1998
Developments
Two new research institutes, the Tropical Marine Science Institute (TMSI) and the Institute of Engineering Science, were established. TMSI spearheaded research in areas like underwater acoustics, coral reef ranching and marine biotechnology. The Institute of Engineering Science was a virtual centre to oversee a number of multi-disciplinary research centres in areas of strategic importance in engineering and the sciences.
A Pilot Preparation Programme was launched to prepare NUS students for exchange attachments in non-English speaking European countries. For a start, the Programme involved students in the ASEAN-European Engineering Exchange (ASE3) Programme and helped them adapt to the culture of their host countries as well as learn the language.
Major initiatives under the NUS IT Strategic Plan were implemented. They included the Notebook Ownership Programme to equip every student with a personal notebook; the launch of the Secure Plug & Play Environment with a network of 12,000 plug-in points; and introduction of secure smart cards with stored cash values for transactions at the University.
NUSCast, the University's campus radio channel and network TV service, was launched.
A double-degree programme was initiated with two prestigious French institutions -- Ecole Central and Ecole Polytechnic, allowing top NUS undergraduates to spend two years at NUS, followed by another two years at one of the two foreign institutions. The students would then complete their postgraduate degree upon return to Singapore.
NUS and the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) established a joint laboratory, the Image Processing and Application Laboratory, as part of their efforts at R&D collaborations. Based at NUS, the Laboratory's main areas of research include indexing and retrieval of video data and 3D images for medical applications.
The University's Talent Development Programme, established to groom students with intellectual and academic potential, produced its first batch of 16 graduates.
The Logistics Institute - Asia Pacific was established at NUS in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology, offering multi-disciplinary programmes with the aim of providing total and integrated solutions to the manufacturing industry.
A research arm of the Institute of Systems Science merged with the Information Technology Institute (ITI) to form Kent Ridge Digital Labs (KRDL), providing companies with technology-based solutions targeted at new global markets. ISS's educational arm continued to operate as an autonomous department within the University.
Achievements
The research team from the Institute of High Performance Computing received the Defence Technology Prize for their software involving virtual reality which helped to analyse the after-effects of naval vessels subjected to close-range shock. The project was a collaboration with Mindef's Naval Logistics Department and Defence Science Organisation.
Academics and researchers from NUS swept all categories of the 1998 National Science and Technology Awards including the National Science Award, the National Technology Award, the National Science and Technology Medal and the Young Scientist Award.