National University of Singapore, College of Humanities and Sciences

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The NUS official page of the College of Humanities & Sciences (CHS), an enhanced undergraduate experience for students of the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences (FASS) and the Faculty of Science (FOS).

13/05/2026

For .chs student Leo Tan Yong Kang, who reads the Cross-Disciplinary Programme in Environmental Studies (BES), what started as an undergraduate research project eventually took him to the international Species on The Move (2026) conference, where he had the opportunity to present his work on morphological and reproductive differences in widespread species to fellow scientists with a shared interest in evolutionary biology.

Beyond the presentations and discussions with researchers from around the world, the trip became a reminder of how science can bring people together through shared curiosity and passion. The experience deepened his confidence as a communicator and reinfoced his conviction to pursue research as a career.

“Despite the cultural and geographical differences of the participants, we were able to connect based on our shared interests. That was quite touching for me,” he says.

Check out some highlights from Leo’s trip! ✈️

Read more: https://chs.nus.edu.sg/2026/05/13/where-research-came-alive/

NUS Biological Sciences

08/05/2026

What started as studying the laws of physics ended up changing the way .chs’ Lok Jie Bin sees the world. ⚛️

From exploring theories that describe the world to discovering how physics impacts healthcare through medical imaging and radiotherapy, Jie Bin’s journey revealed the creative possibilities of scientific research and its possible applications in the real world.

Undergraduate research brought another lesson. “Designing experiments in both wet and dry labs, troubleshooting setups, analysing data and learning programming skills gave me a deeper sense of independence,” he says.

Through his minors in biophysics and medical physics, he also learned to be “more open-minded” and better at integrating knowledge across different fields.

Curious where physics can take you? Find out more:
https://chs.nus.edu.sg/
https://www.physics.nus.edu.sg/

07/05/2026

For Life Sciences alumnus Aristia Ho, a childhood spent in her grandmother’s garden sparked a love for plants which eventually led to her career at Gardens by the Bay.

At work, Aristia supports the planning, ex*****on and upkeep of floral display shows. Her educational training continues to shape how she works – by applying plant biology and scientific thinking to select plants for displays, spotting early signs of stress and understanding the nuanced needs of different species.

At the same time, her interdisciplinary education from the College of Humanities and Sciences enables her to go beyond the science.

“I marry horticultural excellence with quality visitor experiences,” she says.

Check out Aristia’s journey from garden to career: https://chs.nus.edu.sg/2026/05/07/when-passion-takes-root/

NUS Biological Sciences

100 internship applications, no offers. So Data Science and Analytics student Bernardino Lintang looked beyond Singapore...
04/05/2026

100 internship applications, no offers. So Data Science and Analytics student Bernardino Lintang looked beyond Singapore, to Indonesia and India.

In Indonesia, he worked on fraud detection in a bank, where real-world data quickly showed that what worked in class didn’t always hold up in practice. In India, the shift was less about scale and more about ambiguity. With fewer instructions and more open-ended problems, the work became about deciding what to build, not just how to build it.

Across these experiences, the biggest takeaways went beyond technical skills. For Bernardino, it was about learning adaptability to keep moving, even when things weren’t clearly defined.

“These overseas experiences expanded my cultural awareness and helped me understand how economic development, public policy, religion and community life shape society,” he says.

See how he worked through the challenges: https://chs.nus.edu.sg/2026/05/04/from-jakarta-to-chennai/

Department of Statistics and Data Science, NUS

29/04/2026

For National University of Singapore, College of Humanities and Sciences student Janelle Tan, her studies in Life Sciences and Aquatic Ecology take her way beyond the classroom. Some days, it’s a forest trail. Other days, it’s listening closely to the sounds of nature. 🌿

Through her internship at the NParks, she found herself exploring Singapore’s nature parks in a way few ever do. She set up camera traps, tools she had never used before, capturing moments of wildlife in their natural habitats. She also monitored tree phenology, noting the presence of flowers and fruits, and conducted bird surveys, training her ears to pick up bird calls.

She found herself navigating new concepts like water quality and canopy cover, courses which reshaped how she saw ecosystems, connecting the living aspects of ecology with the environments that sustain them.

Somewhere between the muddy trails, data analysis and the hours of observation, she came back to what she already knows - she loves getting her hands dirty, being outdoors and discovering nature.

Curious about where Life Sciences can take you? Find out more:
https://chs.nus.edu.sg/
https://www.dbs.nus.edu.sg/lifesciences/

NUS Biological Sciences

28/04/2026

Insects are often overlooked, but they can play a crucial role in crime scene investigations.

An interdisciplinary group of students recently took part in an intensive five-day Forensic Entomology course, where insects became key ‘witnesses’ and evidence in understanding time since death in crime scene investigations.

From collecting specimens in the field to identifying fly families under microscopes, the module brought students into the realities of forensic work, where science can be messy, unpredictable and very hands-on.

Beyond technical skills, the experience challenged students to adapt quickly and collaborate under pressure. Some overcame a fear of insects, while others learned to thrive in a fast-paced environment through daily practice and teamwork.

College of Design and Engineering student Ng Yi Hsuan, who minors in Forensic Science, says, “It is fascinating that different insects, often specific to particular geographic locations, can provide meaningful insights into what happens at a crime scene.”

Read more: https://chs.nus.edu.sg/2026/04/28/how-insects-tell-the-story-of-death/
For more information on this course, visit: https://nusmods.com/courses/FSC4207/forensic-entomology

NUS Biological Sciences

27/04/2026

Will it fall ⬇️ or will it fly away? 🐦

NUS Science undergrads Sruthi and Yasmeen challenged fellow NUS students with a simple test with a balancing bird toy: flip it upside down, let it go… what happens next?

Catch the guesses, the gasps and the "wait... WHAT?!" moments, and then stay till the end as our two Young Educators in Science facilitators break down the science behind it.

This is Episode 1 of a series featuring the NUS Science Demonstration Lab at National University of Singapore, Faculty of Science.

This hands-on Lab is where science comes alive through interactive experiments and engaging demonstrations. Led largely by NUS students under the faculty’s Young Educators in Science programme, these passionate educators make complex concepts visual, intuitive and memorable for visitors of all ages. To date, the Lab has received more than 47,000 visitors from over 250 organisations, tertiary institutions and schools locally and internationally.

A chemistry graduate in a global risk advisory firm might seem unexpected, but it is the precise definition of what it m...
27/04/2026

A chemistry graduate in a global risk advisory firm might seem unexpected, but it is the precise definition of what it means to be employable today - less about what you study, and more about how you think, connect and grow.

For Marie Ang, it’s about how she adds value to her team, not just what she studied. “I discovered that I enjoy working at the intersection of science, business and technology,” she says. At work, she applies her critical thinking skills to real-world risk challenges, supporting client work across the region.

From the employer’s perspective, Helen Clark, Aon’s Chief Broking Officer, Credit Solutions, Asia, arrives at a similar conclusion. Technical skills can be taught, she says. “What matters more is curiosity, adaptability and the ability to engage with others and build trust.”

Different vantage points, same takeaway: in today’s job market, it’s not just what you know, but how quickly you can learn, connect and turn knowledge into impact.

Find out more at: https://chs.nus.edu.sg/2026/04/27/the-future-of-employability-why-thinking-trumps-training/

24/04/2026

“Many people see mathematics as fixed answers.”

For .chs’ Bervyn Wong, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Complementing his major with a minor in Quantitative Finance, these disciplines have sharpened how he thinks, helping him navigate uncertainty with logic, intuition and clarity.

How does he make sense of the ambiguous? “Start with the end goal, work backwards then break complexity into structured parts,” he says.

That way of thinking proved valuable during his actuarial internships at HSBC working on the company’s life participating policies and at Income Insurance, where he maintained pricing models for the company's suite of general insurance products.

He says, “I knew my internships would either confirm my path toward actuarial science or reveal new directions I hadn't yet considered. Looking back, this turned out to be the best decision I made - it fundamentally changed how I view my technical background and its real-world applications.”

Curious where Mathematics can take you? Find out more:
https://chs.nus.edu.sg/
https://www.math.nus.edu.sg/

21/04/2026

What does innovation in the food industry look like in practice?

For a group of NUS CHS students, this question was answered firsthand when they stepped into ofi’s Customer Solutions Centre on 19 March for an industry tour.

The visit, organised as part of the NUS Science & Technology Industry Insights course, brought learning beyond the classroom and into a space where science meets real-world application.

From the onset, students were introduced to the complexities of the global food and beverage ingredients industry, gaining a clearer picture of how ofi operates within a broader ecosystem of food producers, manufacturers and consumers.

During the tour, the students gained insights on how evolving consumer preferences, health trends and sustainability considerations impact food product development from farm to factory to fork. They also caught a glimpse of various laboratories, witnessing how product formulation, testing and refinement shape the food products we often take for granted.

The product tasting segment was especially memorable, where they sampled how ingredient choices translate into functional foods with customised flavours and textures.

Beyond technical insights, the visit also opened up conversations around careers in the industry. Students left with a better appreciation of the diverse roles within ofi and the many pathways a science education can lead to - some aligning with their goals, others sparking entirely new directions.

Life Sciences student Lian Huixuan said, “There’re a lot of thought processes and details that go behind innovating food. This visit allows me to decide on some career directions that I would like to pursue in the future.”

A heartfelt thank you to ofi for hosting our students. 🌱

More info: https://nus.edu.sg/cfg/students/career-ready/industry/industry-insights

NUS Department of Food Science and Technology

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