FYI
What's happening in and around NTU
by Derek Rodriguez
Scene + heard
“To have a dream, you must first have a passion, and that will guide you in where you want to go. Whatever you do with your degree or your experiences, you are your own guiding light. Listen to your inner voice, even if it’s unconventional. If you believe in it, then it’s worth going for.”
– NTU alumna Stefanie Sun’s advice to students at the Nanyang Business School’s 30th anniversary celebration
NTU's got talent
History came alive in stop-motion, time bent in short films, and underwater worlds offered cosy escapes at a showcase by 125 graduating students from the School of Art, Design & Media. For a week in May, they lent some style and imagination to creative cluster New Bahru as they presented their final-year projects to the public and industry professionals.
AI can read the room
Are you engaged during a class, or are you struggling to keep up? Soon, an AI-powered platform created by NTU researchers will be able to detect emotions in students to help tutors refine their teaching methods and find out which students may need more help. The technology has been trialled in classes with primary and secondary school students, and will be rolled out in NTU’s business school later this year.
Messi on the left, Ronaldo on the right?
Who’s your GOAT, Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo? If you picked Ronaldo, you’re with the majority in Singapore, and countries like Turkey, Indonesia and Mexico. Team Messi members, on the other hand, will find others in agreement in South Korea, Finland and Spain. These were the results of an NTU survey that pitched this question to 10,000 respondents from 26 countries. The answer may also reveal your political leanings, suggests the study, with more liberals favouring Messi and more conservatives choosing Ronaldo. Those with higher self-esteem were also more likely to pick Ronaldo, a figure synonymous with self-confidence.
House of cards
Are you investing in Pokémon cards or other collectibles? Be careful, their values can tumble quickly like a house of cards, according to an NTU economist. That rare Charizard card you are eyeing can rise in price very quickly because of metagame trends or interest sparked by influencers. But it can dip just as fast once the hype disappears. Says Asst Prof Chua Yeow Hwee: “The value is culturally and socially produced, rather than grounded in cash flows like stocks or bonds.”
Ahead of its years
NTU is the 12th best university in the world, according to the latest QS World University Rankings. It’s also the youngest university in the top 30. Contributing to this performance is its reputation among employers and researchers in the world.
Says NTU Deputy President and Provost Prof Christian Wolfrum: “Rankings capture a moment. What matters more is trajectory. NTU is investing in the foundations, research excellence, exceptional teaching and international openness that will define where we stand five and 10 years from now.”
The forest's best kept secrets
At least 10 centipede and seven millipede species never recorded in Singapore have been uncovered, with up to eight species potentially new to science. These discoveries were made by a team of NTU researchers led by Asst Prof Lam Weng Ngai, who have been sifting through the leaf litter of forests and urban parks in Singapore.
The presence of these invertebrates brings good news for some habitats too. Studies have shown that millipedes can serve as important bioindicators of soil chemistry, and even habitat health, says third-year bioengineering undergrad Lin Jiayuan, who is part of the research team.
Is Singlish here to stay?
Scorned in Singapore’s early ages and celebrated now, Singlish has become something of a cultural treasure. A recent survey found that many Singaporeans viewed it as an important part of national identity that should be preserved. But how will it sound like in 50 years? A linguistics expert from NTU believes it will evolve into something closer to standard English, and many Singlish terms we use today could go the way of words like “samseng”, a pre-millennium relic.
Sleep hacks
Better sleep starts long before your head hits the pillow. A group of new communication graduates spilled the secrets to a good night’s rest in their final-year project – a campaign promoting healthy sleep and digital habits. First, instead of bingeing that exciting new TV series, put on your comfort show – one with an ending you already know. And make your phone inaccessible and less enticing by placing it at the other end of the room, switching to airplane mode and turning on greyscale. Tomorrow’s you will thank you for it.
This story was published in the Jul-Aug 2026 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.
