The NUS Cities Symposium is part of NUS Sustainability CONNECT – NUS’ inaugural annual sustainability month as it actively pursues sustainability on multiple fronts: education, research, and as a living lab and crucible for seeding new policies and initiatives.
The Symposium’s theme this year is “The Science of Cities”. It will be a forum for participants from academia, public agencies, NGOs, the industry, and students to share knowledge and exchange ideas on how we can make cities liveable, sustainable, and resilient, and in developing a more science-based approach.
Head, Dept of Real Estate, National University of Singapore
Deputy CEO, National Environment Agency
Associate Dean (College of Science), Nanyang Technological University
Head of Acoustic Research Laboratory,
Tropical Marine Science Institute
Dept of Architecture, National University of Singapore
Department of Physics, National University of Singapore
Associate Director Technology,
Future Cities Laboratory Global
Director of NUS Fintech Lab, National University of Singapore
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore
Director of Centre for Liveable Cities
Department of Sociology, National University of Singapore
UNESCO Chair on Architectural Heritage Conservation and Management in Asia
Dept of Architecture, National University of Singapore
Deputy Director of the Lloyd’s Register Foundation Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk
Co-Director of the Future Resilient Systems
Director of NUS Cities, National University of Singapore
Vice President of Campus Infrastructure, National University of Singapore
Director of Sustainable Urban Farming
Director of Centre for Remote Imaging Sensing and Processing
Dept of Physics, Centre for Quantum Technologies
Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore
Director of the Centre for Governance and Sustainability, National University of Singapore
Group Director, Wildlife Management and Senior Director, Community Projects, National Parks Board
Director of AI Research, AI Singapore
Country Market Director Asia Pacific, Henning Larsen
Associate Professor and Deputy Head (Academic Matters) of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore
Yale-NUS and Dept of Geography, National University of Singapore
Deputy CEO of Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore
Provost’s Chair Professor at the Department of Real Estate, National University of Singapore
Director of the Centre for Green Energy Management & Smart Grid
Executive Director of Energy Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University
Director of the Centre for Research on Successful Aging, Singapore Management University
Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore
Director of Conservation Planning, Urban Redevelopment Authority
CEO of Housing Development Board
Head of Department of Geography, National University of Singapore
CE of Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore
Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
Director of Urban Climate Design Lab, National University of Singapore
Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, National University of Singapore
NUS President’s Speech by Prof Tan Eng Chye
“Introducing NUS Sustainability CONNECT and NUS’ role as a thought leader”
Keynote Address
“The Science of Campus Sustainability Roadmap” by
Mr Koh Yan Leng (Vice President, Campus Infrastructure, NUS)
How does the Campus Masterplan fit into NUS’s Net Zero Plan by 2030? What kind of community will we create that imbibes the values of sustainability as a way of life on campus?
Keynote Address
“What makes a sustainable maritime nation?” by
Mr Teo Eng Dih (CE, Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA))
How is Singapore tackling climate change holistically as a small maritime nation, plugged into global supply chains? What is the role of universities in education and research?
Coffee Break cum Networking outside UTown Audi 2
Panel Discussion on “Universities as Sustainability Incubators” – how ideas are conceived and nurtured
Mr Koh Yan Leng
Mr Teo Eng Dih
Mr Leonard Ng (Country Market Director Asia Pacific, Henning Larsen)
Moderated by Practice Prof Khoo Teng Chye (Director, NUS Cities)
Keynote Address
Cities for All – Socially inclusive cities: The HDB Approach
by Mr Tan Meng Dui (CEO, Housing and Development Board (HDB))
Singapore has successfully housed more than 85% of its population in affordable, self-sufficient towns which are well-connected. What challenges does HDB face in creating and designing socially inclusive towns?
Panel Discussion on “Affordability and Inclusivity – more than a roof over your head”
How can Singapore continue to ensure that there are affordable housing and socially integrated towns while being a global hub that attracts capital and talent from all over the world?
Mr Tan Meng Dui
Assoc Prof Ho Kong Chong (Yale-NUS and Dept of Sociology)
Prof Sing Tien Foo (School of Business)
Moderated by Assoc Prof Cho Im Sik (Dept of Architecture)
Lunch outside UTown Audi 2
Bridging the gap between science and industry application – repair and protection of concrete artwork in Singapore’s harsh environment at UTown Green
Dr Jerome Lombardi (Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advanced 2D Materials)
Concurrent Sessions
1. Conservation and Decarbonisation
How do we reconcile conservation with development especially for land scarce Singapore? Would decarbonisation be an opportunity for new ways of urban development focusing on conservation and would rejuvenation be the approach that should be encouraged by policy?
Ms Tan Huey Jiun (Director of Conservation Planning, Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA))
Dr Nikhil Joshi (Dept of Architecture and Director, NUS Architectural Conservation Laboratory (ArClab))
Moderated by Prof Ho Puay Peng (UNESCO Chair in Architecture Heritage Conservation and Management in Asia)
2. Building Community Resilience
For a small island city-state like Singapore where its people are its most valuable asset, the community is a powerful force to be mobilised. How is this best done?
Assoc Prof Cho Im Sik (Dept of Architecture)
Dr Jonas Joerin (Co-Director, Future Resilient Systems Programme)
Mr Larry Yeung (Executive Director, Participate in Design)
Asst Prof Wang Xize (Dept of Real Estate)
Moderated by Visiting Assoc Prof H. Koon Wee (NUS Cities and Dept of Architecture)
“Sustainability: Next Generation’s Views” –
A panel of our students from different faculties and programmes who have excelled in projects that feature or champion urban sustainability
Chloe Ng from CDE2503 Cities in Nature (Current undergraduate from Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering)
Yin Chuan from Tembusu College GreenT Sustainability Interest Group, tWild (Tembusu Wildlife Association) and Working Committee of CONNECT (Current undergraduate of Bachelor's in Environmental Studies with Minor in Cultural Studies)
Ruchi Bhatia (Part-time Postgraduate from MSc in Integrated Sustainable Design)
Jefferson (Postgraduate from NUS Sustainable and Green Finance Institute, MSc in Sustainable and Green Finance)
Hannah Liu (Postgraduate from Master of Urban Planning)
Moderated by Assoc Prof Olivier Lefebvre (Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
Will Technology help or hinder Sustainability?
How latest innovations leverage on emerging technology and new tools such as AI and ChatGPT to develop scientific methods and models that help tackle complex urban challenges.
Assoc Prof Bryan Low (Director of AI Research, AI Singapore)
Mr Kwoh Leong Keong (Director, Centre for Remote Imaging Sensing and Processing (CRISP))
Moderated by Prof Hahn Jungpil (Director, NUS Fintech Lab and Deputy Director of AI Governance, AI Singapore)
Cities in Nature: what does it take?
Singapore has a vision to be a City in Nature. How do we actually realise it, given our high density and the multiple competing demands on space in the country?
Dr Adrian Loo (Former Group Director of Wildlife Management Division, National Parks Board (NParks))
Prof Prakash Kumar (Director of Sustainable Urban Farming)
Assoc Prof Hwang Yun Hye (Dept of Architecture)
Panel Discussion moderated by Prof David Taylor (Head, Dept of Geography)
Young Leaders’ Panel Discussion
How can Science help create Liveable and Sustainable Cities?
Some of our younger faculty and from other IHLs share their pioneering research that could transform cities.
Assoc Prof Yuan Chao (Director, Urban Climate Design Lab and Dept of Architecture)
Asst Prof Sudatta Ray (Yale-NUS and Dept of Geography)
Asst Prof Feng Ling (Dept of Physics and Manager of Complex System Group, Institute of High Performance Computing A*STAR)
Assoc Prof Lynette Cheah (Lead, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) Sustainable Urban Mobility)
Moderated by Asst Prof Araz Taeihagh (Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP))
Concurrent Sessions
1. Climate Resilient Cities
Singapore is vulnerable to rising sea levels and worsening urban heat island effect amongst other impacts. How can we adapt to and be resilient in the face of climate change?
Prof Wong Nyuk Hien (Vice Dean, Graduate Research Programmes)
Dr Hari Vishnu on behalf of Assoc Prof Mandar Chitre (Head of Acoustic Research Laboratory, Tropical Marine Science Institute)
Asst Prof Zeng Yiwen (Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions)
Moderated by Asst Prof He Xiaogang (Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
2. Circular Cities
Sustainability is about using, reusing, and conserving resources for future generations, and achieving a circular economy or city is the ultimate goal. Can Singapore be the world’s first circular city, by doing for other resources what we have been able to do for water?
Assoc Prof Lee Poh Seng (Executive Director, Energy Studies Institute)
Mr Ram Bhaskar (Deputy CEO, National Environment Agency (NEA))
Dr Thomas Reindl (Deputy CEO, Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore)
Moderated by Assoc Prof Pang Sze Dai (Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
The Science and Art of Cities (Session jointly curated with SMU)
A joint session with the Singapore Management University (SMU), delve into the intricate balance between the science and the art of planning, developing, and managing cities.
Assoc Prof Orlando Woods (Associate Dean (Research and Postgraduate Programmes), SMU)
Prof Lawrence Loh (Director of the Centre for Governance and Sustainability, NUS)
Dr Olivia Jensen (Deputy Director of the Lloyd’s Register Foundation Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk)
Panel Discussion moderated by Prof Sumit Agarwal (Head, Dept of Real Estate)
Cities as Complex Adaptive Systems
Cities are complex adaptive systems. Can there be a science of cities that help us understand cities holistically, much like ecology to biology?
Emeritus Prof Lai Choy Heng (Emeritus Professor, Dept of Physics)
Assoc Prof Chew Lock Yue (Associate Dean (College of Science), Nanyang Technological University (NTU))
Dr Nicolo Guariento (Associate Director Technology, Future Cities Laboratory Global)
Panel Discussion moderated by Dr Michael McGreevy (Research Fellow, NUS Cities and Dept of Industrial Systems Engineering & Management)
University Town, Stephen Riady Centre
2 College Ave West, Singapore 138607
In line with sustainability goals, we highly encourage all participants to take public transport to the Symposium venue. Please refer to the map below for the location of the nearest bus stop to the venue, which is highlighted for your convenience.
NUS Cities, College of Design & Engineering
National University of Singapore
4 Architecture Drive
Blk SDE 1, #03-03
Singapore 117566
For enquiries, please contact:
Mr Wisely Ong
wisely@nus.edu.sg
Ms Mavian Tay
mav.tay@nus.edu.sg