Speech by 2M Tan See Leng at the A*STAR Scholarship Award Ceremony (SAC) 2024

His Excellency Frank Grütter,

Ambassador of Switzerland to Singapore and Brunei,

His Excellency Nikesh Mehta, British High Commissioner to Singapore,

Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, Chairman of A*STAR,

Families, friends, scholars,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Introduction

1. A very good afternoon to all. Let me start by extending my warmest congratulations to our newly minted scholarship recipients here today.

2. Since its inception in 2001, A*STAR scholarships have played a critical role in nurturing the next generation of scientific talents with the knowledge, skills, tenacity, and passion to shape the future.

3. As I look at the 90 scholarship recipients seated here today, I must say I am as excited as every one of you here. The world we live in today is not the same as before, and having motivated, innovative changemakers like yourselves will be key to unlocking possibilities for continued progress.

4. Pursuing the next bound of innovation is crucial to help us unlock solutions and opportunities in three important areas: first, our economy; second, our net-zero carbon ambition, and third, something that is close to my heart – healthcare. I will elaborate on each of these.

Energising our Economy through Innovation

5. First, on our economy. As our economy matures, Singapore will need to rely more on productivity improvements, than on labour growth, to drive our economy. Artificial intelligence, or AI for short, is one area which has the potential to unlock productivity gains.

a. Technologies such as machine learning algorithms, and generative AI hold promise for workers like you and I, but also for enterprises.

If applied well, we can harness the power of AI to deliver better customer experiences, and supercharge our efforts across various sectors, such as drug discovery, formulating new materials, and making quicker and automated decisions in supply chain management.

6. Dr Kenny Chua, an A*STAR Graduate Scholarship recipient, is well aware of this potential of AI.

a. As the Chief Technology Officer of FeatureByte, Kenny and his team developed an AI-based self-service feature platform, using historical data on customer purchases. The platform has helped to optimise supply chain decisions and led to higher productivity for its clients.

b. Kenny has shown how AI and innovation can help create value for businesses and our economy. I urge our scholarship recipients to do likewise, and push for new ways of doing things in your respective areas of interest.

Reducing our Emissions using Science and Technology

7. Second, on our net-zero ambition. Climate change is a pressing global issue, and the push towards net zero can be said to be the most fundamental transition of our time.

8. Singapore is playing our part in many ways, one of which is our commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. As the timeline draws nearer, we are in a race against time to develop commercially viable technologies that will help cut emissions and increase energy efficiency.

9. One talented alumnus who is doing so is A*STAR National Science Scholar, Dr Valerian Hall-Chen, who is studying the potential of tapping fusion energy as a source of low-carbon power.

a. Valerian leads a group that aims to improve the measurement and interpretation of information within fusion plasmas, and has developed software tools that are being used by fusion laboratories worldwide.

10. There are many others like Valerian, who are passionate about pursuing sustainable energy solutions.

a. For instance, Dr Seh Zhi Wei, a National Research Foundation Investigatorship awardee and another A*STAR National Science Scholar, is making waves in the field of batteries. Zhi Wei and his team recently developed a prototype of an anode-free magnesium battery that boasts an energy density five times greater than that of traditional magnesium batteries. These can be used in electric vehicles to significantly extend their driving range, efficiency, and performance. If successful, we may soon see these batteries running in our future EVs.

11. The push towards sustainability will be challenging, but also exciting. I applaud the achievements of individuals like Valerian and Zhi Wei, and look forward to more of such innovations from the research community to power us through the transition.

Enhancing our Well-being with Better Healthcare

12. This brings me to my final point: healthcare. In today’s society where the average life expectancy is a whopping 83 years, we want Singaporeans to not only live longer but also live heathier. Key to this is enhancing disease detection and prevention, as well as better curative care, to improve overall patient outcomes.

13. I am pleased to share how some of our scholars have been championing advancements in healthcare.

a. Leading an international study into maternal depression is A*STAR Graduate Scholarship Scholar Dr Michelle Kee. With her team, Michelle discovered that maternal depression could start in early pregnancy and last up to two years, and she went on to develop a machine learning-based screening tool to identify individuals at risk of maternal mental health issues. She further studied how genetics and parenting styles can impact cognitive and socio-emotional development of adolescents, enabling the pursuit of early interventions to support the child’s well-being.

14. Besides Michelle, two other recently graduated A*STAR scholars – Dr Lee Jia Le and Dr Daniel Lim – have also contributed to the advancement of healthcare.

a. Jia Le is developing a novel tool to study molecular processes in the body, with the aim of advancing cancer treatment and understanding organ-specific ageing; whereas Daniel’s work focuses on developing innovative, accessible medical imaging techniques.

b. In fact, Jia Le and Daniel have been named Schmidt Science Fellows this year.

i. The fellowship is awarded to exceptional PhDs globally who are identified to be outstanding early-career scientists. Fellows will undertake postdoctoral placements with world-leading scientists and labs, in areas that represent a significant disciplinary pivot from their PhD topic to foster greater interdisciplinarity.

ii. There are 32 fellows named in the 2024 cohort, and Jia Le and Daniel are the first Singaporeans to be part of the fellowship. This is testament to the excellent work that they have done. Congratulations to you both!

Conclusion

15. To all the A*STAR scholarship recipients seated here today, the stories that I have shared are just some of the exciting possibilities that await you, as you embark on your journey to learn, contribute, and make an impact in the R&D community. I hope that they will inspire you to embrace your roles as innovators and researchers, and strive to make a difference.

16. Let me share a few words of advice: Remember that true achievement comes from hard work, daring to embrace challenges head-on, and most importantly, a strong sense of purpose. Be curious, be ambitious, and believe in yourself.

17. I look forward to seeing how your innovations can benefit the world – be it in terms of energising our economy, reducing our emissions, or enhancing our well-being. Congratulations once again on your scholarships, and I wish you every success in your future endeavours.

18. Thank you.