Lianhe Zaobao,

(Translation)

The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) broke with tradition. This year, for the first time, it held an Open House event at a shopping mall, displaying innovative projects by students and alumni. This not only made it convenient for prospective new students to go and learn about university courses, but also the interactive exhibits at the venue attracted members of the public to experience how to make and control model robotic cars, thus stimulating people¡¯s ¡ª especially young children¡¯s ¡ª interest in technology and engineering design.

The second stop of this Open House event is at VivoCity, lasting three days, from Friday (Feb 27) to Sunday (Mar 1). As of Saturday the 28th at around 12 pm, about 1,400 people had visited the site; the event runs from 10.30 am to 10 pm.

The first stop of the mall Open House was Feb 6 to 8 at Century Square in Tampines. In mid-February, SUTD also held course sharing sessions on its own campus for students preparing to apply.

SUTD was founded in 2009 and started classes in 2012, with the aim of cultivating innovative thinking in science and engineering talent. It launched its Design and Artificial Intelligence programme in 2020; from the new academic year starting this year, all freshmen will receive comprehensive training in Design AI skills.

World¡¯s first university focusing on artificial intelligence design

SUTD¡¯s Chief Communications Officer, Tammy Tan, pointed out that SUTD is the world¡¯s first university to emphasise Design AI. The university brought the Open House activity off campus this time in hopes of introducing more people to what makes SUTD unique.

18-year-old Xie Zhiqi had just collected her A-level examination results on Friday. She is interested in SUTD¡¯s Design and Artificial Intelligence programme, and on Saturday went to the event site to learn more.

In an interview she said, ¡°AI has great potential for development in the future. I want to learn more about these courses. The university holding an Open House outside the campus is very novel; for me it¡¯s also more convenient.¡± In addition to SUTD, she is also considering other courses at public universities such as business and digital marketing.

Also preparing to apply to university, Lin Changxian (19) is considering universities and courses including SUTD¡¯s Architecture and Sustainable Design course. He believes that skills related to sustainable development and design will become increasingly useful.

Seven project works by SUTD students and alumni were displayed at the event site, showcasing real-world applications of technologies such as AI. Among them, the ¡°Stick ¡®Em¡± robotic model built by SUTD alumnus Adam Huh Dam and partners attracted many parents and their children to make model cars by hand.

SUTD alumnus Koay Chong Hau (25) and Computer Science and Design student Lam Yu En (24) introduced a wearable device they designed for the visually impaired. The focus of this design is a small device hung in front of the user. With just a button, the device can photograph objects ahead and, through AI, convert images to speech and give prompts.

Koay said that the mall¡¯s high foot traffic can attract people beyond just prospective students, letting more people learn about new technology through creations by SUTD students.