Speech by NTU President at the launch of School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

Welcome Address by 

Professor Subra Suresh

President & Distinguished University Professor

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Launch of School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology

 

Nanyang Executive Centre, Nanyang Technological University

Friday, 26 August 2022, 2.00pm

 

Guest-of-honour, Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman,

Distinguished Guests,

Colleagues and students of CCEB,

Ladies and Gentlemen

 

A very good afternoon to all of you. I am delighted to join you at today’s launch of the School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology (CCEB).

In a fast-changing world, we need to rethink what and how we teach our students. One key emerging trend is that it is becoming increasingly challenging to separate fundamental science from downstream practical applications. To achieve a real impact on society, scientists now think beyond theories and calculations to tangible products that can benefit everyday people. At the same time the development of revolutionary products requires engineers and inventors to have a thorough understanding of fundamental scientific principles and concepts.  Indeed, basic science often serves as the seed corn and the catalyst for technological innovation that benefits society.

The new School, CCEB, has been formed to train a new generation of students, scholars and technologists to embrace both fundamental science and engineering. It is the result of a coming together of the former Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry at the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS), with the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (SCBE). Notably, it is also the first inter-college school to be established at NTU, and will be jointly overseen by both the College of Engineering and the College of Science. This new school will serve as a pioneering model for excellence in interdisciplinary education and research.

Value of collaborations across disciplines and nations

History is full of examples where cross-disciplinary and transboundary collaborations resulted in outcomes where the net outcome is far greater than the simple sum of individual parts. A prime example is the Human Genome Project, which was a massive collaborative effort by scientists from different backgrounds and countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Germany, and China. These scientists successfully worked together to decipher the DNA sequence of the human genome.  This collaboration was aided by interactions among biologists, medical researchers, geneticists, computer scientists, data scientists and engineers and with industry partners.  As the former head of the US National Science Foundation which funded many basic research projects in natural, social and engineering sciences to nurture the human genome project, I had a front row seat to learn and understand the impact of such collaborations among researchers across disciplines and continents.

Today, their knowledge has greatly contributed to our understanding of who we are as humans, and what causes human disease. Even after the first draft of the human genome was published, the field of genomics has continued to advance rapidly in the past two decades because biologists, chemists, computer scientists, statisticians, technologists, and many others with diverse training continued to interact and work with one another in meaningful ways.

Another example of how basic science has been successfully translated into real-world applications is the development of CRISPR (short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) into a powerful genome engineering tool. In 1987, CRISPRs were first observed in the genome of E. coli, a common gut microbe, as a series of short repeats interspaced with variable sequences. Afterwards, multiple laboratories independently observed similar DNA patterns in diverse bacteria species.

The story of CRISPR highlights some important points. Curiosity-driven research often lays the foundation for potential applications that benefit industry, commerce and society. CRISPR research started as fundamental exploration in microbiology and serendipitously found its way into real-world applications that include novel gene therapies for a variety of human diseases.

We are honoured to have with us today Professor Virginijus Šikšnys, one of the leading researchers in the area of CRISPR. He will share with us his life-long journey from chemistry to biotechnology.

Exciting future awaits CCEB

At CCEB, we are already witnessing achievements by faculty members whose research transcends boundaries. For instance, Professor Ling Xing Yi, a trained chemist, has applied her expertise in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to develop a breathalyser to detect COVID-19 in a person’s breath. This research forms the basis of Silver Factory, a start-up spun out of NTU. Similarly, Professor Mary Chan, also a trained chemist, has applied her expertise in polymers to develop antimicrobial coatings that can be embedded in biodegradable food packaging.

Food science and technology and food security are also important topics of education and research, with significant relevance to the future of Singapore and the world.  A large number of faculty members and colleagues from across NTU are engaged in leading-edge research, including Professor William Chen and other colleagues from CCEB.

We hope that with the formation of this new school, we will see even more of such achievements that bring basic research out of the laboratory into the real world to make an impact on people’s lives.

As part of our NTU 2025 strategic plan which details the University’s education, research, and innovation ambitions, NTU introduced a university-wide common interdisciplinary core curriculum last year that covers topics such as digital literacy, communication and inquiry, ethics, and global challenges. The curriculum includes seven Interdisciplinary Collaborative Core (ICC) courses that all new undergraduate students must take within the first two years. These courses have been designed to involve students from different schools and colleges to sit in the same classroom and work together to come up with fresh ideas and solutions that address real-world challenges from different perspectives.

We have been encouraged by the strong positive feedback from students so far, as they indicate that our undergraduates recognise the importance of transferable skills that can be applied to almost any industry and knowledge domain. However, we must not rest on our laurels, but do more to prepare our students for the future.   

In CCEB, there are multiple activities that are initiated and run by students. For example, in Zymurgy Guild, students have an opportunity to ferment their own kimchi and beverages. In another project, students are making use of black soldier fly larvae to digest tonnes of food waste on NTU campus. Our undergraduates have also been participating in the iGEM synthetic biology competition over the years, pursuing research projects ranging from engineering electricity-producing bacteria to developing novel CRISPR tools.

To further unlock the creativity and cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit, CCEB will be launching the “Budding Innovators Technathon (BIT)” competition. This competition will be open to NTU students, and others from our local universities and tertiary institutions. Students will be challenged to develop innovations for a sustainable and inclusive society, and the top teams will receive seed funding to implement their ideas.

While we are focused on enriching our students’ life in NTU, we must not forget to look forward and match the evolving needs of society.  To ensure that our curricula remain relevant, our schools and colleges have advisory boards whose members include leaders from various industry sectors. Many of our industrial partners are here with us today. We are grateful for your presence and look forward to working closely with you in the years to come.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Minister Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman for joining today’s launch event as guest-of-honor.

Finally, I wish all CCEB faculty, staff, researchers, and students all the very best in their future endeavors.

Thank you.