Engineers touching
every aspect of daily life
Engineers impact almost every aspect of our
daily lives. From the moment we wake up in the morning till
long after we have gone to bed at night. Whether we switch
on the lights, put the laundry into the washing machine,
cook with microwave or gas fire, use the computer and other
appliances to get our household chores or office work done,
we all need their innovations to get through the day!
As a student taking the bus to school or
polytechnic, what do you see? If you are like me taking
the bus back from the National University of Singapore campus,
you will notice a whole array of activities that can blow
your mind apart, as you experience the feats of engineering
touching every aspect of our daily lives.
Right in front of me, I see MediaCorp's
newly launched digital television on SBS bus 151. A real
cool way of travelling, won't you say? And I'm not referring
to the blustery air-conditioning! Previously, the only opportunity
you got to watch TV was if you were in one of those long
Hollywood limousines! But, we're not all Brad Pitts or Jennifer
Lopez! So, engineering cuts across all those barriers by
bringing what was once considered a sophisticated way of
receiving information in a limo to the man-in-the-street
who hops on buses. The marvels of engineering unfold a whole
new lifestyle before us in a very down to earth sort of
way.
Further on, what do I see? MRT trains whizzing
ahead of me. Cars of all makes zipping pass me. A Harley
Davidson - the ultimate in super bike technology cruises
by the bus, looking so sleek and beautiful that makes my
heart miss a beat! Buildings and more buildings, techno
parks, bridges and schools that have mushroomed all over
the place.
As I cast my mind back to other exciting
fields of engineering, I think of how engineers have put
man on the moon. The space shuttle making its entry into
space; orbiting space stations; probes to Mars; and very
new powerful telescopes that have led to the recent discovery
of nine new planets in our solar system.
What about breakthroughs in biomedical engineering
that can sustain and improve human life and give a new lease
of life to burn victims through tissue engineering? The
list is endless. Now, are you convinced that engineers have
a vital role to play in giving us a better quality of life?
-- Office of External Relations.
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A Global
Market for Bold and Bright Engineers
With a thriving Singapore economy that has been growing
steadily in the past decade, there has never been enough
engineers. Since independence in 1959, there has been a
growing demand for engineers. Engineers have been the unsung
heroes of Singapore's rapid industrial growth and nation
building. Not any more. They are recognised for their vital
role in Singapore's success story.
In the late 1970s, the university took in
300 engineering students. Today, 1500 engineers are produced
each year by the university for the job market. In research
and development (R & D) alone, only 10 to 15 per cent
of the total number of 30,000 engineers in Singapore do
R & D work. Between 50,000 and 60,000 engineers - twice
the number -- are needed. With the bold move towards a knowledge-based
economy plugged into the global market place, the Institution
of Engineers says there can never be enough of engineers.
Catalysts for Growth
A career in engineering is challenging and exciting. You
need to be highly technical, yet creative and innovative.
The prospects are excellent and engineers are well paid.
They create wealth and their work fuel the economy. Economic
growth creates more jobs for engineers and this accelerates
nation building.
Biomedical engineering, micro electrical
and mechanical engineering, wafer fabrication, information
technology are some of the engines of growth. If you do
not want to work for a traditional organisation, many research
engineers have become successful entrepreneurs by founding
their own start-up companies. We teach you how to do this
in our technopreneurship program.
Entry requirements
Two good `A' level passes in mathematics and a science or
physical science subject are prerequisites. However, those
opting for chemical & environmental engineering need
an 'A' level pass in Mathematics and Chemistry with physics
at an `AO' level pass.
Engineering is one of the largest faculties in the National
University of Singapore with more than 5000 undergraduates
and 300 academic staff members. Heavy investment has been
pumped into creating a culture of teaching excellence with
state-of-the-art laboratories, equipment and technologies.
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Challenges
in the new Millennium
Bioengineering - a new frontier
A new exciting frontier has just
opened in Bioengineering which integrates the biomedical
sciences with engineering. This is in line with the latest
national venture into the area of the life sciences.
The NUS-Bioengineering Initiative will produce
well-trained engineers who will be competent in blending
engineering with information technology and the life sciences.
Bioengineering graduates will find many job opportunities
offered by the life science industries, hospitals, research
and educational institutions. Among other things, the education
and research program is focussed on biochemical/biopharmaceutical
engineering, biomaterials, biomolecular engineering, and
biomedical imaging.
The program opens an area in nano/micro
medical systems and the much publicised field of tissue
engineering. Supported by the faculties of science and medicine,
Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, the National University
Hospital and John Hopkins Singapore, the program is unique
to the Faculty of Engineering.
Tissue engineering is one of our strengths
and may soon provide a practical and cost effective alternative
to tissue and organ transplant.
Launch of a new program in Industrial
& Systems Engineering
A new undergraduate program in Industrial and Systems Engineering
will be launched in 2001. ISE is a combination of engineering,
mathematics, economics, statistics and the social sciences.
It provides decision makers with the ability to identify,
analyse and design complex productive systems to resolve
'real world problems', which can be found in the manufacturing,
logistics, defence, service and engineering industries.
For example, airlines, banks, telecommunication, management
consultancies will need to engage the expertise of an ISE
engineer.
This course has been designed to help Singapore
move to a knowledge-based economy by catering to the needs
of Singapore's industries in the new millennium. As Singapore
upgrades to higher value-added activities, there will be
a greater demand for ISE engineers with in-depth knowledge
of technical skills to improve efficiency, quality and productivity.
Consumers the world over expect better quality services
and products. As a result, there will be tremendous demand
for logistic services, quality engineering and management.
Students may therefore opt for modules in Logistics and
Systems Optimisation or in Quality and Manufacturing Systems.
Some of the job titles of ISE graduates
include industrial engineer; manufacturing engineer; logistics
engineer; supply chain engineer; quality engineer and systems
engineer. A high proportion of ISE graduates in industrialised
countries work for consultancy firms or as independent consultants
helping companies to engineer processes and systems to improve
quality and productivity.
Chemical & Environmental Engineering
Singapore is the third largest petroleum refining centre
in the world and the chemical sector is the second largest
in Singapore in terms of manufacturing output. Since the
chemical industry plays a crucial role in Singapore's economy,
the Government is transforming Jurong Island into a petroleum
and petrochemical hub.
The NUS is the only university in Singapore
offering a B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering or Environmental
Engineering. These two degree programs offered within the
same department complement each other.  While
we can see the importance of environmental engineering considerations
in chemical engineering, environmental engineering in turns
gains the process perspective that chemical engineering
offers. Students in the department have the option to specialise
in Microelectronics Processing and Pharmaceutical Engineering,
which are two very important areas.
In addition, environmental engineering has
been identified as one of the market areas for research
and development in Singapore. With the importance of chemical
engineering, this augurs well for engineers in these fields.
As it is, starting salaries in chemical engineering compared
with other engineering disciplines have generally been higher
worldwide.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering is vital to the manufacturing sector
of Singapore because of its high technology and productivity.
Diversified research activities take place in high precision
machining and manufacturing; the use of new materials in
machine tools and products; the development of smart materials
and the use of robotics.
The Faculty of Engineering has opened an
entirely new area in micro-systems technology (MST) with
tremendous opportunities for graduates in this field of
mechanical engineering. MST involves the design and production
of miniature components and devices, commonly known as micro
devices, micro sensors and micro-electrical mechanical systems.
On a sub-millimetre micro scale, they are found in cameras,
telecommunication appliances and personal computers. Commonly
associated with microelectronics, the next wave in micro-technology
is likely to be the commercial development of systems in
electronic devices which are not only able to store and
process data on a microscopic scale, but able to physically
act on the information.
Microscopic scale devices include small
sensors used to monitor the acceleration and nature of micro
objects, or to measure and analyse the pressure of chemicals,
fluids and air.  Other
applications of MST include tiny devices that can be introduced
inside the human bloodstream for diagnostic or healing purposes.
Hence, the possible applications for this fledgling technology
are immense.
The department has also set up a National
Wind Tunnel Facility for expanding the research and teaching
activities in aeronautics and aerodynamics. In collaboration
with the Defence Ministry and DSO National Laboratory, the
facility will house a 100-metre trisonic wind tunnel which
can deliver wind speeds of up to four times the speed of
sound (Mach 4). The wind tunnel can be used not only to
test strength of wind resistance on the fighter jet aircraft,
but also the durability and strength of buildings and other
structures. Singapore's wind tunnel has the highest air
speed in South East Asia.
Other areas where mechanical engineers will
continue to be in demand are in wafer fabrication, disk
media or IC packaging.
Civil Engineering
The Civil Engineering program is designed to provide a broad-based
education to aspiring engineers to meet present and future
demands of the civil engineering profession both locally
and overseas. This calls for engineers to be equipped not
only with technical know-how, but also with in-depth knowledge
of people and resource management.
With more than half a billion people living
in South East Asia, there is a thirst in a rapidly growing
population for the availability of quality drinking water.
 In
addition, there is a huge demand for pure water in the chemical,
pharmaceutical and wafer fabrication industries. Engineers
need to look for alternative sources of water because the
conservation of water itself is insufficient. To this end,
the Department of Civil Engineering has recently launched
a Centre for Water Research to address the R&D needs
of water. A university spin-off company has been set up
for the treatment of water and waste water. This means many
more career opportunities will be available in water science
and technology.
Another major focus is Urban and Infrastructure
Engineering. With strengths in structural, geotechnical,
hydraulic and transportation engineering, the department
has launched a program to undertake education and research
in Urban Infrastructure and Environmental Science and Technology.
Civil engineers are in demand in very complex
public projects such as the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System;
the MRT/LRT systems and the proposed Changi Airport Terminal
3. They are involved in the planning, design, analysis and
construction of these mega projects that have environmental
considerations on the local community and the public at
large. Because of the need to integrate other systems of
engineering, civil engineers also need to equip themselves
with IT knowledge as they work on land transport projects
related to monitoring of traffic conditions that bring real
time information to road users and traffic controllers,
among other things.
Electrical & Computer Engineering Department
Electrical and computer engineers have been the driving
force behind computer, communications, information and microelectronic
technologies. They have been effectively applying fundamental
concepts while pursuing frontier research, designing and
developing new high technology products including digital
television and cameras, WAP phones, personal digital assistants
and MP3 players.
The future for these engineers is bright
and opportunities can be found in research; design and development;
manufacturing; marketing; management and other exciting
fields. Besides Government and commercial organisations,
there are abundant jobs in high technology companies involved
in computers; communications; electronics; Internet; multimedia;
semiconductors and software engineering.  The
silicon-based IC (integrated circuit) is the driving force
in the electronics industry. Research work in biomedical
engineering involving medical expert systems and medical
imaging is another growth area.
One of the largest departments, students
have the flexibility and opportunity to combine advanced
electrical and computer engineering with computer science
modules. Academic staff are involved in cutting edge research
in high tech areas such as IC design and fabrication; intelligent
control; intelligent robotics; mobile wireless communications;
medical imaging; multimedia communications; software engineering;
parallel and distributed systems and wireless networks.
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Flexible
and all rounded curriculum
In the latest move, engineering undergraduates can now design
their own curriculum that meets with their aspirations,
abilities and interests. The more talented can take more
diversified courses offered by the different faculties or
minor programs in bioengineering, technopreneurship, or
in law, business or management information to give them
a more rounded education or both.
Accelerated degrees
By taking a faster pace to their undergraduate degrees,
students can do an accelerated master and basic degree within
four and a half years.
Special Programs
Industrial attachment programs in MNCs both locally and
overseas allow students to do research work on their own
inventions or take part in technopreneurship workshops and
competitions. The Technopreneurship Incubation Program allows
students to start home-grown companies in a simulated business
environment. The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
(UROP) involves students in on-going research from the experimental
stage to the realisation stage. Research opportunities are
offered in such places as Caltech (California Institute
of Technology) during the summer months. Globalisation programs
give students international experiences as they can choose
to do joint-degrees (undergraduate/master's programs) with
top French and US Ivy League universities.
Engineering brain power to generate nation's
new wealth
Engineers of the new economy will be generating wealth not
so much through physical activities, but increasingly more
from intellectual and entrepreneurial efforts. The Faculty
of Engineering at the NUS provides that environment which
will produce the trained mind to make this a reality. -
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