ISTM Postgraduate Academic Study Tour in Singapore

A group of 10 postgraduates from the International School of Technology and Management (ISTM) went on an academic study tour to Singapore from 19th to 26th January.  The group was led by Asisstant Prof. P.C. Lee and conducted field research in supply chain management and innovation entrepreneurship.

• Despite Singapore being a small island with few natural resources, it took advantage of its geographical location, by starting from entreport trade and gradually developing itself into one of the the world’s leaders in logistics and supply chain management systems – an important economic pillar of its economy.
• Process Consultant of mSE Solutions Pte. Ltd., Dr. Andreas M. Radke, shared his experiences which included tactics used on his clients – identifying bottlenecks through rational analysis, then providing them assistance in optimizing the flow of production. The group found this part of the sharing the most rewarding, as it depicted an authentic picture of the industry.
• The group was also stunned by the scale of industry-government-academia cooperation. In Singapore Centre for 3D Printing, for instance, students of Nanyang Technological University were able to operate costly 3D printing machines, and produce products that most factories are not able to produce. They also visited The Logistics Institute - Asia Pacific (TLI), which provides leading logistics education in the Asia Pacific region. TLI carries out industry-government-academia cooperation plans with its students and help the governmentplan shipping and port administrative affairs, as well as schedule product import and export, among many other affairs. The employment rate of TLI graduates is extremely high as internship helps them gain valuable experiences.
• During their visit to National Research Foundation (NRF), the group learnt how NRF enhances industry-academia cooperation and promote innovation entrepreneurship by setting up experimental lab, and establishing research and development alliances, innovation center as well as implementing seed fund schemes, technology incubators, and mentor systems. This perspective from the government was, indeed, an eye-opener for them.
• Among their busy schedule, they still found time to visit tourist attractions such as Little India, Chinatown, Sentosa, Clarke Quay among others, whose multi-cultural aspect left an unforgettable impression on each of the students.