All SUTD undergrads will get chance to do research

New uni also announces two new centres for defence research

By Sandra Davie, The Straits Times, 8 May 2012

ALL 340 undergraduates at the new Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) will be given the opportunity to carry out research, officials said yesterday.

This sets it apart from most schools, where only a small proportion get the chance to do so.

Officials said the move will provide more value for students already drawn to its multidisciplinary curriculum and partnerships with two renowned institutions.

The school - which will team up with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States and China's Zhejiang University - has already said that it is setting up two research centres, on design and innovative cities.

Yesterday, President Tony Tan Keng Yam announced another two, which will concentrate on defence-related systems. Dr Tan, who is chancellor of the university, said the centres will be set up in partnership with the Ministry of Defence.

The first is Temasek Laboratories, which will conduct research into systems ranging from unmanned surveillance to the information devices used by soldiers in the field. The second, named iTRUST, will carry out cyber-security research.

Both new centres 'will harness the potential of science and technology for Singapore's defence and complement the work that is currently undertaken at the DSO National Laboratories, and the other universities', said Dr Tan at yesterday's inauguration ceremony to mark the launch of the academic year.

Officials at the university said that with four centres in total, all of its students should be able to carry out research during their undergraduate years.

Its president Tom Magnanti welcomed the tie-up with industry and 'domain-specific public agencies' such as the Ministry of Defence, saying they will help to make sure that the school's research is relevant and practical.

'We want our students to change and improve the world, and clearly, one way to do this is through research,' he added.

The university has already announced its International Design Centre - a collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

About 200 to 300 researchers and students from both institutions will work on three key projects, including developing information technology devices to help the elderly or ailing.

There will also be the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities, which will focus on research to improve the lives of urban dwellers.

Dr Tan said Singapore's newest university was 'another strategic innovation' in the higher education landscape. By collaborating with two top global institutions in the United States and China, it combines the best of East and West.

He also praised the multi-disciplinary curriculum, saying it will give students a breadth and depth of knowledge. The school offers specialisation in four areas: architecture and sustainable design; engineering product development; engineering systems and design; and information systems technology and design.

Sceptics have questioned whether the Massachusetts Institute of Technology chose to accept the partnership because of funding from the Singapore Government. However, its associate provost Philip Khoury said yesterday that it has many other opportunities around the world to secure funding.

He said that his university chose Singapore because of its commitment to building a culture of innovation and willingness to address some of the greatest challenges facing the world.

Undergraduate Toh Yong Cheng, 22, who is conducting research into the design of bus stops, said it is 'a good opportunity to see real things coming to life around me'. He added: 'It is real applications that impact the world.'

The initial target for enrolment at the university was 500 students, although only 340 were eventually taken on.

Professor Magnanti said the number was reduced because of the need to look for students who not only had academic expertise but also leadership capability and the ability to take risks. He added that next year, it hopes to reach the full intake of 500.

The school will move to a campus in Changi in 2014. There will eventually be 4,000 undergraduates and 2,000 postgraduates studying there.