They understood the assignment
NTU students are racking up top honours for their bold solutions to real-world business problems. Here are some of their award-winning ideas
by Dr Daphne Ng
Your study pod that's sailed the seas
NTU maritime studies undergraduates Valencia Toh and Yap Hui Xuan were part of a team that sailed to first place in a competition organised by the Singapore Maritime Foundation and leading maritime organisations.
THE CHALLENGE: Rethink how shipping companies can attract, develop and retain young talent.
THE SOLUTION: One of the ideas was to give the humble shipping container a second life as a study pod in schools. By turning these giant metal boxes into places students want to hang out in, the team hopes to make the maritime industry feel more relatable and worth a closer look.
Navigating their way to victory: (from right) NTU students Hui Xuan and Valencia, and Kah Zhu from the National University of Singapore.
Sip back and find your brew
Customers can learn fun tea tidbits from the quiz, including each tea’s origin and whether its flavour leans sweet or bold.
Nanyang Business School students Marcus Lee and Gerwyn Teo served up the winning idea in a challenge posed by their school’s MarkeTHINK Club and milk tea chain CHAGEE.
THE CHALLENGE: Establish CHAGEE as a leading authority on tea.
THE SOLUTION: Make tea discovery part of the fun. The duo proposed a quiz on the CHAGEE app that serves up tea trivia, highlights the drink’s benefits, and helps users find their ideal cuppa based on their personality and lifestyle.
Winning tea-m: Marcus (right) and Gerwyn (on screen).
Art you can smell and taste
An NTU quartet beat 12 global teams to emerge victorious in one of the world’s most prestigious case competitions, hosted by the University of Auckland’s business school. The interdisciplinary team includes Renaissance Engineering Programme fresh graduates Shubhangam Rajesh Prasad and Christian Lim, computer science and business fresh graduate Advait Deshpande, and accountancy and business student Jarell Wong.
The brief went old school – no internet and hand-drawn concepts only. Even so, the NTU team triumphed over top global teams with a gallery concept that visitors can see, smell, touch and taste.
THE CHALLENGE: One of the tasks was to reimagine the Auckland Art Gallery as a living, breathing guardian of New Zealand’s art and heritage.
THE SOLUTION: Turn gallery visits into a full-body experience. Their idea uses augmented reality to animate paintings and stories, while layering in touch, taste and smell – from trying on traditional clothing to sampling local flavours – so visitors don’t just see art but feel it with all five senses.
The champions: (from left) Jarell, Advait, Christian and Shubhangam.
Game on for shoppers
Customers can play games for perks while shopping at Decathlon.
A student team from Nanyang Business School – Ang Jun Kye, Georgia Lew, Iris Khoo, Jovelle Goh, Ng Kai Jie and Victoria Cheng – scored top spot in a competition by sports retailer Decathlon and ESSEC Business School.
THE CHALLENGE: Dream up a shopping experience that mixes technology, human touch and community to keep customers engaged in Decathlon stores.
THE SOLUTION: Turn a Decathlon run into something closer to game day. Shoppers use augmented reality to find what they need in the store, while those just browsing can chat with staff or join activities to earn discounts or store credits.
They outplayed the competition: (from left) Kai Jie, Jovelle, Iris and Victoria.
This story was published in the Mar-Apr 2026 issue of HEY!. To read it and other stories from this issue in print, click here.
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