Mr S Iswaran at the NUS High School 9th Speech Day

Speech by Mr S Iswaran, Minister, Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Home Affairs, Second Minister for Trade & Industry, and Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council (RIEC) member, at NUS High School 9th Speech Day, Friday, 19 April 2013

Chairman and Members of the NUS High School Board of Governors,

Dr Hang Kim Hoo, Principal, NUS High School

Students, Parents and Teachers

Good morning.  It gives me great pleasure to join you on your 9th Speech Day.  It is a privilege to be here to share in your celebrations as you look back and commemorate your achievements over the past year.

R&D as the basis for innovation and growth

As members of the NUS High School community, you would be aware of how the Research and Development eco-system in Singapore is evolving, its importance to our economy, and the opportunities and promise it holds.

Knowledge and novel ideas are the basis of innovation that can improve the human condition.  More than ever, the answers to many of today’s challenges lie in discoveries and innovation generated by scientific Research and Development.  From the impact of global warming to ensuring adequate food and water for the growing world population, from the therapeutic potential of stem cells to finding a cure for cancer and other diseases, we look to our scientists, engineers and researchers for inspiration and solutions.  Ultimately, R&D underpins healthcare, environmental and lifestyle products and solutions that can significantly improve people’s lives. 

As a knowledge-based economy, Singapore’s future growth will rely much on innovation.  Hence, it is important that we continue to invest in scientific R & D which will create the knowledge and ideas vital to Singapore’s growth.  From a macro-economic perspective, R&D enables us to build new industries and create new opportunities.  One example of this is the satellite industry, where Singapore aims to grow capabilities in the manufacturing of satellite components and subsystems, satellite integration, and satellite-based services, to achieve made-in-Singapore satellites as well as components and applications in the next 5 years.

R&D also helps to strengthen our competitive advantage in world-class clusters such as the semiconductor and biomedical sciences industries which create exciting jobs for Singaporeans.  In the biomedical sciences, for instance, Singapore’s position as an innovation hub in Asia, our access to diverse Asian phenotypes, and the concentration of talent in skin biology, have combined to create an attractive value proposition for companies like P&G, L’Oréal and AmorePacific to carry out R&D in Singapore, focusing on customised solutions for Asian consumers.

Grooming young scientific talent

We are, therefore, committed to developing a world-class research ecosystem that supports the highest quality of research and a strong base of research talent in Singapore.  For this to happen, we must have an education system with institutions that offer diverse pathways to groom young scientific talent and equip them with deep capabilities to pursue their passion.

NUS High School is a key institution in this respect. As Singapore’s only specialised independent high school in Mathematics & Science, you have certainly come very far since taking in your first batch of students 8 years ago. Beginning with less than 300 students in 2005, to over 1,000 students across 6 levels in 2013, NUS High School has grown in size and stature very quickly.  

As Dr Hang has highlighted, you have performed extraordinarily well in local and international competitions, bagging numerous coveted awards and prizes.  Not only have you excelled in mathematics, science and engineering, you are also winning awards in languages, arts and sports.  

Indeed, NUS High aims to nurture well-rounded and world-ready scientific minds who can contribute to society.  Amongst us today are many budding scientists, engineers and inventors who have delved deeply in R&D, and gone beyond merely verifying hypothesis to come up with products that can improve the efficiency, cost-effectiveness or other aspects of systems used in our everyday lives.

For example, I am impressed by Cyrus Wang Nian Yu and Adithya Narayan Vishnu, whose project received a Gold Award at the Singapore Science and Engineering Fair this year.  Titled ‘Development of a Magnetically Levitated Escalator System’, the project aims to design and build a system that uses passive maglev to levitate the steps on an escalator, hence reducing friction and cutting cost of maintenance due to wear and tear.  I commend Cyrus and Adithya on applying their talent to meaningfully address the problems of today with innovative ideas.

Your performance in the Olympiads and other international competitions is also noteworthy.  For example, Ananya Kumar and Ang Yan Sheng’s project entitled “Generalised Quantum Tic Tac Toe” won an Honourable Mention in the Yau High School Mathematics Award - an international project-based competition on mathematical science, held in Beijing in December last year.  Beyond the accolades and achievements, such competitions and conferences are excellent platforms for you to interact with peers of other nationalities, and start building the networks which will be key to your growth as future scientists and researchers.

I have also been told that NUS High participated in the recent Berkeley Mock United Nations Conference in March 2013, where delegates from over 1,500 high schools submitted Position Papers on specific issues.  I am glad that our students are expanding their horizons by going beyond the domains of science and mathematics, to think analytically about real world issues and communicate them to a diverse audience. Even as you pursue excellence in your chosen fields, it is important that you have the values, passion and conviction that will serve as your moral compass and define you as the leading scientists of tomorrow.

NUS High School’s programmes are key to nurturing the passion and interest in science and research, and ensuring that we have a strong and growing reservoir of talented young scientists, engineers and researchers. Singapore’s research talent pool¹ has grown by about 4% from 2010 to reach a high of almost 45,000 in 2011.  You will one day join the ranks of this research community, and be part of a rich and diverse research ecosystem.

R&D offers exciting and diverse career opportunities

Our scientific and research talent will have many options and multiple career pathways which will suit their interests and strengths.  A*STAR Research Institutes offer research opportunities spanning the biomedical sciences, physical sciences, and engineering that will lead to the building of the industries of tomorrow, such as data analytics, advanced materials, robotics and additive manufacturing.  The universities offer academic pathways for researchers in many areas of scientific endeavour.  Singapore’s  industries, both in manufacturing and services, are moving towards more knowledge-intensive activities and increasingly need R&D talent to develop new products and solutions.  As a reflection of this, the number of research scientists and engineers (RSEs) working in industries has more than doubled from 8,000 in the year 2000, to over 16,000 in 2011.

Entrepreneurship is also a viable and exciting path for our scientific talent – and age is no barrier.  Sidwyn Koh, who graduated from NUS High in 2010, has founded two companies – The Pragmatic Lab and Dive into iOS – which provide courses and tutorials on developing online and mobile phone applications.  The two companies now serve over 900 customers in total.  Sidwyn has just completed his full-time National Service, and will start his undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley in August this year in a computer science-related course.  Sidwyn has had a jump-start in his entrepreneurial career and I am very happy for him.  Over time, I fully expect many more scientist-entrepreneurs to emerge from among your ranks.  

The government is committed to help you build up the requisite skills, and to open up new opportunities, as you embark on your chosen path.  From a range of local and overseas undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships, and industrial research programmes, to research fellowships and grants, and seed funding for bright ideas that can make an impact on people’s lives, we will help you tap the vast potential within the research ecosystem.  

As you embark on your endeavours and make your career choices, I urge you also to ask yourselves how you can have a beneficial impact on the lives of different segments of our society.  I recall meeting some of your seniors at the National Education Dialogue Sessions in 2011 and 2012.  They impressed me with their maturity of thought and engaging conversations.  Most importantly, I was heartened by their hopes and aspirations, not just for themselves, but also for Singapore.  Those who have received much have much that they can give.  As aptly expressed in your school’s mission, you should aspire to contribute as humanitarians who actively work towards making a positive difference to society, nation and the world.

Conclusion

On that note, let me once again extend my heartiest congratulations to NUS High School, and to all prize and award recipients. I would also like to acknowledge and thank the teachers, parents and school management who have played a pivotal role in nurturing these young men and women.  I wish all the students the very best as you embark on the extraordinary and exciting journey that awaits you.  Thank you.

¹ Total R&D manpower includes researchers, postgraduate students, technicians and support staff.