JAN-FEB 2016

Winning elderly designs

94Prominent

scientists join NUS

NUS satellites

take flight

Robotic hand helps stroke patients

12

NUS satellites go to space

NUS has carved out its place in space with the first successful launch of its two satellites, Galassia and Kent Ridge 1, on 16 December 2015. The satellites, designed and built by NUS students, researchers and faculty, were among six Singapore satellites deployed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andra Pradesh, India into a near-equatorial orbit.

This launch was special because it represented the 50th from Andra Pradesh, and took place 50 years after Singapore’s independence. It also commemorated 50 years of bilateral cooperation between Singapore and India.

Said Professor Chua Kee Chaing, Dean of NUS Engineering, “Achieving this quantum leap in space R&D is an excellent

demonstration of NUS’ strong capabilities in engineering and satellite technologies. The joint launch of six Singapore satellites into space is also a celebration of Singapore’s Golden Jubilee, marking the significant progress of Singapore’s nascent space industry.”

Galassia, a 2kg nanosatellite, was developed by NUS Engineering; Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing (CRISP); and Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT). Thirty final-year students pursuing the Satellite System Design track under NUS’ Design-Centric Programme, with the help of

six research engineers, contributed to the experimental cube-satellite over a period of four years.

One of the satellite’s two payloads is a quantum science payload to test quantum-based communication concepts using Small Photon-Entangling Quantum System. Developed by CQT, it is being flown for the first time.

The second is a Total Electron Content electronic payload designed by NUS Engineering students. It measures the total number of electrons above Singapore in the ionosphere, which could be used to improve GPS navigation and radio communication.

Data from Galassia will be collected and analysed over the satellite’s operational mission life of between six and 12 months.

Kent Ridge 1, a 77.2kg microsatellite, was jointly developed by NUS Electrical and Computer Engineering, and CRISP. Project partners included Berlin Space Technologies, Nanyang Polytechnic and ST Electronics (Satcom & Sensors Systems) Pte Ltd.

This hyperspectral imaging microsatellite can break down colour into its basic components, enabling the orbiter to collect information on what is happening to Earth when sunlight is decomposed into its constituent wavelengths. The information helps to detect changes in soil, vegetation, volcanoes, water temperature and fires.

Kent Ridge 1, with an operational mission life of two years, is much smaller and lighter than its conventional counterparts.

NUS faculty and researchers plan to develop the next generation of Galassia and Kent Ridge satellites with the aim of achieving new technological breakthroughs.

A three-part documentary series on the Singapore satellites’ launch, Journey To Space, was aired on Channel NewsAsia in December 2015 and January 2016.

Drones herald The Future of UsSixteen unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), complete with high-tech components and sparkling LEDs, wowed the crowd who turned up for The Future of Us exhibition at Gardens by the Bay recently.

The aerial display saw the machines creating patterns such as Singapore Flyer and the star of the state flag over two weekends in January. This is believed to be the first time a large number of drones have flown together for an outdoor aerial performance in Singapore.

The swarm of UAVs was a collaboration between Temasek Laboratories (Temasek Labs) at NUS, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). It is part of the drone research currently undertaken and funded by Singapore’s Ministry of Defence.

Temasek Labs Research Scientists Dr Kevin Ang and Dr Phang Swee King led a team of some 30 NUS Engineering students to assemble the drones.

“The idea for this project draws inspiration from nature,”

said Dr Ang. “When a flock of birds flies in V-formation, when a group of ants works together or when a school of fish swims together, they exhibit complex self-organised behaviour that brings benefits to the whole group: for instance, longer flight range, better food foraged

or better protection against predators. These provided useful lessons for multidrone research at Temasek Laboratories.”

NUS supervised the development of the entire system, said Dr Ang. This included the self-designed and self-constructed carbon

NUS engineers preparing Galassia, which will be ejected from the blue cube-satellite deployer during separation

Photo: ISRO

Mr Peter Ho, NUS Trustee and Senior Advisor, Centre for Strategic Futures has been appointed as Chairman of the new Social Science Research Council (SSRC), which will chart strategies for the advancement of social science and humanities research in Singapore.

Fellow NUS Trustee Professor Chan Heng Chee, Singapore’s Ambassador-at-Large, is Deputy Chairman, with University Professor Wang Gungwu, Chairman of the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School), as Advisor.

NUS academics with a wealth of experience in public policy as well as social sciences and humanities constitute almost half of the 12 Council members.

They are:• Professor Chua Beng Huat, Provost

Chair Professor, NUS Sociology;

• Professor Ho Teck Hua, Deputy President (Research and Technology) and Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor;

• Professor Kishore Mahbubani, Dean, LKY School;

• Professor Tan Tai Yong, Executive Vice President (Academic Affairs), Yale-NUS College; and

• Professor Bernard Yeung, Dean and Stephen Riady Distinguished Professor, NUS Business School

The Council was formed in recognition of the new and intricate issues to confront Singapore in the future, and with a belief that social sciences and humanities research can help people to better comprehend and grapple with these issues. They include sustaining economic dynamism, preserving social mobility, and building a common identity.

NUS expertise on social science council

The lighted drones creating the number ‘50’ in the night sky

Kent Ridge 1 satellite Dr Ang (left) and Dr Phang with one of their 16 drones

fibre platform; off-the-shelf communication modules and GPS running algorithms; self-made flight controller to manage the drone’s flight; and self-made power and signal distribution system.

NTU oversaw the safety aspects while aerial filming was undertaken by SUTD.

The researchers believe that multidrone flights offer significant advantages for Singapore’s defence through provision of better resilience, robustness and efficiency compared to single drones.

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NUS NEWS

Eleven NUS scientists and engineers are among the world’s most prominent scientific minds, according to Thomson Reuters’ Highly Cited Researchers 2015 report published on 14 January. Their inclusion in the listing has earned the University the distinction of having the most number of highly cited researchers among research institutions in Singapore for the second year running.

The late conservationist Professor Navjot Sodhi is among those on the list, who hail from the fields of agricultural sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, environment/ecology, materials science, mathematics, physics and social sciences. The researchers’ articles rank among the top 1 per cent of the most cited in

their respective fields in each paper’s year of publication.

Professor Ho Teck Hua, NUS Deputy President (Research and Technology) and Tan Chin Tuan Centennial Professor, was pleased with the global recognition of NUS researchers. He said, “We will continue to forge transformative advances in research, and actively promote the translation of scientific discoveries to create economic and social value for Singapore, Asia and beyond.”

The Highly Cited Researchers 2015 survey is part of a larger study, The World’s Most Influential Minds 2015. The former is based on an assessment of more than 120,000 papers indexed between 2003 and 2013 in 21 broad fields of science.

NUS researchers among world’s most highly cited Most highly cited NUS scientists

Assoc Prof Huang DejianNUS ChemistryAgricultural Sciences

Assoc Prof Liu BinNUS Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringMaterials Science

Assoc Prof Liu XiaogangNUS ChemistryChemistry

Prof Seeram RamakrishnaNUS Mechanical EngineeringMaterials Science

Asst Prof Zhang RuiNUS Electrical and Computer EngineeringComputer Science

Prof Shen ZuoweiNUS Mathematics Dean, NUS ScienceMathematics

Assoc Prof Yan Shuicheng NUS Electrical and Computer EngineeringEngineering

Prof Antonio Castro NetoNUS PhysicsDirector, Centre for Advanced 2D MaterialsPhysics

The late Prof Navjot SodhiNUS Biological SciencesEnvironment/Ecology

Prof Eric A FinkelsteinDuke-NUS Medical SchoolSocial Sciences, general

Prof Lee Jim YangNUS Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringMaterials Science

Prominent returning scientists join the UniversityProfessor Andrew Lim Leong Chye and Dr Aaron Thean Voon Yew, both prominent overseas-based scientists, have been wooed back home under the Returning Singapore Scientists (RSS) Scheme and will contribute to integral areas of research at NUS.

Prof Lim, an expert in computational management science, joined NUS Engineering on 8 January as Head of Industrial and Systems Engineering. His work combines knowledge in the fields of computing, engineering and business to develop new tools and processes for organisations to achieve high levels of competitiveness and long-term success.

Prof Lim previously held professorships in City University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Nanjing University where he spent more than a decade researching large-scale problems in transportation, logistics and supply chains. He also founded a high-tech company which spearheaded several industry-based research projects.

At NUS, Prof Lim will look into developing innovative solutions that address problems in healthcare, transport and education. He will also play a lead role in the upcoming data analytics cluster and Operations Research Centre, working on demand generation and supply management issues.

Dr Thean holds more than 50 patents in advanced electronics and will join NUS Engineering in May as a Professor of Electrical Engineering. Currently the Vice President of Process

Technologies and Director of the Logic Devices Research at IMEC, a nanoelectronic research institute based in Belgium, he has made significant societal and economic impact through nanotechnology research.

Dr Thean will conduct cutting-edge research on embedding electronic intelligence into materials and systems. He will also helm nanoelectronic and spintronic device research at NUS’ upcoming Data Science Institute, focusing on widespread applications in areas such as the

Internet of Things, Intelligent Technologies for Health Care and Big Data Infrastructure, contributing to the national vision of a Smart Nation.

Said NUS Deputy President (Research and Technology) Professor Ho Teck Hua, the first Singaporean researcher recruited under the RSS Scheme, “NUS is excited to welcome Prof Lim and Dr Thean home to contribute towards growing research capabilities that are strategic to Singapore’s long-term progress.”

Dr TheanProf Lim Prof Ho

Prof Lim and Dr Thean have returned to Singapore to drive industry collaboration and translational research at NUS, while Prof Ho is the first Singaporean researcher recruited under the RSS scheme

Antonin Scalia: Judges as moral arbiters?

Western society treating judges as “moral arbiters” is a thorny issue, said the late US Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. The Lee Kuan Yew Distinguished Visitor (LKYDV) gave a public lecture, “Judges as moral arbiters” on 28 January at Bukit Timah Campus.

The lecture was held in conjunction with the LKYDV

Programme, established in 1985, which invites internationally eminent and outstanding academics and scholars to Singapore to make high-level contributions to local universities and Singapore in general. About 270 guests, comprising NUS Law students and faculty, and The Law Society of Singapore members, attended the talk.

“I’m not talking about individual responsibility. I’m talking about who in a democratic society should have the power to determine the government’s view of what the natural law is and that seems to be obvious,” Mr Scalia said, explaining that it is the citizens of a country who determine what is required by natural law.

In his opinion, there is no right or wrong answer to moral questions. Current society, however, has become “addicted to abstract moralising”, he said.

NUS Law Dean Professor Simon Chesterman kicked off the question-and-answer session by asking Mr Scalia what a textualist judge — who, like the speaker, adheres strictly to the text — should do if the judge had to make a decision in which he or she was bound by morally objectionable laws.

Prof Chesterman brought up Nazi Germany as a case in point, which was highlighted earlier in Mr Scalia’s talk.

Mr Scalia replied, “You do not have power to distort the law to say that it means other than what it says. Your sworn obligation is to apply the law. If that forces you to do something you think is immoral, you have to resign.”

While in Singapore from 26 to 28 January, Mr Scalia met with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and paid a visit to the Supreme Court of Singapore. On campus, he called on NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, and also mingled with NUS students and faculty.

NUS is saddened by Mr Scalia's passing on 13 February in the US.

The late Mr Scalia (left) taking a question from Prof Chesterman

Three NUS professors have made it to the inaugural Asian Scientist 100 list of Asian Scientist magazine:

• Professor Lim Chwee Teck, Provost’s Chair Professor; Deputy Head, NUS Bioengineering; Group Head, NUS Centre for Advanced 2D Materials; Principal Investigator, Mechanobiology Institute at NUS;

• Professor Andrew Nee, NUS Mechanical Engineering; and

• NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan.

Prof Lim received the Vladimir K. Zworykin Award 2015 for developing microfluidics devices for the detection and diagnosis of cancer, while Prof Nee won a US Society of Manufacturing Engineers Gold Medal in 2014 for

his lifetime contributions to manufacturing research.

Prof Tan was elected in 2015 as a lifetime member of the US National Academy of Medicine, the organisation’s first Singaporean member.

Also on the list are NUS Science alumna Ms Olivia Lum, Executive Chairman and Group CEO of Hyflux Ltd; and NUS Engineering alumnus Mr Tan Gee Paw, Chairman of Singapore’s Public Utilities Board.

The accolade honours those who have received a national or international prize in the last two years for his or her scientific research through competitive selection, made a significant contribution in scientific discovery or leadership that has benefitted academia or industry.

Three professors named top Asian scientists

Prof Lim Prof Nee Prof Tan

54

NUS NEWS

A new legal clinic module, titled “Employment Law & Migrant Workers Clinic”, evaluates students on their ability to help migrant workers on legal issues, instead of doing so through written examinations.

Conducted by the NUS Faculty of Law (NUS Law), this is the first such course in Singapore to provide students with the opportunity to undertake work such as explaining salary claims and assisting a qualified lawyer to defend a worker in court.

The optional module was offered to third and final year students, and postgraduates from July to November last year. As part of the course, the students worked with about 10 clients at legal clinics run by non-governmental organisations and their efforts were reviewed by faculty members.

The unique module was developed by NUS Law Assistant Professor Jaclyn Neo and Senior Lecturer Ms Sheila Hayre.

Roots and Wings programme for lifelong career

To better prepare NUS students for an increasingly complex and changing world, the Roots and Wings programme kicked off in January this year to equip the University’s first-year undergraduates with useful personal and interpersonal skills. The foundational life skills initiative aims to inspire students to develop an interest for lifelong learning and for them to gain from experiential learning opportunities.

NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Professor Tan Eng Chye spoke about the new programme, run by the Centre for Future-ready Graduates (CFG), at the NUS Career Fair 2016 on 1 February.

Some 2,100 freshmen are currently undergoing the mandatory Roots and Wings 1.0 course, which includes two workshops and seven e-modules on topics such as focus, awareness, empathetic communication and resilience.

The 2.0 programme provides more interactive sessions that delve deeper into the neuroscience and psychology of the first course. By helping participants uncover their strengths and competencies, the students can deal with change and failure, as well as build their own personal brand to market themselves to employers.

Year 1 Engineering undergraduate Ong Ming Lun found the Roots and Wings 2.0 programme

enriching and experiential. The course encourages participants to take risks in interpersonal communication by opening up to others and sharing their insecurities about the future, he noted. The programme will conclude by involving students in a Capstone project that allows them to create and co-develop module content for the next batch of participants.

Meanwhile, Year 2 students will be able to take an optional

module called Career Ready commencing second half of this year. This will replace the existing HeadStart course, said Ms Crystal Lim-Leahy, Director of CFG. Besides interviewing basics, resume writing and workplace readiness found in HeadStart, Career Ready will also feature entrepreneurial mindsets and skills such as pitching, networking and negotiation, building on the self-awareness and communication skills learned in Roots and Wings.

NUS is channelling $10 million over the next three years into these initiatives and to strengthen CFG’s professional staff strength.

NUS held the two-day Career Fair on 1 and 5 February which focused on the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics sectors. The annual event enables NUS students and alumni to interact with prospective employers and source for internship and employment opportunities across various industries.

During his trip to the US in February, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited Block 71 San Francisco, which is managed by NUS Enterprise, in partnership with Singtel Innov8 and Infocomm Investments Pte Ltd.

NUS students, alumni and Singaporean entrepreneurs engaged with Mr Lee, and the session ended with traditional yusheng tossing to celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Students checking out the NUS Career Fair 2016

PM Lee visits Block 71 San Francisco

In December 2015, nine NUS students had eye-opening experiences on a trip to Paris, France, where many sustainability events were held in conjunction with an international climate-change conference. Two of the youths shared insights from their sojourn at the NUS Environmental Sustainability event, “Post-Paris COP21 Dialogue”, on 3 February.

They were among the 100 students from 30 universities who participated in the Global University Climate Forum (GUCF) on 5 December. The workshop was organised by the International Alliance of Research Universities and hosted by Sorbonne Universités in Paris.

At GUCF, representatives from NUS Students Against Violation of the Earth (SAVE), Ridge View Residential College (RVRC) and Yale-NUS College (Yale-NUS) received suggestions and feedback on their sustainability project proposals from their peers. Input was also given by faculty and staff from institutions such as the University of California, Berkeley and the International Sustainable Campus Network.

“The insights we have taken away from the workshop will

definitely aid us in refining our Green Guide, and the networks we have made will be a platform for sharing, co-creation and opportunity to collaborate in the future,” said Year 1 Business student Phoebe Swinn Yap Xiu Wen from NUS SAVE.

Three NUS undergraduates also sat on the sidelines of the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) also known as Paris COP21. They did so under the auspices of the NUS Energy Institute, which obtained observer status to the UNFCCC last year.

Year 1 Engineering student Goh Jia Lin from RVRC found that the Paris COP21 conference

broadened her understanding of how global climate-change agreements are brokered. The meeting enabled 195 countries to hone in on the landmark Paris Agreement, the first-ever universal legally binding global climate deal.

Year 2 Yale-NUS student Lai Ying Tong networked with other youth and non-governmental organisation observers, as well as watched the conference’s proceedings.

“By attending both negotiations and side events, I was exposed to perspectives of the many varied stakeholders concerned about climate change, allowing me to think more comprehensively about the issues involved,” she said.

Paris offers lessons on ‘greening’ the world

The Paris COP21 conference was held in December 2015

Year 1 students at a Roots and Wings workshop

Mr Lee interacting with tech professionals and entrepreneurs at Block 71 San Francisco Photo: IIPL

Law module offers pro bono clinic

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NUS NEWS

Innovative creations garner design awardsThe President's Design Award 2015 featured winning designs by NUS staff, students and alumni. They include a "smart" mask with micro-ventilator, an artisan table emulating a rainbow-hued Malay dessert and “bungalows in the sky” with dramatic green sky terraces.

In addition, alumnus Mr Siew Man Kok won the prestigious Designer of the Year Award for embracing local climate and topicality, while showing sensitivity to the social, cultural and tropical context of his works.

The AIR+ Smart Mask is an innovation by Innosparks Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of ST Engineering, in collaboration with Associate Professor Erik Birgersson from NUS Engineering Science Programme and Mr Donn Koh, Lecturer from NUS Industrial Design and Co-Founder of STUCK Design Pte Ltd. It combines two products — an ergonomic protective mask in three sizes for optimum fit (Smart Mask) and the world’s first attachable micro-ventilator (AIR+) that eliminates the build-up of heat, moisture and carbon dioxide trapped inside protective masks.

Assoc Prof Birgersson constructed mathematical models that quantify the interactions between thermoregulation, respiration, the filter and fan, as well as guided the design. The computer-generated models underwent mathematical simulations, followed by prototypes designed using 3D printing technology to create varying shapes and sizes to fit a wider range of face profiles. While Innosparks engineered the development for optimal performance and functionality of

the mask, STUCK Design, led by Mr Koh, provided the industrial design expertise to finalise the “face-friendly”

shape and neutral look for the mask.

“Pour”, a side table by Mr Hans Tan, an NUS Industrial Design Assistant Professor, was inspired by the local kuih lapis, a steamed cake made by pouring colourful layers of sago flour. The unique piece comprises overlapping glossy circles of vivid yellow, turquoise, pink, sky blue and light green.

With the help of two NUS Industrial Design undergraduates, Year 2 student Lynn Ho Xin Yi and Year 1 student Yong Zi Fong, Mr Tan spent five months exploring fabrication techniques and processes, and experimented with complicated plastic resin-casting methods.

The founder of Hans Tan Studio described the table as “moulding without a mould”, by casting the table surface upside down without any walls to hold in the liquid resin. The manufacturing process required fresh craftsmanship techniques. His two students used fillers that changed the viscosity of liquid resin and increased surface tension without losing its “pourability”.

Mr Mok Wei Wei, Professor in Practice at NUS Architecture, helmed a team at W Architects Pte Ltd to conceptualise The Oliv, a 12-storey condominium at Balmoral Road in Singapore. It maximises the sky terrace into communal spaces, with landscaped outdoor areas

that conjure up the illusion of an extended garden. The irregularity of the profile is

highlighted by natural balau wood for the top deck to form “bungalows in the sky”.

NUS alumnus Mr Siew was selected one of three designers of the year for his works on a wide spectrum of projects ranging from master planning, institutional and commercial projects, to public housing and private homes. The Chairman and Founding Director of MKPL Architects Pte Ltd has won awards for projects such as

the Bidadari Estate, public housing blocks located within a park, and a shophouse at Cuff Road that focuses on the building’s internal natural and artificial light.

The highest accolades in Singapore bestowed on designers and design projects, the President’s Design Award lauds the achievements and contributions of Singapore designers that make a difference to the community. It is administered by DesignSingapore Council of the Ministry of Communications and Information, and the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

ACCOLADES

The Smart Mask with micro-ventilator was the preferred choice of protective masks among consumers in Singapore during the haze last year

Photo: Innosparks Pte Ltd

Pour, by Mr Tan, drew inspiration from the Malay kuih lapis

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: Edw

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The Oliv showcases dramatic green terraces in

common spaces

An inaugural design marathon organised by DesignSingapore Council saw three teams from NUS Industrial Design wowing the judges with their prototypes aimed at enhancing the quality of life for the elderly.

The two-day Designathon, held from 9 to 10 January at the National Design Centre, brought together 170 design professionals and students, infocomm technology developers and healthcare specialists to curate solutions around the theme “Living Beautifully: Designing for our Golden Years”.

Coming in second place were Year 3 students Alex Teo, Kevin Chiam, Anthony Yu and Lim Yong Kang from Team k.a.y.a who designed Loop, a stylish air cushion that promotes micro-exercise movements for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle. The constant motion helps the elderly

be more aware of their posture while strengthening core muscles and lumbo-pelvic control. A pocket of air also assists them in getting up from the seat by gently propelling them forward.

Taking home the Best User-Centred award was Team Boleh comprising Year 2 students Jon Chan, John Teo, Chin Guo Hong and Ching Soon Tiac. The team designed an activity calendar app, Boleh, to encourage the elderly to participate in community activities. With both tangible and digital interfaces, their design mimics the traditional calendar of yesteryears, complete with cut-out discount coupons.

Team Wheelchair, comprising research assistants Raymond Hon and Eason Chow,

together with LASALLE College of the Arts student Tisha Haryanto, won the Best Business Model award for its creation, conceptualised to make daily living easier for the wheelchair-bound. The design features a seat cushion that uses a pulley system to aid the elderly in clothing themselves as well as a collapsible shopping bag attached to the armrest by Velcro, allowing them to shop independently.

Presenting the awards to the winners, Guest-of-Honour Minister for Communications and Information Dr Yaacob Ibrahim said, “Design can be an effective approach for addressing societal issues and delivering better services for the community.”

Winning senior-friendly designs

Loop, a cushion that uses pockets of air to promote micro-exercise movements and assist older people in getting up

Inventions assisting the elderly with soiled diapers and medication schedules enabled Team Altrue and Team Pillpresso to capture top spots at the inaugural Modern Aging Singapore initiative in December. The two teams, which include an NUS student and alumni, will each receive $50,000 seed-funding and mentorship.

Organised by NUS Enterprise and non-profit organisation ACCESS Health International, the accelerator programme is also an educational initiative

to inspire entrepreneurs to create businesses that serve the needs of ageing populations.

NUS Industrial Design graduate Benjamin Xue, along with team members Eugene Ng and Victoria Wang, developed Altrue’s smart diaper. Named Silver Lining, it alerts caregivers through a three-level hierarchy system when the presence of urine or faeces is detected. It can also let caregivers know when the patient needs to be rotated to prevent bed sores. There are plans to launch the product in 2017.

“Modern Aging has been an eye-opening experience for the team, which mainly has an engineering and industrial design background. The initiative showed us the route an entrepreneur has to take, in order to bring a product to market and this is definitely applicable to us in our future endeavours,” said Benjamin.

Pillpresso’s automated pill dispenser, with 10 removable compartments, operates like a coffee machine. It aims to help senior citizens with

complex medication regimes. The team consists of Jerome Ng, a physiotherapist, and three NUS graduates: Jason Feng (Engineering), Emily Low (Business) and Chong Jia Loon (Engineering, but currently an MD/PhD candidate at Duke-NUS Medical School).

The machine sorts and dispenses pills, and can notify caregivers through a mobile phone application when medication has been dispensed. The group is working on control software for the device.

Modern Ageing funding for helpful innovations

Team Wheelchair’s design houses a collapsible shopping bag attached to the armrest

Micro-ventilator

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NUS NEWS

Collaborative governance, cohesive diversity, inclusive growth and the future of Singapore were discussed at length by ministers and academics at the Singapore Perspectives 2016 conference on 18 January. The event was organised by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), a research centre at the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School).

In his opening remarks, IPS Director Mr Janadas Devan noted that the National Pledge began with the word “we”. He stressed that the significant point about “we” was that all Singaporeans “are urged to accept our plurality…and go beyond our separate racial, linguistic, religious, cultural identities, so as to encompass the imagined community that lies beyond our differences”.

Similarly, Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung peppered his speech with key phrases from the National Pledge during a panel discussion titled “Inclusive Growth?”. He defined inclusive growth as providing Singaporeans with justice and equality, as well as allowing them to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress.

Mr Ong pointed out that the people of Singapore “will decide what package, what measures and where we stand” in the political spectrum, adding that the nation must be contented with the choices made in order for everyone to enjoy happiness, prosperity and progress.

Professor Tan Kong Yam, Co-Director of LKY School’s Asia Competitiveness Institute, noted that the inequality in Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan which has escalated into a serious socio-political issue, could be linked to the frustration

experienced by youths. Unlike Hong Kong with its Umbrella movement and Taiwan with its Sunflower movement, Singapore has not had an “Orchid flower movement”. He attributed this to the effective government which has a system in place, adding that “we better make sure we sustain this system and don’t tinker with it”.

Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat participated in another panel focusing on the future of “We”. He said, “The hopes and aspirations of our people will change.” Borders would change as well, and information and communications technology, for example, has altered the notion of businesses.

Like Mr Ong, Mr Heng favours a consultative approach, highlighting that through dialogue, “we can agree on certain action...we can then work together to achieve what we’re going to do”.

During the session, NUS Trustee and Ambassador-at-Large Professor Chan Heng Chee stressed that racial harmony required

constant work. “We’re getting on reasonably well because if we don’t keep managing and working at these issues, things can fall apart.”

Ambassador Bilahari Kausikan, IPS 2015/16 S R Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore, concurred with Prof Chan, saying that a strong state was needed to serve as a neutral arbiter among different races and religions.

In other sessions, National Trades Union Congress Secretary-General Chan Chun Sing spoke on collaborative governance, while Acting Minister for Education (Schools) Ng Chee Meng explored cohesive diversity.

Associate Professor Elaine Ho from NUS Geography suggested that the government discontinue classifying people by race, as the country is becoming increasingly diverse through cross-cultural marriages and immigration.

The annual one-day event was attended by some 900 public servants, academics, business leaders, young professionals and students.

Singapore Perspectives on ‘We’

PERSPECTIVES

– Mr Ong Ye Kung, Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills)

I have come to the conclusion that to ensure allocating resources and producing the right results, the biggest factor is people.

Mr Ong talking about inclusive growth for Singapore

Mr Heng (third from left) having a lively discussion with (from left) Mr Devan; Ms Debra Soon, Head, Family (English) and Premier Segment, MediaCorp TV; Mr Kausikan; Prof Wang Gungwu, LKY School Chairman and NUS University Professor; Mr Ho Kwon Ping, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Singapore Management University; Prof Chan; Prof Kishore Mahbubani, LKY School Dean; and Prof Tommy Koh, IPS Special Adviser

Nobel Laureate Professor Ada Yonath revealed that she was more overwhelmed at seeing the synthesis of her first protein structure than getting the fateful phone call from the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

This passion about her work, together with a great sense of curiosity, set her on the path to be the first Israeli woman to win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2009 for her studies on the structure and function of the ribosome.

The Director of The Helen and Milton A Kimmelman Center for Biomolecular Structure and Assembly, Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, shared this during her talk on “Translation of the genetic code to proteins: The cell workers” at the inaugural U@live: Lifting Thought Leadership on 21 January. Organised by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations, the quarterly speaker series showcases global thought leaders, captains of industry and change-makers.

The ribosome is a complex particle within a living cell that translates genetic information into proteins, which are central to life. The synthesis of proteins was poorly understood in the 1970s and few scientists believed that this critical process in living things could ever be explained.

Prof Yonath, spurred by curiosity to know how the biological building blocks form innumerable proteins, embarked on a mission spanning two decades to unravel the mystery.

After overcoming seemingly unsurmountable challenges, her crystallography approach generated 3D models of the ribosomes that showed how antibiotics bind to them. The discovery paved the way to the development of antibiotics as almost half of clinically useful antibiotics target protein biosynthesis by blocking the function of bacterial ribosomes, Prof Yonath highlighted. She was gratified that scientists and companies

worldwide are adopting her method in various types of research and applications.

For her breakthrough work, Prof Yonath has garnered multiple awards including the Israel Prize, the Wolf Prize in Chemistry, the

Albert Einstein World Award of Science, the L’Oreal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science, not counting the coveted Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Curiosity plays a crucial role in scientific interest and findings,

along with the love of science, said Prof Yonath. She stressed that curiosity is the driving force that keeps a researcher going despite the odds.

When asked by forum moderator Mr Viswa Sadasivan whether current youths are losing their curiosity, she believes they are still curious despite having a different outlook. “Maybe we don’t know how to manipulate it and put it in the right path,” she opined. To address this, she has been looking at changing the school curriculum and syllabus in Israel.

Curiosity is key to scientific success

– Prof Ada Yonath, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry

If you have a curiosity, mission, vision, it is more possible to take care of difficulties.

Prof Yonath elaborating on her discovery at the inaugural U@live: Lifting Thought Leadership

Ribosomes are the “factories” that produce proteins continuously by decoding the genetic information in all living cells

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NUS NEWS

The Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI Singapore) at NUS has demonstrated promising results in using an existing drug to treat colorectal cancer, the most common cancer in Singapore. The study using PRIMA-1met represents a first for colorectal cancer, which affects the large intestine.

Published in October 2015 in Oncotarget, the small molecule drug has shown effective preclinical activity in various cancer types and produced good drug safety profiles. Previous work has found that PRIMA-1met activates mutant p53, a tumour suppressor gene, and promotes cancer cell death. The compound slows down tumour growth, destroys cancer cells and stops migration of such cells.

The p53 gene is known as the “guardian of the genome” as it codes for a key protein that helps stabilise and repair genomes in all cells, explained Professor Chng Wee Joo, Deputy Director and Senior Principal Investigator at CSI Singapore. Mutations in the p53 gene make cells more vulnerable to damage and turn cancerous. Almost half of colorectal cancer patients have p53 mutations, he said.

The disease contributes to about 14 per cent of all cancers in Singapore, with some 900 deaths annually. Colorectal cancer has poor long-term survival rates among adults.

Unlike most anticancer drugs which induce damage to DNA and cause serious side effects, PRIMA-1met restores mutated p53 genes and specifically kills cancer cells. The drug is currently undergoing a Phase I/II clinical trial in haematologic malignancies and prostate cancer in Europe to assess its safety and efficacy.

Prof Chng is upbeat about the drug, “Given the excellent safety profile of PRIMA-1met, coupled with its minimal and fully reversible

side effects, we are optimistic that the development of this drug as a targeted therapeutic approach against colorectal cancer, together with chemotherapy, holds good potential for patients.”

Prof Chng and his team plan to investigate the results of combining PRIMA-1met and chemotherapy drugs in treating colorectal cancer. Collaborations with local hospitals and regional research groups are being explored.

RESEARCH

‘New’ drug treats colorectal cancer

A glove created by NUS researchers brings hope to stroke patients and people with nerve-related conditions in regaining their hand movements. Some 6,000 people in Singapore were stricken by stroke yearly from 2005 to 2013, leading to partial paralysis, including that of the hand.

The invention named EsoGlove is made of stretchable spandex material and houses sensors that detect muscle signals.

The washable glove sheathes soft silicon rubber actuators that operate the “fingers”,

while allowing for natural movements without discomfort. In contrast, traditional robotic “hands” have uncomfortable rigid linkages and joints, offering only a single plane of motion.

The new intuitive system employs a wireless controller band worn by the user on the forearm to detect muscle signals from the arm and guide the motion of the

injured hand. The glove embeds a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader to scan tags that instruct the mechanical fingers to execute certain actions, such as holding or pinching. By tapping the reader on a particular tag, the robotic

fingers assist the wearer’s hand to perform the task.

NUS Biomedical Engineering Assistant Professor Raye Yeow, PhD candidate Yap Hong Kai and Year 4 undergraduate Benjamin Ang Wee Keong, in collaboration with Dr Lim Jeong Hoon from NUS Medicine, developed the innovation.

The 200g glove is half the weight of conventional robotic rehabilitation devices. It works together with a pump-valve control system incorporating RFID tags, in a table-top version for bedridden patients, or a wearable belt for those recovering at home.

Asst Prof Yeow explained that the EsoGlove prevents stiffness and muscle atrophy by mobilising hand joints. It also stimulates a patient’s nervous system to promote hand

activity. The glove will ease patients’ labour-intensive rehabilitation programmes in various settings such as hospital wards, rehabilitation centres and even homes, he said.

Dr Lim, who is also a Senior Consultant with the Division of Neurology at National University Hospital, believes the team's approach will enable the design of therapeutic tools using safe and wearable robotic technology. Patients can take charge of their own rehabilitative process, rather than being passive recipients, he added.

A student at the NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, Hong Kai highlighted that the non-ferromagnetic materials of the EsoGlove actuators make it ideal in functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of the brain.

Thirty stroke patients in Singapore will be recruited for the clinical trial over a duration of six months to examine the effectiveness of the glove in helping them recover hand function.

The team has set up spin-off firm Roceso Technologies Pte Ltd to commercialise the patent-pending EsoGlove.

Prof Chng leads the research team that discovered the potential new treatment for colorectal cancer

Robotic glove gives stroke patients a hand

The team comprising (from left) Asst Prof Yeow, Hong Kai with the glove, Dr Lim and Benjamin

The wearable belt version of the robotic glove system

– Asst Prof Raye Yeow,NUS Biomedical Engineering

EsoGlove is unique as it is made entirely of soft components and does not require complicated mechanical set-ups.

Clean water, an essential life sustenance, is especially crucial for resource-scarce Singapore. Currently, membrane systems for recovering water from saline sources require substantial energy and cost as they need high hydraulic or osmotic pressures for filtration.

A new technology developed by NUS Environmental Research Institute (NERI) can potentially cut energy expenditure by up to 30 per cent. The scientists created a membrane that is among the first in the world to incorporate aquaporins, water channels in living cells that function as nature’s water purification systems.

Drawing inspiration from the mangrove plant and human kidney,

the biomimetic membrane allows efficient filtration at low pressure, thus reducing the amount of energy needed, explained NUS Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Associate Professor Tong Yen Wah.

The leader of the research team added that the new and more durable system could result in cheaper drinking water in the long run. Its higher mechanical strength and stability, compared to present biomimetic membranes, make it more suitable for industrial applications in water treatment and desalination.

The researchers plan to lower the cost of producing aquaporins from Eschericia coli bacteria, such that the system would cost only slightly more than existing membranes. The patent-pending

technology and technique can be applied in biological and biomedical research.

The team is in discussion with AWAK Technologies to design improved membranes that can be incorporated into compact kidney dialysis devices.

Biomimetic membrane to slash filtration costs

These biomimetic membranes have the potential to shave 30 per cent of the costs associated with water purification

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NUS NEWS

George Bogaars Professorship in HistoryNUS has received $2.6 million from various donors, including friends and colleagues of the late Mr George E Bogaars, to set up the George Bogaars Professorship in History.

The Professorship, to be established by NUS History, aims to strengthen the Department’s expertise in modern Asian history, especially in subjects relating to the history of government, politics and the state. The fund will allow the Department to appoint a leading historian known for

excellence and international renown in teaching and research in a relevant area of modern Asian history.

Mr Bogaars had been an esteemed alumnus and outstanding leader, said NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan. “We are deeply appreciative of this latest gift, which will play a key role in helping the Department of History grow its global reputation and influence future thinking,” he added.

The late Mr Bogaars was a leading civil servant,

instrumental in building the administrative service of an independent Singapore. He joined the then-Malayan civil service in 1952 after graduating from the University of Malaya, a predecessor institution of NUS, with a Master of Arts degree conferred by the History Department.

Mr Bogaars headed the Civil Service from 1968 to 1975, and was Chairman of Keppel Shipyard Limited, forerunner of Keppel Corporation, from 1970 to 1984.

More than 35 donors have contributed to the fundraising efforts initiated by Mr Lim Soo Peng, former Member of Parliament for Havelock; Mr Ang Kong Hua, Chairman of Sembcorp Industries Limited; and Ms Pang Cheng Lian, who worked for Mr Bogaars at the former Ministry of the Interior and Defence. Among the strong supporters were Keppel Corporation, NSL Ltd, Singaporean business magnate Mr Ong Beng Seng, Temasek, the Treasury Coffee Club and the Eurasian Association.

Million-dollar boost for cybersecurityThe University has secured almost $1 million through the inaugural Singapore-UK Joint Grant Call for Cybersecurity Research. Three projects by NUS Computing and NUS Mechanical Engineering were among the successful six that will be funded by the grant for three years.

A $5.1 million joint call was made by the UK’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and Singapore’s National Research Foundation. The call, which elicited 22 proposals, seeks to strengthen knowledge and capabilities in cybersecurity and foster closer collaboration in this area between researchers of Singapore and the UK.

The project by NUS Computing Professor Joxan Jaffar and University of Kent Professor Andy King titled “Vulnerability Discovery using Abduction and Interpolation” focuses on performing analysis over machine code to find security vulnerabilities. It aims to develop theoretical foundations as well as practical techniques for security engineers, equipping them with automatic tools that will detect security vulnerabilities in binary code.

The “Security and Privacy in Smart Grid Systems: Countermeasure and Formal Verification” project is led by NUS Computing Associate Professor Dong Jin Song with University of Oxford Professor Andrew Martin. The work will analyse and enhance the security and privacy in smart grids — electrical grids that manage electricity demand in a more sustainable and economic manner.

The third project, “Machine Learning, Robust Optimisation and

Verification: Creating Synergistic Capabilities in Cybersecurity Research”, will be spearheaded by NUS Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Xu Huan and Imperial College Professor Michael Huth. It aims to provide decision-makers a way to represent the systems and services in a principled manner to facilitate good operational or strategic decisions on cybersecurity. New approaches for modelling and optimisation, as well as privacy, will also be examined.

Arbiter of animal names gets $1.35m

NUS has set up an endowment fund with the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) to protect the long-term viability of the global organisation, which advises and arbitrates the standardisation of scientific names of animals.

Established in late 2014, the ICZN Secretariat Fund has received donations totalling $1.35 million, with $1.34 million

coming from the Lee Foundation in Singapore. Other contributors included the American Association for Zoological Nomenclature, the Ichthyological Society of Japan and several private individuals.

The long-term goal of the Fund is to raise another $1 million to $1.5 million so that the ICZN can be fully financially autonomous.

The endowment will help ICZN establish a Secretariat in NUS to coordinate, mitigate and help resolve cases involving rules for naming animals, conflicts over scientific naming and other associated problems. The interest generated by the Fund will also finance the operations of the Secretariat based at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum at NUS.

Professor Peter Ng, Head of the Museum and ICZN Commissioner, started the endowment fund with the strong support of the Commission. With gifts from public and private benefactors worldwide, the endowment’s unique model resembles that of the Museum, which will allow long-term operational sustainability, he said.

Prof Ng highlighted that the community of zoological

taxonomists agreed to base the Secretariat in Singapore since “this is a part of the world in which science is growing at a rapid pace and the challenges associated with biodiversity discovery and conservation are especially acute”.

ICZN President Dr Jan van Tol commented, “The establishment of the Secretariat at NUS in Singapore is also an implementation of my vision that ICZN has to evolve into a truly international organisation, with a strong representation in the megadiverse regions of the world.”

Members of the public who wish to donate towards the ICZN Secretariat Fund can do so at http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/

Cybersecurity R&D Lab

A new National Cybersecurity R&D Laboratory at NUS will receive $8.4 million funding over three years from Singapore’s National Research Foundation, under the National Cybersecurity R&D Programme.

The lab housed in NUS Computing will start operations end of this year. Its shared national research infrastructure will facilitate the local cybersecurity research community and industry to collaborate in areas such as validation of research outcomes and vulnerability assessment.

Mr Lim Chuan Poh, Chairman of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research in Singapore, made the announcement on 14 January at the inaugural Singapore Cybersecurity R&D conference. He noted that the facility will also handle useful datasets for cybersecurity experiments and welcomed international cyber research groups to conduct joint research projects.

Programme Director at the Lab Dr Guo Charng Rang revealed that the centre will install 100 computers in the first year, and expand to 300 computers by next year.

The University has been awarded almost $1 million through three projects which aim to create a more resilient global cyberspace

Editorial Team: Tan Lay Leng, Loo Po Li, Cassandra Yue, Sharon Roberts, Amanda Yee:: Office of Corporate Relations, National University of Singapore :: University Hall, Lee Kong Chian Wing, UHL #05-03, 21 Lower Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119077 :: +65 6516 1517 (Tel) :: +65 6775 7630 (Fax) :: news@nus.edu.sg (E) :: news.nus.edu.sg/inprint (W):: Company Registration No: 200604346E

The name for the dinosaur-like Dimetrodon (named in 1878) is threatened by Bathygnathus (named in 1853). The ICZN has been asked to rule to preserve the name Dimetrodon, which is well-known and widely used.

The zoological commission, led by Dr van Tol (right), has its Secretariat based at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum headed by Prof Ng, an ICZN Commissioner

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To find out more about making a gift to NUS, call 1-800-DEVELOP (1-800-338-3567), email askdvo@nus.edu.sg or visit www.giving.nus.edu.sg

Largest alumni family gives back

The late Mr Lim’s family

We are happy to learn that the gift will help those who have a desire to achieve a university education but do not have adequate financial means to do so. We hope that the Bursary recipients will continue to pursue their dreams and not let financial constraints stand in their way. In future, we hope that they will do the same and help others to realise their aspirations.

Mrs Tang Poh Kim ’64 (Arts), daughter of the late Mr Lim Chin Hin

With 12 alumni across three generations — from patriarch Mr Lim Chin Hin (’38) to grandson-in-law, Mr Mervyn Lim Sing Hok (’82) — the largest NUS alumni family got together to make a gift to establish the Lim Chin Hin Bursary in commemoration of what would have been the late Mr Lim’s 100th birthday. They were inspired to honour Mr Lim’s strong passion for education and his values of generosity and compassion.

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NUS NEWS

And we have lift-off!

Snowstorm, Singapore’s first personal flying machine, took its maiden flight with a live subject during a successful demonstration on 2 December at NUS.

The electric-powered aircraft is the brainchild of Team FrogWorks, a collaboration between NUS Engineering’s Design-Centric Programme (DCP) and the NUS University Scholars Programme (USP). It is named after its hexagonal resemblance to a snowflake and the central position of its pilot in the “eye of the storm”.

The futuristic contraption boasts an impressive 24 motors and an equivalent number of propellers, which receive 52.8kW of power from three rechargeable lithium batteries. The frame is made of aluminium beams, carbon fibre plates and tubes tied with Kevlar ropes.

“We constantly had to balance and consider trade-offs between the types of materials, their characteristics and weight,” said Year 3 Engineering student Shawn Sim. In some cases, 3D-printing of parts was done to have a customised and optimal fit, he added.

The NUS team making final adjustments before the flight

Like a helicopter, Snowstorm is capable of vertical take-off and landing. It can be controlled by a single person of up to 70kg seated within, for a flight time of about five minutes.

With safety as a priority, a five-point harness secures the pilot while inflated gym balls fixed to the six landing gear legs cushion the impact. In addition, the batteries were designed to function independently, while a switch to end the flight and land the craft safely can be operated from the ground in case of an emergency.

Rather than an alternative mode of transportation, the prototype is intended for recreational use in large

indoor spaces. “NUS’ Snowstorm shows that a personal flying machine is a very real possibility...” said DCP Lecturer Dr Joerg Weigl, who supervised the project with Associate Professor Martin Henz from USP.

The team plans to continue fine-tuning Snowstorm in terms of software, safety measures, and propeller and motor configurations to enhance its safety, simplicity and performance.

The novel invention has generated much buzz in the local and international media, with more than 80 articles published to date. The exciting news has also gone viral on social media.

Snowstorm, Singapore’s first personal flying machine