National Engineers Day 2017 to Bring Youths to Leading Edge of Engineering

Eighth annual youth engineering celebration to inspire students to rethink engineering as a career. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) July 28, 2017 - The National Engineers Day (NED) 2017 sets to inspire students in engineering under the theme “Ignite a World of Possibilities with Engineering”. To be held from 19-21 July 2017 at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, the event will encourage and nurture students to explore leading technological advancements across diverse engineering fields in a fun and engaging manner.

Organised by The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES), the three-day event is packed with exciting engineering displays, interactive workshops, career talks by engineers in the industries and the Energy Innovation Challenge (EIC) 2017 on “Urban Heat Island Effect”.

This year’s line-up will provide students with hands-on experience from programming robots to engaging in the mechanics of the Formula One Grand Prix gates. Students can also sign up for activities conducted by engineers from Building Construction Authority, DSO National Laboratories, Housing & Development Board, JTC Corporation and Land Transport Authority to discover opportunities and rewards of an engineering career and the latest engineering advancements in Singapore.

For the first time, the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) will be organising a half-day hands-on workshop at NED to introduce the basics of data storytelling to students. At the workshop, participating students will learn to work with raw data, apply the latest visualisation grammar and select design elements to create their own data visualisation works. With the knowledge of basic visual thinking, students can move on to create interactive infographics.

NED 2017 will take place alongside the World Engineers Summit 2017 – Applied Energy Symposium Forum to motivate youths to look at global energy problems and to think of creative solutions to build a sustainable future.

Open to students from secondary schools, junior colleges and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), the engineering festival is open from 9am to 6pm on 19 -21 July 2017.

Energy Innovation Challenge 2017 on Urban Heat Island Effect
NED 2017 will host the gruelling finals of EIC 2017, a competition that aims to shape young minds and engage students in utilising their technical knowledge to deliver innovations for the future. Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs will grace the Prize Presentation ceremony on 21 July 2017 as the guest-of-honour.

This year’s competition challenges more than 300 students from Singapore and the Asian region to devise smart and eco-friendly technologies to reduce temperatures in urban areas under the theme “Urban Heat Island Effect”.

A total of 111 teams are participating in EIC 2017 across four categories: Categories 1, 2 and 3 for students from local secondary schools, junior colleges, ITE and polytechnics respectively and Category 4 for local and overseas universities. They are guided by 54 mentors over a four-month period and will gain knowledge and skillsets through a series of workshops and boot camps.

The top winning teams from Categories 1 to 3 will earn an overseas visit to the Singapore-Suzhou Industrial Park in China sponsored by China Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Co., Ltd (CSSD), while the second and third prize winners will be awarded with $1,000 and $700 respectively. The champions of Category 4 will walk away with an $8,000 cash prize while the second and third prize winners will be awarded $3,000 each.

This year’s merit award prize and popularity prize constitute $1,000 and $300 respectively.
The EIC 2017 is jointly organised by IES and Science Centre Singapore with the support of the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore.

“NED 2017 is for every student with an appetite to shape the future for our society using their knowledge in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). It will help each student visualise our tech-centric future and give them a headstart in realising the rapidly unravelling opportunities in engineering and the needs and demands of the future of technology and the disruption it brings,” said Er. Edwin Khew Teck Fook, President of IES.

“The National Research Foundation is pleased to support EIC over the past three years, as it is a unique competition that allows students to acquire hands-on experiences in tackling real-world problems. Students also had the opportunity to learn from experts and apply solutions using cutting-edge technologies. It is important to cultivate students’ interest in STEM from young, and we hope that this experiential learning journey will spark their interest in engineering and inspire them to explore an engineering career. Through these efforts, we can maintain a pipeline of research talent in energy resilience and environmental sustainability in the longer-term,” said Dr. Yeoh Lean Weng, Director, Urban Solutions & Sustainability, NRF Singapore.

“Exciting developments in automation, technology and innovation through various digital platforms will continue to evolve and bring about higher productivity, economic growth, increased efficiencies, safety and convenience. EIC 2017 gives participating students a golden opportunity to acquire engineering knowledge and skills and cultivate an inquisitive mind and a passion to innovate,” said Mr. Daniel Ong Chuon Boon, Deputy Managing Director of Jardine Engineering Corporation, Singapore; and one of the judges of EIC 2017.

Admission to NED 2017 is free. To encourage schools to participate in NED, IES will reimburse bus fares for those schools bringing more than 10 students. Interested schools can register on www.ned-ies.org. To stay tuned to the latest news on NED and EIC 2017, please follow the IES Facebook page.

About The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES)
The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) was formally established in July 1966 as the national society of engineers in Singapore. IES is the premier engineering institution in Singapore and is called upon by the Government to provide feedback on professional engineering matters.

IES is well represented among the faculty members of the major engineering institutions of higher learning in Singapore. Through close collaboration with the local universities and polytechnics, IES organises courses, seminars and talks for engineers and IES members to advance the continuous development of engineers.

The Institution maintains close links with professional organisations of engineers regionally and throughout the world. These include organisations in Australia, China, Japan, United Kingdom and the United States. The Institution also represents Singapore in the ASEAN Federation of Engineering Organizations (AFEO) and the Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP) in promoting goodwill, fellowship and exchange of knowledge among all engineers in ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific region.
Through its Engineering Accreditation Board (EAB), IES obtained full signatory status in the Washington Accord (WA) in June 2006. The entry grants IES the authority to represent Singapore, the first country within the ASEAN region which has obtained full signatory status in the WA, to vet education systems under the WA mutual recognition framework.

MEDIA CONTACT
Fenda Ngo
Assistant Marketing Manager
The Institution of Engineers, Singapore
DID: (65) 6461 1256
Mobile: (65) 8200 2753
Email: fenda.ngo ( @ ) iesnet dot org dot sg

Desmond Teo
Publications Manager
The Institution of Engineers, Singapore
DID: (65) 6461 1229
Mobile: (65) 9747 9365
Email: desmond ( @ ) iesnet dot org dot sg

Kathlyn Loke
Junior Associate
The Right Spin Public Relations
DID: (65) 6325 5927
Mobile: (65) 8127 2886
Email: kathlyn ( @ ) therightspin dot com dot sg

Ng Rui Fen
Associate
The Right Spin Public Relations
DID: (65) 6325 5927
Mobile: (65) 9681 5262
Email: ruifen ( @ ) therightspin dot com.sg

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