Progress of Research Activities in NTU | Research Institutes in NTU

Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI)
Executive Director: Professor Ng Wun Jern
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/newri)


Vision

To be the key environmental science and engineering research and education provider in Singapore and the region.


Mission

To unify NTU’s education, research, and applications in environmental science and engineering through the NEWRI ecosystem of multi-disciplinary research groups and centres, and so provide a contiguous value chain linking research, education, industry and community.


Overview

NEWRI is an R&D ‘ecosystem’, with alliances between independent, but interacting entities that pursue a common vision of trans-disciplinary environmental research, translation, development and applications to provide solutions for community and industry. The NEWRI ecosystem now comprises 8 multi-disciplinary members:

More about the Members of the NEWRI Ecosystem:

Vision

To be the Centre of Competence that addresses environmental issues through urban and coastal environmental management solutions to support a sustainable ecology.


Mission

To generate water knowledge, and to strengthen the water and environment industry via development of innovative water solution technologies serving the need for clean and sustainable water resources in Singapore and the region.


Research and Training Activities:

Established in Oct 2007, DHI-NTU Centre is a collaborative set-up between DHI of Denmark and NTU, and supported by EWI/EDB. It focuses on urban environmental issues from the perspectives of a planning and management approach. For example, DHI-NTU Centre looks at water not just in terms of quality and quantity but also in terms of capture, storage, and distribution. Shortcomings in these result in a diminution in water resources arising from for example the impact of pollution.


Key directions of the centre’s activities are:

• It applies hydrodynamic and water quality modeling to reservoirs, lakes and coastal waters
• It works towards the development of environmentally friendly solutions to support a sustainable ecology
• It trains talents and generates new water knowledge through masters and PhD programmes
  

Research and Training Activities:

Established in 2008 and supported by EDB /EWI, SMTC sets the following objectives for its vision and mission to lead in fundamental and applied membranes technology:

• Research & Development – provides research with links to industry and international community;
• Education & Training – supports education and training for post graduates and researchers in membranes;
• Industry & Application - acts as incubator for novel membrane technologies

Research activities within SMTC encompass following six programme themes:

1. Water production – water treatment, desalination
2. Water reclamation – pre-treatment and reversed reverse osmosis
3. Membrane Bioreactors – conventional and novel
4. Energy issues – including Life Cycle Assessment
5. Special Needs – chronic and acute, decentralised
6. Sensors and monitors
   

• Serve as an R3 resource and technology transfer centre for waste residues to be converted into reusable/ new materials, energy and other products with value
• Provide continuing education and training to professionals in R3 area

Research and Training Activities

Officially launched on 5 October 2009, R3C, a centre supported by EWI/EDB provides a platform for urban waste management research and development, especially for resource recovery and remediation. The main aim is to support the Singapore industry in developing novel and appropriate technologies for the local and regional markets on urban waste management.

R3C aims to conduct research and translation work and ultimately to develop technologies on waste minimization, conversion of residues into resources, contaminated environment remediation, and other related fields. The research programmes within R3C are grouped into three multidisciplinary clusters including both basic and applied research in R3 field.

These three clusters include:

• Cluster 1: Conversion of residues into reusable/new materials
• Cluster 2: Conversion of residues into energy
• Cluster 3: Remediation of contaminated environment

R3C is a focal point for synergistic research collaborations with leading government agencies, industry partners and educational and research institutions, both locally and around the world. R3C has active collaborations with the key environmental players in Singapore, including the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR), the National Environment Agency (NEA), and the Public Utilities Board (PUB). R3C is also working with industrial partners including ecoWise, SembEnviro, Sulo, Lioapex, IUT, Keppel-Seghers, and CH2Mhill. R3C’s overseas partners are internationally renowned and highly regarded for their residues and resource reclamation research.

These institutions include Technical University of Hamburg-Harburg in Germany, University of New South Wales in Australia, Tongji University in China, National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, and University of California, Berkeley, USA. In addition to performing research, R3C provides consultancy and advisory services to various agencies and corporations both in Singapore and in Asia and the Pacific region including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Asian Productivity Organization, and the United Nations organizations (e.g. UNEP, UNDP, and UNESCAP).

Vision:

To develop as a Centre of Competence that will apply environmental biotechnology to address core issues and provide a strong biotechnology R&D platform for Singapore’s environmental and water technologies industry.


Mission:

To address national and global issues relating to increased demand for fresh water, wastewater management, water resource and waste management, and ecosystem stress and health by applying environmental biotechnology to fill the knowledge gap that exists on the biology of engineered systems, resulting in better translation of academic knowledge into industry.


Research and Training Activities:

Officially launched on 10 May 2010, AEBC is the NEWRI Ecosystem’s latest member centre, supported by EWI/EDB. It is a unique collaboration between two Universities, NTU and UNSW, reflecting their respective complementarities and excellence in R&D, and representing a merger of the strong environmental biology and biotechnology platform at UNSW, with the technology based bioprocess expertise at NTU.

• It applies strong research platforms of fundamental and applied environmental microbiology to address issues of environmental biotechnology and sustainability
• It develops technologies relevant to geographical areas addressed by Singapore’s environmental and water technologies (EWT) industry.
• It provides leadership in use-inspired R&D
• It is a foundation centre to develop and build a strong NTU-UNSW educational and research axis, for Singapore and Australia, for the global research community as well as for water and environmental end users.
• It establishes a vibrant collaborative program for post graduate education and research, spanning several multidisciplinary programs as well as cutting edge research projects.
• It aims to attract high profile researchers and industry to participate in defining solutions for global and local challenges through strong research platforms in fundamental and applied environmental biotechnology.
• It aims to translate research outcomes into environmental solution such as for reduced energy consumption, reduced sue of toxic chemicals, improved process efficiencies, and monitoring systems for tracking marine health and ecosystem imbalances.
  

Vision:

To prepare students to be at the forefront of Environmental Engineering and Science in generating manpower for the industry, and shaping Asia’s future leaders sensitive to environmental needs.


Mission:

To produce high calibre environmental engineers trained in fundamentals and equipped for professional practice.


Scope of Programme:

As coordinating body of NTU’s EWT efforts, NEWRI pulls together NTU’s water and environment-related centres and institutes leveraging off one another’s strengths for the benefit of industry and society. Students under NEMS will have opportunities to do research projects under NEWRI as well as to continue for PhD work. Programme details:

• NEMS is offered by School of CEE and Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI), with Summer attachment at Stanford University.
• It is a 1-year full-time coursework programme, with a research project undertaken at NEWRI.
• It works to advance and develop long-term sustainability of the environment
• Examines processes of desalination, reduction of energy consumption and recovery in treatment, biofilms and bioprocesses, resource reclamation, and residues and wastewater treatment
• Students take 4 courses at Stanford commencing in June 2009, and 7 modules at NTU for 2 semesters.
• It provides for full immersion in Stanford and an NTU educational experience
• Students are awarded an NTU degree with Certificate of attendance at Stanford
  

The activities of EE2 will be carried out via a 2-prong approach:

• The Lien Fellowship Programme which seeks activities in education and implementation through innovative ideas from leading academia/ researchers in Asia’s countries in order to tackle today’s water and sanitation challenges.
  These Fellows must translate their ideas into successful solutions that can benefit their home communities.
  In the longer term this programme seeks to be recognized as a force for its cutting edge and enduring work in water sustainability throughout the Asia Pacific region.
• Lien Aid, the implementing arm, will focus on project development on site. Its mission includes developing innovative water and sanitation solutions based on appropriate technologies, on the ground support, and knowledge transfer to empower local continuation.

These activities more specifically demonstrate NEWRI’s concern for the community, and reflect their strategic relevance in the NEWRI Ecosystem as its ‘window to the community’.

Institute for Media Innovation (IMI)
Director: Professor Nadia Magnenat Thalmann
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/imi/)


About IMI

The Institute for Media Innovation (IMI) is a world-class research institute in Interactive New Media. IMI positions itself as an incubator of cutting edge, interdisciplinary, New Media-related research. The institute provides opportunities for researchers and experts to come together and collaborate on a wide array of multidisciplinary research projects.

IMI was launched in April 2008 in response to Singapore’s call to make the development of Interactive Digital Media a National priority.

IMI Goals

To facilitate and promote cross-disciplinary collaboration between the natural sciences and social sciences, bridge media systems research and media content research, and challenge the boundaries of R&D innovation in digital media.

To educate the next generation of scientists and technologists in the multi-disciplinary field of Interactive Digital Media (IDM) by harnessing and leveraging on their strong engineering, design, educational and social science research potential.

IMI Core Competencies

The overarching objective of the Triple I System is to develop seamless interaction between humans and virtual worlds. Research projects at IMI will deal with interaction between real people and virtual or artificial creatures like virtual humans, virtual animals and social robots.

IMI Director

Professor Nadia Thalmann has pioneered research into virtual humans over the last 30 years. She obtained several Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in various disciplines (Psychology, Biology and Biochemistry) and a PhD in Quantum Physics from the University of Geneva in 1977. From 1977 to 1989, she was a Professor at the University of Montreal in Canada. Since 1989, she is Professor at the University of Geneva where she founded the interdisciplinary research group MIRALab. She has published more than 500 papers on virtual humans and virtual worlds and has been invited to give more than 350 keynote speeches in various institutions and organisations, among them the World Economic Forum. In 2009, she received a Doctor Honoris Causa from the Leizniz University of Hanovre.

IMI Research Areas
(Not exhaustive)

Sports training and virtual rehabilitation
3D fashion design and simulation, virtual try on, virtual beauty concepts
Groups and crowds simulation
Multimedia communication with any electronic device, anywhere, anytime
Virtual physiological human simulation
Cultural heritage simulation
Interactive emotional social robots and characters
3D multimedia telepresence and perception of the virtual environment
Serious games in any academic discipline

IMI Upcoming Research Projects

Virtual Pink Dolphins
The research aims to investigate the modeling of virtual pink dolphins, and develop novel visualization, simulation and interactive techniques for various applications. One application is the development of a Virtual Pink Dolphin Assisted Therapy (VPDAT) and human-mediated learning for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) children.

Feeling the Virtual World: A Multisensory Experience
The project deals with capturing information on a user when he or she is immersed in the Virtual World using wearables. This should provide better information on the user’s motion, behavior, and emotions. In the same way, the user could perceive events in the Virtual World using sounds, vibrations and/or tactile feedback.

IMI PhD Program

The IMI PhD program is at the core of IMI’s efforts to promote New Media. Playing a crucial part in ensuring the future of New Media in Singapore, IMI aims to educate the next generation of scientists and technologists and encourage them to share and benefit from their knowledge of engineering, business, design, educational and behavioural research.

IMI Ongoing Research Projects

The Application of Computational Aesthetics in the Acquisition and Treatment of Digital Images
This project examines the ways that aesthetics, in the capture and rendering of digital images, can be enhanced with computational techniques.

A Tangible Multi-Touch Learning Environment for Children with Special Needs
This project focuses on the development of a tangible multi-touch, gesture-based, interactive computer interface that will reduce learning challenges for children with cognitive and/or physical disabilities.

A High Impact User Centric Approach to Point-of-Purchase Information Delivery Using Biometric Data
This project deals with the development of an autonomous, non-invasive intelligent system that can deliver user specific information based on collected data such as gender, height, and weight.

VisuaPedia – A Collaborative Learning Studio
The project aims to be much like what Wikipedia is ‘knowledge through text’ but VisuaPedia is ‘knowledge through images’.


Energy Research Institute at NTU (ERIAN)
Co-Director(s): Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar, Professor Chan Siew Hwa
(http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/erian)


Vision

To create a global center of excellence that will advance research aimed at improving efficiency of current energy systems while maximizing synergistic effects of alternative energy sources.


Mission

Develop and maintain a world class research program that will foster a multidisciplinary environment for scientists, engineers, and social scientists to interact and together promote relevant energy solutions and policies for the future.

Objectives

Research Activities

The Energy Research Institute at NTU (ERIAN) will focus on the areas of sustainable energy, energy efficiency and infrastructure, and socio-economic aspects of energy research. Research activities and considerable expertise in these areas exists within NTU’s research centres and schools. ERIAN will provide a unique platform, where the various disciplines such as materials, power electronics and systems, biological, physical, social sciences, as well as humanities and business communities can interact to explore new solutions to a host of issues including energy generation, harnessing, storage, distribution, efficiency, as well as impact on climate change and global warming.

The Institute and its research centres have considerable expertise and strength in areas of fuel cells, wind & tidal energy, charge storage devices, photovoltaics, microgrids and smart energy systems, and collectively provide an integrated set of expertise from materials design & synthesis, device fabrication and modeling, and systems integration and optimisation. Major facilities includes 3 cleanrooms for microfabrication, complete facilities for solar cells, charge storage, fuel cells fabrication and characterisation, advanced materials synthesis and characterisation (TEMs/FESEM/XRD/FIB/ surface analysis).

In the energy space, NTU has set up collaborative projects with Bosch GmbH (Photovoltaics), Vestas Technology (Wind) and Rolls-Royce (Fuel Cells).

ERI@N’s ecosystem currently consists of 3 research centres: Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSER), Centre for Maritime Energy Research (CMER), Solar Energy & Solar Fuels Centre (SEFC).

CSER: focuses on four major research areas: wind / marine renewables, energy storage, green and smart buildings, and fuel cells.

CMER: undertake research and development activities pertaining to the application of Clean Energy Technology, focus on solutions that promote reliable platforms for green, carbon neutral, energy management systems that leverage activities within other centres in ERI@N and focus on system level solutions in the green shipping and green ports domain.

SEFC: will provide a common platform for research in areas including solar photovoltaics, solar thermal, photocatalysis, and photoelectrochemical conversions.


Joint Centres with External Organisations


CINTRA UMI CNRS/NTU/THALES 3288
Director: Professor Dominique Baillargeat
Website: http://cintra.ntu.edu.sg/Pages/default.aspx


Vision

Investigation of new technology niches through both:

Mission

Research Activities

CINTRA UMI 3288 is a joint laboratory between Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the National Center of Scientific Research (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique or CNRS) the largest governmental research organisation in France, and Thales, the French electronics giant and a global technology leader in aerospace, space, defence, security and transportation industries. The MOU was signed on 7 October 2009, by President NTU, Dr Su Guangning, Director General CNRS, Mr Arnold Migus and Vice-President, Research & Technology of Thales Corporation , Dr Marko Erman in the presence of Singapore’s Minister of Education and Second Minister of Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen and France’s Minister of Higher Education and Research, Mrs Valérie Pécresse. This laboratory is located at NTU’s Research Technoplaza. CINTRA aims to harness the latest in science and technology to develop innovations in nanotechnologies for nanoelectronics and nanophotonics. The collaboration will provide opportunities to challenge and tackle critical issues and bottlenecks faced by existing technologies in microelectronic and photonic industries, promising innovations with superior performance beyond what is available today. Three main thrusts constitute the research project:

Thrust 1 : Carbon based nanotechnologies
Thrust 2 : Nanowire based nanotechnologies
Thrust 3 : Innovative materials and 3D Integration

The current key focus of this joint laboratory is on technological process developments, characterisation and modeling, design of new RF and photonics components for future applications in telecommunication, space, and defense.


Electromagnetic Effects Research Laboratory (EMERL)
Director: Associate Professor See Kye Yak
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/eee/emerl/)


Mission

Research Activities

Recognising the importance of EMC and its relevance to both military and civilian system design, NTU and DSO National Laboratories signed a memorandum of understanding on 24 March 2004 to set up EMERL in NTU. EMERL was constructed at a cost of about $10 million, and funded by DSTA, DSO and A*STAR. It was officially opened on 7 September 2007 by Defence Minister, Mr Teo Chee Hean.

EMERL has state of the art equipment and a group of dedicated researchers to facilitate electromagnetic effects related research in four key areas:

Research Facilities

EMERL houses two cutting-edge test facilities: the Semi-Anechoic Chamber (SAC) and a Mode Stirred Chamber (MSC). The SAC has walls lined with electromagnetic absorbing material and provides an “electromagnetic pollution-free” environment to measure emission as low as micro-volt per meter. On the other hand, the MSC, another well-shielded enclosure for immunity testing, can emulate hostile electromagnetic environments with electromagnetic fields of several hundred volts per meter. These facilities enable NTU to play a leading role in advanced electromagnetic effects research.


Energetics Research Institute (EnRI)
Director: Professor Ang How Ghee
( http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/EnRI/)


Mission

A new generation of energetic materials, with special attention on capability development, collaboration, innovation and cutting edge technology.

Research: Future Direction

New energetic materials

The research focus of the Institute is on new materials with high energetic performance, ranging from oxidizers to metals. Its research on chemical synthesis of the high energy density materials includes the design of new synthetic routes that are safe, non-polluting and cost-effective.

Safety and performance

The Institute extends its research to physical and spectroscopic studies of selected energetic materials and metals even at the nano-scale. The critical issues of insensitivity and compatibility of energetic material compositions are examined in order to achieve new goals of enhanced energetic performance and the uncompromising demands of high safety standards.

Capability Development

Capability development will remain central to the future programs of the Institute in order to enable it to build a strong research foundation and new skills in advanced techniques and frontier technologies. Such new techniques like the detonation and deflagration calorimetry would enable a more precise understanding of the thermal principles governing detonation, deflagration and combustion processes of new energetic compositions.

Courses

EnRI has introduced a new Unrestricted Elective course ENR901 Foundations in Energetic Materials for undergraduate cohort with effect from Semester 1 of AY 2009/2010. This course is available in Semester 1 of each academic year.

Modeling & Simulation

The universal technique of computational modeling and simulation will extend the Institute’s theoretical and basic research into diverse areas like identification of improvised energetic materials, optimisation of new energetic compositions, or assessment of thermal hazard potential may it be time-to-thermal-runaway, adiabatic decomposition temperature rise, explosion potential, shock sensitivity, or critical cook-off temperature. The technique will also take its fundamental research from the bench to new applications.

Cutting Edge Technology

The cutting edge technology based on energetic and piezoelectric materials requires multidisciplinary skills. A case in point is the initiation train which is concerned with extremely fast processes operating at the detonation range where their mechanisms can be examined with precision using high speed photography applying simultaneously both framing (100 million frames per second) and streak camera (1ns/mm to 100μs/mm). Such a technique would enable precise measurement within a very short time duration in order to derive physical parameters like velocity of detonation of high energy materials, velocity of plasma evolved during detonation, detonation wave profile, estimation of C-J pressure, analysis of sympathetic detonation, critical diameter performance assessment, and precise ignition delay and function time. It is a state-of-the-art high precision miniaturised technology incorporating the latest green energetic materials. The achievement of much higher safety standards is primarily due to its insensitivity to unintended initiation by radio frequency, electromagnetic interference and electro static discharge.

The foregoing description therefore illustrates the kind of research that are of interest to EnRI.


Intelligent Systems Centre (IntelliSys)
Director: Associate Professor Chen I-Ming
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/intellisys/)


Mission

Research Philosophy

Research Activities

IntelliSys is a research centre jointly set up by ST Engineering and NTU. It is the meeting point of application-specific problems and technologically viable solutions, and serves as a hotbed for technological development and advancement in the area of intelligent systems. The Centre’s emphasis is on the synergistic integration of physical systems with information technology and complex decision-making processes in the design, manufacturing, and operation of intelligent systems relevant to industrial users.

IntelliSys has 10 principal investigators mainly from the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, the School of Computer Engineering, and the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The centre receives research grants from industry and government agencies such as Mindef, DSO, NEA, and ASTAR, etc, to conduct research projects in the following areas:

 
Satellite Engineering Centre (SEC)
Centre Director: Associate Professor Low Kay Soon
(http://www.sec.eee.ntu.edu.sg/)


Mission

SEC aims to be a centre of excellence in satellite engineering research capable of spearheading the development of innovative space technologies for small satellite system designs.


Research Activities

SEC has a competent Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite mission design and development team. It comprises of faculty members, full-time engineers and researchers. The team has successfully completed a number of satellite engineering projects since 1994. The most notable achievement in the past was the Merlion Communication Payload for UoSAT-12 mini-satellite mission project. Currently the centre has its flag-ship project, the X-Sat micro-satellite project. The X-Sat is the first micro-satellite mission designed and wholly built within NTU. It is also the first made in Singapore satellite.

The X-Sat micro-satellite project is a 120kg remote sensing micro-satellite using an electro-optical instrument with near real-time data downlink capability. The project is undertaken by a joint team comprising staffs from both NTU and DSO. The project involves participation from the various Schools under the College of Engineering, as well as partners such as DSTA, CRISP (Centre for Remote Imaging, Sensing and Processing, NUS) and overseas collaborators such as India Space Research Organization (ISRO), German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and South Korea SaTReCi.

The research and development focus of SEC covers:

SEC has the following facilities for space projects:

Besides X-SAT, the centre has several research and education programs. The main focus is to pursue upstream academic research projects involving mainly in innovative nano-satellites for distributed space system application. The centre also has an undergraduate satellite program involving second year to final year undergraduate students from different schools of college of engineering to work on the development of a nano-satellite.


Temasek Laboratories at NTU (TL@NTU)
Director: Professor Ma Jan
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/temasek-labs)


Mission

To explore the frontiers of science and develop strategic technology that will deliver effective solutions for the defence and security of Singapore.


Research Activities

Our research focus is categorized into 10 areas:

a) Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMIC)
To develop capabilities for advanced R&D in GaAs-based and GaN-based MMICs.

b) Radar System
To research on new radar concepts, techniques and design, focusing on passive radar, High Frequency Surface Wave Radar (HFSWR), foliage penetration radar and wall penetration radar.

c) Signal Processing System on Chip
To develop VLSI circuit modules and techniques as building blocks to enable programmable platforms integrating many functionalities onto a single chip.

d) Advanced Materials
To research on advanced materials for soldier protection and survivability.

e) Tropical Weather
To improve mesoscale weather forecast in Southeast Asia for Singapore through research on numerical weather prediction models, atmospheric data retrieval from remote-sensing instruments and data assimilation techniques.

f) Computer Vision
To conduct camera-array-based computer vision research to enhance the recognition ability or visibility of the objects of interest hidden by foliage.

g) Sensor Array Research
To conduct applied research in sensor array; including mathematical formulations, sensor array processing techniques, algorithm developments and experimental investigations.

h) Speech Processing
To conduct advanced research in automatic speech recognition.

i) Laser and Electro-Optics
To conduct applied research in optical sciences and laser technology.

j) Photonics
To conduct applied research in microwave photonics focusing on three areas: photonic components, photonic subsystems and optical sensors.


College Research Centres

College of Engineering


Institute of Sustainable Nanoelectronics (ISNE)
Director: Professor Palem, Krishna V.
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/ISNE/Pages/default.aspx)


Mission and Niche  Areas

The attempt to revolutionize Integrated Circuit (IC) chip fabrication, design and development processes, brought together School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) at the Nanyang Technological University and the VISEN center at Rice University in Houston.  The two institutions jointly established the Institute for Sustainable Nanoelectronics (ISNE) to extend the College’s established strength in IC design and development.  With this collaboration, the two leading technological institutions can now look forward to leveraging on each others’ strengths to bring about exciting breakthroughs that will propel the University to excellence in IC research.  Furthermore, faculty from the School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) also currently form an active part of ISNE on ongoing research projects.
 
Renowned Professor Krishna Palem leads the Institution.  Professor Krishna Palem, the Ken and Audrey Kennedy Professor in Computer Science at Rice University, has ambitions to design and develop the next generation of embedded IC chips that are both energy efficient and cost-saving.  With S$4 million in seed funding support from NTU, the projects undertaken by the Institute aim to advance the state-of-the art in graphene based nanostructures and devices, probabilistic computation, and VLSI III-V nanophotonics integration.  These seed projects aim to place NTU on the worldwide leading edge of research in the three targeted areas, training world-recognized leaders among the faculty and students of ISNE, attracting additional research funds, and spawning Singapore-based startup companies.

To realize these goals, the Institute has been working closely with Rice University’s new Value of Information-based Sustainable Embedded Nanocomputing Centre (VISEN) which Professor Palem founded and directs as well.  Professor Palem has also been helping to build a network comprising of world-class electronics and computing experts from several leading U.S. universities such as Caltech and the Georgia Institute of Technology – forming the International Network of Excellence of ISNE– to facilitate knowledge exchange with the Institute.
 
Tapping on the support and expertise from these world-renowned institutions, the Institute’s immediate task is to design and build the first production prototype of the next generation embedded IC chips, nanophotonics lasers, and graphene interconnect and devices – projects that will have great impact on the state of the art in semiconductor technology and diverse applications which would benefit from these advances. These projects also have the potential for enhanced visibility for the college of engineering at NTU and would serve to attract research funding from local and international funding agencies and companies.  All of which will help Singapore advance further up the semiconductor technology ladder.


College Research Centres

College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences


Centre for Liberal Arts and Social Studies (CLASS)
Director: Dr Monique van Donzel
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/hss/class)

The Centre for Liberal Arts and Social Studies (CLASS) is the major research hub for the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. It was created in 2006, at the time under the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and was established as a College level centre on 1 April 2010. Its aim is to facilitate, coordinate and encourage inter-disciplinary research among the Schools in the College. CLASS provides a platform for interaction among local and international scholars from various disciplines. It is organizing and providing funding for research activities, as well as providing guidance and advice in research matters.

The activities supported by CLASS include academic workshops, planning workshops leading to major grant proposals, and larger, international conferences. A successful distinguished lecture scheme has been set up and will be continued. A short term visiting scholar scheme is under preparation, as well as monthly faculty research talks.

CLASS will be hosting several major seminars and conferences during 2010, including the AVSA Conference Re-Orienting Victorian Studies, Making Decisions –Singapore Multidisciplinary Decision Science Symposium, Global Movement of Ideas, People and Resources: Towards Robust and Sustainable Growth, and the Social Aspects of a Changing Population Symposium. Several high profile events and conferences are in the pipeline and will held in the second half of 2010 and early 2011.


College Research Centres

College of Business (NBS)


Asian Business Case Centre (ABCC)
Director: Associate Professor Wee Beng Geok
(http://www.asiacase.com/)


Mission

The Asian Business Case Centre (ABCC) is part of the Nanyang Business School. Its mission is to build a virtual community of people in case writing, teaching, learning and research about Asian management and the Asian business experience. Since its inception, the ABCC has published more than 120 case studies written by NTU faculty. The ABCC also publishes cases submitted by faculty from other universities in the region.


Research Activities

School Research Centres

College of Engineering

Advanced Materials Research Centre (AMRC)
Director: Associate Professor Subodh Mhaisalkar


Vision

To establish a world-class cross-disciplinary programme in nanomaterials discovery, development, and exploitation.


Mission

To develop new approaches and understanding in the synthesis of advanced and innovative functional materials for applications ranging from biotechnology to nanoelectronics.


Objectives

Research Activities

AMRC is a university-wide research centre that focuses on the synthesis of advanced and innovative functional materials for applications ranging from biotechnology to nanoelectronics. The Centre focuses on the areas of Biomaterials, Energy and Catalysis, Nano and Organic Electronics, Nano Photonics and Magnetics, and Defence Materials. Its main research facilities include materials synthesis for organics and in-organic materials, thin film deposition, as well as materials characterisation (morphology, thermal, and structure characterisation).

The AMRC hosts several multidisciplinary research programmes with participation of faculty from the Schools of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (CBE), and Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) in NTU.

Several notable contributions were made by AMRC in the field of Biomaterials. A Singapore biomedical company that develops biodegradable stents, Amaranth Medical Pte Ltd, started by two NTU professors, Professors Freddy Boey Yin Chiang and Subbu S Venkatraman, attracted investments of US$7.5 million from a Silicon Valley venture capital fund along with investment from EDB’s Bio*One Capital. Other initiatives nearing commercialisation include frictionless pumps and disposable surgical retraction systems for biomedical applications.


Biomedical Engineering Research Centre (BMERC)
Director: Professor Subbu S Venkatraman
(http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/bmerc/contents/index.htm)


Vision

Mission

Research Activities

BMERC’s strengths stem from the coherent fusion between core engineering disciplines, biology and medicine. Researchers in the Centre come from the established engineering schools. BMERC works very closely with industry partners and has strong collaborations with Biomedical Engineering and Medical facilities.

Research at BMERC focuses on the following: Biomolecular Physics, Bioimaging, Biosensors, Distributed Diagnostics and Home Healthcare, Neuroengineering, Tissue Engineering, Biomaterials, Biomechanics, Medical Robotics, Pharmacogentics, etc.

The BMERC-SUWA programme was a key programme which aimed to promote cutting edge research in Bioengineering in Singapore. BMERC supported this win-win strategic partnership over the last five years, as a platform to promote the growth of Bioengineering research in Singapore, which is critical for advancing human health and wealth.

BMERC also works closely with the Society of the Physically Disabled (SPD), part of the Community Research Network, to research into the latest assistive technologies. The Assistive Technologies Group, based at BMERC, is spearheading this collaboration.


Bioinformatics Research Centre (BIRC)
Director: Professor Jagath Rajapakse
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/birc/)


Mission

Vision

Research

BIRC is the focus of the education, research and development, and human-resource training in bioinformatics at NTU. Research includes development of techniques and tools for computational analysis and visualisation of life sciences data and processes, leading to the understanding of biological phenomena and the discovery of novel drugs. BIRC also facilitates teaching and research projects of MSc (Bioinformatics) programme and PhD (Computation and Systems Biology) programme of Singapore-MIT Alliance.

Research Areas

 
Centre for Advanced Bionanosystems
Director: Professor Li Changming
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/ecmli/)


Mission

To lead scientifically and technologically in advanced bionanosystems innovation and accelerate commercialisation to meet Singapore’s, the regional and global needs for sustainable economic development.


Overview

Innovative biological systems and Devices such as biosensors, molecular drug delivery device, bioelectronics and molecular machines provide great potential to enhance quality of life, improve healthcare and strengthen biodefense. The most significant impact of bionanosystems is envisaged to be in health and medicine: diagnostics, treatment and prevention. Particularly, there is a great need in global health care for novel approaches to meet the needs of ageing populations and poor countries. Biotechnology and its based advance bionanosystems can enable cheaper, safer and more ethical production of a growing number of traditional as well as new drugs and medical services.

The excellence research center applies state-of-the-art methods to investigate and develop advanced bionanosystems, particularly focusing on micro/nano array sensors, Lab-on-chip systems, drug delivery devices, and bioelectronics and biofuel cells. The center cannot only produce high impact publications, but also makes great contribution to Singapore economic development and particularly supports Singapore economy development in emerging technologies. The center serves as a focal point of university undergraduate students, faculty members and research students for fostering highly interdisciplinary research at the cross-road of chemical engineering sciences, life sciences, electronics and nano sciences, and further attracts remarkable research funds and international investment.

Core R&D Areas:

 
Centre for Advanced Information Systems (CAIS)
Director: Associate Professor Sourav Saha Bhowmick
(http://www.cais.ntu.edu.sg)


Mission

Vision

Enhancing human needs and aspirations through next-generation information and knowledge management.


Research

The research focus of CAIS can be broadly classified into two categories, namely core research and interface research . In core research , we explore fundamental problems in the areas of advanced data management, data mining, and information security & privacy that are of significance in the 21^st century . Interface research , on the other hand, focuses on multidisciplinary research by exploring novel problems that take place at the interfaces of traditional data management and across traditional subject boundaries. Specifically, we explore the role of data management and mining in future healthcare, future business, new media/social networking, new engineering, and sustainable earth. We believe that novel multidisciplinary research in these areas is needed to solve many of the major research challenges of 21 st century, such as:


Research Activities

 
Centre for Advanced Media Technology (CAMTech)
Director: Associate Professor Wolfgang Mueller-Wittig
(http://www.camtech.ntu.edu.sg/)


Mission

Research

Established in 1998, CAMTech is a joint R&D centre of the Fraunhofer-Institute for Computer Graphics (IGD) of Darmstadt, Germany and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) of Singapore. Located on the NTU campus, CAMTech taps on the resources, expertise and R&D results from both IGD and NTU, fostering strong ties through research collaborations.

CAMTech concentrates on research related to advance media. The Centre plays a unique role of integrating scientific academic research with the demands of the industry market. Another area of focus is edutainment; education and entertainment using augmented and virtual reality.

Research Areas

 
Centre for Biotechnology (CBT)
Director: Associate Professor Vincent Chan
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/scbe/cbe/CBT)

CBT capitalises on chemical engineering sciences to exploit several frontiers of biotechnology including tissue regeneration, virus-cell dynamics, cell-based biosensor, cell biophysics and systems bioengineering. Researchers at the Centre apply state-of-the-art methods in soft lithography, genetic engineering, biomolecular engineering, bio-surface engineering and biophysics to design novel cell therapy, engineered tissue equivalents, biopharmaceuticals, oral vaccines, and biosensor. Most importantly, CBT serves as a focal point for Chemical and Biomedical Engineering undergraduate students, faculty members and research students to foster highly interdisciplinary research at the crossroad of Chemical Engineering Sciences, Life Sciences and System Engineering.


Centre for Chiral and Pharmaceutical Engineering (CCPE)
Director: Professor Ching Chi Bun
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/scbe/cbe/ccpe)


Mission

Research Activities

CCPE emphasises its research on chiral drugs. Activities at CCPE include chemical synthesis, separation and purification technology, materials technology, control and process technology, as well as “green” chemistry and engineering.

The centre’s current research focus is on the following:

Centre for Computational Intelligence (C2i)
Director: Associate Professor Yew Soon Ong
(http://www.c2i.ntu.edu.sg)


Mission

Research

Researchers in C2i investigate natural and artificial systems to comprehend principles that render intelligent behaviour possible in complex changing environments. The Centre’s core research is focused on devising intelligent machines capable of learning, understanding and reasoning about past actions, so as to provide creative solutions to real-world complex problems.


Research Areas

Centre for High Performance Embedded Systems (CHiPES)
Director: Professor Thambipillai Srikanthan
(http://www.chipes.ntu.edu.sg)

Mission

Research

CHiPES carries out use-inspired research, development and timely training in embedded systems engineering using state-of-the-art tools and technologies to spur next-generation innovation and to enable an order-of-magnitude improvement in developer productivity.

Research Areas

 
Centre for Human Factors and Ergonomics (CHFE)
Director: Assistant Professor Qu Xingda
(http://www.mae.ntu.edu.sg/AboutMAE/Divisions/HFE)


Mission

Objective

Research Activities

CHFE is an inter-school entity, involving staff from the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) and the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI). It is well positioned to address the entire spectrum of design concerns, extending highly desirable art-to-part capabilities to encompass ideation/concept definition, art/virtual, design, computer aided design/simulation, and finally the production of a first physical prototype.

Interest areas are wide-ranging, covering industrial automation and systems, consumer products and military systems. Specific topics include user interface design, virtual reality systems, computer supported co-operative work, mobile computers and infocomm devices, teamwork, safety engineering, human vision, product design, affective and cross cultural design, usability engineering, system analysis, occupational health and safety, work systems, rehabilitation engineering, industrial and environmental ergonomics, human error, job/task design and analysis, designing for the elderly and people with special needs, workstation/workspace design and evaluation, process control, office ergonomics and transport ergonomics.

Members of the Centre, in collaboration with Linköping University (Sweden), also launched the world’s first Dual Masters executive programme in Human Factors Engineering.

Some of the research collaborators include Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute (DMERI), DSO National Laboratories (DSO), MINDEF, US Air Force, Asian Office of Aerospace Research and Development/ Air Force Research Lab (AOARD/AFRL), Honeywell Inc., Aeromedical Centre, Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), St Luke’s Hospital for the Elderly, National Library Board, Java Wireless Competency Centre, University of Waikato (New Zealand), University College London (UK), Linköping University of Technology (Sweden), University of Technology in Compiegn (France).


Centre for Information Security (CIS)
Director: Associate Professor Jiang Xudong
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/eee/cis)


Mission, Vision and Research Philosophy

Research Activities

The main research activity broadly focuses on the areas of Data Hiding and Information Forensics, Biometrics, and Surveillance System.

CIS has developed and patented a fast MPEG watermarking scheme which embeds watermarks efficiently and invisibly into the MPEG bit stream, without the need for MPEG decompression. Novelties in this technology include compressed domain block classification, enhanced bit rate control, and enhanced blind detection for drift-compensated video. CIS has investigated the effects of linear and non-linear collusion attacks on digital fingerprints (personalised watermarks) and devised new techniques to counter them.

CIS developed a fingerprint retrieval framework using the orientation field as the main feature and the dominant ridge distance as an auxiliary feature. These coarse level features have little correlation with the minutia points that are often used for the finger matching in an automated fingerprint verification and identification systems. Consequently, the proposed retrieval approach will not only speed up the identification process but also alleviate the accuracy deterioration of the fingerprint identification from that of the verification.


Centre for Infrastructure Systems (CIS)
Director: Associate Professor Chu Jian
(http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/CEE/cis/)


Mission

To be a centre of excellence in research and education in infrastructure system planning and development

Current Areas of Research Focus
To work closely with industries to develop innovative technologies in the areas of

Current Research Projects

Education and Training activities:

Centre for Intelligent Machines (CIM)
Director: Professor Xie Lihua
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/eee/cim)


Mission

Research Activities

The CIM’s research in control, especially robust and adaptive control, enjoys excellent international reputation. In addition to fundamental research, the Centre has put a lot of emphasis on industrial control, in particular, process modelling, optimisation and control with applications in air-conditioning systems, motion control, and flight control, and has completed several major industrial projects. The Centre also has very strong research teams in autonomous systems, sensor networks, and machine learning supported by several government and industry funded projects.


Research Focus

 
Centre for Mechanics of Micro-systems (CMMS)
Director: Associate Professor Du He Jun
(http://www.cmms.mae.ntu.edu.sg/)


Vision

CMMS believes that:

Objectives

Research Activities and Focus Areas

Although the scope of research includes mechanics of all kinds of micro-systems, the research activities in CMMS can be broadly divided into two focused areas.

One focused research area is on HDD Mechanics (mostly in close collaboration with DSI and the industry). This includes the following topics:

The other focused area of research is to develop enabling technologies for design and manufacturing of micro/nano systems devices.

This includes the following topics:

Centre for Modeling and Control of Complex Systems (CMCCS)
Director: Professor Soh Yeng Chai
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/eee/cmccs)


Vision

To be a centre of excellence in the understanding and analysis of complex systems.


Mission

To excel in research and development on methodologies for modelling, computation, control and optimisation of complex systems.


Research Activities

The R&D activities of CMCCS are related to the understanding of dynamics and computational issues of complex systems, and in particular, the development of methodologies for modelling, computation, sensing and control, sensor networks, and control and optimisation of complex systems. The core research activities include Modelling and Control of Biological Systems, Computational Nano-Electronics, Computational Electromagnetics, Control of Networks, and Modelling, Optimisation and Control Techniques. CMCCS has 25 academic staff, 6 research staff and 28 PhD students, with ongoing research grants totalling S$4 million from various sources. To-date, 4 patents have been filed and granted by CMCCS. In the areas of environmental and water technologies, CMCCS will focus on the R&D areas of modelling, sensing, optimisation and control.


Centre for Multimedia and Network Technology (CeMNet)
Director: Associate Professor Cham Tat Jen
(http://www.cemnet.ntu.edu.sg/)


Mission

Towards ubiquitous computing where communications and media transcend devices, mobility and activities. Enhanced user experience can be achieved through the deployment of network, effectors and location and context-awareness technologies into our daily lives.


Research

CeMNet is recognised for research work in three core areas; Multimedia Understanding, Intelligent Environments as well as Network Technologies, Protocols and Services.


Research Areas

 
Centre for Smart Energy Systems (CSES)
Director: Associate Professor Tseng King Jet
(http://www.cses.eee.ntu.edu.sg)


Mission

The development of intelligent systems, from concept to commercialization, in a multi-disciplinary and holistic manner, for the efficient and clean harvesting, storage, delivery and utilization of energy.


Research Philosophy

With the national emphasis on clean and green energy, and the potential external funding for NTU, it was timely that the School of EEE started its strategic initiative on Clean Energy. With effect from 1 May 2007, the previous Centre for Advanced Power Electronics (CAPE) has been re-named and re-structured as the Centre for Smart Energy Systems (CSES). However its track record goes back to more than 20 years of research and education by members of the Power Engineering Division. Its overall objective is the development of intelligent systems, from concept to commercialization, in a multi-disciplinary and holistic manner, for the efficient and clean harvesting, storage, delivery and utilization of energy. It offers broad-based solutions to the global energy and environmental challenge facing mankind.


Research Focus

Centre for Signal Processing (CSP)
Director: Associate Professor Ser Wee
(http://www.csp.eee.ntu.edu.sg/asp/index.asp)


Vision

To become a well referred research centre in the world on digital signal processing.


Mission

To spearhead research and development of signal processing technologies for the future.


Research Philosophy

With the vision that future systems are becoming more intelligent and connected, we strive to create significant impact on enabling digital signal processing technologies in these areas.


Research Activities

The Centre is organized into four research programs with a total of about 150 research staff, including about 30 professors and more than 120 researchers and research students. The four research programs are: multimedia signal processing, statistical and adaptive signal processing, bio-signal processing and signal processing system. Specifically, three thrust areas have been identified as the focus for its research projects: (a) intelligent human-machine interface, (b) biomedical signal processing, and (c) homeland security.


Emerging Research Lab (ER Lab)
Director: Assistant Professor Miao Chun Yan
(http://erlab.ntu.edu.sg)


Mission

The mission of the Emerging Research Lab is to identify and nurture new promising research areas in the disciplines of computing and engineering that possess high research values as well as substantial commercial potential. The Emerging Research Lab aims to host multidisciplinary research teams conducting innovative research in their respective fields with the objective of growing them into full-fledged research centers of excellence with close links to the industry in the near future. In addition to supporting existing research areas, the Emerging Research Lab will constantly track the technology landscape in computing and engineering and invite research proposals for new initiatives.


Research

Researchers in the ER Lab embark on new and emerging areas in the discipline of science, computing, and engineering which have high research values and commercial potential. The ER Lab currently houses a number of emerging research programmes with externally funded projects in collaboration with overseas and local partners. For example, the Speech and Language Technology program has successfully collaborated with I2R (A*STAR) to participate in the (NIST) 2008 Speaker Recognition Evaluation International Benchmarking and (NIST) 2009 multiple distance microphone Speaker Diarization Task and was awarded the top places. The cognitive and Neural Systems program has attracted multiple million dollars of research grants for infusing artificial and computational intelligence into interactive media in collaboration with experts in education, arts, humanities and social sciences.


Research Areas

Energy Research Group
Coordinators: Professor Chan Siew Hwa (Fuel Cells), Associate Professor Chua Leok Poh (Wind/Tidal Energy), Assistant Professor Duan Fei (Energy Systems)

The Energy Research Group activities are mostly carried out under ERI@N ( http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/erian/), a university level institute focusing on energy research.

The Energy Research Group at the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering comprises the Fuel Cell Laboratory (ERI@N) and the Energy Systems Laboratory. The Fuel Cell Lab plays a leading role in Singapore and the region in advancing technological developments for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) and Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC), with research work ranging from fundamental research in thermofluids, electrochemistry, materials sciences and materials processing, to the fabrication and application of fuel cells. The Energy Systems Laboratory has core strengths in the development, evaluation and assessment of clean energy and energy efficient technologies that are particularly relevant to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Singapore and the region, such as integrated energy systems, advanced cooling and dehumidification systems, renewable energy such as solar photovoltaics and thermal systems, and building energy efficiency systems.

In addition, the Group has been successful in obtaining substantial R&D and consultancy funding from both internal and external sources, and has also filed patents showing the potential commercial value of the work to date. Members of the group have also played a key role in outreach, advisory and advocacy activities to promote fuel cell and energy research, development and testing in Singapore universities, A*STAR, government agencies (EDB, NEA, HDB, DSTA, etc.) and industries. Recently, professors in Energy Systems Laboratory have tied up a programme with DSO to develop mini gas turbine engines for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The research covers miniature turbojet engine optimization, combustion study, and test bench design. The objective is to achieve a miniature turbojet engine with high efficiency.

It is worth mentioning that the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering hosts the Fuel Cell and Wind/Tidal Energy Research activities which are parts of the university-level Energy Initiative under the Energy Research Institute at NTU (ERI@N). The Fuel Cell Lab has been expanded recently to cater for increasing activities on high performance and reliability of the fuel cells. The Wind/Tidal Energy research will focus on the optimisation of energy generation from the best blade profile design, light but tough composite material for the blades, the manufacturing know-how for the long composite rotor blade, to the integration of the whole turbine system. The Group has envisioned the importance of such a multidisciplinary and collaborative environment where researchers and engineers could interact with industry partners as well as with economist and social scientists.


Facility for Analysis, Characterisation, Testing and Simulation (FACTS)
Director: Associate Professor Hng Huey Hoon
(http://www.characterisation.com.sg)


Vision

To be a focal point of investigations in materials science at NTU and across the wider research community through the provision of world class facilities and training for the examination of condensed matter.


Mission

To maintain a suite of state-of-the-art electron and X-ray beam hardware and software accessible to researchers nationally and internationally and advise scientists and engineers exploring the solid state.


Research Activities

FACTS focuses its research on the atomic level crystallographic, structural and chemical analysis using electron and X-ray probes to provide an essential underpinning for the design, development and validation of nanomaterials.

FACTS supports a broad range of research across NTU, NUS and the A*STAR Research Institutes. In addition, FACTS conducts research in the following areas, where materials processing are developed and optimised through exploitation of advanced diffraction and imaging techniques:

FACTS is supported by top-end diffraction and imaging instruments as a suite of facilities (equipment, software, databases) and it includes:

Access is available at:

FACTS has also been successful in developing unique training courses in X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy that serve researchers throughout Singapore, developing on-line training and virtual scanning electron microscopy and servicing more than 150 clients through an on-line booking and billing system.


Forensics and Security Lab (ForSe Lab)
Director: Assistant Professor Cho Siu Yeung, David
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sce/labs/forse)


Mission

Vision

Research

Researchers in the ForSe Lab study the application of computational techniques to forensic analysis and security surveillance. Research is focused on integrating new knowledge and technology to provide law enforcement and security agencies with automatic devices and capabilities to improve prevention, detection and solution of crimes, and acts of terrorism.


Research Areas

Game Lab (gameLAB)
Director: Professor Seah Hock Soon
(http://www.gamelab.ntu.edu.sg)


Mission

Research

The gameLAB aims to develop technologies and techniques for commercial and experimental digital art, animation and games through research, innovation, education, training and production. Our lab serves as a labyrinth for computer scientists and engineers, artists and animators, storywriters and musicians, and user-interface designers to create new algorithms, tools, and systems to advance the state-of-the-art digital art and animation productions, including interactive forms of animation such as web-based animation and games. As one of its goals, the lab will engage key industrial players intensely to accelerate the growth of the digital media industry in Singapore.


Research Areas

 
Interaction and Entertainment Research Centre (IERC)
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/ierc)


Mission

The Interaction and Entertainment Research Center is a University Level Research Centre in Nanyang Technological University. IERC is dedicated to creative cross-disciplinary collaborations between various university departments, as well as with government and industry partners.

Areas of focus are in interactive spaces, robotics in art and entertainments, animation technologies, mixed and augmented reality, interactive fine art, games, education/training, and simulation.

The mission of the Entertainment Research Center is to develop an interdisciplinary approach to research centered around the interfaces between people and computing systems that unlock the power of human intelligence and link minds. The Center’s research encompasses science, technology, education, design and entertainment together with real world application of designed tools, products, culturally relevant artistic experiences and new media applications. The research, design, innovative projects and experience exist at the intersection between the arts and technology.


Research Activities

The IERC explores the effects of new technologies on the traditions and metaphors of traditional creative practice and production. The Centre poses and attempts to answer critical questions which are of cultural and technological significance:

Inspired by leading multidisciplinary research programmes such as ZKM and the Banff Centre for critical artistic focus, and Xerox PARC and MIT’s Media Lab for bold technical innovation, IERC: capitalises on the power of collaboration across the boundaries that define traditional academic territories. The IERC’s integrated approach is reflected in current projects that stretch across such diverse themes as entertainment technology, computer assisted creativity, stage robotics, tangible media, augmented reality and theatrical performance.


Projects include

• The Wishing Well, by Associate Professor and artist, Louis-Philippe Demers

Liquid Stage is part of the series/studies of interactive installations rendering pixels in various spectrum of stages of matter in action – liquid, solid, gas and rooted in the four elements: water, earth, fire, air. Rendering pixels is seen as a broad translation of the Wishing Well. These stages will encompass the use of mechanics, robotics, electro-magnetic, pneumatic, sound and light. When the studies will be completed, this will also represent a research on visualization and alternate sources of “displays”. The Dry Liquid Study explores the paradigm of multi-touch interaction and enables an unlimited number of visitors to engage in the experience of touching a dry water surface.

• Area V5, by Associate Professor and artist, Louis-Philippe Demers

Recent developments in the field of Social Robotics and Artificial Intelligence call for the prominent role of eye movements in establishing meaningful dialogue between humans and machine. Area V5 is an artistic comment on the social robots hypothesis. The installation will invite the viewer to experiment the enigmatic gaze of hundreds of disembodied eyes in an out-of-context surveillance from impotent machines. The title of the work refers to the visual area V5, also known as visual area MT (medial temporal). V5 is a region of the extrastriate visual cortex that is thought to play a major role in the perception of motion, the integration of local motion signals into global percepts and the guidance of some eye movements.

• REAL, by Associate Professor and artist, Louis-Philippe Demers, in collaboration with Professor Rolf Pfeifer, AILab, Uni of Zurich

We propose to develop a radically new robotic kit for classes at schools and higher education sectors as well as for hobbyists, autodidacts and professionals. REAL departs from existing robotic kits by empowering important concepts and methodologies from modern AI research and Artistic explorations, so far absent from existing solutions. REAL will then propagate key concepts (such as synthetic methodology, ecological balance, cheap design, self-organization) amongst practitioners in other fields such as social sciences, economics, art, design and architecture. These concepts encourage novel problem solving strategies, which may be more adequate for many challenges in an increasingly complex and dynamic world.

Artists who work with technology (e.g. in Media Art) employ an entirely different planning and development process than scientists and engineers. Specifically, artists engage in a bottom-up approach that iterates through several relatively short cycles of planning, development, observation and modification. This creative approach possesses many similarities with the synthetic methodology, which forms a recent and essential aspect of modern AI research.

• Computer Assisted Cel Animation (CACAni), this research into animation technologies directed by Professor Seah Hock Soon under the Computation Arts Group (CAG)

The software tool is based on novel and advanced computer graphics and image processing technologies for traditional cel animation that automates ‘tweening’, the tedious process of adding additional movie frames in-between the ‘key-frames.’, and automating the ‘coloring’ process.

• A Real-time Stable Markerless Tracking for Augmented Reality Using Image Analysis/Synthesis Technique, by Russell Pensyl

This project proposes a markerless tracking technique using image analysis/synthesis approach. Its task is to minimise the relative difference in image illumination between the synthesized and captured images. Through the use of a 3D geometric model and correct illumination synthesis, it promises more robust and stable results under different scenarios resulting in robust real-time markerless tracking. Providing reusable and extendable software modules easily integrated with different graphics and physics engines to facilitate advancement in AR applications for games and education, our research overcomes the lack of versatility and limited graphics and vision capabilities in the existing AR tools. This framework drives the creation of AR applications in games and education. Demonstration of this new work in markerless tracking will be carried forward in mixed reality installations such as those listed below:

• The Long Bar, Location Based Entertainment, using mixed reality in real world spaces and environments, by Russell Pensyl and Daniel Jernigan

The piece will use mixed augmented reality technology to develop culturally and historically significant events into fully interactive artistic experiences. Participants wearing head mounted display systems will witness various notable figures, including Somerset Maugham, Joseph Conrad, and Ava Gardner, immersed within that very real world environment.

• Everyman, The Ultimate Commodity 3.0, Experimental Staging Using Augmented Reality, Computer Vision, Inertial Sensors, Interactive Installation and Digital Media, by Daniel Jernigan and Russell Pensyl

An experimental theatre production using mixed and real time augmented reality technologies to spin a tale of a sinister alternate-future Singapore where the population becomes an unwitting supply of genetically modified organ donors. Based on a story by Singapore writer, Gopal Baratham and adapted for the stage by Daniel Jernigan from NTU’s Department of English, Version 2.0 was staged at the Fringe Toronto Theatre Festival in July 2007. The play featured notable Singaporean actors, Gerald Chew, Debra Teng and Sara Yang. The technology was demonstrated in the 6th International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality in Nara, Japan in November, 2007. Version 3.0 research covers processes and system architecture for mixed reality in performance, methodologies for creating 3d modeled and animated assets and virtual characters, creation of augmented reality environments where the virtual characters can interact with live action actors, custom designed extrinsic calibration methods and the use of three axis gyroscopic accelerometers for sensor tracking systems and in wireless position tracking to accommodate mixed reality in large volume spaces and in the inconsistent lighting environment of the theatre stage.

In addition, a wide range of smaller projects will contribute technology to the above, as well as showcase their own innovations in the areas of augmented reality, vision and sensor-based tracking, tangible media, haptic interfaces, motion capture, context-aware and ubiquitous computing, location-aware media and many others.


Luminous! Semiconductor Lighting and Display Centre of Excellence
Director: Nanyang Associate Professor Hilmi Volkan Demir, NRF Fellow
Deputy Director: Associate Professor Sun Xiaowei, IoP Fellow
Project Manager: Dr Tan Swee Tiam


Visions and Objectives:

Research Activities:

Luminous! Semiconductor Lighting and Display Center of Excellence has a team of over 10 faculty members across disciplines (EEE, SPMS and MSE). The focus of the research is on various multidisciplinary research projects that offer potential solutions at the material, device and/or system levels, for energy efficiency in lighting and combating global warming.

In addition to existing epitaxial growth facilities, a new metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition (MOCVD) is set up, dedicated to the solid-state lighting and displays. It aims at developing and demonstrating a new class of white LEDs (WLEDs) that employ semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dot emitters as nanoluminophors. The custom design of such nanocrystal emitters make it possible to achieve precise tuning of emission spectra, with combinations of narrow spectral emission ranges, each of which is strategically placed at selected wavelengths, using quantum size effect. It allows precise optical engineering of the photometric properties for spectrally improved mesopic vision. The new class of mesopic WLEDs offers high scotopic/photopic (S/P) ratio that is above 2.5, for spectrally enhanced vision, while simultaneously providing high color rendering index (CRI) of around 80 for enhanced color differentiation in mesopic vision. In addition, through the precise control of the nanocrystal emitters, a solid-state lighting devices that emit at a desired set of wavelengths to fit a particular application can be engineered. The significance of this capability can be extended to numerous industrial applications in greenhouse lighting, fresh storage, light therapy, human-light interaction, smart lighting, etc. The key topical research areas include:

Nonradiative-energy-transfer based LED design and fabrication.


Maritime Research Centre (MRC)
Director: Associate Professor Tan Soon Keat
(http://mrc.ntu.edu.sg)


Vision

Mission

Research Activities

MRC excels in hydrodynamics, hydraulics, environmental engineering, and logistics. Representative activities include Active Operator Guidance System for Ship, South China Sea Circulation Model, Two-ship Interactions, Development of a Shipboard Quality Assurance System for Bunker Fuel Transaction, and Design of an Optimised Liner Service Planning.

The Centre focuses on the initiation and undertaking of research to develop technologies and IT applications in the port and maritime field, management of joint R&D projects between the MPA and NTU as well as collaboration with local and international institutions and industry partners.

MRC’s research facilities include Hydraulics Laboratory, Environment Laboratory, Geotechnics Laboratory and Construction Technology Laboratory, Protective Engineering Laboratory, Spatial Information Laboratory, Transportation Laboratory, and numerical simulation and computational facilities.


Microelectronics Centre (MEC)
Director: Associate Professor Sun Xiaowei
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/eee/eee6/mec/index.asp)


Vision

Mission

To spearhead cutting edge research in semiconductor materials and devices, and microelectronic integrated microsystems.

Research Philosophy

To collaborate with leading edge laboratories in microelectronics areas.

Research Activities

MEC has complete facilities for the fabrication of silicon and compound semiconductor and a wide range of other semiconductor and non-semiconductor thin film devices, sensors and circuits. The facilities include two Class-100 and one Class-10-10,000 clean rooms, Materials Characterisation Laboratory, Sensors and Actuators Laboratory, Ion Beam Processing Laboratory, Computational Nanoelectronic Simualtion Laboratory as well as equipment for molecular beam and liquid phase epitaxy, vacuum evaporation and sputtering, wet and dry etching, lithography, chemical vapour deposition with electron cyclotron resonance and microwave sources and deposition systems using the filtered cathodic vacuum arc technique.

Advanced research work in silicon processes and devices is carried out in the Microfabrication Laboratory. This includes the development of low power CMOS, SOI and 3D IC technologies to support the research effort in integrated circuit design, especially for sensors and sensor interface circuits. The processing facility is supplemented by a number of laboratories which house equipments for optical, structural and surface characterisation of materials, testing of high frequency devices and circuits, measurement of photonic devices and systems and characterisation of sensor materials and devices. Circuit design and simulation are accomplished using an extensive network of computer-aided design tools, based on which a variety of device simulation and process modelling software for different advanced applications are developed.

The research activities are focused on the following:

 
Network Technology Research Centre (NTRC)
Director: Associate Professor Shum Ping, Perry
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/ntrc)


Vision

To be a centre of excellence for research, education and training in the areas of communications and computer networking technologies.


Mission

To spearhead strategic research in state of-the-art communications and computer networking technologies for short- and long-term benefit to the industry in Singapore.


Research Activities

NTRC is an inter-school research centre hosted by the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) with participation from the School of Computer Engineering (SCE). The establishment of NTRC by Digital Equipment Singapore and NTU in November 1991 provides a focal point for researchers with interest in communications and computer networking to undertake research and development works of strategic importance to the Singapore’s economy.

Situated in the latest state-of-the-art Research Techno Plaza, NTRC owns a total lab space of 12,000 square feet and is fully equipped to provide technical support and facilities to both academic (undergraduate and postgraduate levels) and industry-relevant research in the areas of data communications, local and wide area networks, digital signal processing, radio systems, optical transmission systems and fibre-based computer networks. In addition, NTRC currently enjoys a strong staff strength comprising 57 academic and research staff, 35 full-time research students and 50 undergraduate students.

The core research activities carried out in NTRC can be broadly classified under four research programmes:

(1) Power Line Communications

(2) Optical Communications

(3) Network Control and Engineering

(4) Mobility Network Technology

 
Parallel & Distributed Computing Centre (PDCC)
Director: Professor Cai Wentong
(http://pdcc.ntu.edu.sg)


Mission

The mission of the Parallel & Distributed Computing Centre (PDCC) is to form a Centre of Excellence in the area of parallel and distributed computing; to carry out research where goals of the projects are connected to real concerns; and to enhance the research profile of the University by putting the name of the Centre on the international research map. In pursuit of its mission, PDCC strives to seek new industrial projects where parallel and distributed computing can provide a solution to real problems; to conduct leading edge research and advance knowledge; and to foster research collaborations both nationally and internationally.


Research

PDCC has an international reputation for its research in application areas such as parallel and distributed simulation and collaborative environments, underlying technologies such as multi-agent systems and peer-to-peer systems, and resource infrastructure, including grid, cloud and high performance computing.


Research Areas

Photonics Research Centre (PhRC)
Director: Associate Professor Tjin Swee Chuan
(http://www.phrc.eee.ntu.edu.sg/Pages/Home.aspx)


Vision

To be an internationally well-regarded research centre of excellence in photonics science and technology, and emerging photonics applications.


Mission

Research Activities

PhRC is dedicated to research and teaching in the various areas of photonics science and technology. PhRC has published its research results extensively in top international journals and has also significant participation in top international photonics conferences with both invited talks and contributed paper presentations as well as technical program committee memberships.

PhRC conducts cutting-edge research in many areas of modern photonics science and technology, which may be broadly divided in the following 6 programs:

• Biophotonics

This program covers the areas of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for disease diagnosis, photothermal imaging for imaging sub-cellular organelles, photonic devices for bio-chemical sensing, optical tweezers for biomedical applications and advanced multimodal optical techniques in bioimaging and microscopy, etc.

• Green Photonics

This program covers the research areas of novel photonics devices for green environments and efficient energy conversions such as novel LED devices for energy-efficient solid state lighting (SSL), new nano-structures for high-efficiency solar cells, low-power electronic displays (e-paper, OLED, LCD etc.) and solar hydrogen for clean energy generation, etc.

• Laser, Fiber and Ultrafast Photonics

This program covers the research areas of diode pumped ultrashort pulse solid state lasers and Soliton fiber lasers, diode pumped ceramic lasers, nonlinear laser wavelength conversion and nonlinear dynamics of lasers, nonlinear optics of artificial mesoscopic structures, photonic crystal fibers for high-power lasers and high-power laser delivery, microstructure fibers and fiber Bragg grating devices for bio- and environmental sensors, etc.

• Microfluidic Photonics and Mircosystems

This program covers the research areas of micro-optofluidics, micro-total analysis systems (uTAS), Lab-on-a–chip, optical MEMS/NMES biomedical microsystems, biophotonic chip and related Microsystems for biomedical and healthcare applications, etc.

• Nano-Photonics

This program covers the research areas of optoelectronic and photonic integration, photonic crystals, high Q resonant cavity, photonic integrated devices and circuits, resonators, MMI devices, couplers, optical Meta-materials, negative index of refraction, superlens physics and design, surface plasmonic structures and devices nano-crystal semiconductor optoelectronic materials and devices, etc.

• Photonic Materials and Devices

This program covers the research areas relating to semiconductor optoelectronic materials, devices and processing, nano-particles in oxide based materials for light emitting devices, solar cells and waveguide devices, quantum dots and quantum cascade semiconductor lasers for the mid-IR for biomedical and environmental monitoring, UV ZnO semiconductor laser diodes, MOVPE epitaxy growths of compound semiconductors and semiconductor nanostructures and optoelectronic devices, etc.

Laboratory facilities

PhRC has the following laboratories:

Photonics Laboratory I, Photonics Laboratory II, Photonics Lab III (Nanophotonics), Photonics Training Laboratory, First Year Laboratory C. An affiliate laboratory is the Micro-Fabrication Facilities (MFF) for fabrication of optoelectronic devices, and a joint PhRC-NTRC Laboratory for optical communication research.

The Centre has various laser systems with laser wavelength from UV (193 nm Excimer laser) to IR (10.6 micron CO2 laser).

The Centre is also host to one the first Competitive Research Programs (CRP) awarded by the National Research Foundation (NRF) to NTU in 2007. This CRP is in the field of Nano-Photonics and Meta-materials. The PhRC has a host of semiconductor fabrication and characterization equipment, including a Metal-Organic Chemical Vapour Deposition (MOCVD) epitaxy system, an inductive-coupled plasma etching equipment, a mask aligner with nano-imprint lithography, and a new electron-beam lithography (EBL) system acquired in 2008. Most of these equipments are housed in the new Class-100 MFF facility.


Positioning and Wireless Technology Centre (PWTC)
Director: Associate Professor Guan Yong Liang
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/centre/pwtc)


Vision

To be a centre of global excellence in Who, Where and When (WWW) technologies.


Mission

To lead and promote Research, Innovation and Training in Wireless Communication, Identification, Positioning and Tracking technologies.


Research Activities

Positioning and Wireless Technology Centre (PWTC) is an inter-school research centre hosted by the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) with participation from School of Computer Engineering (SCE), School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). PWTC was established in March 1999 and was formerly known as Global and Positioning Centre (GPSC). PWTC has 4 core research programs, namely Wireless Networking, RF Identification (RFID) and Tagging, Global Navigation Satellite System and Applications and Media Embodiment, Delivery, Interaction and Acquisition (M.E.D.I.A).

1. Wireless Networking – This research program aims to excel in the research and development of advanced communication techniques and solutions in the PYH (physical), MAC (medium access control) and networking layers of broadband wireless systems.

2. RF Identification (RFID) and Tagging – This research program excels in the design of antennas and arrays systems such as ultra wideband (UWB) RFID, 900MHz and 2.45GHZ RFID, GSM and DCS cellular mobile, and 60GHZ wireless LAN.

3. Global Navigation Satellite System and Applications – This research program focuses on outdoor positioning techniques and applications. Its areas of interest includes high accuracy positioning systems such as differential GPS (DGPS) and centimetre-level UWB positioning, intelligent in-vehicle navigation, multi-objective routing and map matching, GPS-based attitude determination of LEO micro-satellite.

4. Media Embodiment, Delivery, Interaction and Acquisition (M.E.D.I.A) – This research program’s mission is to investigate new robot systems and new AI theory with the aim of integrating them together with wireless communication, positioning and identification techniques in order to develop the humanoid robots of next generation, which can be deployed to achieve effective acquisition, delivery and interaction of digital media to, and with, users in real space, real-time and real-application environment.

PWTC hosts 12 ongoing projects with total research funding of $4.53 million, 81% of which are external funding from A*STAR, DSO, Delphi Automotive Systems Singapore Pte Ltd, Fujitsu Media Devices Singapore Pte Ltd, to name a few.


Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology (PEN) Centre
Director: Associate Professor Zhou Wei
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/mae/research/programmes/precision/index.htm)


Vision

To be a centre of global excellence in Wireless Communication, Wireless Positioning and Wireless Sensing technologies.


Mission

To lead and promote Research, Innovation and Training in Wireless Communication, Identification, Positioning and Tracking technologies and applications.


Research Activities

Positioning and Wireless Technology Centre (PWTC) is an inter-school research centre hosted by the  School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) with participation from School of Computer Engineering (SCE), School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). PWTC has 4 core research programs, namely

 
NTU-MINDEF Protective Technology Research Centre (PTRC)
Director: Professor Pan Tso-Chien
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/ptrc/)


Mission

The threefold mission of PTRC is:

Research Focus

PTRC focuses its activities on three functional areas:

(1) Research and Development

(2) Education and Training

(3) Technology Transfer

The functional areas comprise the following activities:

Research Facilities

The Protective Engineering Laboratory housed in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering is designed to conduct dynamic load testing of full-scale structural components. The laboratory has a system of L-shaped reaction walls with multi-cell design, a large shake table that can stimulate earthquake ground motions, and many dynamic actuators of various capacities to support protective engineering research.


Highlights of Research Activity

NTU-MINDEF Protective Technology Research Centre was established on 29 September 1998 via a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and NTU. Under the strong leadership of Professor Pan Tso-Chien, PTRC has developed into the leading centre of excellence in underground technology and rock engineering. This is prominently reflected in PTRC’s contribution of essential technologies towards the engineering as well as the construction of underground ammunition facilities. Besides building up PTRC’s strength in underground technology and rock engineering, the PTRC research team has also completed a milestone study on the response of high-rise commercial buildings to blast loading. The study results have not only helped identify the R&D needs for building protections in the post-911 era, but also provided the basis from which a national programme on building protection was initiated.


Robotics Research Centre (RRC)
Director: Associate Professor Gerald Seet Gim Lee
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/mae/centres/rrc)


Mission

Research Activities

The Centre emphasises its research on:

The Robotics Research Centre (RRC) was formed in May 1994, as an inter-school centre of the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Today RRC has equipment assets of over S$5 Million and research grants amounting to S$10Million. The RRC remains firmly focused on intelligent robotic systems in specialised application. The RRC provides modern state-of-the-art equipment and a stimulating environment for those who are participating in research activities. Research facilities include high speed imaging and laser illumination system, complex mobile robot systems, industrial manipulators, dynamic simulation and analysis software, suite of sensors and mobile platforms, including the Segway HT and MRP, and the ARGO ATRV.

The centre is consulted by defence and industrial sectors for robotic/mechatronic solutions. It has graduated over 60 M.Eng. and Ph.D. researchers, and currently supports over 40 researchers. It addition, it hosts research attachments of students from various countries including; Korea, France, Switzerland, India and Poland. The RRC has become synonymous with robotics research and application in Singapore and the region.


VIRTUS – IC Design Centre of Excellence
Director: Professor Yeo Kiat Seng
Deputy Director: Associate Professor Siek Liter
(http://www.virtus.eee.ntu.edu.sg/Pages/Home.aspx)


Vision

To become a global IC design power hub for creative and innovative excellence.


Mission

To provide the highest quality in education and create leading-edge research in IC design so as to shore up future new research areas and industries.

Research Activities

The centre comprises 5 research groups, namely,

Op-amps and instrumentation amplifiers, baseband amplifiers, comparators, multipliers, voltage references, power-control circuits, regulators & dc-dc converters; continuous-time & discrete-time filters; non-linear analog circuits, synthesizers, PLLs; power management circuits; Nyquist-rate and oversampling A/D and D/A converters; sample-and-hold circuits.

On-chip PVT sensing circuits; image sensors and companion chips; smart sensors; sensors for analog and RF; sensor-and-instrumentation applications, integrated sensors and transducers; sensor-interface circuits; biosensors; sensors for medical applications.

Low-power architectures and circuit techniques; energy recovery techniques, power reduction and management methods; power estimation methodologies; ultra-low-voltage and sub-threshold design; memory.

Circuits and sub-circuits for RF/IF/baseband, including receiver and transmitter front-end circuits, narrowband RF, ultra wideband and millimeter-wave circuits (MMDS, 60GHz, 140GHz), AGCs, LNAs, mixers, filters, oscillators, PLLs, dividers, synthesizers, RF ESD, buffers, IF amplifiers, power amplifiers, T/R switches, power detectors, active antennas - including MIMO, modulators, demodulators.

High-frequency testing and measurement; novel packaging technologies; energy sources and energy harvesting; emerging applications such as bio-medical and ambient-intelligence; emerging wireless applications and circuits; 3D RF and mixed-signal circuits; signal integrity and on-chip interconnects; terahertz IC; giga-hertz device and noise characterization, de-embedding, extraction and modeling.


School Research Centres

College of Humanities, Art and Social Sciences


Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC)
Secretary-General: Dr Sundeep Muppidi
(http://www.amic.org.sg/)


Mission

The School is also closely affiliated with the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC). AMIC is a charity-registered organisation established in 1971 with the support of the Government of Singapore and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung of Germany. It aims to spearhead the development of media and communication expertise in the Asia-Pacific to foster socio-economic progress in the region.

Research Activities

As a research centre, AMIC initiates and organises research projects, training programmes and a research publication. It encourages the development of institutional capabilities to conduct appropriate research programmes through networking, exchange of research fellows and joint research activities. It enhances the capabilities and resources of communication research institutions in the region.

• AMIC’s 19^th Annual Conference

The 19^th AMIC Annual Conference will take place in Singapore at Suntec City, 21-23 June 2010. The Theme of the event is “Technology and Culture: Communication Connectors and Dividers”. With expected attendance of between 350-450 delegates across Asia and other regions, this conference creates a platform for media professionals and academics to exchange knowledge and experiences to explore the interplay of technological determinism and cultural determinism and the spectrum of intersections between these polarities. Visit http://www.amic.org.sg/conference/conf2010 for more information.

• Recent AMIC Releases: Changing Media, Changing Societies: Media and the Millennium Development Goals which is a compilation of best papers presented at AMIC’s 2008 Conference held in Manila, and it is edited by Indrajit Banerjee and Sundeep R Muppidi. The ICT4D: Learnings, Best Practices and Roadmaps from the Pan Asia ICT R&D Grants Programme, written by Madanmohan Rao and Nanditha Raman, presents an extensive analysis and discussion from the Pan Asia ICT R&D Grants Programme. Thirty Five Years of Media Asia is a CD compilation containing 140 issues of the quarterly journal.

AMIC launched two educational videos to provide classroom audio-visual resources with Asian perspectives for use in mass communication tertiary courses and for broadcast on public television networks: (1) Harnessing the Media for ASEAN Integration which is the outcome of the First ASEAN Media Forum held in Bangkok in 2009 and (2) Asian Voices, a compilation of five radio magazine programmes on media and communication issues in Asia. All titles are now distributed internationally by the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS).

• AMIC’s Alternative Media Portal (http://www.amicaltmedia.net/) has expanded its content considerably. The portal provides news, views and interviews from alternative media sources throughout Asia and the Pacific. A significant addition to the portal has been the inclusion of the “Asian Voices” monthly radio magazine podcast. Hosted programmes in this series to date include: Radio in Asia, MDGs and the Media, Asian Publishing, Health Communication, and Community Radio. Permission is given to radio stations in the region to download and broadcast the programmes free of charge. Feedback received so far has been positive, with RadioBhutan, RRI (Indonesia), Radyo Filipinas and a number of community radio stations in the region broadcasting the programme. Radio Australia is also considering giving the programme a regular slot. The programmes are made available on CD to be used as classroom resources.

• With recent support from the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), AMIC now has sufficient digital media production equipment to produce print publications, radio programmes, and TV/video programmes. AMIC is now exploring the options for regular radio and TV programme production with external partners dealing with media and cultural issues. A number of AMIC research projects have led to the development of various source materials for journalists. AMIC produced a CD on Harnessing the Media for ASEAN Integration as part of the outcome of the 1^st ASEAN Media Forum held in Bangkok in 2009. A Commonwealth Institute–funded project led to the production of a good practices e-book and VCD on “Communicating AIDS Awareness” and a UNESCO-IPDC funded project resulted a resource manual for journalists on HIV/AIDS reporting. AMIC in association with ISEAS produced a one-hour documentary on the spread of Buddhism from India via Sri Lanka to Southeast Asia. Most of the footage was shot by AMIC and the documentary was launched at the international conference organised by ISEAS in Singapore in February 2009.

• AMIC has expanded the range of education curricula it is developing. A curriculum on AIDS reporting was developed as part of a project funded by UNESCO IPDC, and a curriculum on “Training Grassroots Communicators in Covering MDGs in South Asia” funded by the UN Millennium Campaign. Other plans for developing curricula include: Cross-cultural communication in Asia, model curriculum on issues in Asian media for tertiary institutions, training grassroots communicators in covering migrant labour issues, training curriculum for journalists to cover global warming, and media training curricula for indigenous communities.

• Other AMIC research activities continue apace. Understanding and Disseminating MDGs in Asia was another UNESCO-IPDC funded project, which completed its pilot project in Bangladesh and the Philippines recently. AMIC also established a website that includes models for setting up and managing press councils, funding ideas etc as part of a project titled, “Fostering Media Accountability and Self Regulation”, which was funded by UNESCO.


Centre for Chinese Language and Culture (CCLC)
Director: Associate Professor Lee Guan Kin
Deputy Director: Associate Professor Crossland-Guo Shuyun
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/HSS/cclc/Pages/default.aspx)


Mission

The Centre for Chinese Language and Culture (CCLC) was officially set up in April 1994, geared towards excellence in teaching and research. The Centre offers courses related to Chinese language and culture which students may take as general education requirement. Since September 2003, the Centre has transferred its teaching responsibilities to the Division of Chinese, School of Humanities and Social Sciences and continued to strive for excellence in Chinese language and cultural issues of interest to the Chinese communities.

Research Areas

Research Activities

Major publications by the Centre are:

Others

Academic events organized by CCLC include seminars, international conferences and “Tan Lark Sye Professorship in Chinese Language and Culture Lecture Series”. The Centre also conducts collaboration projects such as joint seminar series, research collaborations and joint publications with overseas and local institutions/organizations.


Digital Creative Centre (dCc)
Director: Professor Vibeke Sorenson
(http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/adm/)


Mission

The Digital Creative Centre (dCc) is an interdisciplinary creative and research centre that blends a think-tank, an R&D lab, and a production centre into one. The dCc explores creative projects and concepts that are unique and original to the region and that incorporate new technologies or new media.


Research Activities

During its first year, dCc is offering visiting fellowships and is preparing a collection of Digital Notebooks.


Economic Growth Centre (EGC)
Director: Professor Lim Chong Yah
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/hss/egc/pages/default.aspx)


Mission

The Economic Growth Centre was established by the Division of Economics in 2004. The Centre has three research units: the Econometric Modelling Unit, the Exchange Rate Dynamics Unit, and the Survey and Social Research Unit. The Econometric Modelling Unit aims to make regular forecasts on the performance of the Singapore economy; the Exchange Rate Dynamics Unit aims to make regular forecasts of the exchange rates of selected countries such as China, Hong Kong, Japan, USA, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. The Survey and Social Research Unit aims to conduct opinion and information surveys on interesting and important policy and economic-related issues facing Singapore and the region, such as the adequacy or otherwise of the current CPF system to meet old-age requirements, and the reasons for selecting Singapore as a regional base by multinational corporations. The Centre also organises conferences, workshops and public talks on key issues relevant to Singapore and the region. It provides and designs executive and professional workshops ‘tailor-made’ for government ministries, statutory boards, private organisations, foreign governments and international agencies. Other activities of the Centre include joint research workshops, research seminar series and research collaborations with overseas and local universities. The Economic Growth Centre has also recently started the Research Monograph Series, which aims to promote research in economics-related studies by publishing monographs on any economics-related issue in any field of the humanities and social sciences, as well as in business, accountancy, and in law. These research monographs will be published by World Scientific.


Research Activities

(3) Economic Forecasts

Singapore Internet Research Centre (SiRC)
Director: Professor Ang Peng Hwa
(http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/)

Launched in January 2004 and hosted at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, the Singapore Internet Research Centre (SiRC) is recognized as a premier Asian research institute on the new media. SiRC initiates and conducts research related to new media/internet across Asia, including East, Southeast, and South Asia and brings Asian experiences and perspectives to the global discussion about the development, impact, and potential of the Internet. SiRC focuses research attention on the experiences of Asian nations with the Internet. The SiRC associates engage in a wide variety of collaborative research efforts with other researchers around the globe.

SiRC is currently headed by Professor Ang Peng Hwa and receives its core funding from the School.

Vision

Mission

Research Activities

A top-flight research centre should have activities in four key areas: research, education, service and public policy advocacy.

In research, SiRC has produced a commendable list of publications and conference presentations. SiRC has in the past few years spearheaded numerous research projects, conducted workshops and conferences, hosted visiting fellows, all of which have helped build our international profile and media contacts. In teaching, faculties are involved in bringing state-of-art knowledge to the classroom. In training, workshops have been held for the internet community, such as, for example, workshops on the legal issues facing bloggers. In public consulting and policy advocacy, faculties were present in the high-level Advisory Council for the Impact of New Media on Society (AIMS) and contributed to the final report of the Council.

Designed to support research projects that will strengthen the body of methodologically sound and theoretically-based social science research in Information and Communications Technology and Development (ICTD), the Strengthening ICTD Research Capacity in Asia (SIRCA) research grants programme, one of the latest and biggest grant award to-date to SiRC by the International Development Research Centre, is to build research capacity among emerging principal investigators based in Asia – particularly those who would benefit from seed funding, exposure to research capacity building exercises, and interaction with mentors. SIRCA is currently funding 14 grant awardees, reaching out to emerging ICTD scholars in 8 Asian countries (Philippines, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal and China) and established networks with ICTD experts in 6 countries (US, UK, Philippines, India, Hong Kong and Singapore).

The SiRC is well placed to continue to work on our primary task of investigating the impact of new media on society, with emphases on Singapore, and Asia. The importance of understanding the social impact of such new media forms as interactive digital media (IDM) has been recognized by the Singapore Government and two senior members of the Centre are in fact contributing to the first report of the Advisory Council on the Impact of New Media on Society (AIMS).

SiRC will continue to look for new ways to improve the Centre’s local and international profile, research projects as well as media contacts through meaningful projects.


School Research Centres

College of Business (NBS)  


Centre for Accounting and Auditing Research (CAAR)
Director: Professor Tan Hun Tong
(http://www.nbs.ntu.edu.sg/research/CAAR/nbs_new/CAAR.asp)


Mission

To promote quality academic and applied research in accounting and auditing as well as to foster links with industry through joint research and consulting.


Research activities

 
Centre for Asia Pacific Technology Law (CAPTEL)
Director: Associate Professor Tan Soo Kiat, Harry
(http://captel.ntu.edu.sg/home.htm)


Mission

The Centre for Asia Pacific Technology Law & Policy is an interdisciplinary research centre founded to explore the challenges of new technologies on the development of law and policy so as to promote development of its role in the Asia Pacific Economies.

CAPTEL is a research centre located in Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University. It is one of the first technology law and policy centres in the world to be founded in a business school. It is within the fertile environment of business academia and industry that the centre’s early days were sown.

As a result, CAPTEL was created specifically be a centre for research and consultancy in technology law and policy for the promotion of the Asia Pacific region.

It is a centre created to accommodate a diverse cross discipline expert for the purposes:

The core objective of the centre is to conduct developmental research on technology law and policy. To achieve this objective, the centre will have multi-track themes to reflect the diverse expertise from the School and associate fellows:

Centre for Leadership and Cultural Intelligence (CLCI)
Executive Director: Professor Ang Soon
Director of Research: Associate Professor Ng Kok Yee
(http://www.cci.ntu.edu.sg/)


Mission

To lead in the generation of Knowledge, Assessments, and Programs (KAP) for growing culturally intelligent individuals and organizations.


Research Activities

(1) Establishing the predictive validity of cultural intelligence through field and experimental studies. Findings of our studies are disseminated through international publications and conferences.

The latest publications include:

(2) Designing programs for developing individuals’ and organizations’ CQ. Our participants include business executives and students from various continents including Asia, North and South America, Europe and Australia.

Significant Achievements

 
Centre for Research in Financial Services (CREFS)
Acting Director: Associate Professor Charlie Charoenwong
(http://www.nbs.ntu.edu.sg/research/CREFS/nbs_new/CREFS.asp)

Mission

Research Activities

CREFS was established in 1992 to support high quality research on the major issues concerning the global financial market. The research focus of the Centre comprises central banking policies, corporate finance & governance, derivatives, equity & fixed-income markets, fund management, and market microstructure.

The Centre regularly runs a research seminar series to stimulate new ideas and to facilitate interaction between scholars and practitioners. CREFS has also organized finance research conferences, conducted executive education programs, and undertaken industry consulting.


Information Management Research Centre (IMARC)
Director: Associate Professor Sia Siew Kien
(http://www.nbs.ntu.edu.sg/research/IMARC/IMARC.asp)


Mission

IMARC’s vision is to create and disseminate knowledge for effective IT management through innovative cross-disciplinary research and interactions with leaders in academia, business and government.


Research Activities

IMARC conducts joint research with many organisations and collaborates with researchers world-wide on high-quality research publications. The nine major research themes are listed below.

(1) Electronic Commerce

The development of the Internet as an enabler of business has led many in the business world to question fundamental assumptions. In an increasingly dynamic environment where each technological innovation has the ability to bring forth new competitive challenges, an awareness of the different facets of electronic commerce is crucial. IMARC’s faculty has been actively engaged in researching, consulting and teaching the diverse aspects of the e-commerce phenomenon since it appeared on the business landscape. In particular, they are currently examining the following critical areas:(1) e-commerce strategy, (2) e-process design, (3) online service quality, (4) trust in e-commerce, (5) emerging interactive marketing models, (6) on-line consumer behavior, (7) B2B marketplaces, and (8) legal issues in e-commerce.

(2) Strategic Global IT Management

Business competitiveness depends on the appropriateness of an organisation’s strategy given its environmental context, and the design and performance of its business processes in achieving its strategic intent. This stream of research seeks to understand the role that IT plays in Asian businesses, and how organizations can effectively align global business and IT strategies by managing the development and implementation of their IT assets, including (1) leadership roles in IT-enabled organisational change, (2) flexible information technology infrastructure, (3) essential strategic capabilities for fast adaptation and innovation, (4) pay-off from IT investments, and (5) new competencies for the IT function.

(3) Enterprise Resource Planning

ERP systems represent a major change in organisational information systems in terms of their scale and scope, reliance on vendors and advocacy of best practices. They are pervasive and often mission critical. Streamlining and integrating organisational procedures and standardising them over a single platform were what these systems promised. However, cases of expensive ERP implementations going awry has led many to recognise the inherent challenges of successfully implementing such complex package software. Research is currently in progress on these themes: (1) cultural fit of the underlying ERP business models, (2) partitioning the sources of misfits in ERP, (3) process issues in analysing, designing, and implementing ERP, and (4) situated learning in ERP implementation.

(4) Supply Chain Management

To enhance their competitiveness, companies are today paying greater attention to the management of their supply chains. Improvements in information technology have meant that accurate information and sophisticated models can now be used to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of supply chains. Recent developments in Internet technologies and B2B e-commerce have generated new opportunities for leveraging supply chain management as a means of enhancing a firm’s competitiveness. The focus of SCM research within the centre is two pronged. One stream of research focuses on supply chain/logistics within a single firm or a single vertically integrated entity. Here the research focuses on the solution of specific models for optimisation of part or whole of the integrated logistics system. The second stream of research focuses on mechanisms for co-ordinating a supply chain comprising different corporate entities. Specific research issues addressed include: (1) SCM/inventory management for Internet-based businesses, (2) management of 3PL (third-party logistics), (3) systems for Cross Docking, (4) price discounts as a co-ordination mechanism,(5) multi-echelon/capacitated inventory models, and (6) facility location/warehouse location.

(5) IT Personnel Management: Careers & Competencies

One of the most pressing areas of concern for organisations has been to identify the drivers behind the recruitment and retention of technical professionals. Turnover and skills obsolescence have always been a serious problem in the IT function and it is with this in mind that the research has been structured. Research is currently in progress on these aspects of the theme: (1) retention of key technical talent, (2) integration of technical professionals into the organisations, (3) development of technical careers and professions, (4) development of individual competencies among technical professionals, (5) managing technical obsolescence in the workforce, (6)cross-cultural competencies, and (7) compensation, reward and incentive systems for technical professionals.

(6) Management of the IT and Business Process Outsourcing

The past two decades witnessed the growing popularity of outsourcing among business in all industries, with the recent advent of the ASPs (application service providers) being its latest manifestation. However, businesses have had varying levels of success with outsourcing. IMARC faculty have had a multidisciplinary program of research in outsourcing that covers multiple levels of analyses (from individuals to organisations), adopts multiple theoretical perspectives (from economic to psychological to sociological), and employs multiple methodologies (from qualitative case studies, to legal & archival research, to quantitative large-scale field-studies). Research is currently in progress on these aspects of outsourcing: (1) types and drivers of outsourcing, offshoring, and backsourcing, (2) management of vendor client relationships in outsourcing or vendor transition, and (3) causes of success and failures of strategic outsourcing.

(7) Data mining, Data Modelling and Decision Support Systems

A key competitive advantage among firms today is their expertise at leveraging the knowledge they have within their organisations. This skill has become a crucial differentiator within industries. Applications such as customer relationship management, decision support systems, risk analysis, and fraud detection are examples where organisational knowledge has been innovatively exploited. Our research associates are actively involved in exploring the implications of data modelling in web-based environments and the development of data mining applications to solve business problems. Specifically, our Data Mining Centre has won the SAS Enterprise Computing Award (Academic Institution) for both 2000 and 2001, on the strength of its extensive research programs.

(8) E-Government

As the Internet matures, governments around the world are trying to harness its potential in terms of service delivery as well as better governance. IMARC faculty studies the antecedents and consequences of e-Government, with a special focus on e-Gov developments in Singapore. Specific areas of research include: (1) measurement of e-Government activity, (2) determinants of e-Government maturity, (3) consequences of e-Government, with special attention to the digital divide, and (4) open-source software adoption in e-Government.

(9) Virtual Communities & Knowledge Management

Research on virtual communities explores how diverse individuals from around the world meet in virtual spaces to exchange knowledge and perform tasks. Virtual communities range from auction sites such as eBay, to virtual worlds such as Second Life or World of Warcraft, to bulletin boards and Usenet newsgroups, blogs, Internet Relay Chat and Instant Messenger environments. Faculty who work in this area have generally explored: (1) how communities band together to resolve problems (e.g., fraud), (2) how a sense of community evolves in virtual communities, (3) the governance of virtual communities by members, organizational owners (e.g., eBay), and governments, and (4) knowledge sharing and knowledge exchange in virtual communities.