Brief description fo the compulsory courses:

GS6001 (Research Ethics and Scientific Integrity), 4 MCs

The module covers issues that any graduate student in science and engineering shall face at some point during their PhD candidature and in their subsequent academic careers. Through lectures, discussions and presentations, students shall ponder on and analyse ethical issues and dilemmas associated with data archival, mentoring, authorship, credit sharing and conflicts of interest. They shall rationalise internationally sanctioned rules and regulations in dealing with ethically sensitive research subjects. They shall be taught sensible and appropriate approaches in dealing with incidents of scientific misconduct, and how ethical integrity should and could be maintained in spite of research intensity and competition.

GS5002 (Academic Professional skills and Techniques), 4 MCs

The module equips students with the academic know-how to succeed in graduate school. Students shall be introduced to the school’s academic structure, aspirations and expectations, with advice from faculty research directors and prominent NGS alumni in a workshop. Students shall be coached on their academic writing and presentation skills. They shall engage in in-depth research discussions and learn how to conduct a scientific dialogue, and to make impressive presentations at meetings and conference. Students shall be lectured by university experts on the process of scientific publication, as well as to intellectual property and patent issues. The within-discipline and cross-discipline journal club components shall provide intense training in scientific assessment and critique on topics within and outside a student’s original discipline, at an advanced level with instructors and peers in a small group setting.

GS6883A (Interface Sciences and Engineering), 2 MCs (S/U)

The module consists of a series of lectures and discussions/presentations that would provide students with an interdisciplinary exposure and knowledge foundation for selected research areas/themes that are of prime importance to humankind, and where interdisciplinary science and engineering are frequently practiced. Some of these areas are traditional strategic areas which NUS have great research strength in, and others are emerging areas of intense interest. Each theme is taught and coordinated by two instructors, who will contribute to different, yet complementary, perspectives of the theme. The areas/themes shall include “infectious agents and global pandemics”, “Omics”, “Renewable Energy”, “Human-Computer Interactions” and “Environmental problems/climate change".