Chairman's Message

Dear students,

A very warm welcome to the Nanyang Research Programme (NRP) website! To begin with, please allow me to give you a brief introduction of the history of NRP.

NTU’s NRP started as TERP, Technology and Engineering Research Programme in 1994 for Junior College (JC) students interested in engineering research. It was renamed the Nanyang Research Programme in 2005 to reflect NTU’s expanded scope with the set-up of its new schools of Science and Social Science. The NRP echoes NTU’s vision of providing a holistic education by having projects from all colleges of NTU covering topics from Humanities and Social Sciences, to Business, Science and Engineering. The participating schools have also expanded from JCs to include Integrated Programme (IP) secondary schools.

What is research? The Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary defines it as “Investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws.” I would like to draw attention to the fact that research is something that you would find different from your school taught subjects because there are no standard answers and solutions available in research. But once you plunge into research, you will find that this uncertainty provides you with a great opportunity to explore new ideas, to test your hypothesis or to design something novel. In this sense, even a failed attempt is a positive outcome. Thomas Edison, the greatest inventor and entrepreneur once said this: “I find 10,000 ways something won't work, I haven't failed. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is often a step forward …”.

Why research? Singapore is embarking on a quest to become an international centre of excellence for research and development in an effort to grow into a knowledge-centered economy.  Looking around, one can see that Singapore has invested and initiated institutions and organisations such as A*STAR and National Research Foundation to realise its quest.  NTU currently houses 40+ research centres and institutes and an Innovation Centre encouraging local enterprises to carry out R & D.  At undergraduate level, research opportunities are available through programmes like Undergraduate Research Experience on Campus (URECA) and Undergraduate Research Opportunities (UROP). Taking a step broader, the Nanyang Research Programme reaches out to pre-university students who are keen to explore in the field of research.  A good researcher requires two things: the know-how and the passion for his work.  It is the aim of the NRP to provide these two fundamentals to a group of talented pre-tertiary students.  NTU supervisors act as mentors to provide guidance to these budding young researchers to develop a sound approach to research inquiry and in areas that they are keen to develop. The NRP is an excellent programme for students to begin their journey into the realm of research.  Students are able to interact with mentors who are doing world frontier research using world-class facilities.

What will you do? Your participation in NRP will enable you to work on problems of your interest under the supervision of NTU professors. At the end of the project, you will present your findings in a symposium and submit a research paper.  By doing so, it also sets you on a path to pursue further national and international research competitions such as the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF) and International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). You are strongly encouraged to participate in these competitions. It is not only winning an award that is important; the process of the competition is equally important and rewarding. By participating in research competitions, you will hear comments and suggestions about your research from judges and other participants. These views will help you deepen your understanding, and improve your research in the future. You can also benefit from other projects by learning the methodologies and the experimental & design skills that others have used. In addition, from 2008 onwards, students can convert their project into a H3 subject in the A Level. You should have grasped this opportunity to prepare yourself to go into the University. Broadly speaking, I believe that no matter what you do in the future, the research training you have received will bring life-long benefits to you. It definitely leads to a sharper vision and more balanced thinking, whether you are facing a scientific problem to solve, or a business decision to make.

Every year we receive overwhelming applications. I wish to take this opportunity to thank all the students and teachers for your interest and enthusiasm in the NRP. This would include those students who have not been selected for the NRP. Their passion in research is equally appreciated. We hope that we could offer more projects in the coming future. I would like to congratulate those students who have managed to gain a project and anticipate them to get hold of this golden opportunity to work hard in order to gain as much knowledge and experience as possible through this research activity.

Enjoy the fun of research.

A/P Chua Leok Poh

Chairman
NRP working committee 2009