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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.

 
 
Symposium Speakers
 
...
Prof Sumit AGARWAL

Head, Dept of Real Estate, National University of Singapore

 
...
Mr Ram BHASKAR

Deputy CEO, National Environment Agency

 
...
A/P CHEW Lock Yue

Associate Dean (College of Science), Nanyang Technological University

 
...
A/P Mandar CHITRE

Head of Acoustic Research Laboratory,
Tropical Marine Science Institute

 
...
A/P CHO Im Sik

Dept of Architecture, National University of Singapore

 
...
Dr FENG Ling

Department of Physics, National University of Singapore

 
...
Dr Nicolo GUARIENTO

Associate Director Technology,
Future Cities Laboratory Global

 
...
Prof HAHN Jungpil

Director of NUS Fintech Lab, National University of Singapore

 
...
Asst Prof Xiaogang HE

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore

 
...
Dr Limin HEE

Director of Centre for Liveable Cities

 
...
Assoc Prof HO Kong Chong

Department of Sociology, National University of Singapore

 
...
Prof HO Puay Peng

UNESCO Chair on Architectural Heritage Conservation and Management in Asia

 
...
A/P HWANG Yun Hye

Dept of Architecture, National University of Singapore

 
...
Dr Olivia JENSEN

Deputy Director of the Lloyd’s Register Foundation Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk

 
...
Dr Jonas JOERIN

Co-Director of the Future Resilient Systems

 
...
Prof KHOO Teng Chye

Director of NUS Cities, National University of Singapore

 
...
Mr KOH Yan Leng

Vice President of Campus Infrastructure, National University of Singapore

 
...
Prof Prakash KUMAR

Director of Sustainable Urban Farming

 
...
Mr KWOH Leong Keong

Director of Centre for Remote Imaging Sensing and Processing

 
...
Prof LAI Choy Heng

Dept of Physics, Centre for Quantum Technologies

 
...
Dr Olivier LEFEBVRE

Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore

 
...
Prof Lawrence LOH

Director of the Centre for Governance and Sustainability, National University of Singapore

 
...
Dr Adrian LOO

Group Director, Wildlife Management and Senior Director, Community Projects, National Parks Board

 
...
A/P Bryan LOW

Director of AI Research, AI Singapore

 
...
Mr Leonard NG

Country Market Director Asia Pacific, Henning Larsen

 
...
Dr PANG Sze Dai

Associate Professor and Deputy Head (Academic Matters) of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore

 
...
Asst Prof Sudatta RAY

Yale-NUS and Dept of Geography, National University of Singapore

 
...
Dr Thomas G. REINDL

Deputy CEO of Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore

 
...
Prof SING Tien Foo

Provost’s Chair Professor at the Department of Real Estate, National University of Singapore

 
...
Prof Dipti SRINIVASAN

Director of the Centre for Green Energy Management & Smart Grid

 
...
Prof Madhavi SRINIVASAN

Executive Director of Energy Research Institute, Nanyang Technological University

 
...
Prof Paulin Tay STRAUGHAN

Director of the Centre for Research on Successful Aging, Singapore Management University

 
...
Dr Araz TAEIHAGH

Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore

 
...
Ms TAN Huey Jiun

Director of Conservation Planning, Urban Redevelopment Authority

 
...
Mr TAN Meng Dui

CEO of Housing Development Board

 
...
Prof David Mark TAYLOR

Head of Department of Geography, National University of Singapore

 
...
Mr TEO Eng Dih

CE of Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore

 
...
A/P H. Koon WEE

Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore

 
...
Prof WONG Nyuk Hien

National University of Singapore

 
...
Dr YUAN Chao

Director of Urban Climate Design Lab, National University of Singapore

 
...
Asst Prof ZENG Yiwen

Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, National University of Singapore

 
Programme
Time & Venue
Programme
8:15 am
UTown Audi 2
Registration opens (Counter right outside UTown Audi 2)
CPD/PDU points pending for BOA/SIA and IES. CPD points awarded for SIP, SILA, SISV VGP.
9:00 am
UTown Audi 2
Arrival of Guests and all to be seated
9:00 am
UTown Audi 2
Arrival of GoH
9:10 am
UTown Audi 2

NUS President’s Speech by Prof Tan Eng Chye
“Introducing NUS Sustainability CONNECT and NUS’ role as a thought leader”

9:20 am
UTown Audi 2
GoH Address by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and National Development,
Ms Indranee Rajah
9:35 am
UTown Audi 2

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?

9:50 am
UTown Audi 2

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?

10:05 am

Coffee Break cum Networking outside UTown Audi 2

10:35 am
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)

11:30 am
UTown Audi 2

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?

11:50 am
UTown Audi 2

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)

12:40 pm

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)

1:30 pm
UTown Audi 2/DA 2

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)

2:45 pm
Tea Break outside UTown Audi 2
3:00 pm
UTown Audi 2

“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)

4:15 pm
UTown Audi 2

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)

5:25 pm
UTown Audi 2
Closing Address by Emcees
Time
Programme
9:00 am

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)

10:30 am
INTERMISSION
10:50 am

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))

12:00 pm
INTERMISSION (Lunch Break)
1:00 pm

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)

2:10 pm

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)

3:25 pm
INTERMISSION
3:45 pm

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)

5:00 pm
Closing Address by
Practice Prof Khoo Teng Chye
 
Venues: University Town (UTown Auditorium 2, Dance Atelier 2)

University Town, Stephen Riady Centre
2 College Ave West, Singapore 138607

Direction to Venue

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.

UTown Audi 2 (L1 of Stephen Riady Centre)
UTown Audi 2 (L1 of Stephen Riady Centre)
DA 2 (L3 of Stephen Riady Centre)
DA 2 (L3 of Stephen Riady Centre)
 
Secretariat

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