Final Year Projects

It has been quite a while since I wrote my last post.  Last year, I had the privilege of supervising 3 students on their Final Year Projects.  Here is a short summary of each project.

Floating Reservoir

In a joint effort with Mr Lim Soon Heng, the President of Society of Floating Solutions (Singapore), final year student Chau Chee Chung has developed a concept of Modular Floating Reservoir.  Truss structures, which are designed to float as a single module, are connected together to form an enclosed water body.  The reservoir is retained in a membrane that suspends freely from the truss structures.  The membranes separate the rainwater from seawater.  The Modular Floating Reservoir will reduce Singapore’s reliance on the traditional land reservoirs.

Floating Park Connectors

Anyone who cycles from the East Coast to Marina Bay Financial Centre will understand there are limited park connectors on land that link these regions.  Final year student Ian Poh Qi Yue has developed a concept of Modular Floating Park Connectors that will link Marina Promenade Park, Bay East Garden Park, and Gardens by the Bay Park.  A floating bridge that will offer cyclists a shorter route between these parks without circumventing the Kallang Basin or Marina Bay.

Floating Cafe

To prepare for the impending rise in sea levels, final year student Hamzah Khuzema Shakir has come up with the concept of a Modular Floating Cafe that could be deployed in any rivers or reservoirs.  Using the 40-foot container as a standard unit, a floating pontoon and cafe could be fabricated, transported and connected on site to form a simple cafe that serves visitors of any parks and riverwalks.

Commencement

Commencement is considered one of the most significant moments in anyone’s life.  Congratulations to Chee Chung, Ian Poh, and Hamzah for completing their B.Eng. undergraduate degree.  I am sure that they have learned a lot in these 4 years and will look back someday at their university life with nostalgia.

From left: Ian Poh, Chee Chung, me and Hamzah.

ASEAN @ 50

In 1967, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore signed the Bangkok Declaration to form the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In 1984, Brunei Darussalam became the 6th member barely a week after independence.  Today, the ASEAN membership has grown to 10 member states with Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar joining in the 90s.

ASEAN@50 Exhibition

This year, to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of ASEAN, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) of Brunei Darussalam has graciously organized the ASEAN@50 Exhibition with cultural performances, makan fair, movie screening, educational talks and booths for all ASEAN member states and beyond.  The Exhibition was held on 12th and 13th August at the International Convention Centre in Brunei.

Thanks to the support of Singapore High Commission in Brunei, NUS Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) had the privilege to represent NUS at the Singapore booth during the two-day event.

CEE took this opportunity to promote their Graduate Programmes, Master of Science in Offshore Technology and Graduate Certificate in Petroleum Engineering, to young graduates and professionals in Brunei’s Oil and Gas industry.

From Left: Mr Raymond Chow (Deputy High Commissioner), Dr Paul Ong (NUS Senior Lecturer), Mr Lim Hong Huai (Singapore High Commissioner) and Dato Seri Paduka Haji Erywan bin Pehin Yusof (Deputy Minister of MOFAT) at the Singapore booth.

The ASEAN@50 Exhibition was graced by the Deputy Minister of MOFAT, Dato Seri Paduka Haji Erywan bin Pehin Yusof. Accompanying Deputy Minister’s visit to the Singapore booth was the Singapore High Commissioner, Mr Lim Hong Huai.

Education Talk

NUS was also invited to present an educational talk on Nurturing Future Leaders in Offshore Technology and Petroleum Engineering.  Besides learning about the CEE Graduate Programmes, the audience also knew about the Offshore Research at NUS, the impact of Overseas Community Improvement Projects championed by Operation Orion and Project OceaNUS had on ASEAN, University Town, and NUS Alumni.

Singapore Booth

Interest in the Graduate Programmes varied from questions on the enrolment details, academic fees, and admission criteria, to opportunities to pursue a Ph.D. and even an invitation to visit a high school in Brunei.  The ASEAN@50 Exhibition was attended by a number of high school students.  Not surprisingly, there were also many queries on the Undergraduate Programmes available at NUS.

Thank You

The ASEAN@50 Exhibition signifies the diversity of cultures, languages, and traditions within ASEAN. It is this diversity that makes ASEAN a great place to live, share and explore. NUS is very grateful for the generous support of the Singapore High Commission in Brunei Darussalam and the dedication of like-minded Singaporeans who share the same enthusiasm to promote Singapore as the little red dot of ASEAN.