NUS honours 341 students and graduates for achievements beyond the classroom

AI projects support campus life and robotics

Isaac Chin, a final-year Data Science & Analytics student and former President of Sheares Hall’s Junior Common Room Committee, received a Distinction in the Leadership category. He and his vice president developed an AI-powered co-curricular activity points calculator for more than 500 residents across over 70 CCAs.

The pair also built a simulator to assess how proposed policy changes would affect residents before implementation. Chin said the project was made possible by the support of the 45th JCRC and Associate Professor Vinicius Rosa, who he said were willing to challenge the status quo.

Bumblebee Autonomous Systems received a Distinction in the Competitions (General) category after winning RoboSub 2025, an international competition in autonomous underwater vehicle design. The 23-member team used AI and machine learning to help its underwater robots identify and respond to targets more reliably in challenging conditions. After the victory, it open-sourced its software stack for the wider robotics community.

Students connect communities through service and the arts

Project Healthy to Thrive received a Merit in the Community Service category for providing free health screenings and health education materials to over 450 migrant workers. Led by Duke-NUS Medical School students, the project worked with the Ministry of Manpower’s Assurance, Care and Engagement Group, Project Brother Bear and local doctors.

Project Director Gini Wong Wei Wen said the initiative addressed barriers including demanding work schedules, language differences, financial constraints and limited access to health information. She said the programme both detects disease and helps participants take ownership of their health through education, partnership and sustained engagement.

In the arts, Tan Yu Hao received a Merit for Performing Arts Student of the Year after teaching choreography to pre-frail older adults at Lions Befrienders’ Active Ageing Centres over 12 weeks. NUS Dance Blast! also received a Distinction for Arts Production of the Year. NUS Indian Dance and NUS Dikir Barat received a Merit for their cross-cultural production Antara Dua: Between Two Choices, A Destiny Prevails, which combined Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Dikir Barat and Asian folklore.

NUS Table Tennis receives top sports award

NUS Table Tennis received the President’s Sports Award of the Year for sustained sporting excellence. Over three consecutive years, the team secured 10 of 12 titles at the Singapore University Games and Institute-Varsity-Polytechnic Games, including victories by both its men’s and women’s teams at IVP 2024 and 2025.

The team also contributed to campus life through its Learn-to-Play programme, the Inter-College Games and NUS120 Homecoming. Former Women’s Team Captain Jade Ng said the award motivates the team to continue working hard and pursue greater achievements.

Held on 25 October and attended by NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Professor Aaron Thean, the awards highlight the range of ways NUS students contribute to campus life and the wider community. For students, the honours recognise leadership, innovation, service, cultural collaboration and sporting participation alongside academic study.