SST-NTU Flagship Programme

On the 6 - 8 June, All the Secondary 2s attended a camp held by the brilliant partnering institute with SST, Nanyang Technological University. The students stayed in NTUs newest  Halls of residence, Halls 16C and 16D with air-conditioning and up to date facilities and they attended a programme of their choice out of 13 specially designed programmes by the professors of NTU and did up an Applied Learning Project based on those projects.

Day 1

On the first day of the NTU Flagship Programme, The students did very little compared to the other days but they attended five plenary sessions that were very interesting and covered a variety of topics that might affect the future of the world such as the importance of water, the revolution of microelectronics, nanotechnology and its applications, animation and disappearing glaciers with rising water levels. The students took down notes and penned down their thoughts for their future reference. At the end of the day, all the students interacted with NTU student leaders and played a few games that made them work together in their various project groups.

Day 2

On the second day, all the students split up to their various projects in various schools. Since there were 13 projects, I shall give a brief explanation on what each project did during the camp. I am quite sure that all the students had fun doing up their projects even though they were from different teams as from my experience, the professors and student leaders who I met were very engaging and friendly, they also gave spontaneous replies to any questions concerning their fields of studies. So here are the different projects.

-Project 1 - Digital Painting

The students who attended this project with mentors from the school of Art, Design and Media (ADM) learnt about how they could apply photoshop to their real life. They also learnt on how Art Design and Media can be applied in communication.

-Project 2 - Microscopic Analysis of Cells and Tissues and its application in Human Disease Diagnostics

Students who attended this programme by the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) learnt a few methods of histology, Namely Histochemical Staining, Immunohistochemical Staining and Fluorescent Dye staining. They learnt about how these methods of staining liver cells can be used to indentify diseases such as cancer.

-Project 3A- The fastest ball challenge

Those who attended this project by the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS) learnt all about the conservation of energy and their application in a scenario where they had to find the angle of a ramp that ensured the fastest speed for the ball to roll down, with and without oil, a lubricant. Interestingly, sometimes, oil can slow the ball down as it might increase the friction between the ball and the ramp.

-Project 3B- Extraction of Caffeine from beverages

Also by the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS), all those who attended this project had a fun time learning how to extract caffeine from packets of Lipton Tea. Other examples of alkaloids include cocaine (a drug of abuse), strychnine (a poison), morphine (a pain killer), piperine (found in black pepper) and quinine (used to treat malaria and added to tonic) and clearly, by attending this project, the students could understand and apply what they have learnt.

-Project 4- Control and Operation of a Large-Scale Distillation Column

This project, by the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (SCBE) showed all the students who attended it how to control a Large-Scale Distillation Column. They learnt about independent and dependent factors that affected distillation and how messing with any of these variables could mess up the whole process of distillation.

-Project 5- Water Tower Competition

All the students who attended this project had a fruitful time indeed. Mentored by the Professors from the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering(SCEE), Students learnt how structures could vary the amount of load it could carry no matter how brittle the material. They worked to build a structure that was supposed to be strong enough to hold weights. Their strongest structure could hold 41 kg of metal weights!

-Project 6- The Chemistris Game

This interesting project taught students the basics of programming and they made a game that taught others the basics of atoms and molecules and how they could fit together. This project, by the School of Computer Engineering (SCE) taught all the students who attended it something that they could gain a lot from in the future.

-Project 7- Handheld device for speech-impaired patients

  This interesting project by the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE)  made the students build a device constructed using circuits to allow Speech Impaired patients to communicate with basic commands such as “Yes” or “No” by pressing a button. Indeed something amazing which they could use for patients who cannot speak.

-Project 8- Automatic Outdoor Light Controller

This project, also mentored by the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE), teaches students on how electrical resistors worked and how lights in the toilets automatically switched on and off when you entered and left respectively. Students learnt how transistors and diodes could be used to operate as a switch in this project.

-Project 9- (1)    Virtual SEM
                                (2)      Mechanical testing on various materials 

                                (3)      Composite materials processing

Project 9 had a mouthful of content indeed, they learnt how to use the virtual Scanning Electron Microscope, testing the strength and uses of different materials using mechanical devices, and enhancing materials to become stronger. This project by the school of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) was indeed one that taught the students a whole lot of knowledge.

-Project 10A- Battery charging from bi-cycle pedal power

This project by the school of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) Taught students on how they could charge batteries that could power houses in Cambodia through cycling. Something really amazing that could leave less people without energy in the future.

-Project 10B- Automatic drink cans, glass/plastic bottles sorting machine

By the same school as the previous project, This project showcased how technology could be used to help the world in recycling materials that could deplete soon. They had to design a machine that could sort out recyclable materials. Something really applicable in the current world, where we are constantly depleting our own resources through burning which causes climate change and global warming through emissions of greenhouse gases.

-Project 10C- Energy Extraction from Rain Water

This project, Also by the school of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) taught students how they could use water to move a toy car. Interesting indeed as this project also suggests alternative sources of energy than typically burning fossil fuel. It is very applicable as it is estimated that in 2050, the worlds fossil fuels shall deplete.

At the end of Day 2, There were some interesting works by the school of Art Design and Media (ADM) that were indeed very interesting. They had good story lines and was quite intriguing to everybody. 

Day 3

Day three was fun, because all the students were sharing what they had done on Day 2 using presentation slides and showcasing experiments. All of the projects were interesting and the students presented as though they were very well rehearsed in their projects. I would like to end this short report by thanking every single person who was involved in making the NTU-SST Flagship Programme possible as the students had a great time and learnt a lot about how they could go about choosing courses in universities based on their different interests. The student leaders of NTU were also amazing and they were a great help to all of us, I personally appreciate them to a great extent.

That is all,

Abu Ubaidah