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CNA
4 hours ago
- Science
- CNA
Innovations That Matter
01:00 Min Innovations That Matter Innovations That Matter - To Super-Aged Societies Teaser Capsule Discover how the National University of Singapore is pioneering solutions for happier and healthier longevity. Innovations That Matter About the show: What are the cutting-edge innovations emerging from the National University of Singapore that are transforming the nation and potentially the world? Find out in this five-part series that showcases how NUS' faculty, researchers and students are tackling pressing challenges such as ageing and sustainability, putting AI to work in the real world, nurturing startups and uplifting communities in and beyond Singapore. Brought to you by the National University of Singapore.
CNA
4 hours ago
- Science
- CNA
Innovations That Matter - To Super-Aged Societies
21:40 Min Innovations That Matter About the show: What are the cutting-edge innovations emerging from the National University of Singapore that are transforming the nation and potentially the world? Find out in this five-part series that showcases how NUS' faculty, researchers and students are tackling pressing challenges such as ageing and sustainability, putting AI to work in the real world, nurturing startups and uplifting communities in and beyond Singapore. Brought to you by the National University of Singapore.
Business Times
6 hours ago
- Business
- Business Times
Hunn Wai and Olivia Lee: Intellectual and creative equals
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN POWER COUPLE HUNN Wai and Olivia Lee can come across as rather unfriendly. Look them up on the Internet and you're more likely to find pictures of them looking grim – stern almost – than smiling. But prepare to ditch those impressions when you meet the duo. Not only are the husband and wife warm and engaging in person, they're also very attentive, with a refreshing sense of curiosity towards just about everything. They don't just want to know about the hows, but also the whys behind things. Confident and comfortable in their own skin but eager to learn, they embody the teachable spirit that they probably hope to instil in their students. Wai, 45, whose full name is Wai Yuh-Hunn, is an adjunct associate professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, while Lee, 40, is an adjunct assistant professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Being prominent industrial designers and university lecturers are not their only commonalities. Both are also recipients of DesignSingapore Council's overseas scholarships. Wai pursued a master's degree at the prestigious Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands, while Lee topped her cohort and clinched first-class honours at the renowned Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. They also started their respective design practices. Wai is one half of Lanzavecchia + Wai (L+W), a creative studio based in Singapore and Milan, and Lee is the founder of her eponymous firm. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Too many similarities to make for a good, lifelong partnership? That was an idea Lee, who was named as one of the eight most promising designers at the famed Milan Furniture Fair in 2017, had to disagree with. 'Because with Hunn, I realised the value of a similar vocabulary and a lens with which you look at life together.' A meeting of minds Wai and Lee knew of each other when they were undergraduates pursuing industrial design at NUS. But it was only when they returned from their studies overseas that they found themselves in similar orbits in Singapore's small design circle. By then, Lee was on Wai's radar as she was featured on design blogs. 'Also, I knew that being an independent designer is not easy, so I respect anyone who takes that path,' he says. Hunn Wai wears a shirt, blazer and trousers by Tod's. Olivia Lee wears a blazer and trousers by Loewe. PHOTO: DARREN GABRIEL LEOW For Lee, who was the first female industrial designer to go solo and start an independent studio in 2013, it was nice to connect with other creatives also trying to make a dent in the international design scene. 'There were very few studios that you could really swop stories with, and I really respected what Hunn was doing with the L+W practice – punching above their weight on this big stage,' says Lee, whose clients include global names such as Cartier, Hermes, Samsung and The Balvenie. Plus, it didn't hurt that Wai took an interest in her project, the Marvellous Marble Factory, for Singapore Design Week in 2015. He also helped her tear down the installation – which reimagined marble in a playful and fantastical way – when the show concluded. 'Chivalry works, you know,' Lee says with a laugh. 'Especially from a peer you respect professionally. We were just really aligned in values and ambitions.' In their practice, both use narrative as a core design strategy, dig deep into research for traits to weave into their projects, and involve wonder, play and wit. The difference, if one were to distil it, is in how these ideas are expressed, with Lee being more classical and elemental, and Wai, more expressive with flourishes. A joining of hearts Growing up, both Wai and Lee lived in condominiums with open spaces in the western part of Singapore, and enjoyed improvised play with neighbours of different nationalities. 'We were exposed to a more cosmopolitan but also very idyllic, very safe world with a lot of make-believe,' says Lee. 'Our inner children really see and recognise each other.' Even today, play and curiosity remain cornerstones of their relationship, driving how they pursue new experiences, travel, as well as love the simple, poetic and finer things in life. 'We have such a huge bandwidth for collecting all these experiences, and improvising together,' she says. Wai proposed to Lee at the Teshima Art Museum, which hosts a single piece of artwork in the form of a freestanding concrete shell, on the island of Teshima in Japan. Fittingly, when they got married in 2018, they declared each other as fellow life explorers. After all, they enjoy both the expansive and convergent intellectual processes which allow them to refine and iterate their decisions – in work and in life. Hunn Wai wears a shirt and pullover by Zegna. Olivia Lee wears a dress by Tod's. PHOTO: DARREN GABRIEL LEOW 'Everything can be unpacked and discovered. We think about life as this open-world game, and it's actually quite fun,' says Wai, who earlier this year became the first Singaporean co-curator of DesignSingapore Council's Future Impact showcase at Milan Design Week. His studio has also done work for brands the likes of Living Divani, Cappellini, Tod's and – yes – Hermes. Because he is 'curious about everything and has an opinion about everything', Wai says he has the propensity to fill up mental space – but has learnt from his wife to be patient. Lee, on the other hand, tends to 'hang back and overthink a little too much'. 'From Hunn, I've learnt to be a bit more gung-ho.' A sharing of ideals The infinitely curious couple read each other well and also look to one another when searching for the right word or concept to articulate a thought. The love and mutual respect between them is abundantly clear, as are the dreams they share. One such dream is the design of their ideal home – although it wouldn't be a straightforward exercise. Says Wai: 'We're thinking about how it fulfills us as inquisitive people; or even as people who enjoy culture, food and art – not only the consumption of these things, but also their creation, and how to share and communicate them and empower the community around us. These are all things we would like to layer into a home project.' A much bigger dream, however, is one inspired by their visit to the Storm King Art Center, an open-air museum in New York with possibly the largest collection of contemporary outdoor sculptures in the United States. 'It's a beautiful piece of land with lots of site-specific sculptures,' Lee gushes. 'We could invite friends or people we admire to populate (a similar kind of park). So if Sentosa or Saint John's Island needs ideas on how to transform their island…' They also envisage opening a creative school within the park, so more can be exposed to the power of design thinking. 'When we were younger, we were really just struggling hard to make a mark, to be seen and heard, to exist as creatives and know that our work has meaning,' says Lee. 'Now, we're in a position in our career where we have tasted some of that success and recognition, and it feels like each time we hit a new milestone... we're thinking further and wider in terms of impact, about how our work leaves a legacy.' And although much of their life already involves collaboration – they feed and bounce ideas off each other – the couple have yet to join forces when it comes to work. They acknowledge that while they're both 'very good pilots', they're not sure if they can co-pilot together. 'Also, it took so long for me to craft a singular identity as a female designer, so I'm cautious that in a collaboration, I get subsumed into the partnership or just be seen as Hunn's wife,' Lee admits. For now, Wai is preoccupied with the homecoming show for Future Impact and a project commissioned by the Japanese government. Lee, meanwhile, is working on a large-scale public art installation and expanding her practice into the field of augmented reality. 'Growth is a huge keyword in our relationship,' says Wai. 'In design or innovation, you're staring at ambiguity every day, looking at the unknown and thinking about what you can pull out to create new value or new thinking. And I think that's how we face life as well.' Photography: Darren Gabriel Leow Fashion direction: CK Make-up and hair: Alison Tay, using Armani and Goldwell
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Releases Strategic Roadmap for ASEAN's 5G-AI Transformation
New Research Reveals US$130 Billion Economic Opportunity and Outlines Policy Framework to Accelerate Regional Digital Leadership by 2030 Prof. Vu Minh Khuong, Practice Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, at the report launch event Establishing national 5G-AI development strategies with clear 2025-2030 roadmaps; Creating empowered coordination agencies in ASEAN member countries; Deploying forward-looking spectrum policies that promote accessibility and innovation; Fostering vibrant AI-driven ecosystems through public-private collaboration; and Implementing robust monitoring frameworks to track progress and enable course corrections. SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 22 July 2025 - The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) today released a comprehensive research report outlining how ASEAN can harness 5G and artificial intelligence convergence for transformative economic growth. The study, "Leveraging 5G to Accelerate AI-Driven Transformation in ASEAN: Imperatives, Policy Insights, and Recommendations," provides policymakers with actionable strategies to unlock the region's digital faces a critical window of opportunity. The research shows 5G alone is projected to contribute US$130 billion to Asia Pacific's economy by 2030. However, adoption remains uneven across the region — ranging from 48.3% penetration in Singapore to less than 1% in several ASEAN member states. Without coordinated action, these disparities risk deepening digital divides and weakening regional competitiveness. ASEAN may be left behind as other regions accelerate their digital transformation."The convergence of 5G and AI represents the infrastructure of innovation, powering smart manufacturing, precision agriculture, and autonomous mobility. But ASEAN cannot afford to wait. The window for establishing regional leadership in intelligent connectivity is rapidly closing," said Professor Vu Minh Khuong from LKYSPP. "Our report provides ASEAN policymakers with a blueprint to navigate the complex intersection of 5G and AI integration, and now policymakers must act decisively. Coordinated strategies that can accelerate regional leadership in intelligent connectivity must be established to help the region move beyond incremental improvements toward transformative digital leadership."The LKYSPP study, drawing from extensive stakeholder interviews and survey responses from over 400 professionals across eight ASEAN countries, identifies ten critical imperatives for accelerating 5G-AI transformation, beginning with establishing coordinated digital leadership to address fragmentation that is currently slowing regional progress. ASEAN governments should treat 5G as a strategic AI enabler — not merely a telecom upgrade — while addressing the widening skills gaps that are impeding enterprise adoption across the secure ASEAN's digital future, the report recommends implementing five strategic priorities:The LKYSPP report emphasises that enterprise adoption should be prioritised as the primary driver of 5G's economic impact. Looking across the region, there is much potential and notable examples of success: Singapore's 5G-powered smart ports have achieved 50% latency reduction, Thailand has deployed AI-enhanced disaster management systems, and Malaysia's wholesale network model has reached 82% population coverage. These examples illustrate the potential for transformative impacts when coordinated strategies are effectively to the LKYSPP research report, private 5G networks are essential for Industry 4.0 transformation, while Fixed Wireless Access offers a compelling solution for bridging connectivity gaps in underserved areas. The report also positions current 5G deployment as critical infrastructure for 6G evolution expected by 2030, making today's strategic decisions particularly important for future ahead, the study envisions ASEAN leading a 5G-AI powered future where enterprises scale globally through intelligent manufacturing, farmers optimise yields using AI-driven analytics, and students in remote areas access immersive education platforms. Realizing this vision requires bold coordinated action, strategic coordination and planning, and sustained commitment to digital comprehensive 148-page report and executive summary are now available for download. The findings serve as both a strategic guide for policymakers and a call to action for regional institutions to seize the 5G-AI moment and shape a digitally empowered future for ASEAN's 700 million #LeeKuanYewSchoolofPublicPolicy #LKYSPP The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Professor Vu Minh Khuong Prof Vu Minh Khuong is a Practice Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. His research and teaching concentrate on economic development and policy analysis. He has published three books and over 50 papers in prestigious academic journals, including Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Information Economics and Policy, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Telematics and Informatics, Telecommunication Policy, Journal of Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Energy Policy. He is among the top 2% of most-cited scholars worldwide. Prof Vu earned his PhD from Harvard University. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Telecommunications Policy and the Journal of East Asian Policy. About the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) is an autonomous, professional graduate school of the National University of Singapore. Its mission is to be a leading global public policy school, with its faculty and alumni shaping thought leadership, improving standards of governance, and transforming lives for a more sustainable world. In addition to its Masters and PhD programmes, LKYSPP offers high quality Executive Programmes for civil servants, corporate executives, and non-profit professionals to equip them with insights and skills to transform their organisations and the world.
Nikkei Asia
2 days ago
- Business
- Nikkei Asia
Singapore's top university commits $116m for deep-tech startups
A view of the National University of Singapore campus. President Tan Eng Chye says a new SG$150 million initiative will be a "critical enabler" for research-based startups. © Reuters TSUBASA SURUGA SINGAPORE -- The National University of Singapore, the city-state's top university, is launching a 150 million Singaporean dollar ($116 million) program aimed at investing in startups that work in robotics, autonomous driving and other deep-tech fields. Over the next three years, the NUS VC Program will pour SG$50 million into venture capital (VC) firms with track records in early-stage deep-tech investments and provide support for the university's tech startups, NUS announced on Tuesday. It will set aside another SG$100 million for a separate fund focused on NUS-affiliated firms, with plans to invest alongside the selected VCs.
