Graduates Kalyani Alagappan and Jerry Chan share how SIT changed their lives and set them up as innovators of the future.

Kalyani Alagappan with her family at the SIT Graduation Ceremony 2023 in October. (SIT Photo: Keng Photography/Hah Zengmin)

The click from the door was the tell-tale sign that her father was home. Eight-year-old Kalyani Alagappan would race to him, eager to hear how his long day of work in the software field had gone. From the successes to the roadblocks, she could see – from the smiles and frowns on his face – how invested he was in his job, and she wanted that for her future.

When the time came to pick a university programme in 2019, she came across the Systems Engineering (ElectroMechanical Systems)[1] degree programme offered by the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) during its open house.

Despite knowing she had a passion for, and excelled in, programming like her father, she did not want to be tied down. The programme, which encompasses two complementary fields of study – Mechatronics and Systems Engineering – provided that bit of flexibility.

“It gave me the opportunity to choose my career after graduation. I am able to explore, rather than being restricted to software if I went for solely Computer Engineering,” the 22-year-old explained.

Her fellow SITizen, Jerry Chan, embarked on a different path to SIT. He first joined SIT’s Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Land)[2] degree programme in 2019, before subsequently pursuing his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a specialisation in Sustainable Land Transport in 2023.

Jerry Chan with his family at the SIT Graduation Ceremony 2023. (SIT Photo: Keng Photography/Hah Zengmin)

The 27-year-old’s interest in sustainability was sparked while doing case studies during his polytechnic years and watching the news. Seeing the devastating effects of global warming -- such as the rapid melting of ice sheets in Antarctica -- made him wonder how he could help. He started monitoring his electricity consumption and using eco-friendly utensils. “It motivated me to make more meaningful contributions towards a sustainable future,” he recalled.

Jerry thought that one way to do more for sustainability was to dive into the areas of built environment and urban transportation. “These are very important aspects of our everyday life,” he noted. “These are the systems that you can focus on to implement sustainable solutions and improve quality of life.”

Despite their different journeys to SIT, Jerry and Kalyani both shared the same goal when they started as freshmen – to create new solutions and fresh ideas for their respective industries.

New Concepts

At SIT, theories and concepts were not the only things taught to both students. They were also pushed to be innovators and to think outside the box.

 Jerry Chan at Siemens Mobility, where he was a project management intern for his Integrated Work Study Programme (IWSP). (Photo: Jerry Chan)

For his master’s dissertation, Jerry built a prototype that could inspect bolts in train tunnels more efficiently and accurately. His one-of-a-kind product will automate the inspection process, making it easier for maintenance technicians to conduct a 360-degree inspection of the bolts.

To succeed, he had to utilise the engineering design process – a methodological way of approaching a problem. He noted: “Most of the time, we tend to jump straight to the solution. Skipping crucial steps could cause the final solution to be susceptible to gaps and issues.”

Instead, his professors taught him to first assess the problem before slowly progressing towards a solution. This ensures that important aspects are not missed.

He added: “At the end of the day, you'll be very confident that your design will meet the customers’ specifications and solve their problems."

For Kalyani, her project modules, which spanned several trimesters and revisited certain projects, allowed her to get creative.

Kalyani Alagappan (left) with a fellow student leader and Ms Yeo May-Fung, Associate Vice President, SIT’s Centre for Career Readiness (right) at the Student Leaders Appreciation Night 2023. (Photo: Kalyani Alagappan)

She recalled building an autonomous vehicle (AV) with her teammates: “For every project module, we would usually try to come up with one or two extra add-on features to the prototype that was not in the professor’s standard set of five to six criteria." For instance, her professor once tasked the class to construct an AV that could travel between two points and avoid obstacles. Kalyani’s team took a step further and programmed the AV to buzz when nearing an obstacle.

Changing Lives

As much as SIT has taught her academically, the university has changed Kalyani’s life in other aspects. She entered university as a shy and quiet girl. She said: “I wanted to change that. I wanted to be more confident, outspoken and sociable.”

Kalyani with fellow members of the Student Management Committee for Systems Engineering. (Photo: Kalyani Alagappan)

She applied to be a SITizen Ambassador, becoming an advocate for SIT, and was the president of the Student Management Committee for Systems Engineering in 2021. She also joined the Vanguard programme in 2022, where she helped to guide other student leaders. Her active participation at SIT enabled her to acquire presentation and leadership skills that transformed her into the person she had hoped to become.

Similarly, SIT inspired change for Jerry. Not having performed well in polytechnic, he came into the university seeing it as his “second chance” and put his 100 per cent into his classes, assignments, examinations and projects.

He revealed: “SIT provided me with a platform to prove to myself that with hard work, determination and the correct mindset, I can achieve my academic goals.”

The SITizens’ hard work and dedication were not left unrecognised. Kalyani received the Rohde & Schwarz Outstanding Student Award in Systems Engineering (ElectroMechanical Systems), while Jerry clinched both the Land Transport Authority Best Final Year Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Land) Student Award and Professional Engineers Board Gold Medal for 2023.

The Next Stage

Just as SIT has impacted their lives, both graduates aspire to do the same for others as they move on to the next stage of their lives.

Jerry Chan (second from left) with his classmates from the Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Land) degree programme at SIT@Dover. (Photo: Jerry Chan)

Bidding farewell to the university, Jerry is looking forward to kickstart his career. “I hope to leverage my engineering background and develop sustainable solutions and technologies to mitigate climate change and promote environmentally friendly practices,” he said.

Kalyani, on the other hand, returned to SIT in September for her Master of Engineering while working simultaneously as an Innovation Specialist at ST Logistics.

She also plans to teach young children about coding and robotics. Having already uploaded multiple videos on her YouTube channel, she hopes to give them the opportunity to explore the field that has captivated her.

She explained: “I want to let them know the world of coding, programming and robotics and show them its capabilities and possibilities.”