Forum/Challenge/Opportunities
This year, ASPIRE Forum and Student Workshop 2026 will be hosted by NTU, organised by the Graduate College (GC) and Office of International Engagement (OIE).
The theme of the workshop is “Active Ageing: Interdisciplinary Solutions for Longevity and Wellbeing”, exploring innovative solutions for active ageing, longevity, and wellbeing through workshops, site visits, and interdisciplinary team challenges. It will be held in NTU from 6 to 10 July 2026.
Programme Highlights include:
- Collaboration among students from ASPIRE League member universities on a team-based innovation challenge
- Workshops and invited talks on Active Ageing
- NTU lab and site visits around Singapore
Click here to hear what other students said about the programme and more about what happened in ASPIRE Forum 2025.
The USLS is Humanitarian Affairs Asia’s signature program. It fosters young leaders’ initiative and capacity to initiate socially meaningful projects to address climate change, poverty and inequality. With the collaboration of UN agencies and partner government departments, delegates are empowered to start-up projects to contribute to the UNSDGs.
Registration for 14th University Scholars Leadership Symposium (USLS) 2026 is now opened!
Venue: United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand
Date: 4 to 7 August 2026.
This landmark edition of USLS will convene emerging young leaders from across the world to:
- Engage in interactive capacity-building workshops facilitated by United Nations agencies, equipping participants with practical tools to address global challenges.
- Explore a curated exhibition highlighting UN initiatives, fostering a deeper understanding of multilateral systems and sustainable action.
- Connect with distinguished speakers, humanitarian practitioners, and fellow scholars in a diverse and inclusive international forum.
- Take part in Kindness Day, a hands-on community service experience that translates empathy into tangible social impact.
For further information, please view the symposium listing on UN Relief Web: 14th USLS at the United Nations | ReliefWeb or visit the official webpage for USLS 2026.
Interested students may register via this link. Please note that participation will be on a self-funded basis. Apply by 30 April 2026 to receive the preferential early-bird fee.
We would appreciate it if you would let us know by email ([email protected]) if you are participating in this event.
For further enquiries, feel free to reach out to [email protected].
The Marie Sklodowska Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships - the 2023 call explained
MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships give researchers holding a PhD (+8 years) a chance to gain new skills and experience whilst carrying out their own research project abroad.
European Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to researchers of any nationality to carry out a personalised 1-2 year project IN EUROPE.
Global Postdoctoral Fellowships are open to European nationals or long-term residents wishing to work with organisations IN NON-EUROPEAN COUNTRIES including Singapore before returning to Europe.
Join this session to learn about the eligibility criteria and application modalities of the 2023 MSCA Postdoc Fellowship Call. The call is now open with a deadline of 13 September 2023.
| Germany – Lower Saxony Summer Academy Click here for the webpage | Human Frontier Science Program - Postdoc fellowship for transformative research in the Life Sciences Click here for the webpage | Switzerland: PhD & PostDoc open positions at the Biozentrum, University of Basel. Click here for the webpage. | |
| Target Group | Highly-motivated candidates (Bachelor, Master, Medical students) who have an active interest in Immunology and are planning to start a PhD in 2024. | Long-Term Fellowships (LTF) are for applicants with a PhD on a biological topic who want to embark on a novel and frontier project focussing on the life sciences. Cross-Disciplinary Fellowships (CDF) are for applicants who hold a doctoral degree from a non-biological discipline (e.g. physics, chemistry, mathematics, engineering or computer sciences) and who have not worked in the life sciences before | Motivated and skilled PhD and PostDoc candidates keen to study chromosome organization during development and differentiation – the 3D organization, the function of this organization and its regulation. |
| Eligibility Criteria | Bachelor or Master students, research experience in the field of Infection Biology, excellent knowledge of English | A research doctorate (PhD) or a doctoral-level degree comparable to a PhD with equivalent experience in basic research (e.g. a research based MD or medical PhD) must be conferred by the start of the fellowship. Applicants must have at least one lead author publication by the submission deadline of the Letter of Intent | Postdoctoral applicants should have a PhD or MD/PhD with a strong foundation in molecular biology and some knowledge of bioinformatics. PhD student applicants should have an MSc or equivalent degree in the sciences and with hands on experience. Previous experience in biochemistry, chromatin analysis, C. elegans, molecular biology and/or imaging are highly desirable. |
| Duration | 3 weeks | 3 years | |
| What is funded | Travel grants according to fixed rates, depending on country you travel from | Fellows are granted a living allowance as well as a research and travel allowance. Depending on their specific situation fellows may also qualify to receive a child allowance, a parental leave allowance and a relocation allowance. | Salary and benefits are according to University of Basel standards |
| Deadline for applications | 30 April 2023 | Submission of a Letter of Intent: 11 May 2023 1300hrs EST/ 0000hrs SGT Submission of Full Proposals for invited applicants: 28 September 2023 1300hrs EST/ 0000hrs SGT | Review of applications will start immediately and continue until the position is filled. |
The MSCA COFUND action enhances talent and knowledge circulation across the Research and Innovation landscape, through international, inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary mobility.
MSCA COFUND projects can take the form of:
Doctoral Programmes offering doctoral candidates research training activities to develop and broaden their skills and competences, leading to the award of a doctoral degree.
Postdoctoral Programmes, funding individual advanced research training and career development fellowships for postdoctoral researchers.
COFUND – Call 2023
For detailed information about the COFUND, including the eligibility conditions and implementation modalities, please check the corresponding sections in the MSCA Work Programme and the dedicated Funding & Tenders portal page.
Additional useful information for applicants on the COFUND can be found in the
- COFUND Guide for Applicants 2023
- General annexes of the work programme
- Proposal template and instructions on how to fill it in
- 6 steps to prepare your application for the 2023 COFUND call
- MSCA specific evaluation forms used by the expert evaluators
Any additional useful documents can be found on the call page.
Access the proposal online form for all COFUND modalities (the link is available under ‘Start submission‘ section).Events
MSCA Staff Exchanges: Research & Innovation Projects with Europe (Singapore edition)
The Marie Sklowdowska-Curie Actions Staff Exchanges (MSCA SE) offer unique opportunities for researchers and innovators. Find out more about the program and how it works in this special online session for institutional actors based in Singapore and South Korea.
25 October 2023 (virtual)
10am CET (3pm GMT+7)
More information can be found here.
MSCA Staff Exchanges: Research & Innovation Projects with Europe (ASEAN edition)
Join this webinar to find out how you can enhance your organisation's innovation capacity through interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration with European and global partners!
26 October 2023 (virtual)
10am CET (3pm GMT+7)
More information can be found here.
2nd Dialogue Forum of the European STI community in Singapore
Join like-minded individuals from the European STI community to foster collaboration, exchange ideas, and build the foundations for a formalised network of expatriate European researchers in Singapore.
27 October 2023
9.00am - 1.00pm (in-person)
NRF Create Tower, Level 2, Singapore
More information can be found here.
7. Experience: Tableau
Tableau is a leader in the Business Intelligence industry, with its proprietary data analytics and visualisation platform. Tableau is an American company based in Seattle, Washington and is a subsidiary of parent company, Salesforce Inc. Tableau provides a range of services for organisations to harness the full value of their data, including a data cloud, Artificial Intelligence-powered analytics and Customer Relationship Management software with automated workflows.
Join us for Experience: Tableau, co-organised by Advisory and Tableau, for the exclusive opportunity to learn more about the Business Intelligence industry, explore the Salesforce Office, network with Tableau professionals and discover the career functions available at Tableau. If you are interested, do sign up at here
Date: 17 August 2023, Thursday
Time: 4.00pm - 6.30pm
Venue: Salesforce Office, 5 Temasek Boulevard, #13-01 Suntec Tower Five, 038985
6. Experience: SCDF
SCDF is a leader in the civil defence of Singapore by providing fire-fighting, rescue and emergency medical services, as well as through its other functions. Join us for Experience: SCDF, co-organised by Advisory and SCDF, for the exclusive opportunity to learn more about the range of meaningful career and scholarship opportunities at SCDF, gain first-hand insights into SCDF professionals’ personal career stories and how SCDF leads the civil defence of Singapore, and get an exclusive tour of the Marina Bay Fire Station. Sign up here to participate in the event!
Date: 5 August 2023, Saturday
Time: 3.00pm - 5.30pm (Registration opens at 2.30pm)
Venue: Marina Bay Fire Station, 70 Marina View, Singapore 018962
5. Discover+: Pharmaceuticals
The pharmaceutical industry comprises the research, development, production and sale of various pharmaceutical drugs, as well as regulatory bodies like the Health Sciences Authority of Singapore. Singapore is home to the manufacturing facilities of numerous well-known pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, Novartis and Sanofi, and has devoted much resources to research and development in this industry, with S$4 billion set aside to fund the public sector’s research in the health and biomedical sciences domain in 2016. Interested to find out more about occupations in the Pharmaceuticals sector? Join us online on 18 July for Discover+: Pharmaceuticals. Sign up here to hear from professionals working in the industry!
Date: 18 July 2023, Tuesday
Time: 7:30pm to 9:00pm
Registration Deadline: 18 July 2023, Tuesday ,7:00pm (GMT+8)
4. AiSP Youth Symposium 2023
As part of Singapore Youth Day 2023 on 2 July 2023 (Sun), AiSP (Association of Information Security Professionals) will be organising the 2nd Youth Symposium to reach out to youths for a day of sharing, internship or career opportunities with our partners on 2 July 2023 (Sun). AiSP will also invite keynote speakers to share on the importance of Youths in Cyber and Tech.
AiSP SVRP Patron - Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information and Ministry of National Development Singapore, Mr Tan Kiat How, will be gracing the event as our Guest of Honour and will have a dialogue session with the attendees on how youth play an essential role in Cyber & Tech in the future.
Register now and stand a chance to win a Starbucks card!
Date: 2 July 2023, Sunday
Time: 11.30AM - 2.00PM
Venue: JustCo @ Marina Square
3. Fourth Educators Roundtable (EduR) (For Educators and ECG staff)
Advisory is proud to be organising the Fourth Meeting of the Advisory Educators Roundtable (EduR), supported by the NUS Centre for Future-ready Graduates (CFG) and Deloitte. The EduR serves to provide Education and Career Guidance (ECG) counsellors, teachers, and professionals in student development with a platform through which to engage with firms and industry; network with fellow educators; and share best practices and resources. The upcoming Fourth Meeting of the EduR will centre around a top-of-mind issue for students, teachers, and schools: the Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the Future of Work.
We are delighted to welcome Ms Michelle Khoo, Director of Deloitte’s Centre for the Edge, who will deliver a briefing on AI’s potential impacts on jobs and industries, and explore its other key implications for educators and students. Attendees will also have the chance to learn more about the breadth and scope of AI-related professions and speak with a range of industry professionals.
If you are interested in attending this and future EduR Meetings, learn more and sign-up here.
Date: 28 June 2023, Wednesday
Time: 3.00pm-6.00pm
Venue: Seminar Room, Centre for English Language Communication (CELC), National University of Singapore, 10 Architecture Drive, Singapore 117511
2. Discover+: Deep Tech
Deep tech is the broad term for technologies not focused on user-end services – including AI, robotics, blockchain, advanced material science, photonics and electronics, biotech, and quantum computing. The industry is increasingly recognised for its potential to solve problems that transcend political boundaries, with 97% of deep tech ventures contributing to at least one of the UN’s SDGs. Interested to find out more about occupations in the Deep Tech sector? Join us online on 16 May for Discover+ Deep Tech, co-organised by Advisory and SGInnovate.
Sign up here to hear from professionals working in organisations such as Umami Meats, Venti Technologies, Fabrica AI, Dimuto, and SGInnovate!
Date: 16 May 2023, Tuesday
Time: 7:30pm to 9:00pm
Register by: 16 May 2023, 7:00pm
1. Rhodes Scholarship Information Session
The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest international scholarship programme, enabling outstanding young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford. On 11 May, Rhodes Scholarship will be holding an Information Session for interested applicants from Singapore.
Learn more about the Rhodes Scholarship here, and sign up for the information session here! If you are eligible and ready to apply, visit www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/apply to find out more about the Scholarship and to start your application.
1. The Advisory Mentorship Programme (Jun-Sep) Grab the chance to be matched one-to-one with industry mentors of your choice. With about 1600 mentors from 48 industries and the involvement of 27 mentorship partners—including the likes of BCG, DBS Bank, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Google, LKYSPP, Standard Chartered, and more. Join us this year to meet professionals you aspire to be like and engage with organisations you hope to join, through personalised support from your mentor. | Mentee applications are now open on advisory.sg/mentorship and close on 20 June at 2359h (GMT+8). Eligibility: youth aged 16-28 |
2. Discover+: Legal The legal industry plays a critical role in Singapore's economic development, contributing to approximately $2.1 billion to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2017 and forming the legal backbone for Singapore's business-friendly environment through robust legal frameworks and services. As an international legal services hub in the region and the world, the legal industry also has huge growth potential - with the value of legal services exported more than doubling from 2008 to 2017. Interested to find out more about occupations related to the legal industry? | Date: 7 June 2022, Tuesday | Time: 7:30pm to 9:00pm Sign up here to hear from professionals working in organisations such as Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP, Drew & Napier LLC, LexisNexis, Norton Rose Fulbright, and Rajah & Tann Singapore. Registration Deadline: 7 June 2022, Tuesday | Time: 7:00pm (GMT+8) |
3. Discover+: Hospitality With sectors stretching across travel, accommodations and leisure, Singapore’s hospitality industry has been a key reason for the city-state’s economic growth over the last 40 years. Having been ranked as Asia's top Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibitions destination for almost two decades, Singapore’s hospitality scene has consistently punched above its weight. Interested to find out more about occupations related to Hospitality? | Date: 21 June 2022, Tuesday | Time: 7:30pm to 9:00pm Sign up here to hear from professionals working in organisations such as Raffles Hotel Singapore and more! Registration Deadline: 21 June 2022, Tuesday | Time: 7:00pm (GMT+8) |
Every year, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) hosts the prestigious Green Talents – International Forum for High Potentials in Sustainable Development to promote the international exchange of innovative green ideas within the field of sustainability. Under this patronage, the award honours 25 young researchers from numerous countries and scientific disciplines for their achievements and efforts in making our communities, countries, and societies more sustainable.
What the Green Talents Award entails
- Invitation to the Virtual Science Forum 2022
- Research stay in Germany 2023
- Access to the renowned Green Talents network
Requirements
- Master’s/PhD students, postdocs, and young professionals with no more than three years of professional work experience
- Strong focus on sustainable development and an interdisciplinary approach
- Strong interest in establishing collaborations with Germany‘s leading scientific experts
- Excellent command of English and above-average grades
- Not a German citizen nor a resident of Germany
Proposal Submission Deadline – 24th May 2022, 2p.m CEST
For more information, visit www.greentalents.de.
Politecnico di Milano Summer School |
Lightweight and Smart Solutions for Next-Generation Mobility (25-29 July 2022) The school will create a multidisciplinary context where to imagine and design next-generation vehicles, by exploiting lightweight and intelligent approaches. The challenges that the mobility ecosystem will tackle in the following decades, especially inside urban scenarios, will be explored. *Open for PhD students |
ETH Zurich Summer School |
Greening and Governing Global Supply Chains (September 4–9, 2022) The ISTP summer school provides novel insights on the sustainability of global supply chains producing food commodities, precious metals, and battery materials. Our participants will learn about the research that assesses the environmental and social impacts of this globalized production flow and policies addressing them. *Open for PhD and Master students |
| RWTH Aachen Summer School |
Impact of Technological-Innovation on Transforming City Regions (4-9 September 2022) This summer school invites participants to a week of lectures, discussions and brainstorming sessions on the role of technological developments and innovation to offer solutions to the major challenges of the city-regions in Europe and beyond. *TBC on Academic profile Trajectories of Technology (5-9 September 2022) Which trajectories shape today‘s technology development? In this Summer School we will learn about the pasts and the futures of high-performance computing, of green energy, and of robotics. We will explore how social techniques like agenda setting or road mapping design not only multiple possible futures, but also different pasts of technological development. *Open for PhD and Master students |
| Chalmers University Summer School |
Analysis and modelling road user behaviour (4 – 9 September 2022) The summer school aims to provide with the human factors theoretical foundations for the analysis and modelling of road-user behaviour, within the context of road safety and development of driving automation systems. *Open for PhD and Master students |
*Proficient English language skills are required for all summer schools.
Interested applicants are encouraged to fill up the attached application form by 9 May 2022. Shortlisted candidates would be informed and would need to submit CV, publications list and Letter of motivation through online registration portal.
For further details about the summer schools, please refer to the web pages below: http://idealeague.org/students/summerschools/
GC- IDEA League Summer School 2022 Application form
1. TU Delft / Politecnico di Milano Summer School |
Topic: Computational Design for Additive Manufacturing |
2. RWTH Aachen Summer School |
Topic: Scalable Quantum Computing - From First Principles to Market |
*Proficient English language skills are required for all summer schools.
All costs during these summer schools will be fully covered by the organizing universities. However, participating students need to pay for travel to and from the site of the summer school.
Interested applicants are encouraged to fill up the online form by 29 May 2023.
ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship program Asia-Pacific is funded by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and is supported by Swissnex in India and the Embassies of Switzerland in Singapore and in Australia. The aim of the program is to promote research opportunities in Switzerland for Indian, Australian and Singapore students and to foster the exchange between Swiss and Asia-Pacific universities & institutions.
- The applicant must provide a written confirmation from a professor at a Swiss university that he/she will accept the student for a research stay in his/her group
- This is open to students who will be a Master degree student or a bachelor degree student that is currently enrolled with a Singapore University and who will have completed the 2nd year by the time the research stay in Switzerland begins. It is NOT open to PhD students.
- The applicant is free to schedule research anytime between 1st June 2022 - 31st December 2022. The finishing date of the research internship cannot be later than 31st December 2022.
- The scholarship is CHF1,600 per month, which is roughly SGD2,300.
- Students are responsible for finding a host professor or mentor at a Swiss institution as well as clarifying the scope of a research project before submitting their research scholarship application.
More information can be found in the links:
- https://swissnex.org/india/thinkswiss/
- https://swissnex.org/app/uploads/sites/7/2021/12/ThinkSwiss-Research-Scholarships-2022.pdf
Application deadline is 15 March 2022.
Erasmus + supports undergraduate, master and doctoral students to undertake a learning experience in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in partner countries outside Europe, as well as students from countries outside Europe to come and train at the European participating HEIs.
- Offers mobility opportunities to and from partner countries outside of Europe to HEI staff (PDI and PAS) so that they can carry out teaching and / or training activities.
- PhD students will conduct research for his doctoral thesis.
- Master's degree students can complete a study period at a foreign higher education institution, which must be part of the study program that the student follows to complete their degree at their home institution.
- Duration of mobility is 3-5 months.
- Individual maintenance aid of € 850 / month and outgoing students € 700 / month.
- Fixed travel aid of between € 20 and € 1,500, depending on the distance to the destination country.
- Application opens until 12 December 2021.
- For more information and application details, please click here.
Call for Applications for doctoral position in the International Max Planck Research School on “Knowledge and Its Resources: Historical Reciprocities” (PhD fellowship)
The IMPRS-KIR aims to train PhD students in the history and philosophy of science, technology, and medicine (HPSTM) in the analysis of knowledge, its resources, and the multiple interplays between the two categories. It is a collaboration between the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science and Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Technische Universität Berlin. Key to its agenda is a "historical-political epistemology", an approach highlighting how knowledge is shaped historically by a great variety of sources - political systems, technological infrastructures, material objects, social interaction and media technologies.
- First cohort of five students begin on September 1, 2022
- Open to all nationalities holding a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in the related fields
- Successful applicants will receive funding via an employment contract with the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science (MPIWG). This is a German public sector contract (monthly net salary of between €1,780 and €1,890), which will allow you to cover all the costs of living in Berlin.
- Funding period is 3.5 years, with the possibility of extending by a further six months once the dissertation has been submitted. This additional (“wrap-up”) period is intended to enable you to prepare your dissertation defense, prepare for job interviews, write a first article, etc.
- Additional supports include annual research budget for material and travel expenses.
- Please submit necessary documents stated here through the following application portal: https://recruitment.mpiwg-berlin.mpg.de/position/19628037 by January 31, 2022, 23.59 Central European Time.
- For more information, please click here.
Trusted Media Challenge
AI Singapore is launching the Trusted Media Challenge to test out solutions and explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies can be leveraged to combat fake media.
Key Highlights:
- Datasets will focus on fake video and fake audio.
- Build Machine Learning classifiers which are robust and accurate.
- Platform for researchers and engineers to contribute ideas and advance the state-of-the-art in fake media detection.
- Up to $700k in prize monies will be distributed to the winners of the competition.
Target Audience:
• Researchers and Industry Professionals from around the world.
• Anyone who is interested and/or experienced in machine learning, deep learning, computer vision especially in media forensics.
Challenge Period: 15 July – 15 December 2021
Click here for more information and sign up.
MakanNight! Challenge
Building the next generation of workspaces on NTU campus for a cohesive and collaborative working environment
Come and join in this ideation challenge where you can put your creativity to the test by rethinking how future workspaces will evolve as part of the future hybrid work model of partial work-from-home and work-from-office!
Big firms such as Twitter and Google are already planning a permanent shift to remote working while local banks like OCBC are reviewing its office space requirements. This means that traditional fixed-desk seating arrangements are no longer needed! Activity-based workplaces where employees have a variety of individual and shared places to work, collaborate, or have online meetings need to be in place.
Join the upcoming MakanNight! Challenge to address the challenge statement: How can we adjust our study and meeting spaces on our NTU campus to meet the future concept of workspaces?
What is in it for me?
The top 3 teams stand to win cash prizes of up to $1,000 in total! In addition, interested and qualified teams will have access to funds of up to $10,000 and resources provided by NTUitive to execute their solution on NTU campus.
How to register?
Gather a team of up to 3 pax or you can register as an individual. The challenge is open to all NTU students, staff, faculty, and alumni.
For more info and to sign up, visit: http://bit.ly/linktreeNTUitive
Registration closes on 30 June, 2359hrs. Do note that you need to submit a 1-page preliminary proposal of your solution to be considered for the qualifying round.
The 15K Competition
The 15K Competition is an entrepreneurship competition modelled on MIT’s 100K competition. The main goal of the competition is to motivate students and researchers to not only develop innovative technologies and processes, but to think about how to bring their ideas to market.
Participants and stand to win up to $34,000 cash + the opportunity to advance to the ATEC (Asia Technology Entrepreneurship Conference) Competition!
How to register?
• 2 to 4 students per team
• Projects must be STEM related.
• Projects are in the ideation / prototype stage and have received less than an overall funding of $50K
For more info and to sign up, visit: http://bit.ly/15KCompetitionxNTU.
Registration closes on 4 July, 2359hrs.