief matter in sustainability matters, as much as policy does,” she said.

Looking beyond culture and community, the programme also provided a window into the institutions and policies that shape everyday life in Ecuador.

“Coming on the trip, I was particularly interested in understanding how Ecuador navigates challenges in development, environmental governance, and social inequality,” added Kelyn, also a final-year Political Science major.

Throughout the programme, she gained valuable insights into how political decisions shape national priorities and directly affect local communities. Students also connected with their counterparts from Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), whose local perspectives and lived experiences offered a deeper understanding of Ecuador beyond what they could learn in the classroom.

"Speaking with students and community leaders helped me appreciate that many of the challenges Ecuador faces are complex and interconnected. It reinforced the importance of understanding different perspectives when thinking about governance and public policy," Kelyn said.

Experiencing Ecuador’s natural environment firsthand through hikes in Quito and snorkelling in the Galapagos further amplified this experience and underscored how challenges regarding sustainability, conservation and climate change transcend national borders, including for Singapore.

Kelyn said, “Ultimately, the Ecuador STEER programme reminded me that the study of politics is not confined to textbooks or lecture halls. Rather, it is rooted in lived experiences and sustained engagement with communities on the ground.”

Reflecting on the trip, the students agreed that Ecuador was not just a destination, but a chance to see familiar issues through unfamiliar perspectives. No matter their field of study, they all came home having learnt something they had not expected.

The Ecuador STEER programme exemplifies the value of interdisciplinary and experiential learning within FASS through opportunities for students to engage directly with communities, environments and institutions, while applying classroom learning in real-world contexts.

This is a story contribution by the office of the Global Studies Programme at the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

These projects are among six research efforts awarded grants by the National Parks Board (NParks) under the Biosurveillance Research Programme, a S$15 million initiative under Singapore's Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan. Developed in partnership with agencies under Singapore’s One Health framework which recognises that human, animal and environmental health are closely connected, the programme brings together multidisciplinary research teams to advance understanding of zoonotic diseases and their drivers in Singapore, and develop evidence-based strategies for mitigating future disease risks.

The projects led by NUS and Duke-NUS focus on understanding how diseases move between wildlife and domestic animals, the environment and people in Singapore's urban landscape.

Tracking disease risks from urban birds

Professor Karina Gin from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the College of Design and Engineering will lead a project on pathogen risks from urban birds, including pigeons and crows. The team will use environmental sampling and modelling to understand what pathogens these birds may carry, and how these could reach human populations.

Prof Gin said, “In densely populated environments like Singapore, we share our space with a surprising amount of wildlife. While this can be a positive aspect of urban living, it also presents public health considerations worth examining.”

“This study is vital because it moves beyond simply acknowledging the presence of urban birds to actively identifying the specific pathogens they carry and how those pathogens might reach the human population. Our work supports the 'One Health' approach, which is relevant to understand the public health dynamics of a dense urban environment,” she added.

Mapping tick-borne pathogens across Singapore

In another project, Assistant Professor Benoit Malleret from the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine will lead a team to create a Singapore Integrated Network for Genomic and Epidemiological Tick-borne Pathogen Investigation and Connectivity (SINGETIC). The project studies ticks found across Singapore and the diseases they may spread from animals to people. The team will use modern laboratory testing to create mapping and forecasting tools to identify possible risk areas, highlight spillover hotspots and explain how infections spread.

“Ticks are part of Singapore’s natural environment, and understanding what they carry is essential for protecting both people and animals. As a ‘One Health’ effort, we are combining field sampling with advanced lab testing to strengthen early detection of tick-borne pathogens. ,” said Asst Prof Malleret.

Understanding disease transmission in wildlife

Associate Professor Kimberly Fornace from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health will lead a project integrating spatial, ecological and biological data to improve surveillance for zoonotic pathogens in mammalian wildlife. The study will focus on understanding and predicting potential disease transmission from wildlife, such as macaques and bats, to humans.

“Understanding diseases in wildlife is essential for maintaining healthy ecosystems and safeguarding human and animal populations. By monitoring wildlife health, we can better understand and respond to infectious diseases and protect biodiversity in our shared environments,” said Assoc Prof Fornace.

Companion animals and zoonotic disease

A team led by Professor Gavin Smith from Duke-NUS Medical School will examine the risk of zoonotic disease transmission between domestic cats and dogs and humans. The team will study a range of settings, including veterinary clinics and pet establishments, to better understand how pathogens may spread between animals and people and identify ways to reduce spillover risks.

“Diseases that can spread between pets and people are an ongoing area of research,” said Prof Smith. “This study will examine how key infections spread among cats and dogs, and whether they can be passed to their owners and caretakers. The findings will support stronger disease monitoring and help guide public health measures to better manage potential zoonoses in pets in urban communities.”

Bird flu surveillance

A project led by Assistant Professor Yvonne Su from Duke-NUS Medical School will assess the risk of avian influenza A viruses in Singapore's wild and domestic bird populations. By combining studies of bird flu viruses with data on bird ecology and movement, the team aims to better understand how these viruses circulate and spread, supporting future surveillance and preparedness efforts.

Assoc Prof Su said, “Avian influenza is a growing global health and biosecurity concern, particularly as H5N1 viruses continue to spread across continents and infect an expanding range of animal species. As a key stopover for migratory birds, Singapore plays an important role in monitoring these evolving risks.”

Turning to the study’s approach, she said, “This pioneering study in Singapore will utilise advanced phylodynamic and modelling approaches to track virus strains, providing critical insights into how avian influenza viruses may be introduced and circulate within local wild bird populations. The findings will strengthen Singapore’s capacity for early detection, surveillance and rapid response to emerging zoonotic threats.”

By studying how pathogens move through urban ecosystems, the research teams aim to strengthen Singapore’s ability to detect emerging risks early and develop evidence-based strategies to protect public health.

Themed "Ripples Across Time", the 68th edition of NUSSU RAG & Flag Day saw participants raise more than S$330,000 for over 300 critical programmes and projects supported by Community Chest, benefitting over 94,000 social service users annually. All proceeds go directly towards empowering communities in need through the Community Chest.

Building connections beyond the classroom

In the weeks leading up to NUSSU RAG & Flag Day, NUS freshmen and students visited beneficiaries from 16 social service agencies across Singapore. Through these interactions, they gained first-hand insights into the challenges faced by children with special needs, at-risk youths, persons with disabilities or mental health conditions, and seniors, all while forging friendships with those they sought to support.

Fundraising with purpose

Since 1958, NUSSU RAG & Flag Day has been one of NUS' largest and longest-running student traditions, bringing generations of students together through service, creativity and community spirit.

This year, the fundraising efforts began a month early with an off-campus NUSSU Flag Carnival, a two-day event held on 3 and 4 July at TripleOne Somerset. Featuring 17 flea market-style booths, the carnival allowed participating groups to raise funds for their chosen social service agencies while engaging the public on the causes they support through games, merchandise and interactive activities.

This was followed by two Flag Days on 25 July and 1 August, when close to 2,400 NUS students fanned out across Singapore to collect donations for their chosen beneficiaries.

Over the past 17 years alone, NUS students have raised a cumulative total of almost S$5.2 million through NUSSU RAG & Flag Day.

Celebrating service through creativity

Beyond giving back to society, RAG Day serves as a heartfelt expression of gratitude to donors and the wider public for their generosity.

This year's RAG Day brought the spirit of service, creativity and community to life through 14 performances featuring sustainable handmade costumes, imaginative props and mobile displays. Created by more than 2,000 students over months of planning and collaboration, the performances signalled a vibrant, visual "thank you" to the community.

For many participants, the performances represented far more than artistic expression.

For Andrew Chew, a Year 3 Pharmacy student, his journey with the NUS Pharmaceutical Society (NUSPS) RAG & Flag started three years ago as a freshman "floatee" pushing displays on stage. Today, as Vice President (Special Projects), he continues to shape NUSPS RAG’s float and performance, passing down the vibrant tradition to new students.

"While I am no longer directly involved in planning performances like I did in previous years, it is incredibly heartwarming to see my successors step up. They have given their all to a performance that beautifully weaves together this year's theme "Ripples Across Time", our beneficiary, Life Community Services Society, and our core commitment to sustainability. We take immense pride in our zero-waste efforts—whether it is salvaging cardboard tubes from Chinatown textile shops, manually untying zip ties to reuse them, or building the float’s skeletal structure with old metal L-bars. While it is important to put on a grand and engaging performance and invite donations, we strive to do it in a way that is environmentally responsible," he shared.

Rhea Sharma, a freshman participating as a dancer for the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences RAG, added: "It is all about trying our best together as a group. Performing alongside my newfound friends makes me want to give a thousand per cent. Our combined energy pushes me to do more than I ever could alone—they are all gold in my heart!"

Guest-of-Honour Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for Education and Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration, officially launched the celebrations at NUS University Town. He was joined by NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye and 47th NUSSU President Stephen Chen Zhi Peng.

In his opening address, Professor Aaron Thean, NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost, said, “This year’s theme, “Ripples Across Time”, is a thoughtful reminder that the impact of kindness transcends generations and is built over time. Every hour that is volunteered and every dollar raised creates a ripple that becomes a powerful wave of change for those in need.” He added that these experiences, will help NUS students learn beyond textbooks. He also encouraged them to continue to pursue their passions and purpose, and build friendships that will last a lifetime.

Mr Stephen Chen added, “NUSSU RAG & Flag: Ripples Across Time is all about taking collective action, no matter how small, as a community of people in support of one another. We are deeply grateful to the freshmen and participating bodies who have contributed their time and energy so generously, to all our partners, both internal and external, for their close collaboration and expertise, and certainly for members of the public for their unwavering support throughout the years! With continued support like this, NUSSU RAG & Flag will always remain a cornerstone of the NUS experience and identity."

Recognising collective contributions to campus sustainability

The RAG Zero Waste Award was introduced last year by University Campus Infrastructure to encourage Participating Bodies (PBs) to minimise their environmental impact through the way they design and build their floats. Supported by NUS SAVE, the PBs sourced cardboard and other discarded materials from across campus, adopting circular practices to give these items a second life.

This year, the Zero Waste Best Effort Award was awarded to NUS Pharmaceutical Society for the second consecutive year. They were the first PB to source all their cardboard from a campus bin centre, an effort that inspired most PBs to follow suit this year. The team continued to demonstrate circularity and frugality by carefully storing reusable materials and building components, including wheels, hinges, metal bars and paint, for future builds.

In addition, two PBs received the Zero Waste Effort Award. KRaSHeares sourced discarded materials from nearby renovation works and creatively incorporated them into its float, giving overlooked materials a valuable second life. Raffles Hall carefully retained leftover materials from the previous year’s RAG and repurposed them in this year’s build, extending their useful lifespan across successive events.

Collectively, these efforts demonstrate how thoughtful sourcing, material stewardship and creative repurposing can reduce event waste and promote a culture of sustainability on campus.

Beyond the main stage, visitors enjoyed the lively Flag Carnival, featuring games, food and handicraft booths run by NUS faculty clubs and residential communities, alongside live acts by NUS student groups.

As NUSSU RAG & Flag Day came to a close, participants left with more than memories of performances and fundraising milestones. They took with them new friendships, a deeper appreciation of the communities they had served and a shared belief that every act of kindness, no matter how small, can create ripples of positive change.

Highlights from RAG & Flag 2026

Overall RAG & Flag winner:

• Faculty of Dentistry

Zero Waste Best Effort Award

• NUS Pharmaceutical Society

Zero Waste Effort Award

• KRaSHeares
• Raffles Hall

Best Beneficiary Engagement award

• Tembusu College

Most Improved Flag Award:

• Eusoff Hall

RAG Gold:

• Faculty of Dentistry
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Science
• School of Computing
• Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

RAG Silver:

• King Edward VII Hall X Pioneer House
• KRaSHeares
• Raffles Hall
• School of Business
• Temasek Hall

RAG Bronze:

• College of Design and Engineering
• Eusoff Hall
• Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
• NUS Pharmaceutical Society

Flag Gold

• Business School
• Faculty of Dentistry
• Faculty of Law
• Residential College 4
• Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Flag Silver

• Acacia College
• Faculty of Science
• King Edwards VII Hall
• NUS Pharmaceutical Society
• School of Computing
• Sheares Hall
• Tembusu College

Flag Bronze

• College of Alice and Peter Tan
• College of Design & Engineering
• Eusoff Hall
• Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences
• Helix House
• Kent Ridge Hall
• Light House
• Pioneer House
• Raffles Hall
• Ridge View Residential College
• Temasek Hall
• Valour House

See event press release here.

• The Business Times, 4 August 2026, p16

• CNA Online, 3 August 2026

• The Straits Times, 30 July 2026, Opinion, pB3

The reactor uses a thin metal filament, similar to the wire found inside an incandescent lightbulb. When electricity passes through the filament, it heats up to extremely high temperatures, providing the energy needed to drive chemical reactions quickly and efficiently.

Led by Professor Yan Ning, Director of the NUS Centre for Hydrogen and Carbon Innovations (CHCI) and faculty member in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering under College of Design and Engineering at NUS, the research team demonstrated the reactor in three applications: producing hydrogen from ammonia, recycling plastic waste, and converting methane into useful chemicals.

Inspired by a household lightbulb

Many industrial chemical processes require very high temperatures to operate. These temperatures are typically generated by burning fuels, which consumes large amounts of energy and produces carbon emissions.

The NUS team's reactor offers a different approach. Instead of heating an entire reactor, it concentrates heat in a thin metal filament. This allows temperatures of more than 1,200°C to be reached rapidly while keeping the surrounding area much cooler.

Because only a small part of the reactor needs to be heated, the system can perform chemical reactions efficiently while remaining compact. It can also run on electricity, making it compatible with renewable energy sources.

Producing hydrogen from ammonia

The researchers first applied the reactor to ammonia decomposition, a process that breaks ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen.

Ammonia is increasingly being explored as a way to transport hydrogen because it is easier to store and ship. However, converting ammonia back into hydrogen efficiently remains a challenge.

Using the lightbulb-inspired reactor, the team achieved near-complete conversion of ammonia into hydrogen. The reactor is also significantly smaller than conventional systems designed to process the same amount of ammonia.

The researchers are now working with an industry partner to explore how the technology could be used in future ammonia-based energy systems.

The results of this study were published in Nature Chemical Engineering in October 2025.

Recycling plastic waste

The team also used the reactor to recycle common plastics such as polyethylene and polypropylene, which are widely used in packaging and consumer products.

Many existing recycling methods produce a mixture of different chemicals, making it difficult to recover materials for reuse. The NUS reactor was able to break these plastics down into simpler chemical building blocks that can be used to make new plastics.

This approach could help support a more circular plastics economy and reduce the amount of plastic waste sent to landfills or incinerators.

This work was reported in Nature Communications in November 2025.

Converting methane into valuable chemicals

In a third study, the researchers applied the reactor to methane, the main component of natural gas.

Methane is an abundant resource but converting it into useful products efficiently remains difficult. Using different temperature zones within the reactor, the team was able to convert methane into valuable chemicals used in manufacturing, while also producing hydrogen.

The design helps improve both the efficiency of the process and the quality of the products produced.

The team published their findings in Nature Sustainability in April 2026.

A platform for future technologies

While the three studies focused on different challenges, they demonstrate the versatility of a single reactor platform.

The researchers are now exploring additional applications and ways to scale up the technology for industrial use.

“Our goal is to develop practical technologies that can support the transition to a low-carbon future,” said Prof Yan. “These studies show how a simple idea inspired by a familiar household object can be adapted to address different challenges in the chemical industry.”

This interconnected approach, which she calls “roots to reefs”, recognises that ecosystems do not exist in isolation. What happens upstream in forests, rivers and coastal habitats can shape the health and resilience of mangroves and coral reefs downstream. This holistic vision has become the foundation of her research and teaching at NUS.

Her work spans mangrove restoration at Pulau Ubin to leading expeditions across Southeast Asia, where she uses drones and 3D mapping technologies to create detailed digital models of coastal ecosystems. She also produces immersive 360-degree conservation films — one of them, entitled Roots to Reefs 360, clinched the Bronze accolade at the 2023 QS Reimagine Education Awards.

As we observe World Mangrove Day on 26 July, Dr Coffman discusses Singapore’s mangrove story, why these forests matter for our climate future and what gives her hope in the next generation of mangrove champions.

World Mangrove Day puts a spotlight on mangrove ecosystems globally. What’s the current state of Singapore's mangroves?

Around 13 per cent of our coastline was originally fringed by mangroves, but today less than 1 per cent of Singapore’s land area remains as mangrove habitat. Against a backdrop of continued mangrove loss across Southeast Asia, Singapore has become a regional leader in mangrove conservation through projects such as Sungei Buloh Nature Park Network and Sungei Durian in Pulau Ubin.

Singapore’s mangroves also remain rich in biodiversity. We have 35 species of true mangroves – almost as many as Indonesia, the global leader with about 48 species. Singapore’s mangrove flora is exceptionally diverse for a highly urbanised nation.

Every year, I begin my Aquatic, Riparian and Coastal Systems course at the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve because it tells one of Singapore’s greatest conservation stories. In the 1980s, the Nature Society Singapore recognised the site was internationally important for migratory shorebirds. Their advocacy helped protect it, making it Singapore’s first ASEAN Heritage Park. It is a powerful reminder to students that conservation succeeds when passionate people speak up and scientists, communities, policymakers and citizens work together.

What excites me most is that Singapore is no longer conserving isolated patches but restoring connected coastal ecosystems, reflecting the “roots to reefs” approach that underpins my research and teaching. The healthier these ecological connections become, the more resilient our wildlife, coastlines and communities will be.

Mangroves have been described as “climate infrastructure”. Can you explain what that means?

The word “infrastructure” brings to mind bridges, roads or seawalls. Mangroves perform many of those same functions naturally, which is why scientists call them natural climate infrastructure.

Mangroves are among the planet’s most efficient ecosystems for capturing and storing carbon, particularly in their deep waterlogged soils. Over hundreds of years, this builds up like an underground carbon bank.

But carbon is only part of the story. Mangroves reduce wave energy, buffer storm surges, stabilise shorelines, filter pollutants and provide nursery habitat for fisheries. A seawall protects a coastline, but a mangrove forest does this while storing carbon, supporting biodiversity and improving water quality.

As sea levels rise, our future resilience will depend on combining engineering with healthy ecosystems through nature-based climate solutions.

You bring NUS students into mangrove ecosystems for field learning. What do students discover that they cannot learn in a classroom?

One of my favourite moments happened during a field research trip in a mangrove forest in Lombok. After collecting data, I asked students to sit quietly on the mangrove roots, close their eyes and listen. They described hearing birds calling, crabs clicking beneath the mud and how surprisingly cool the forest felt.

It was a simple exercise but it changed how they saw mangroves — not just as muddy coastal forests but as a living, interconnected ecosystem.

While lectures provide the scientific foundation, students develop deeper understanding by seeing and doing. They learn to observe like scientists and understand how every species plays a role.

I also want students to see themselves as future conservation leaders. In my course, teams choose a degraded mangrove site and develop restoration proposals. Successful restoration requires understanding tides, sediments, biodiversity, communities and long-term management. The best strategies bring together ecologists, engineers, planners, policymakers and communities to design solutions beneficial for people and nature.

As an educator nurturing the next generation of conservation leaders, what gives you hope?

I see hope in the moment curiosity turns into connection. Students often arrive thinking mangroves are muddy, smelly places. By day’s end, they’re excitedly pointing out mudskippers and kingfishers, imagining how these places can be restored.

I see the same hope when working alongside communities across Southeast Asia as I meet people who care deeply about restoring coastal environments. Conservation succeeds when local communities lead, because they continue caring long after researchers leave.

People protect what they understand, and understanding often begins with experience. I hope that everyone experiences a mangrove forest at least once. Once you’ve experienced that magic, it’s hard not to want to protect it.

How can one experience the “Mangrove Magic” this World Mangrove Day?

Visit Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Chek Jawa Wetlands or Pasir Ris Mangrove Boardwalk. Pause, listen to the birds, watch the mudskippers and crabs and look out for the otters.

Consider joining a kayak tour at Pulau Ubin, or participate in mangrove planting and coastal clean-ups organised by NParks, the Nature Society Singapore and the International Coastal Cleanup Day in Singapore.

Once you spend time in a mangrove forest, you begin to see it differently.

World Mangrove Day is observed annually on 26 July to raise awareness of mangrove ecosystems and promote their sustainable management, conservation and restoration.

In this series, NUS News explores how NUS is accelerating sustainability research and education in response to climate change challenges, and harnessing the knowledge and creativity of our people to pave the way to a greener future for all.

Singapore is often considered safe from major natural disasters, but climate change is quietly changing that.

In fact, Singapore experiences around 200 days of thunderstorms each year. Over the past few decades, the Meteorological Service Singapore has observed a steady increase in both annual rainfall and intense downpours.

When rain falls faster than the ground can absorb it, saturation excess and infiltration excess can occur, causing the excess water to become surface runoff (also called overland flow).

In a low-lying city like Singapore, sudden and intense rainfall can quickly overwhelm the ground and drainage systems, resulting in flash floods. Understanding how rainfall generates runoff is therefore critical, particularly as hydrologists still do not fully understand these processes in tropical environments due to the limited field data. With climate change expected to intensify extreme rainfall events, improving flood prediction is increasingly important for safeguarding Singapore.

At the NUS College of Design and Engineering, Professor Simone Fatichi from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is working on the first-of-its-kind research in a tropical city, to track what happens from the moment rain hits the ground.

Using the campus as a living laboratory, Prof Fatichi and his team have been studying an 8.6 ha land area stretching behind NUS Central Library to NUS Business School in order to track what happens when it rains – how much water seeps into the soil, how much of it turns into runoff, and how it flows through the drainage system.

Using meteorological stations, soil moisture sensors, groundwater wells, and pressure transducers and cameras to measure water flow in drains, the team records data every five minutes to capture the rapid changes in infiltration, soil moisture and runoff caused by Singapore’s short but very intense rainfall.

After 22 months of research, the team found that saturated hydraulic conductivity – a measure of how easily water can move through soil – is generally very high in parks and forests, allowing water to be absorbed quickly. However, during major rainfall events, soils in many areas become nearly fully saturated, producing hydrological responses that are almost as intense and rapid as those from impervious areas.

To illustrate, imagine a lake just a few tens of centimetres below the ground, which leads to large volume of water released as flash floods. This effect can be mitigated by highly vegetated areas which deplete soil water storage by up to a few meters below the ground during dry periods, thereby buffering the runoff response during intense rainfall events.

“Generally, if we can make better predictions of the catchment response to these extreme rainfall events and convective storms, we can alert the public to avoid certain areas. We can even come up with models which allows simulation of floods all around Singapore ─ to pinpoint and forecast flood risk hotspots,” explained Prof Fatichi.

Staying one step ahead

This research goes beyond simply understanding rainfall-runoff response as it has the potential to transform how Singapore prepares for floods by improving its model capabilities.

With more accurate predictions, authorities can identify flood-prone areas earlier, enabling better planning and more targeted deployment of resources to mitigate impact. The public can also be alerted in advance, allowing them to take necessary precautions.

This is the second story in a two-part feature on NUS’ sustainability research on coastal protection and flood prediction. Read the first part here.

Farming data for the community

One of the first things that Agrolitik founders Jayden Tan, Tsui Yi Wern, and Yong Li An did when they moved into THE HANGAR, a launchpad for early-stage start-ups by NUS Enterprise, was to plant a small garden.

They were testing Agrolitik’s precision farming tool, which would help fix common problems that Southeast Asian farmers face — insufficient knowledge on soil conditions leading to wastage from over-fertilising and over-watering, and inconsistent soil quality.

Agrolitik supports smallholder farmers through automation. Through its efforts, the start-up advances four of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals: No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and Climate Action.

Once its sensor is stuck into the soil, Agrolitik’s mobile app gives farmers insights into soil moisture, temperature, pH and NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium) levels. Building the app took some work. Yi Wern, a Computer Science major from the School of Computing, created multiple iterations of the application for a smoother user experience. She also factored in the possibility that some farmers could not read, and simplified both the language and user flow of the application.

Being incubated at THE HANGAR proved a great help. Fellow start-up founders became their first testers, providing feedback on app functionality and identifying bugs and glitches. But more than that, the spirit of entrepreneurship drove them to continuously improve their product and business model.

“They are deeply aspirational in building everything from nothing. There's a mutual accountability that forms around us,” said Jayden, referring to fellow start-up founders at BLOCK71.

Since Agrolitik’s start in November 2024, the trio have rolled out their product in Indonesia, and now sees over 40 users in more than 10 farms using their sensors and app.

In a trip to Medan in 2025, organised by Jayden, a Data Science and Analytics major at the College of Humanities and Sciences, the team conducted a field validation, the first on a farm after many tests in the garden. The feedback from farmers was positive. Most of the equipment on their farms were analogue, and they were intrigued by how the smart equipment could tell them about soil conditions.

Agrolitik was selected for the highly competitive Climate Catalysts Programme, an initiative by the United Nations Development Programme and Microsoft to empower youth-led ventures. The programme advances scalable innovations in clean air, food security, renewable energy, circular economy, and water to foster resilient communities across the Asia-Pacific.

Agrolitik’s expansion plans to Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are on track. Following applications by Li An, a Computer Science major, to leading start-up programmes, Agrolitik has not only secured its spot at THE HANGAR but is now part of NUS Enterprise’s Venture Initiation Programme (Impact Track), which provides funding of up to S$10,000.

Solving pain points

For College of Design and Engineering student Leipakshi Gupta, pain kick-started her start-up journey. She had experienced back pain after sitting all day during her internship. Her doctor told her to “sit better and be more aware”. But the question was, how?

Together with co-founders Benecia Tang and NUS alumna Pragya Jha (Computing ‛25), she set out to build posture care start-up s’up in September 2025. Through wearable sensors attached with adhesive patches, the s’up’s app could provide actionable insights on spinal alignment throughout the day. These remind users about their posture while at the desk, whether they are hunched or twisting their spine while seated.

Leipakshi drew on her Electrical Engineering background to apply sensors for alignment tracking, while Benecia contributed market research experience from her Business Analytics modules in the School of Computing (SoC). She also applied her knowledge from launching a previous start-up and an NOC module on ideation.

But it was at the N-House residence that s’up really came together. There, they were kept accountable with N-house’s boot camp, which consisted of weekly check-ins with resident mentors and monthly pitch nights.

After presenting at Demo Day, where students showcase their start-ups and receive feedback, they refined their proposal for Pitch Night, which dangled a top funding prize of S$5,000.

Benecia and Leipakshi won second place and got a first taste of pitching s’up live. Building it from there was a learning journey in itself.

“In the beginning, I was very product-focused. I even thought of building a circuit myself,” said Leipakshi. But Benecia convinced her to get the prototype out fast.

“It's about getting validation before you have a very sophisticated, over-engineered product,” Leipakshi explained. Benecia talked to different stakeholders for ideas on how they could rapidly prototype “instead of wasting time on the nitty-gritty”.

They leaned on each other. Leipakshi was full of ideas, while Benecia was the voice of reason and kept them grounded. In 2026, they received the Venture Initiation Programme @ SoC grant, and will use the S$10,000 to move on to prototyping, user testing, product development, and manufacturing.

Currently they are working on automation to incorporate features like real-time form correction during workouts and reminders while users work. Its beta version was released in June 2026, with over 200 people on their waitlist who can provide feedback.

The founders are also speaking to physicians and doctors for insights. Their ultimate aim is to develop a medtech solution for those with chronic back pain. To kickstart this, s’up is working with the National University Hospital on a study timeline.

A nose for business

To launch her scent-based marketing business, Jocelyn Lim first had to keep her nose to the grindstone. Over a few months, she sent out over 80 personalised emails to pitch Scentura, a start-up she co-founded with fellow NUS Business School student Valerie Wong in August 2025.

Scentura aims to use food scents to help cold food businesses — which lack the natural, appetising smells of hot meals — strengthen brand identity and attract customers. Examples include caramel scents for pastry cafés and brownie scents for chocolate shops.

The idea first came to Valerie during her NOC programme in Shenzhen, where she found that many tea shops had distinct scents, creating memorable customer experiences. Jocelyn, who was attending an NOC programme in Toronto, found while working in a start-up there that it was invigorating — she wanted to be part of this culture where her impact was so visible.

When the pair met in N-House, Scentura took shape. They began preparing for Pitch Night with help from advisors and seniors. Fellow competitors chipped in too, helping with pitch practices where the pair showcased a coffee scent for a café. Fellow N-Housers even helped with brewing coffee to create the scent — a true display of camaraderie from N-House’s start-up community.

Valerie tapped the skills from her Business Analytics and Management & Organisation programme to prove that Scentura had a place in the market based on market analysis and data on the efficacy of scent marketing. Meanwhile, presenting and pitching came naturally to Jocelyn, who had often done both in her Marketing classes.

“Jocelyn speaks to the client — she’s like the heart of the business,” said Valerie. “And Valerie is the head,” Jocelyn added. “She's the logical side, thinking about and gathering data so our clients can trust us. That’s why I’m the heart; I get them excited!”

As part of the N-House experience, the pair could also consult resident mentors, attend founder talks for inspiration, and seek advice on problems they were facing. From these sessions, Jocelyn learnt that sales calls were not just pitches, but opportunities to refine Scentura to better suit clients’ needs.

The two have decided to go all in for the next few months after graduating. While they have moved out of N-House, they remain connected to its community through alumni events. They are now working on research and development for their first pilot with an ice cream shop.

This story is part of NUS News’ coverage of Commencement 2026, which celebrates the achievements of our graduates from the Class of 2026. For more on Commencement, read our stories and graduate profiles, check out the official Commencement website, or look up and tag #NUS2026 on our social media channels!

Anchored by the theme, “Innovative Environmental Solutions for Climate Resilience and Mitigation”, the NUS booth brought to life the University’s expertise with interactive research exhibits, digital posters, videos and technology-sharing sessions. Through these engaging displays, NUS reaffirmed its commitment to advancing impactful solutions for pressing environmental and water-related challenges.

Deepening international collaboration in water research, education, and innovation

A key highlight was the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding with Beijing Normal University’s College of Water Sciences and Nanjing Normal University, held at the NUS booth on 17 June 2026. This significant milestone is an important step in strengthening international collaboration in water-related research, education and innovation.

These partnerships will create new opportunities for joint research, academic exchange and knowledge sharing, while further reinforcing NERI’s commitment to advancing impactful environmental solutions for the future.

NERI and partners launch ceramic membrane demonstration plant

SIWW 2026 also marked the official commencement of operations of the Ceramic Membrane Demonstration Plant at Tuas Desalination Plant. The facility, a collaboration between NERI, national water agency PUB and Meiden Singapore Pte Ltd (MSL), will provide valuable insights into ceramic membrane performance under real operating conditions. It will also generate operational data to assess the potential of ceramic membrane technologies for seawater desalination.

To support informed decision-making and accelerate the deployment of more energy-efficient and resilient desalination systems, NERI hosted a workshop on “Ceramic Membranes for Pre-Treatment of Seawater Desalination” during SIWW 2026. Led by Professor Hu Jiangyong, Deputy Director of NERI, co-organised by Dr Tai Zhong Sheng from NERI, and co-hosted with Jonathan Clement, Global Director of JAC Water, the workshop brought together experts from academia and industry, including Mr Daniel Teo from PUB, Dr Hiroshi Noguchi from MSL and Dr Christian Volker Goebbert from Nanostone Water.

During the workshop, the speakers shared valuable insights on ceramic membrane technologies for seawater desalination, including operational challenges, achievements, demonstration projects and future developments. Discussions also explored the impact of algal blooms on desalination operations and the role of ceramic membrane pre-treatment in enhancing resilience under challenging feedwater conditions.

Public lecture and panel discussion on water safety

In conjunction with SIWW 2026, NERI and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering under NUS’ College of Design and Engineering (CDE) jointly hosted a public lecture by Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2026 Laureate Professor Joan B. Rose from Michigan State University on 18 June 2026 at NUS.

Prof Rose delivered an insightful public lecture titled, “Risky Business: The Art and Science of Safe Water” where she highlighted the continuing global challenge of water contamination, from long-standing threats such as cholera to emerging pathogens, and emphasised the importance of Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment in integrating science, engineering, management and policy to support better decision-making.

The lecture was followed by a panel discussion on water safety, public health, resilience and sustainability in the face of global change, chaired by Professor Karina Gin, Acting Head of the Department of Civil and Engineering at NUS CDE.

SIWW 2026 provided an exciting platform for NUS to build new collaborations, showcase its latest research, and demonstrate the impact of its work to a global audience. The University looks forward to building on these new partnerships and continuing to advance innovative solutions for a more sustainable future.

• CNA Online, 15 July 2026

In 2024, global average carbon dioxide emissions reached a new record high. As greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide envelope the earth and trap heat, global warming occurs – our planet is now heating up faster than any point in recorded history, fuelling climate change and its rippling consequences such as increased frequencies of natural disasters, rising sea levels, destruction of food supplies, health risks, among many others. Undoubtedly, it has become increasingly imperative to find decarbonisation solutions.

“Burning of fossil fuels to generate power is the biggest contributor of carbon dioxide emissions,” said Professor Yan Ning, Director of CHCI. “Projects at CHCI directly tackle this issue by researching on hydrogen, a promising alternative to fossil fuels, and developing innovative methods of carbon capture and transformation.”

When used to generate power, hydrogen produces only water as a by-product; no carbon dioxide is emitted. Prof Yan continued, “Our research on hydrogen production and utilisation plays a vital role in curbing carbon emissions. However, translating these scientific innovations into widespread market adoption requires expertise beyond the laboratory. This is where HyLoCC comes in, by filling the crucial gap between academic research and industry. HyLoCC ensures that cutting-edge hydrogen and carbon innovations in the lab can be more readily translated into a reality.”

Forging a decarbonisation powerhouse

HyLoCC aims to drive research commercialisation of decarbonisation solutions by building a robust ecosystem that connects research labs, start-ups, and companies to relevant stakeholders across the value chain to ensure end-to-end technology deployment.

Key activities and services of HyLoCC are as follows:

• Organise regular seminars featuring academic and industry speakers, targeted workshops, and networking sessions
• Facilitate collaborative research through personalised engagements between companies and CHCI researchers to solve specific problem statements
• Provide consortium members with access to CHCI’s integrated equipment and analysis platform to evaluate hydrogen and carbon utilisation technologies, including techno-economic analysis
• Develop talent and expertise through CHCI’s Continuing Education and Training courses and through collaborative postgraduate projects and undergraduate initiatives conducted with consortium members, research partners and companies

“HyLoCC is an avenue where leading experts from various hydrogen and low-carbon sectors can come together to brainstorm ideas and share dedicated resources and information to solve real-world problems,” said Prof Yan. “These synergistic collaborations would build up our arsenal of decarbonisation solutions to fight against global warming and climate change.”

The perspectives and insights of HyLoCC’s founding members will play a key role in shaping the strategic priorities of the consortium. For their remarks, please refer to the Annexe.

About CHCI

The Centre for Hydrogen and Carbon Innovations (CHCI) was formerly known as the Centre for Hydrogen Innovations, first established in July 2022 through an investment of S$25 million, comprising an endowed gift from Temasek along with additional funding from NUS. In July 2024, the Centre inaugurated its 600-sqm advanced research facility, which serves as an innovation hub to boost hydrogen research and its commercial application in Singapore.

The renaming of the Centre on 14 July 2026 at the Industry Day event reflects its broader mission to advance both hydrogen and carbon innovations. CHCI now aims to support Singapore’s transition to a low-carbon future by developing new technologies and fostering collaboration across academia, industry, and government. 

• Lianhe Zaobao, 13 July 2026, Opinion, p12

A research team led by Professor Yang Hyunsoo from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Design and Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed new spintronic computing hardware that offers a promising route towards faster and more energy-efficient optimisation. The team reported two recent advances in Nature Communications, demonstrating probabilistic computing systems based on magnetic tunnel junctions, nanoscale devices that can naturally generate tuneable randomness.

A practical path beyond conventional computing

Quantum computing has long been viewed as a potential breakthrough for optimisation, but practical quantum advantage remains difficult to achieve in the near term. The NUS team’s work shows that probabilistic computing, built using scalable spintronic hardware, could provide a more immediate and hardware-efficient path.

In the first study, the researchers demonstrated a parallel magnetic tunnel junction-based probabilistic Ising processor for solving quadratic assignment problems, a class of computationally demanding optimisation problems. The system integrates 144 compact spintronic tuneable random number generators in a massively parallel architecture. The processor achieved a 3.2-fold speedup with 58.3 per cent energy savings compared with a central processing unit (CPU) implementation.

Importantly, the team compared its system with state-of-the-art D-Wave quantum annealers. In the tested quadratic assignment problems, the spintronic probabilistic processor consistently produced feasible, high-quality solutions across the full dataset, while the quantum annealers struggled to return feasible solutions as the problem size increased. This comparison highlights the potential of spintronic probabilistic computing as a practical near-term alternative for real-world optimisation workloads.

“Quantum computing remains an exciting long-term direction, but many optimisation problems need practical solutions today,” said Prof Yang. “Our results show that spintronic probabilistic computing can deliver strong gains in speed, energy efficiency and solution quality using a hardware platform that is much closer to practical deployment.”

In the second study, the team demonstrated a larger probabilistic Ising machine based on 250 spin-transfer-torque magnetic tunnel junctions. The work showed that a cluster parallel update method could achieve a 10-fold acceleration for sparsely connected graphs without changing the hardware. The researchers also experimentally showed that simulated quantum annealing improved solution quality by 20 times compared to conventional simulated annealing, while increasing robustness to device variability.

“Instead of treating randomness as a source of error, we use it as a computing resource,” said Mr Yang Shuhan, PhD student in the College of Design and Engineering at NUS and the first author of both papers. “By combining stochastic magnetic devices with parallel architectures and advanced annealing algorithms, we can accelerate optimisation while reducing energy consumption.” Together, the two studies address key challenges in probabilistic computing: performance, scalability, energy efficiency and solution quality.

The research involved collaborators from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Politecnico di Bari, the University of Messina, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, and Peking University.

Potential applications and next steps

Looking ahead, the team aims to further scale up the hardware and explore chiplet-based architectures for large-scale probabilistic computing. Such systems could eventually support energy-efficient computing platforms for AI, logistics, scheduling, financial modelling, communications and electronic design automation. 

Largest-ever survey of flying insects in Singapore’s forests

One of the projects, a collaborative study between the Plant Ecology, Evolution, and Biogeography (PEEB) Lab at the NUS Department of Biological Sciences (DBS), NUS Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) and NParks, set out to establish the first comprehensive ecological baseline for Singapore’s insect communities for long-term monitoring efforts, and represents the largest-ever survey of insect diversity in Singapore’s forests. The study was a collaboration between Assistant Professor Lim Jun Ying and doctoral student Ms Angelica See from NUS DBS and the Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions (CNCS) at the NUS Faculty of Science, and Dr Hwang Wei Song, Senior Lecturer and Curator of Insects at LKCNHM.

Using Malaise traps to collect insects from the forest understorey and DNA metabarcoding to analyse the samples, the researchers recovered approximately 140,000 unique insect DNA sequences. Many of these likely represent species new to science, with flies and wasps accounting for the majority of the diversity detected. Although often overlooked because of their small size,insects form the foundation of healthy forest ecosystems. They serve as food sources for other animals, break down organic matter as decomposers and support plant reproduction as pollinators.

By providing an unprecedented snapshot of Singapore’s insect biodiversity, the study establishes a critical benchmark for detecting future changes in forest health and strengthens efforts to conserve the ecological integrity of the nation’s remaining forests.

Plant-frugivore interactions: Uncovering the ecological relationships that support tropical forest regeneration

Ms Fung Tze Kwan, a doctoral student at NUS DBS and CNCS, led a research team that collaborated with NParks to establish the first plant-frugivore interaction network for Singapore’s forests. This pioneering study investigated how fruit-eating animals and fruiting tree species contribute to forest regeneration, identifying functionally important seed dispersers, key food plants, and rare frugivorous bird species of conservation concern.

The 18-month field research study, which involved visual tree watch surveys and camera trapping, documented more than 1,075 plant-frugivore interactions, encompassing 21 tree species and 45 fauna species. Network analysis revealed that common fruit-eating animals play key roles in plant-frugivore interactions that underpin seed dispersal and natural regeneration in Singapore's forests. These findings highlight the intricate interdependencies between plants and animals that support biodiversity and forest resilience.

In the long run, the findings will inform the selection of tree species for planting under NParks’ Forest Restoration Action Plan and strengthen the formulation of targeted biodiversity conservation strategies for endangered and key frugivorous species. Beyond these applications, the study provides a valuable foundation for future research in Singapore and the region by establishing a baseline dataset, survey protocol, and local research capacity for studying plant–frugivore interactions.

This study was funded by the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, Singapore (HSBC), the Lady Yuen Peng McNeice Graduate Fellowship, and The Singapore Institute of Biology (SIBiol) Research Trust Fund.

Read more about the studies here.

• The Business Times, 23 June 2026, p16

Asst Prof He’s research applies climate science, data analytics and resilience frameworks to better understand and manage extreme weather events. By demonstrating how excess floodwater can be captured and stored for use during dry periods, his work is helping to shape practical solutions for more reliable water management.

“Winning the inaugural Global Climate Research Prize is beyond anything I could have imagined. I am deeply grateful to NUS, the College of Design and Engineering, and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering for providing the exceptional research environment and unwavering support that made this possible,” said Asst Prof He.

The €200,000 (S$297,000) prize will be awarded to NUS to support the continued development and expansion of the winning research programme. Asst Prof He said the prize money will be directed towards both fundamental and applied research, with a focus on building climate-resilient and climate-smart solutions for water, food and energy security across Southeast Asia and beyond.

See more

• The Business Times, 13 June 2026, p28

The launch comes as global demand for such bio-based alternatives accelerates. The bioeconomy is projected to contribute up to US$4 trillion annually within the next decade, driven by a broad shift away from petrochemical-based production^[1].

The new A*STAR SIFBI-NUS Synthetic Biology Joint Lab is established by the A*STAR Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (A*STAR SIFBI) and the NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (NUS SynCTI). It will support efforts to strengthen translation in emerging technologies and grow the bioeconomy.

The joint laboratory brings together A*STAR SIFBI's capabilities in bioprocess development and scale-up, and NUS' strengths in fundamental science, interdisciplinary research and talent development. Its initial focus will be on nutrition and consumer care, with broader applications spanning advanced materials and health. It will support companies in co-developing testing and validating sustainable, synthetic alternatives to conventional chemical manufacturing.

A*STAR Chief Executive Officer, Mr Beh Kian Teik, said, “For Singapore to capture opportunities in the bioeconomy, we need to move strong science closer to market. This joint lab is one way A*STAR and NUS are closing that gap, by working with industry to develop bio-based solutions that can be scaled into products, including for ingredients, chemicals and materials.”

Led by Professor Jay Keasling, a pioneer in synthetic biology, the joint lab will focus on three areas to accelerate industry translation:

• Faster design: AI-guided enzyme and pathway engineering to shorten development timelines

• Scalable production: Industrially deployable microbial platforms to produce complex molecules at scale

• New molecules: Access to novel bio-based compounds for ingredients and functional applications

Further details are provided in Annex A.

Strengthening Singapore’s Role in the Emerging Bioeconomy

The bioeconomy encompasses industries that use biological systems and biotechnology to produce chemicals, ingredients and materials. It is reshaping how goods are made at a fundamental level. The global market for bio-based chemicals alone is expected to exceed US$200 billion by 2030, while synthetic biology, a key enabling technology, is projected to grow to over US$60 billion in 2030^[2][3].

This shift is evident in the food and nutrition space where bio-based ingredients are opening up vast new catalogues of sustainable sources. This transition allows industry players to strengthen their supply chains by diversifying the source of their ingredients and embracing the latest technologies. For example, in the production of ingredients such as omega-3 lipids, companies are reducing reliance on imported marine sources. Advances in synthetic biology, combined with artificial intelligence (AI) and large-scale data analysis, are accelerating the discovery and production of complex molecules that were previously difficult to make at commercial scale.

Mr Jermaine Loy, Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board said, “As the chemicals sector adopts greener alternatives, industrial biotechnology offers companies a credible pathway to diversify raw material sources and develop novel, sustainable products. The A*STAR SIFBI-NUS Synthetic Biology Joint Lab will strengthen Singapore's capabilities in this emerging area, bringing together world-class R&D and industry translation to advance bioeconomy innovation from Singapore.”

Building the Next Generation of Talent

Beyond research and industry engagement, the lab will serve as a training ground for Singapore's future scientists and engineers in areas such as synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, AI-guided biological design, and industrial biomanufacturing. Joint supervision arrangements, internships and fellowships are designed to develop researchers who can operate at the interface of academia and industry. Professionals with such skills are increasingly in demand as more companies build in-house biotechnology capabilities.

"NUS brings strengths in foundational science and interdisciplinary research. Especially relevant to this joint lab is our strong and established research track record and presence in the synthetic biology space, an example being NUS SynCTI," said Professor Aaron Thean, NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost. "The joint lab gives our scientists a direct pathway to translate their work into practical outcomes, while equipping students and early-career researchers with valuable skills needed to operate across research and industry settings."

Over time, the lab aims to catalyse technology licensing, start-up formation and new partnerships to build a pipeline of talent and ideas that will support the long-term growth of Singapore's bio-based innovation ecosystem.

[1] NatureFinance and Getúlio Vargas Foundation. The Global Bioeconomy: Preliminary Stocktake of G20 Strategies and Practices: A Contribution to the Brazilian G20 Presidency’s Global Initiative on Bioeconomy. Prepared for the G20 Initiative on Bioeconomy (GIB), May 2024.

[2] Green Chemicals Global Overview 2024–2030. Research and Markets, November 2024.

[3] The Business Research Company. Synthetic Biology Market Report 2026. Published January 2026.