President's Message
Hey Everyone!
I am Aegan, a Year 2 Mechanical Engineering student. I am extremely grateful to be given the opportunity to serve you all as the 26th President of Society of Mechanical Engineering.
This academic year will be a challenging one, as we move towards a new "normal" in our lives. From classes to laboratory sessions, we are seemingly moving towards a digital reality. Although times will be difficult, I would like to invite everyone to take this as an opportunity for us to learn to adapt to changing environments, and be comfortable in a volatile world.
Despite uncertainty in AY2019/2020, the 25th Committee has succeeded in providing a stepping stone for Mechanical Engineering students to enhance their academic lives in NUS.
From exciting opportunities in technical workshops, to immersive industrial visits in established engineering companies in Singapore, SME aims to be the pillar of support for Mechanical Engineering students in NUS who wish to expand their technical and industrial knowledge.
Through the challenging times that are to come, the 26th Committee will continue to serve Mechanical Engineering students in the following ways:
I look forward to working with my committee to serve you. Make the best out of every opportunity, and don't forget to enjoy the vibrant academic life here in NUS.
Wishing everyone a great year ahead!
Regards,
Aegan Tan
President, NUS SME 20/21
I am Aegan, a Year 2 Mechanical Engineering student. I am extremely grateful to be given the opportunity to serve you all as the 26th President of Society of Mechanical Engineering.
This academic year will be a challenging one, as we move towards a new "normal" in our lives. From classes to laboratory sessions, we are seemingly moving towards a digital reality. Although times will be difficult, I would like to invite everyone to take this as an opportunity for us to learn to adapt to changing environments, and be comfortable in a volatile world.
Despite uncertainty in AY2019/2020, the 25th Committee has succeeded in providing a stepping stone for Mechanical Engineering students to enhance their academic lives in NUS.
From exciting opportunities in technical workshops, to immersive industrial visits in established engineering companies in Singapore, SME aims to be the pillar of support for Mechanical Engineering students in NUS who wish to expand their technical and industrial knowledge.
Through the challenging times that are to come, the 26th Committee will continue to serve Mechanical Engineering students in the following ways:
- To provide Mechanical Engineering students with opportunities to learn highly applicable skills
- Allow students to gain insightful knowledge about the industry
- Offer cross-disciplinary opportunites for students to gain exposure to different skills and experiences.
- Provide welfare activities to students to give support and enhance learning experience in NUS
- Expand SME's presence and reach in the school and industry
I look forward to working with my committee to serve you. Make the best out of every opportunity, and don't forget to enjoy the vibrant academic life here in NUS.
Wishing everyone a great year ahead!
Regards,
Aegan Tan
President, NUS SME 20/21
25th President's Closing Note
Hi everyone,
Hope that everyone is staying safe! 2020 has been a year like no other – we were faced with the first major health crisis in over a decade, lessons had to be brought online and many school activities were disrupted. It was under these unique circumstances that we had held our first-ever online Annual General Meeting. It marked the close of the 25th EXCO’s term, and the beginning of the 26th’s. Congratulations to all the newly elected members of the 26th SME EXCO!
As our term for AY19/20 ends, I would like to take time to share the initiatives put forth by SME over the past year, and to acknowledge the contributions of the team that worked hard to make our term a success despite the challenging circumstances.
The 25th Committee has set out to elevate the student experience at NUS Mechanical Engineering in the areas of: Welfare, Skills Enhancement, Industry Engagement and Community Engagement. I am proud to say that we have done well in these aspects, building upon the good work of the prior (24th) Committee.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing Committee and acknowledge their contributions to the Mechanical Engineering community.
First, kudos to our Publicity Director, Thia Leng, and her team for sprucing up our publicity channels with engaging content. Special mention goes to their latest rendition of our Humans of Mechanical Engineering (aka H.O.M.E.) initiative – a series of posts featuring our very own Professors and Teaching Staff. Their professionalism in creating innovative content and garnering awareness of SME’s activities through digital channels has facilitated greater engagement with Mechanical Engineering students.
Our Welfare and Event Committees have put in great efforts in planning welfare activities for our Mechanical Engineering students. Led by Vignesh and Shiyun, they have put together a series of fun-filled activities featuring delicious goodies, engaging games and even a lucky draw segment where the grand prize was a pair of Universal Studio Singapore tickets! While you may remember SME for the Milo ice-cream given out during Back-to-School Day, the “Trick-or-Treat” games in our Halloween event and the generous welfare packs & cheese fries/ice cream booths of Mechanical Engineering Day (ME Day), let us not forget the hard work that these 2 teams have put in behind-the-scenes. From the logistical planning to procuring goodies that would go into the welfare packs, they have been working tirelessly to make these events possible.
Working closely with the Welfare and Event teams is the Business Committee led by Hua Chen. As the Business Director, Hua Chen took the responsibility of seeking sponsorship opportunities that would go a long way in defraying our overall expenditure on the above-mentioned welfare activities. In addition, another key role that the Business Committee played was fundraising for the Society through merchandise sales. This allows SME to be financially independent and to have sufficient funds to support our other student-centric activities.
Being a Society run by students and for students, we recognise the importance of giving our students the opportunity to pick up industry-relevant skills and open their eyes to potential employers. This is where our Enhancement Projects Director, Gokul, and his team played an integral role. Our Solidworks Accreditation examinations has consistently received strong demand, and last year, we had continued the practice through offering the accreditation examinations on campus at an affordable price (which is significantly lower than the cost of individually taking the examination). Solidworks is a widely-used 3D Computer-Aided Design software in the engineering profession, and obtaining the certification has opened doors for our students to many employers. Another key program the Enhancement Projects team ran was Industrial Visit, which gave students the chance for on-site tour of manufacturing plants. For instance, SME had organised a visit to TechnipFMC – a global oil-and-gas company providing subsea and surface solutions – last year to provide an immersive experience for participants.
As the Academic Year drew to a close and many of us were enjoying our well-deserved summer holiday, our Freshman Orientation Programme Director – Edwin – was working hard with his capable committee to prepare for our first e-Orientation for the incoming freshmen. The orientation had been brought online due to restrictions on social gathering as a result of the ongoing pandemic. This did not stop the Organising Committee from putting together a comprehensive, full-day virtual orientation, which served its purpose of equipping freshmen with essential information to ease their transition into NUS. It was by no means a simple task, but the unwavering spirit that the team has shown in adapting to the new format is highly commendable!
SME’s very own Overseas Community Involvement Project (OCIP), Operation Ulysses, was led by Terrence last year. Bringing Operation Ulysses into its second cycle following our successful completion of the first in May 2019, Terrence and his team worked hard to plan for the second edition of our OCIP, originally scheduled in mid-2020. Alas, COVID-19 hit, international borders were shut and it was no longer safe to travel during that period. Despite the above setback, Terrence has committed himself to seeing through the project cycle and will remain in charge, with the trip planned for mid-2021. Let us hope for a favourable environment for the team to carry out their service plans next year, and I wish them the best in materialising their 2 years of hard work!
I would also like to extend my deep gratitude to members of the Presidential Cell, of whom have worked closely with me over the past year. Ezbon, our General Secretary, diligently supported SME in administrative duties; Jeryl, our Financial Secretary, worked hard to keep our finances accounted for and books balanced; and our 3 Vice-Presidents – Sumeet, Hariharan and Jiahao – provided their guidance and support for the respective committees they oversaw. Showing effective teamwork, strong commitment and leadership, they helped me greatly in running SME as a collective.
Last but not least, my sincerely appreciation goes to our staff advisor Prof. Teo Chee Leong, the Mechanical Engineering Department and the Faculty for their strong support for our activities.
The past year has been filled with challenges, and some of our activities had been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, we had plans for further industry engagements, a large-scale welfare event together with the Chemical Engineering Students’ Society (ChESS) and Electrical & Computer Engineering Club (ECE Club), as well as the launch of our first Hackathon. Unfortunately, health and safety restrictions meant that none of these could be carried out in 2020. However, my team and I have taken steps to ensure continuity of these plans. I would also like to share some slight changes that will take place in the year ahead with regards to the organisational structure of SME:
I am heartened that we have pulled through this difficult year together and am excited about the road ahead for SME. I wish the 26th Committee all the best and look forward to seeing our Society reaching greater heights. Lastly, to all staff & students from Mechanical Engineering: Stay safe and keep healthy!
Sincerely,
Shawn Yeo
President, NUS SME for AY19/20
Hope that everyone is staying safe! 2020 has been a year like no other – we were faced with the first major health crisis in over a decade, lessons had to be brought online and many school activities were disrupted. It was under these unique circumstances that we had held our first-ever online Annual General Meeting. It marked the close of the 25th EXCO’s term, and the beginning of the 26th’s. Congratulations to all the newly elected members of the 26th SME EXCO!
As our term for AY19/20 ends, I would like to take time to share the initiatives put forth by SME over the past year, and to acknowledge the contributions of the team that worked hard to make our term a success despite the challenging circumstances.
The 25th Committee has set out to elevate the student experience at NUS Mechanical Engineering in the areas of: Welfare, Skills Enhancement, Industry Engagement and Community Engagement. I am proud to say that we have done well in these aspects, building upon the good work of the prior (24th) Committee.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing Committee and acknowledge their contributions to the Mechanical Engineering community.
First, kudos to our Publicity Director, Thia Leng, and her team for sprucing up our publicity channels with engaging content. Special mention goes to their latest rendition of our Humans of Mechanical Engineering (aka H.O.M.E.) initiative – a series of posts featuring our very own Professors and Teaching Staff. Their professionalism in creating innovative content and garnering awareness of SME’s activities through digital channels has facilitated greater engagement with Mechanical Engineering students.
Our Welfare and Event Committees have put in great efforts in planning welfare activities for our Mechanical Engineering students. Led by Vignesh and Shiyun, they have put together a series of fun-filled activities featuring delicious goodies, engaging games and even a lucky draw segment where the grand prize was a pair of Universal Studio Singapore tickets! While you may remember SME for the Milo ice-cream given out during Back-to-School Day, the “Trick-or-Treat” games in our Halloween event and the generous welfare packs & cheese fries/ice cream booths of Mechanical Engineering Day (ME Day), let us not forget the hard work that these 2 teams have put in behind-the-scenes. From the logistical planning to procuring goodies that would go into the welfare packs, they have been working tirelessly to make these events possible.
Working closely with the Welfare and Event teams is the Business Committee led by Hua Chen. As the Business Director, Hua Chen took the responsibility of seeking sponsorship opportunities that would go a long way in defraying our overall expenditure on the above-mentioned welfare activities. In addition, another key role that the Business Committee played was fundraising for the Society through merchandise sales. This allows SME to be financially independent and to have sufficient funds to support our other student-centric activities.
Being a Society run by students and for students, we recognise the importance of giving our students the opportunity to pick up industry-relevant skills and open their eyes to potential employers. This is where our Enhancement Projects Director, Gokul, and his team played an integral role. Our Solidworks Accreditation examinations has consistently received strong demand, and last year, we had continued the practice through offering the accreditation examinations on campus at an affordable price (which is significantly lower than the cost of individually taking the examination). Solidworks is a widely-used 3D Computer-Aided Design software in the engineering profession, and obtaining the certification has opened doors for our students to many employers. Another key program the Enhancement Projects team ran was Industrial Visit, which gave students the chance for on-site tour of manufacturing plants. For instance, SME had organised a visit to TechnipFMC – a global oil-and-gas company providing subsea and surface solutions – last year to provide an immersive experience for participants.
As the Academic Year drew to a close and many of us were enjoying our well-deserved summer holiday, our Freshman Orientation Programme Director – Edwin – was working hard with his capable committee to prepare for our first e-Orientation for the incoming freshmen. The orientation had been brought online due to restrictions on social gathering as a result of the ongoing pandemic. This did not stop the Organising Committee from putting together a comprehensive, full-day virtual orientation, which served its purpose of equipping freshmen with essential information to ease their transition into NUS. It was by no means a simple task, but the unwavering spirit that the team has shown in adapting to the new format is highly commendable!
SME’s very own Overseas Community Involvement Project (OCIP), Operation Ulysses, was led by Terrence last year. Bringing Operation Ulysses into its second cycle following our successful completion of the first in May 2019, Terrence and his team worked hard to plan for the second edition of our OCIP, originally scheduled in mid-2020. Alas, COVID-19 hit, international borders were shut and it was no longer safe to travel during that period. Despite the above setback, Terrence has committed himself to seeing through the project cycle and will remain in charge, with the trip planned for mid-2021. Let us hope for a favourable environment for the team to carry out their service plans next year, and I wish them the best in materialising their 2 years of hard work!
I would also like to extend my deep gratitude to members of the Presidential Cell, of whom have worked closely with me over the past year. Ezbon, our General Secretary, diligently supported SME in administrative duties; Jeryl, our Financial Secretary, worked hard to keep our finances accounted for and books balanced; and our 3 Vice-Presidents – Sumeet, Hariharan and Jiahao – provided their guidance and support for the respective committees they oversaw. Showing effective teamwork, strong commitment and leadership, they helped me greatly in running SME as a collective.
Last but not least, my sincerely appreciation goes to our staff advisor Prof. Teo Chee Leong, the Mechanical Engineering Department and the Faculty for their strong support for our activities.
The past year has been filled with challenges, and some of our activities had been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, we had plans for further industry engagements, a large-scale welfare event together with the Chemical Engineering Students’ Society (ChESS) and Electrical & Computer Engineering Club (ECE Club), as well as the launch of our first Hackathon. Unfortunately, health and safety restrictions meant that none of these could be carried out in 2020. However, my team and I have taken steps to ensure continuity of these plans. I would also like to share some slight changes that will take place in the year ahead with regards to the organisational structure of SME:
- We have decided to institutionalise into our organisational structure the planning committee in charge of the proposed Hackathon. The new committee will be named the Innovation Committee, whose aim is to promote the development of entrepreneurship and innovative thinking through solving real-world problems. This is to facilitate learning beyond the classroom, which has been the motivation behind the proposed Hackathon. The Innovation Committee will be led by an Innovation Director, who will be part of the new EXCO and will act as the Project Director for the Hackathon.
- In view of the expected lull in large-scale activities at least till the end of 2020, the Events and Welfare Committees will be merged for the Academic Year of 2020/21. This serves to right-size the team in charge of student welfare, with the merged team retaining the name of Welfare Committee. As such, the roles of Events Director and Welfare Director will also be merged into a single one, taking on the latter title.
I am heartened that we have pulled through this difficult year together and am excited about the road ahead for SME. I wish the 26th Committee all the best and look forward to seeing our Society reaching greater heights. Lastly, to all staff & students from Mechanical Engineering: Stay safe and keep healthy!
Sincerely,
Shawn Yeo
President, NUS SME for AY19/20
