MARRYING THE PASSION FOR SCIENCE WITH THE MISSION OF DEFENCE

"Ever since I was young, my father would bring my brother and I to the Singapore Science Centre once a month and buy us books like the 'Magic School Bus' series. And when my brother and I were older, we often discussed the science concepts that we learnt at school," said Koh Huan Chin.

It was these experiences that fueled the 19-year-old's passion for science and technology, and inspired her to pursue her interest in science and engineering research. Now a Defence Science & Technology (DTSA) - DSO National Laboratories (DSO) Scholarship recipient, Ms Koh has chosen to develop her expertise in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, USA.

The scholarship aims to ensure a steady pool of defence scientists and engineers who aspire to contribute towards maintaining Singapore s technological edge in defence and homeland security.

"I think it s really worthwhile to work for defence. If I invent something to strengthen defence, I'll be protecting my loved ones," she said.

With the DSTA-DSO scholarship giving her the opportunity to pursue her passion overseas, Ms Koh is already looking forward to working in a research environment and contributing back to the nation upon her return.

For Ng Jua Him, what led him to apply for the DSTA-DSO scholarship two years ago is the access it provides to the defence technology community and its spirit of innovation.

"The defence industry is always the leader in all engineering fields and anything that is implemented in defence is the first of its frontier, so why not join them and be the first to invent?" said Mr Ng.

With his love for robotics and engineering, the 21-year-old previously took part in the Defence Tech-X Challenge organised by DSTA in 2008, where he showcased a humanoid robot capable of performing basic human tasks with the control of a Play Station 3 wireless controller.

Mr Ng also aspires to "upgrade" the current surveillance system to make it easier to spot and identify possible suspects coming into Singapore in places such as Changi Airport.

Ng Jua Him (left), Ng Teng Teng and Koh Huan Chin hope to use their talents to strengthen Singapore s defence technology.

"The SAF is constantly on the look out to deter potential aggressors, but the Army is facing a shortage of manpower... I want to implement a better surveillance system to help filter possible suspects," he explained.The scholars received their certificates from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean on 7 Jul, in a ceremony held at Orchard Hotel.In addition, 25 DSTA staff members and 10 officers from DSO received postgraduate awards from Mr Teo.One of the recipients of the postgraduate scholarships, Ng Teng Teng, hopes to bring back fresh expertise and inspiration for new capabilities and expertise from her one year stint in the US."Going to the US will open my eyes to new emergence technologies and give me opportunities to network with my US counterparts. Through this experience, I hope to explore new capabilities and methodology, and bring it back so that we will gain an edge over enemies out there," said the 27-year-old.Speaking at the award presentation ceremony, Mr Teo addressed the issue of security challenges that the world faces today, including global terrorism, piracy, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the driving need for militaries to rapidly develop new capabilities within weeks or days for a "timely and effective response"."Our scientists and engineers are therefore at the front of what we do as an organisation; each new breakthrough making a critical difference to our defence and the lives of our servicemen, and having the potential to redefine the way wars are fought and crises overcome and ultimately, to help our nation defend itself," he said.This year, a total of 119 applicants were awarded the DSTA-DSO scholarship.