NUS College of Design and Engineering

NUS College of Design and Engineering To meet the needs of a rapidly-evolving & complex world, CDE has imagined & created a future-focused. MISSION
To inspire, innovate and transform.

Social Media Guidelines: tinyurl.com/CDE-Soc-Med-Guidelines VISION
A leading college uniting creative minds to build a better future.

CDE Dean’s Message July 2026 In his valedictory speech, Bryan Lee Jia En remarked, “Behind every finished image is a fol...
31/07/2026

CDE Dean’s Message July 2026
 
In his valedictory speech, Bryan Lee Jia En remarked, “Behind every finished image is a folder with forty-seven other versions named ‘Final_version2’, ‘Version 3’, ‘Really Final’, ‘Final Final.psd’, and so on.” It captured something familiar: our constant effort to refine, improve and perfect what we do. As he rightly observed, “The final image never tells the full story, because much of our learning happened in those unseen moments of failure, questioning, and uncertainty.”
 
At every Commencement, I am struck by the wisdom that emerges when people reflect on their experiences—whether shared by a young graduate at the beginning of a new journey or by a guest speaker drawing on many years of growth and discovery.
 
Commencement is a time of celebration, but it is also a reminder that learning does not begin and end in the classroom. We grow through our interactions with others, through being open to understanding the people and the world around us and through embracing the differences that make these experiences so enriching.
 
My thanks to the Class of 2026 for allowing us to be part of your journeys. We will always be proud to count you as part of our community.
 
- Prof Kie Leong Teo, Dean of CDE
 
Read more in the latest Dean’s Message, link in bio
 

Three days, countless laughs, and friendships in the making! CDE Camp welcomed our incoming freshmen for a memorable thr...
31/07/2026

Three days, countless laughs, and friendships in the making! CDE Camp welcomed our incoming freshmen for a memorable three-day adventure packed with icebreakers, mass games, team challenges, an Amazing Race, as well as band and DJ performances. Titled “Unheimlich: Beyond Return”, the camp was designed as a survival programme where “instinct, trust, and perception are constantly tested”. Freshmen were split into four houses and challenged to work together through a series of activities that pushed them outside their comfort zones and helped them build stronger connections with their orientation groups.

For the organising committee, putting together a large-scale camp came with its challenges, from keeping activities engaging to managing different levels of confidence and participation. With clear communication, quick adjustments, and support from orientation group leaders, the committee ensured that every freshman felt included and every activity ran smoothly. More than the fun and excitement, the most meaningful takeaway for the committee was witnessing how the freshmen’s once-hesitant introductions at the start transformed into warm cheering and laughter by the end of the camp.

Project Director Ng Kai Lin Audrey (Year 2, Infrastructure and Project Management), shared, “We hope the freshmen will remember that CDE Camp was not only about the games and activities, but also about the friendships and sense of belonging they developed. May they will continue supporting one another and making meaningful memories throughout their journey in CDE.”

NUS CDE Student Life NUS Students' CDE Club

AkiLA ’26 kickstarted the incoming freshmen’s journey at NUS Architecture and Landscape Architecture!Organised by The Ar...
30/07/2026

AkiLA ’26 kickstarted the incoming freshmen’s journey at NUS Architecture and Landscape Architecture!

Organised by The Architecture Society (TAS) The Architecture Society (TAS), our freshmen stepped into a world inspired by characters and settings from Zootopia by The Walt Disney Company with their fellow district mates in character-inspired divisions. Together, they took on exciting challenges that helped build trust and camaraderie.

From water games to crafting Zootopia characters, every activity encouraged teamwork and creativity. They also took on the challenge of building structures using cardboard, giving them an early glimpse of what studying Architecture and Landscape Architecture is all about – working as a team and thinking creatively.

After three days of challenges, freshmen left AkiLA ’26 with unforgettable memories and new friends that they can rely on throughout their time at NUS.

NUS Department of Architecture NUS CDE Student Life

From the heart of campus to the streets of Singapore, NUS Flag Day brings students together in a shared effort to give b...
29/07/2026

From the heart of campus to the streets of Singapore, NUS Flag Day brings students together in a shared effort to give back. As part of NUS Students’ Union (NUSSU) RAG & Flag, CDE students joined this annual university-wide fundraising tradition in support of Community Chest, lending their energy to meaningful social causes.

This year, CDE students were stationed across Somerset, Lavender, City Hall and Bencoolen, raising funds for Youth Guidance Outreach Services, a social service agency dedicated to supporting youth-at-risk.

Behind the scenes, the Student Life Cell of CDE Club led the planning for CDE’s part of Flag Day, making sure that volunteers had the flexibility to flag where they felt most comfortable, while keeping logistics carefully coordinated.

With only one vehicle and one staff advisor handling distribution of donation cans and welfare across multiple sites, the committee worked out detailed timelines to ensure each location received its supplies on time. To keep things running smoothly and conveniently, the committee also set up three collection sites near the flagging locations, so volunteers could get to their posts quickly and spend more time fundraising.

Capping off a day filled with purpose and teamwork, Social Work Community Outreach Director of CDE Club, Tan Hock Jun (Year 2, Biomedical Engineering) shared, “I hope that volunteers and donors understand that our efforts to support our beneficiaries go beyond Flag Day. I believe that there is always more that we can do to give back to our community and serve the underprivileged, and I hope that our volunteers can continue to carry the spirit of volunteerism with them and dedicate themselves towards supporting causes that they believe in.”

NUS CDE Student Life NUS Students' CDE Club

CDE welcomed freshmen to Orientation Week, kicking off the new academic year with four unforgettable days of fun and fri...
27/07/2026

CDE welcomed freshmen to Orientation Week, kicking off the new academic year with four unforgettable days of fun and friendship!

Months of planning went into creating an immersive experience for the freshmen, including the creation of a unique kingdom-saving storyline that split freshmen into four houses. Along the way, freshmen bonded over water games, an amazing race, escape rooms, a carnival segment, and even a night trail.

Beyond the games, freshmen also received valuable guidance on programme registration and course planning. They got a taste of CDE life through sharing sessions on programmes such as the NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) programme, as well as through interactions with competition teams and student-led initiatives such as Project OceaNUS.

By the final day, the friendships were clearly here to stay, with freshmen and orientation leaders exchanging heartfelt notes and memories to take home.

Project directors Ng Ze Xian (Year 2, Chemical Engineering) and Ng Kang Yang (Year 2, Mechanical Engineering) shared their joy in leading the freshmen into this exciting new chapter.

Ze Xian said, “We hope the freshmen have made lasting friendships and created unforgettable memories.”

Kang Yang added, “I believe the camp has helped set the freshmen off to a great start in their university life. To the freshmen, from here on out: make the most of every moment, step out of your comfort zone, and most importantly, have fun.”

NUS CDE Student Life NUS Students' CDE Club

At the M.Arch Gradshow, Master of Architecture graduate projects pushed architecture beyond form and function, opening u...
24/07/2026

At the M.Arch Gradshow, Master of Architecture graduate projects pushed architecture beyond form and function, opening up questions of labour, memory, ritual, and the futures we imagine through the built environment.

In their opening addresses, Guest of Honor Chan Kok Way, President of the Board of Architects, welcomed graduates into the profession while Prof Jeffrey Hou, Head of Department of Architecture, reflected on how students are willing to take on the challenge of working through today’s pressing issues with thoughtfulness and experimentation, even when the process is not easy or smooth. Assoc Prof Tsuto Sakamoto, M.Arch Programme Director (AY25/26), framed the exhibition theme, IDEK – Impermanence, Dilemma, Existence, and Kinetic – as tensions that animated students’ works, keeping them “in motion”.

Tokens of appreciation were also presented to the venue sponsor, represented by Lay Bee Yap from the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore (URA), as well as to Gold Sponsors — Foster + Partners, Mitsubishi Jisho Design Asia, Aedas, GuocoLand Group, WOHA Architects — and Silver Sponsors — DP Architects, OMG Atelier, and Swan & Maclaren Group.

Some project highlights include:

Terrains of Guilt — Bryan Lee Jia En

The project examines mining’s afterlife in East Kalimantan, where abandoned pits sit beside Nusantara’s development, and proposes small infrastructures that support repair, livelihoods, and collective life.

Three Sticks of Incense — Jolene Sim Xin Ni

Three Sticks of Incense reimagines the Hungry Ghost Festival as an atmospheric hotel for both ghosts and humans, creating a quiet building with immersive interiors and hidden spaces for ritual and encounter.

“Kopi Pangalengan” Takes Command” — Aw Wei Kang

The project rethinks coffee production in Pangalengan, West Java, by revealing the labour, risks, and unequal value chains while proposing a mountain trail with six small coffee infrastructures that better supports farmers and the land.

Together, the projects in this year’s gradshow reflect architecture that is attentive, questioning, and deeply engaged with the worlds it inhabits.

NUS Department of Architecture

Gabriel Lee (Year 3, Computer Engineering) will be among the 53 national athletes competing at the 2026 Commonwealth Gam...
24/07/2026

Gabriel Lee (Year 3, Computer Engineering) will be among the 53 national athletes competing at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland! Representing Singapore on the world stage, he brings with him the discipline, grit and resilience he has built as an NUS sportsman.

He heads into Glasgow on the back of a memorable SEA Games 2025 debut, where he broke a 50-year-old record with a 16.09m leap in the men’s triple jump, securing Singapore’s first medal in the event since 1971.

Balancing training, competitions and his studies were a challenge. There were periods where everything came at once, but Gabriel learnt how to stay organised and prioritised tasks to keep going even when things got tough.

Reflecting on how CDE has shaped him beyond sport, he shared, “The emphasis on structured thinking, problem-solving, and reflection at CDE has helped me approach training and competitions more intentionally. I learnt to reflect on setbacks and stay composed under pressure.”

CDE will be cheering Gabriel on as he soars across the Commonwealth track! Go Gabriel!

NUS Electrical and Computer Engineering



Photo credits: SportSG/Jeremy Lee, Dejbordin Limsupanark

What if your next big idea could help shape the future of Singapore’s rail network? The NEBULA X Hackathon is calling Si...
23/07/2026

What if your next big idea could help shape the future of Singapore’s rail network?
 
The NEBULA X Hackathon is calling Singapore university and polytechnic students to take on real-world mobility challenges and design solutions that could make our rail network smarter, more reliable and more resilient.
 
Hosted at CDE, the hackathon is organised by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), with support from Google Cloud, SMRT, SBS Transit Ltd and CRRC Corporation. Participants will have the chance to visit key sites, analyse real-world datasets, collaborate with peers, tap into industry experts’ insights, and even discover internship possibilities. The winning ideas will share a $15,000 cash prize pool.
 
Choose from three tracks:
 
Build a tool that automates scheduling
Use technology to detect conflicts, flag issues and suggest better maintenance schedules.
 
Build a system that supports commuters
Create an app that helps commuters make better decisions during planned and unplanned disruptions.
 
Build a solution that spots risks early
Use AI and/or machine learning to detect anomalies in train system data and support earlier maintenance.
 
At CDE, innovation is about turning ideas into practical solutions with real-world impact. With NEBULA X, students can apply their creativity and technical skills to challenges that matter, and contribute to the future of mobility in Singapore.
 
Sign up before registration closes on 1 August 2026: www.nebulax.com.sg
 

 
Nebula X Hackathon
Google Cloud
CRRC中国中车
SMRT
SBS Transit

Three cheers for Team Bumblebee, who surged ahead at RoboSub 2026 to become the overall champ! Held at the Woollett Aq...
22/07/2026

Three cheers for Team Bumblebee, who surged ahead at RoboSub 2026 to become the overall champ!

Held at the Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine, California, RoboSub 2026 brought together 58 teams from around the world. Team Bumblebee rose to the top once again, successfully defending its title as the reigning RoboSub 2025 champion.

The team excelled in both competition categories: Design Documentation and the Autonomy Challenge. In Design Documentation, teams were judged on five main components: technical design report, team video, team website, design presentation, and system presentation. Team Bumblebee delivered strong performances, attaining top technical report and top team video.

In the main event, the Autonomy Challenge, Team Bumblebee’s newest vehicle, AUV 5.0, worked along AUV 4.5 to navigate the obstacle course unassisted, tackling a series of complex underwater tasks, including targeted navigation, object manipulation, torpedo firing, and acoustic beacon tracking.

Reflecting on the team’s win, team lead Chan Sheng Bin (Year 4, Computer Engineering) shared, “Winning RoboSub 2026 is a massive validation of every team member’s hard work and resilience. Autonomous systems are inherently fragile, and real-world conditions will always find ways to test your assumptions. What made the difference this year was our team’s ability to debug, adapt, and deploy real-time fixes under pressure. This victory reflects years of continuous iteration and relentless grit across our mechanical, electrical, and software sub-teams.”

Beyond the technical achievement, what made the experience truly memorable was the camaraderie and sportsmanship. The team cherished the chance to reconnect with old friends and make new ones, while continuing their efforts to provide technical support for other teams as they had done in previous competitions.

Here’s to Team Bumblebee for making waves once again at RoboSub 2026!

Congrats to all the team members from:
NUS Bumblebee AS NUS Electrical and Computer Engineering NUS Industrial Systems Engineering & Management NUS Mechanical Engineering NUS Computing NUS Business School NUS Innovation & Design Programme

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Block EA #03-10, 9 Engineering Drive 1
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Friday 08:30 - 17:30

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