Persuading students to study engineering a challenge: Prof Lui Pao Chuen

Professor Lui Pao Chuen, the recipient of the IES Lifetime Engineering Award, said that excellent education and employment prospects are key to drawing more people into this field.
By Vimita Mohandas, Channel NewsAsia, 24 Oct 2014

Persuading students and their parents that an engineering degree will lead to good jobs and ample career progression is a problem that Singapore is currently facing, according to Professor Lui Pao Chuen.

Prof Lui was speaking at the Institution of Engineers Singapore's (IES) annual dinner on Friday (Oct 24), where he received the Lifetime Engineering Award.

He said that over the last 20 years, interest in science and engineering has declined among young people around the world - including Singapore. He said this was because many students prefer business and accounting courses as they are easier to score in, and the finance sector pays fresh graduates better.

But in the last three years, there has been a revival of interest in engineering in Singapore - the number of bachelor of engineering graduates will hit 5,000 in 2015, about 3,000 more than in 2000. He added that excellent education and employment prospects are key to drawing more people into this field.

With upcoming infrastructure developments, Prof Lui said it is an exciting time to join the profession: "We are going to have a new airport in the east, a new port for the PSA on the west and the MRT lines will connect the country in a much more convenient fashion.

"The number of engineering challenges ahead is so much higher than in the past and we believe this will be a draw for young people to want to create things."

Environment and Water Resources Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, who also attended the event, said engineers are needed as future trends will impact sustainability. These include an expansion in demographics, resource depletion and urbanisation.