GRADS GOING PLACES: WORKING ON THE SET OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS • TOP GRADS’ XTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS

WORK SMART

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ntrepreneurs considering venturing overseas or corporate leaders tasked with developing new markets will

benefit from Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s Travel & Learn (T&L) Programme. The business learning journey – spanning three to four days – provides opportunities to network with seasoned entrepreneurs, hear insiders’ business viewpoints and visit local incubators in emerging Asian markets such as Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and China. They will also get to connect with local business owners to explore potential collaborations.

“The networking and sharing sessions by the

Singaporean entrepreneurs there were a bonus, as nothing beats hearing personal accounts from those who have gone ahead of us,” said Mr Low Cheh Chuan, Managing Director and Executive Creative Director of Salt Creatives, who participated in a T&L trip to Myanmar. He has since incorporated a branch of his business there.

Manila and Cebu are among the destinations for upcoming T&L trips. SkillsFuture Singapore subsidies of up to 75 per cent are available for eligible applicants and SkillsFuture Credit can be used. Visit www.np.edu.sg/travelandlearn for updates.

lose to 600 educators and trainers gathered at Ngee Ann Polytechnic on September 27

for the Continuing Education & Training (CET) Masters Series, organised by the polytechnic’s CET Academy. The one-day symposium saw keynote speakers and trainers sharing perspectives relevant to today’s digital learning age and the evolving CET landscape.

Mr Lai Chung Han, Second Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, delivered the opening keynote address that set the tone for

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Symposium at Ngee Ann equips educators to engage learners in the digital age TexT: Melanie Wee

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LEARNING THROUGH TRAVEL

BUILDING CAPABILITIES FOR THE FUTURE

Mr lai Chung Han, Second Permanent Secretary, Ministry

of education, graced the inaugural CeT

Masters Series.

among the panellists in a discussion on entrepreneurship were: (From left) Ms So-Young Kang, Founder & CeO, Gnowbe; Dr Sinuhe arroyo, Founder & CeO, TaiGeR; and Mr Patrice Choong, Director, The Sandbox, ngee ann Polytechnic.

educators to prep themselves for the future education landscape. The programme also included an insightful entrepreneurship-centred panel discussion and talks on developing talent for the future.

Participants also attended a range of masterclasses and workshops on emerging areas such as micro-learning, and the creation of chatbots, apps and websites.

“It was encouraging to see a polytechnic taking the initiative to bring together thought leaders and

Find out more about the

Travel & learn Programme:

subject experts to discuss strategies and techniques in building capabilities for the future,” shared Dr Ravi Rajaratnam, Principal of PIC Leadership, who led a masterclass on digital skills.

The event was well-attended by close to 600 educators and trainers.

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/ contents /features Building Capabilities for the Future Symposium at Ngee Ann equips educators to engage learners in the digital age Triumph on World's Stage Ngee Ann Polytechnic students score triple wins at WorldSkills ASEAN competition lifelong learners: Study. Work. Family Hear first-hand from our top CET graduates on their lifelong learning journey at Ngee Ann On the a-list Inspiring success stories from this year’s top graduates cover story agents of Change A leaner and more agile Ngee Ann workforce, thanks to over 80 innovative staff ideas

highlights Hacking FinTech Innovative ideas emerge at inaugural FinTech hackathon for polytechnic students

Boosting Overseas learning for Students Four-fold increase in students gaining overseas exposure, thanks to support from Ngee Ann Kongsi

Passionate asian on Set of Crazy Rich asians Film, Sound & Video alumnus and Associate Producer of Crazy Rich Asians reveals what it’s like to work on the box office smash hit

intern without Borders Getting real-world learning experiences through an overseas internship The Quake that Shook ngee ann’s Community into action Over $30,000 raised for Lombok earthquake victims within a month

the last page Building Bonds across Borders: a Special Connection with lombok

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CORPORaTe COMMUniCaTiOnS OFFiCe

ASSISTANT EDITOR Melanie Wee

CONTRIBUTORS andrea Chua, Chan Yee Chun, Frances Sim, Hafeez Sim, ian izdeehar, Kamaruzi Berro, lea Wee

For enquiries, contact us at media_enquiries@np.edu.sg.

GRADS GOING PLACES: WORKING ON THE SET OF CRAZY RICH ASIANS • TOP GRADS’ XTRAORDINARY JOURNEYS

WORK SMART

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hey had gotten off to a rocky start as a team due to personal differences. But

Arthur Liew and Wong Shi Jie overcame their initial struggles to bring home a gold medal for Singapore at the WorldSkills ASEAN competition held in Thailand in September.

The two Mechanical Engineering students came up tops in Mechatronics, a first for Singapore in the category. Other Ngee Ann Polytechnic students also did the country proud. A team of Electrical Engineering students, Daphne Tan and Lim Gao Min, came in second in the Internet-of-Things category, a new skills area introduced at the competition; while Electronic & Computer Engineering student and Singapore team captain, Merick Fong, was awarded a Medallion for Excellence in the Electronics category.

“Mechatronics is a team event, so each of us needed to be clear about our roles and tasks,” said Shi Jie. “Arthur and I had a rough start at first. But we learnt how to communicate better and work towards our common goal of winning the gold. I couldn’t have asked

TRIUmPH ON wORLD'S STAGENgee Ann Polytechnic students score triple wins at WorldSkills ASEAN competition TexT: Melanie Wee

for a better partner in the competition.“Being able to represent Singapore

and win a gold medal has been the greatest experience and achievement of my life. I’m thankful to my coaches, family and friends for their support throughout my WorldSkills journey,” he added.

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Graduation Day: This year's top CeT Graduates – normisah Binte Mohd Sah (second from left), Rahmat Bin abdull latif (fourth from right) and Khaw Poh Chuan (not pictured).

LIFELONG LEARNERS: STUDY. wORK. FAmILY

NEw BEGINNINGS FOR NGEE ANN GRADUATES

arthur liew (left) and Wong Shi Jie celebrate

a win for Singapore in the Mechatronics

category at the Worldskills aSean

competition.

ome 5,000 Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) students were asked to unwrap a unique “present” on their mobile devices during their graduation ceremonies in May.

“Beginnings”, NP’s first mobile micro-learning package, was a gift to its graduating students this year. Comprising four curated courses powered by online learning platform Gnowbe, “Beginnings” was launched by Senior Minister of State for Education, Mr Chee Hong Tat, during 2018’s graduation session at NP on May 8.

These bite-sized, interactive programmes provide NP graduates with access to in-demand skills, industry advice and career hacks, while enabling them to network with their peers and practitioners to share ideas. Each micro-learning course comprises four to 12 learning units, with each unit lasting about 10 minutes. Upon completing each course, they will receive a digital certificate which can be shared on LinkedIn.

“With the introduction of mobile micro-learning courses, we hope our graduates will find it easy and convenient to pick up new skills and knowledge every day, and therefore make learning a way of life,” said NP Principal, Mr Clarence Ti.

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Hear first-hand from our top CET graduates 2018 on their lifelong journey at NP TexT: anDRea CHUa

above left: “Beginnings” comprises four curated micro-learning courses on online platform Gnowbe.

above right: Mr Chee Hong Tat (middle), Senior Minister of State for education, launching “Beginnings”, a gift for graduating nP students. looking on are Mr Tang Kin Fei (left), nP Council Chairman, and Mr Clarence Ti, nP Principal.

e caught up with three graduates from Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s (NP) Continuing Education & Training (CET) Academy to find out what motivated them to

take up CET programmes, and how they juggled work, family and studies.

normisah Binte Mohd Sah

Diploma in Business Practice (administration & Management)

The 45-year-old single mother of four signed up for a diploma to upgrade her skills in order to give her children a better future. It was tough returning to school after such a long hiatus.

“One of the most daunting challenges was getting back into ‘study mode’ after being out of school for over two decades,” she said. However, with strong support from her family, bosses, colleagues and lecturers, she was among the top graduates in her course.

Doing this diploma not only helped Normisah at work, but also gave her a chance to be a role model to her children. Her survival tip for future NP CET learners is to be mentally and physically prepared to juggle work, family and studies. She said: “Do the best you can and never give up!”

Normisah was recommended for a promotion after attending this course. A believer in lifelong learning, she intends to take up a university degree in Business Studies with Psychology.

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Khaw Poh Chuan

Diploma in engineering (Mechanical)Poh Chuan is a 48-year-old port service engineer who took

up a diploma to advance his career. What he liked most about the course was its relevance to his work. It equipped him with knowledge of the latest technologies in his industry, which he could apply on-the-job. The support of his wife, children, employer and colleagues helped him to do well in the course.

He encourages future NP CET learners to push ahead to upgrade themselves. “Don’t think you cannot until you have tried,” he said. “Think positively – and keep on trying because learning never ends.”

Poh Chuan was promoted after receiving his diploma. He is now a service engineer who manages a group of over 20 technicians in the care of port equipment.

Rahmat Bin abdull latif

Diploma in engineering (Marine & Offshore Technology)Rahmat felt that the best thing about Ngee Ann is its

support for part-time students. The 27-year-old said that learning technical skills such as AutoCAD and MS Project in his course has given him better job prospects. The knowledge he gained from the diploma also helped him understand and communicate better with his colleagues.

His tip to anyone who wants to take up a part-time course is to arm themselves with a never-give-up attitude. “It is going to be tough. Hold on to the ‘why’ you are doing this and keep on fighting,” he said. “Pay attention during class and ask questions. As a part-time student, you have to juggle many responsibilities. So you need to study efficiently and effectively to make full use of your time.”

Rahmat went on to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Technology, majoring in Software Engineering at the National University of Singapore.

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ON THE A-LISTLYNETTE LAUCourse: Business Studies Formerly from: Singapore Chinese Girls’ School awards: ngee ann Kongsi Gold Medal and lien Ying Chow Gold Medal

ynette Lau’s entrepreneurial streak first shone through when she was just a primary school student. “I

would get a big bag of snacks and sell them to my classmates by the handful to make a profit. That was my first venture into entrepreneurship,” she said.

Lynette has not looked back since then. An active seller on Carousell, an online marketplace, she is constantly on the lookout for new business opportunities. Lynette currently co-runs a startup – Picxels, which provides photobooth services – while studying for a degree in Business Administration at the National University of Singapore (NUS) under the NUS Global Merit Scholarship.

Her business acumen was nurtured as a Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) student, when she participated in the Global Entrepreneurial Internship Programme, which provides students with internships at startups worldwide. Her interest in strategy

and business development, coupled with her lecturers’ encouragement to follow her dreams, prompted Lynette to apply for a six-month internship with Grab Indonesia.

At Grab, Lynette helped to reduce the backlog of driver signups and automate staff efficiency reports. Travelling throughout 10 different cities in the country, she even picked up Bahasa Indonesia so that she could communicate with staff in local offices.

As an NP student, Lynette also served as President of the Current Affairs Club, which involved helping out in Meet-the-People Sessions at her constituency. “I saw cases of needy families seeking financial aid and lonely elderly residents who simply wanted a listening ear,” she said. “It was meaningful to be engaged at such a level, and I hope my startup business in the future can be beneficial to communities that need help.”

Lynette’s grit and determination to succeed have been driven by the words of someone she is close to. “My grandfather grew up in a poor family. He has always believed that education is the key to breaking out of the poverty cycle. Although he is now stricken with advanced colon cancer, his words still inspire me to work hard to achieve my ambitions,” she said.

EMMETT GOH Course: Business Studies Formerly from: iTe College Central and naval Base Secondary School award: Tay eng Soon Gold Medal

ust six years ago, Emmett Goh found himself in the lock-up of Ang Mo Kio Police Station. Then 16, Emmett was arrested

after fighting with his school mates. While it was not his first brush with the law, his 12-hour ordeal there jolted him out of complacency.

“I started thinking about what I had done and decided that I couldn’t continue living this way,” recounted Emmett, whose turning point came after a friend advised him to take responsibility for his life and sit for his O levels.

And so he did. The former Normal (Technical) student then joined the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) where he achieved a near perfect GPA score, earning him a spot in NP’s Business Studies course.

“I wanted to make the most out of my time in poly. I knew that this was my chance to start afresh,” said Emmett.

Life did not begin on a rosy note for him. With an absent father during his growing up years, his mother juggled several jobs as the family’s sole breadwinner. Left to his own devices, Emmett started mixing with bad company and got into all manner of trouble.

Agreeing to take his O levels was his first step in reversing the years of going downhill.

Emmett seized every opportunity that came his way in NP, including a six-month internship at Metta Nairobi in Kenya, an entrepreneurs’ club that brings startup communities and ecosystems together. Describing it as a “challenging experience” that shaped his life, Emmett added that it also strengthened his resolve to serve the community.

Emmett hopes to become an inspirational speaker in the future. “I want to encourage other students and at-risk youths to persevere and not to give up on their lives,” said Emmett.

Inspiring success stories from this year’s top graduates TexT: Melanie Wee

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HE SHIYING Course: Pharmacy Science Formerly from: School of Science and Technology awards: lee Kuan Yew award & ngee ann Polytechnic Outstanding achievement award

he may be soft-spoken and genteel, but He Shiying is a big-hearted advocate for spreading the green message.

Her interest in environmental issues was piqued during a community service trip to the Philippines, where she saw how trash was managed in a landfill. “It made me realise how much waste we generate and motivated me to work towards a zero-waste lifestyle,” she said.

Shiying then started a green social enterprise to reduce the use of disposable containers at food courts. She now brings her own food containers and cutlery whenever she eats out.

“I hope we can all be more mindful of our consumer habits and not buy more than what is needed,” said Shiying, who is currently pursuing a degree in Global Studies at NUS under the NUS Global Merit Scholarship.

Her support for worthy causes also led her to give free tuition to children from low-income families and volunteer with Beyond Social Services and Trans Family Services.

During her internship at Hougang Polyclinic, Shiying gained practical experience in dispensing medicines to patients. Being immersed in the healthcare system, she also saw how different healthcare professionals worked together to treat patients.

“My course at NP gave me a good grounding in the development and prevention of diseases, which is what I am passionate about,” she said.

Shiying hopes to pursue a career as an epidemiologist, researching the spread and management of diseases – an aspiration shaped by her experience in the Philippines.

“We visited a local hospital and saw patients lying on beds in the hallway and lobbies,” she said. “I wanted to do more to help people like them as I believe healthcare is a basic right for every individual. This has inspired me to pursue a career in public health where I can touch the lives of others directly.”

ANNE FOO Course: engineering Science Formerly from: Presbyterian High School awards: lee Kuan Yew award & ngee ann Polytechnic Outstanding achievement award

ne of Anne Foo’s most distinct childhood memories was spending afternoons watching her late grandfather tinker with home appliances and fix

faulty gadgets.“He was always so excited about taking things apart

and examining how they work,” said Anne, recalling how her grandfather had ignited her interest in engineering at a young age.

“Although he is no longer around, his sense of wonder and curiosity inspired in me a love for learning, as well as discovering new solutions to problems,” she added.

Anne was naturally drawn to NP’s Engineering Science course because of its strong focus on research. At NP, she worked on several research projects, including developing an algorithm for the detection of coronary artery disease using electrocardiograms (ECG).

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My course at NP gave me a good grounding in the development and prevention of diseases, which is what I am passionate about. – He Shiying

(From left) Tey Ming Chuan, He Shiying and anne Foo.

TEY MING CHUAN Course: Biomedical engineering Formerly from: Zhenghua Secondary School awards: lee Kuan Yew award & ngee ann Polytechnic Outstanding achievement award

aving a father who fixed his electronic gadgets and household appliances was what inspired Tey Ming Chuan to pursue a career in engineering.

“My father has always been there to repair spoilt items. The engineering tools and control systems that he brought home also fascinated me,” said Ming Chuan.

As he was also interested in biology, Ming Chuan decided to pursue the Biomedical Engineering course in NP. “I wanted to explore the seemingly limitless possibilities in integrating biology and engineering,” he said.

Ming Chuan’s opportunity came during his final-year project, a collaboration with the National University Hospital to aid in administering liquid food to patients with swallowing difficulties. Instead of tapping on x-rays to trace the internal placement of the feeding tube, the project utilises air pressure from an electromechanical pneumatic system which is a safer, simpler and cheaper method.

The project received a Merit Prize at the Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors’ Award and a Bronze Award (Polytechnic Category) at the Biomedical Engineering Society’s 11th Scientific Meeting.

Graduating at the top of his cohort, Ming Chuan has come a long way from his secondary school days, where he was often placed near the bottom of his class. “Being ranked 36th out of 38 students in my class woke me up. It made me reconsider what I was doing and I was determined to pick myself up,” he said.

“I hope to be involved in the world of technology, and use my technical skills and knowledge to develop a new innovation which can benefit the community in future,” he added.

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I hope to be involved in the world of technology, and use my technical skills and knowledge to develop a new innovation which can benefit the community in future. – Tey Ming Chuan

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[Working on my research project] got me thinking about the possibility of pursuing a career as a doctor, so that I can make a direct impact on the lives of others. – Anne Foo

For their efforts, her team won the Best Project Award at the annual Polytechnic Student Research Programme. They were also selected to present their project findings at the International STEM Students Forum in Hong Kong.

“While working on this project, I saw how I could use my skills to make people’s lives better. It got me thinking about pursuing a career as a doctor, so that I can make a direct impact on the lives of others.”

Anne has been accepted in the new SUTD-Duke-NUS Special Track, which is jointly offered by the Singapore University of Technology and Design and Duke-NUS Medical School. The interdisciplinary programme prepares students with an engineering background for leadership roles in healthcare as clinicians who can treat patients while harnessing technology to develop medical innovations.

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A leaner and more agile Ngee Ann workforce,

thanks to over 80 innovative staff ideas TexT: lea Wee

Man-DaY SavinGS

COST SavinGS

OveR FROM

80 PROJeCTS

~20 SCHOOlS/DePTS

>5,800

>$290,000

Work SmarterHelp Each Other

Work SmarterHelp Each Other

nP’s Work Smarter projects in numbers

The asknP chatbot can answer about 200 questions relating to ngee ann’s

courses and admissions.

Data analytics software like Tableau allows staff to efficiently prepare customised interactive reports.

data

Iot LIghts off!

gnow

be

We have been through it all before and thrived. Remember the days of OHPs, transparencies, typewriters and night soil collectors? Adapt quickly; don’t be afraid to ask questions and try new things. – Mr Clarence Ti, NP Principal

treamline and automate work processes, and remove what are repetitive and frustrating. This is what the Work Smarter, Help Each Other movement at Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) has been encouraging

staff to do.And the response has been resounding. In the

last year, about 20 schools and departments have conceptualised over 80 “Work Smarter” projects, featuring new technology and tools such as data analytics and e-ticketing. This has led to estimated annual savings of over $290,000 and more than 5,800 man-days.

Being lean, agile and digital are among the welcomed outcomes of the current theme in Public Sector Transformation, which are aligned along three As: Ambition, Alignment and Action; in other words, to aim higher, work together and make things happen.

It is necessary to work smarter as resources are tightening, but there is no need to fear transformation, said NP Principal, Mr Clarence Ti.

He said: “We have been through it all before and thrived. Remember the days of OHPs, transparencies, typewriters and night soil collectors? Adapt quickly; don’t be afraid to ask questions and try new things.”

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smart LIghtIng At the Corporate Communications Office, staff can now turn on their workstation lights via a mobile app. The system also automatically turns off 50 per cent of the office’s corridor lights during lunch break and after working hours, cutting down lighting time per day by 33 per cent.

onLIne safety traInIng Instead of attending face-to-face safety orientation training, new staff at NP’s Risk Management Office (RMO) now learn through bite-sized modules on mobile platform, Gnowbe. This has saved RMO 12 man-hours of training per year and allowed new staff to learn anytime and anywhere.

eLectronIc mc submIssIons NP’s Engineering and InfoComm Technology schools streamlined student submissions of medical certificates, using e-applications and self-service kiosks. This lightens administrative workload as staff only need to approve submissions at the end of each day.

e-donatIon drIve Fund-raising went digital during a recent donation drive for Lombok’s earthquake victims. Staff and students donated by scanning a QR code for mobile payment, reducing the cost and risk of counting and depositing cash. By going digital, the team was also able to launch the fund-raising effort within a short time.

automated scrIptIng The Computer Centre automated work via scripting for the Exam Repository System Setup for over 1,000 modules per semester. This saved 59 man-hours, and cut down on errors and repetitive work for staff.

other work smarter projects include :

WOrk SMArT IdEA #3

arts fiesta goes cashless The number of Arts Fiesta performances has been increasing – from six in its inaugural year in 2011, to 24 last year. Staff from the Student Development Office (SDO), which manages the annual event had to allocate more resources to manage its ticketing.

Previously, students had to design and sell the tickets before depositing the proceeds – which could reach $100,000 – with SDO.

SDO staff, along with Finance officers would then tally the stubs and cash, which occasionally went missing, said Mr Soh Ee Shaun, SDO’s Senior Student Development Officer. “It was also difficult to determine the sales rate running up to each activity and intervene if they were poor, as some students handed in their tickets late,” he added.

To resolve these issues, SDO tapped on e-ticketing app, Ticket Tailor, which lets users purchase tickets online, eradicating the need for physical tickets. There was no need to design and print tickets, as well as count stubs and money. Plus, with electronic payments, there were no longer reports of missing cash.

All in, about 614 manhours, or 60 working days, which translated to about $62,400 in cash, were saved. The initiative bagged a bronze award in this year’s MOE Innergy and Outstanding Innovator Awards (Statutory Board).

Thanks to the Student Development Office’s Mr lee Mee Shin (left) and Mr Soh ee Shaun (right), hard copy arts Fiesta tickets (inset) have been replaced by e-tickets, eliminating the need to count physical cash and ticket stubs.

Watch the project video:

WOrk SMArT IdEA #1

better Insights with data analytics Data analytics is no longer a rarefied field for the highly-numerate. To get more staff to work smart around data, NP’s Centre for Learning & Teaching Excellence (CLTE) began introducing data analytics such as Tableau, a self-service data analytics tool.

Mr Hang Kim Yam, NP’s Data Strategy Lead, said: “We aim to let users connect to and combine data from different sources, build highly-interactive visualisations, as well as analyse data to gain insights for better decision-making.”

Since 2017, more academic schools have been using Tableau to prepare customised interactive reports to get better insights into student performance. NP’s Finance department also published its interactive year-end procurement report online using Tableau.

The process used to take six Finance staff almost 200 man-hours to complete. Report generation required several stages, including the extracting, cleansing and blending of data. The data then had to be separated into different datasets, and reports were prepared for each school and department.

With Tableau, staff can use the cleansed data directly to populate the report before publishing it online. A “User Filter” feature lets schools or departments view only their

WOrk SMArT IdEA #2

a 24/7 digital assistant

version of the report. Hence, only one report needs to be prepared. The entire process takes a staff only four to five man-hours to complete.

Said Mr Hang: “Moving forward, our aim is to equip all schools and departments with self-service data analytics capability.”

He’s friendly, available 24/7 and has virtually all the answers to your questions about courses and admissions at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

Meet AskNP, a chatbot developed by NP’s Student & Alumni Services Office (SAS).

Thanks to AskNP, phone enquiries on admissions through the polytechnic’s main line in January this year – usually the busiest month due to the Joint Admissions Exercise – dropped by 28 per cent, said Ms Audrey Chong, SAS’ Assistant Director.

SAS Executive, Ms Siti Zubaidah, one of two staff manning the main line, welcomed the change. “I used to feel like a robot, repeating the same reply to the same questions again and again,” she said.

SAS currently receives about 12,000 enquiries – comprising 10,000 calls and 2,000 emails – a year.

“We aim to divert at least half of the enquiries to the chatbot, so our frontline staff can be deployed to answer only the more complex questions which the chatbot cannot handle,” said Ms Chong.

All conversations are reviewed by a chatbot trainer, who inserts “new knowledge” into a bot training platform developed by local start-up, KeyReply.

The chatbot can now answer about 200 questions. SAS plans to further develop the chatbot to answer queries covering student life as well as continuing education courses.

Making data analytics tools accessible to nP staff are Mr lim Hock

Chuan (left) and Mr Hang Kim Yam (right) from the

Centre for learning & Teaching excellence.

The chatbot has reduced the number of admissions enquiries received by Ms audrey Chong (left) and Ms Siti Zubaidah (right) from the Student & alumni Services Office.

Watch the project video:

Watch the project video:

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HACKING FINTECHnce thought of as technology used only for a bank’s back-end functions, financial technology

or FinTech today is disrupting the traditional banking and financial sector. Thanks to FinTech, consumers can now access personal banking information and purchase financial products with their smartphones. Chatbots can also attend to customers’ queries 24/7.

Thus, it is no surprise that the younger generation is already diving into this emerging field – the inaugural PolyFinTech 100 Hackathon saw over 120 participants from the five polytechnics try their hand at developing application programming interfaces or APIs (see box story) for the financial services sector.

Spearheaded by Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP), and supported by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and other local polytechnics, the Hackathon also provided opportunities for participants to meet and network with industry partners including Citibank, DBS, OCBC, UOB, NETS and PayPal.

“We are excited to host the largest API Hackathon in Singapore for the financial services sector as it is a great opportunity for not only participants to gain industry insights, but also for participating companies to nurture the next generation of FinTech API developers,” said Mr Patrice

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Innovative ideas emerge at inaugural FinTech hackathon for polytechnic students TexT: HaFeeZ SiM

Choong, Director of The Sandbox, NP’s innovation and entrepreneurship office.

Eighteen teams vied for the top spot in six categories during the month-long competition. NP’s UniTym, comprising a team of Financial Informatics students, won the PolyFinTech 100 Award category for its innovative customer loyalty programme to help SMEs build and retain their customer bases.

“The Hackathon was a wonderful opportunity for us to apply our classroom knowledge to real-world JUST wHAT IS AN API?

An application programming interface (API) helps developers connect to a function within an operating system or acts as an intermediary between two applications. This may sound complicated, but one just has to imagine an API as the bridge that lets an app such as Instagram access a smartphone’s camera, without first having to develop its own camera app software.

problems. You begin to see what you learn in the classroom really come to life as you tackle issues,” said Jeremy Soh, team leader of UniTym.

The Hackathon was part of PolyFinTech 100, a framework by MAS and the five polytechnics to equip graduates with the necessary skills that will allow them to do well in the future economy.

nP’s Team Unitym came up tops with an innovative solution to help SMes build and retain their customer bases.

The Hackathon was a wonderful opportunity for us to apply our classroom knowledge to real-world problems. You begin to see what you learn in the classroom really come to life as you tackle issues.– Jeremy Soh, Team Leader, UniTym

BOOSTING OVERSEAS LEARNING FOR STUDENTS

or aspiring entrepreneur, Cheryl Dee, her two-week trip to Hong Kong was an eye-

opening experience.She travelled there as part of

Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s (NP) Overseas Innovation Challenge, which provides opportunities for student innovators and budding entrepreneurs to propose solutions to industry challenges.

“The trip really broadened my understanding of innovation. It was satisfying to see how our idea could potentially help a company to grow,” said Cheryl.

This is just one of the programmes made possible by annual funding from Ngee Ann Kongsi, alongside others such as the Global Entrepreneurial Internship Programme and Social Leadership Challenge which enable NP students to deepen their skills, experience foreign cultures and give back to society.

Thanks to Ngee Ann Kongsi’s unwavering support, the number of students participating in such overseas development programmes has increased

by over four-fold since 2013.This year, the philanthropic

organisation donated $8.4 million to NP, in a ceremony graced by Ms Low Yen Ling, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Manpower on September 20.

“Ngee Ann Kongsi’s generous contributions will ensure that all students regardless of background or financial ability, can achieve their full potential and take advantage of the learning opportunities that NP offers,” said NP Principal, Mr Clarence Ti.

lose industry partnerships are key at Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP), giving students access to applied learning opportunities, internships, real-world

projects and industry mentors. Some recent collaborations include Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) signed with: DeFenCe SCienCe & TeCHnOlOGY aGenCY (DSTa): Under the partnership, NP students will gain exposure to cutting-edge technologies and training opportunities. Hackathons, internships and lectures by DSTA engineers will give students valuable insights into emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation, robotics and data science.

SaP: Polytechnic graduates and mid-career professionals will benefit from infocomm courses, including predictive analytics, artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. The programmes are part of SAP Skills University Singapore, launched under an MOU signed by enterprise software giant, SAP, with SkillsFuture Singapore and the five local polytechnics, including NP. eM SeRviCeS PTe lTD: The MOU will boost students’ exposure and arm them with industry-ready skills. It covers Service-Learning partnerships, internships and research projects to prepare students for careers in facility management.

STRENGTHENING INDUSTRY TIES C

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(From left): Mr Clarence Ti, Principal, ngee ann Polytechnic; Mr Tang Kin Fei, Chairman, ngee ann Polytechnic Council; Ms low Yen ling, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for education and Manpower; Mr Richard lee, President, ngee ann Kongsi; Mr Goh Kim Hock, Chairman, education/Scholarships & Bursaries Sub-Committee, ngee ann Kongsi.

Four-fold increase in students gaining overseas exposure, thanks to support from Ngee Ann Kongsi TexT: Melanie Wee

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● Five Biomedical Science and Environmental & Water Technology students won the Lee Hsien Loong Interactive Digital Media Smart Nation Award for their “Gravitrap” project. The team worked with the National Environment Agency (NEA) to develop the device that traps and kills female mosquitos by using bait-water to lure them to a sticky tape. Its automated system pinpoints low levels of bait-water which need to be refilled by staff, thus allowing NEA to allocate its manpower resources more efficiently.

hen Janice Chua visited Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s (NP) Open House at the age of 15, she

did not guess that it would set her on the road to Hollywood. The associate producer of Hollywood smash hit, Crazy Rich Asians revealed this during an on-campus sharing session on her film career with NP students in August.

Janice first had her interest in stage props piqued when she was in secondary school, thanks to the Arthur Miller plays she had read then. Deciding to pursue her passion in stage production, she enrolled in NP’s Film, Sound & Video (FSV) course.

Upon graduation, Janice pursued a degree in Creative Producing from Chapman University. By then, she had discovered her interest for long form films and producing, a perfect match for her creative talent. However, unable to break into the American market despite a film internship in Los Angeles, Janice moved to China and worked with a film production company, where she was responsible for distributing Asian movies to Hollywood audiences. Yet she never gave up on her dream of becoming a producer.

Lady Luck smiled on Janice when she met Terence Chang, producer of Chinese-Hong Kong film, The Crossing. An industry mentor to her, he advised her to venture to America, because “not many people have experience with both China and Hollywood”. With her bilingual English and Chinese language skills opening new doors, Janice relocated to Los Angeles after joining Ivanhoe Pictures (now SK Global), an American production company which had just bought the intellectual property rights for Crazy Rich Asians.

On the movie set, Janice experienced amazing attention to detail by the professionals. While filming at Newton hawker centre, Janice recounted ordering mutton soup, satay, chilli crab and other local dishes for the crew before the shoot.

She said, “Jon [the director] gave me a huge bunch of money to buy food and told me that the the crew needs to fall in love with the food; otherwise, they can’t shoot it well. It made me realise how much you need to be in tune with the subject matter to achieve excellence. That was a level of professionalism I’ve never encountered,” she said.

Samantha Voon, a second-year FSV student who attended the sharing session, said that she was inspired by Janice’s resilience throughout her journey to Hollywood. Course mate Daniel Lee was similarly encouraged. “I’ve realised that it’s okay to take the time to discover our own areas of expertise while learning from others’ experience,” he said.

PASSIONATE ASIAN ON SET OF CRAZY RICH ASIANSFilm, Sound & Video alumnus and Associate Producer of Crazy Rich Asians reveals what it’s like to work on the box office smash hit TexT: CHan Yee CHUn

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● Senior Manager, School of Engineering, Mr Sunarto @ Quek Siaw Miang was shortlisted as one of four finalists for the President’s Award for Teaching 2018 (Post-Secondary Education Institutions), Singapore’s highest accolade for teaching excellence. Over 6,000 nominations were received for the award, which is presented annually on Teachers’ Day to exemplary teachers who have gone the extra mile for their students.

SPECIAL mENTIONS

Janice Chua, associate Producer of Crazy Rich asians, sheds light on her Hollywood experience during the sharing session.

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INTERN wITHOUT BORDERS Getting real-world learning experiences through an overseas internship TexT: ian iZDeeHaR

aving a mother who is German, Reinhard Tan has been understandably

fascinated by the country, supporting its World Cup team and researching the many historical figures who shared his name. So when the opportunity came for a five-month internship at Mannheim University, the Biomedical Engineering student jumped at the chance to visit the land of his dreams.

neW COUnTRY, neW SKillS: I worked mainly with microcontrollers in Mannheim University. Though I wasn’t familiar with them, I wanted to learn something new and improve myself – and what better way to do it than in a country that’s renowned for its engineering expertise! Along the way, I picked up new hardware and software skills too. Some of my projects included

programming and coding temperature sensors, and designing and wiring circuit boards.

BeinG inDePenDenT: I’ve grown so much from living in Germany on my own – trying out simple recipes, doing laundry regularly and travelling alone to cities like Berlin and Heidelberg. I’ve even learnt to start a conversation with “Entschuldigung sprechen sie English?” which roughly translates to “Excuse me, do you speak English?” With that, I’ve always gotten help from friendly locals, so I didn’t need to use a map or GPS. SaMe, BUT DiFFeRenT: I learnt from my roommates that Germany’s education system is very similar to Singapore’s. But university education there is more affordable, so I met

visiting the Reichstag building, where the

German Parliament sits.

H

at the Brandenburg Gate, one of

Germany's most iconic landmarks.

many students who were pursuing their Bachelor or Master degrees. Even housing rental would cost more than further education in Germany!

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hen news of the first Lombok earthquake broke in July, it did not just rock the country

of Indonesia. It also shook a community of Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) staff and students, who had built strong bonds with the locals in Lombok, having travelled there on community and Service-Learning trips since 2014.

So, when the recent earthquakes hit the area, Mr Raja Mohammad Fairuz, a Senior Manager from the School of Design & Environment (DE), was concerned.

He said, “I started receiving WhatsApp updates from the villagers there after the first earthquake, which had damaged some buildings.” A week later, a second 7.0 magnitude earthquake followed, destroying homes and buildings in the villages of Sembalun Lawang and Sembalun Bumbung.

“Some of the homes that we had stayed in previously had collapsed as they were built with bricks and concrete and were not reinforced,” added Mr Raja. In total, four earthquakes struck the area within three weeks, causing

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THE QUAKE THAT SHOOK NGEE ANN’S COmmUNITY INTO ACTIONOver $30,000 raised for Lombok earthquake victims within a month TexT: Melanie Wee

The appeal for digital donations which was sent out to nP’s staff and students.

Media coverage of nP’s fund-raising efforts helped to raise awareness of the donation drive, with over $30,000 collected.

555 fatalities and damaging almost 77,000 homes.

Within a day of the second earthquake, NP staff and students had set up a digital donation drive to raise funds for the earthquake victims. Many contributed generously to the campus-wide drive, which raised over $30,000 in a month, far surpassing the original $10,000 target.

The funds were channelled towards basic food provisions, rebuilding efforts and shelter kits. In addition, four NP staff visited the area to deliver relief supplies and build shelters. While there, the team also tested out a prototype transitional shelter called Shelter+, which is easily assembled using local materials. The low-cost Shelter+ was developed by etc.lab, a collaborative design and research centre launched by DE.

In the past four years, over 200 students from various schools in NP have visited villages in northern and eastern Lombok, building libraries and kindergartens, and teaching IT and English classes as part of their Service-Learning projects.

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BUILDING BONDS ACROSS BORDERS A Special Connection with Lombok

Singapore and Lombok may be almost 3,000 kilometres apart, but for Ngee Ann Polytechnic staff and students who have forged a special bond with the locals there, the distance is but a number. On their Service-Learning

trips to Lombok, our staff and students have been warmly welcomed into local communities. They have walked into the lives of the villagers and understood their needs. And with a huge dose of empathy, they use their skills and knowledge to build from scratch kindergartens and libraries, and run programmes for the little children. In return, the villagers extend their hand of friendship. The chemistry is almost spontaneous, and the bonds built

over time and space are a beautiful reflection of a world without borders and prejudices.

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Source: The Straits Times ©Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction.