The new cloud-based system will spur innovation and support talent development in areas such as agri-food, nutraceuticals, sustainable materials and specialty chemicals.
Republic Polytechnic (RP) launched the new Sustainable Technology & Analytical Research Laboratory (STAR Lab) today during its Open House 2023. The lab was launched in collaboration with Japanese precision instruments and medical equipment manufacturer Shimadzu (Asia Pacific). The 3,000 square-foot RP-Shimadzu STAR Lab is equipped with Laboratory 4.0 features and will support RP’s focus in the study of agri-food, nutraceuticals, sustainable materials and specialty chemicals.
The event was graced by Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Education, who officiated the opening of the STAR Lab.
The STAR Lab is the first facility in an Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) in Singapore to have its analytical instruments connected to a cloud-based system, where staff and students can remotely monitor experiments, collecting and analysing data in real-time.
A total of 400 Pre-Employment Training (PET) and Continuing Education and Training (CET) students per year from the School of Applied Science diploma programmes will benefit from this new facility. It will facilitate the training of students from the Diploma in Biotechnology, the Diploma in Applied Chemistry and the Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science in the areas of analytical chemistry to prepare them for careers in quality assurance and quality control across various sectors.
“We are delighted to be expanding and deepening our partnership with Shimadzu as part of our industry engagement and digitalisation efforts. The new RP-Shimadzu STAR Lab serves as a learning space for both staff and students to harness emerging technologies across disciplines that are key to the sustenance of our nation,” said Mr Yeo Li Pheow, Principal/Chief Executive Officer, Republic Polytechnic.
“It is crucial for us to embrace Industry 4.0 to be at the forefront of this industrial shift, as we continue to seek out new and meaningful partnerships that can give our students real-world exposure, equipping them with skills and relevance to keep operating at the cutting edge. This fits hand-in-glove with our RP Transformation 2025 plan that sees us committed to building a budding pool of talent in support of our nation’s drive towards greater sustainability and more specifically, ensuring our food security and sustainability,” Mr Yeo added.
Paired with the knowledge and expertise gained from industry collaborations, the STAR Lab serves as a learning platform for staff and students in areas such as laboratory techniques, analytical instrumentation, laboratory automation, data management and instrument connectivity. The facility will play an instrumental role in developing new analytical methods in areas such as nutrients profiling of agri-food products, specialty chemicals and materials analysis with a sustainable focus.
Expanded Partnership With Shimadzu
RP and Shimadzu also renewed its partnership today through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for a further three years. As part of this renewed partnership, Shimadzu will continue to provide training opportunities that encompass collaboration on research projects for RP staff and students, while also providing sponsorships for student scholarships, book prizes and bursaries.
The two organisations have also jointly developed new CET workshops and short courses. Participants of these courses will have access to facilities in the laboratory for their coursework. Learners can apply for programmes in the areas of digitalising laboratory procedure using augmented reality, sample extraction and cloud-based analysis of urban farming produce and functional food. The programmes will be facilitated by trainers from both RP and Shimadzu.
Mr Tetsuya Tanigaki, Managing Director, Shimadzu Asia Pacific said, “It has been in Shimadzu’s DNA to support the education landscape, ever since our founding concept began in 1875 with the purpose of manufacturing scientific instruments for educational use. Shimadzu is pleased to partner with Republic Polytechnic to accelerate the digital transformation in laboratories and to train the young scientific talents with Shimadzu’s leading-edge technologies. As we always believe, Excellence in Science is not only our motto but a way of life. Through the launch of the RP-Shimadzu STAR Laboratory, I trust that we will work even closer together to redefine laboratory experience and realise our committed goal of continuously developing agri-food innovations and more.”
Internship opportunities for students will be made available at Shimadzu for students to participate in a wide range of projects that include gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis. These opportunities are designed to help develop and broaden students’ capabilities in food science, agritech and chemical laboratory technology.
New PET Programmes Introduced in the Fields of Arts, Design and Media, and Tourism
RP is introducing two new programmes in Academic Year 2023 for PET students, namely the Common Arts, Design and Media Programme (CAP) and the Diploma in Tourism Management with Technology (DTMT). The launch of these new programmes underscores the institution’s commitment in nurturing students to become industry-ready professionals amid a constantly evolving landscape.
The CAP offers students a holistic introduction into the creative industries before narrowing down their area of specialisation. Students will take a cross-disciplinary arts, design and media curriculum in the first year before choosing to specialise in one of the five diplomas offered by the School of Technology for the Arts (STA).1 It will also stretch their creativity and imagination through the use of technology, giving them a greater appreciation of the different facets of arts, design and media.
With the new DTMT programme, students will be equipped with the skills required to integrate the physical and digital aspects of tourism as the industry continues to reinvent itself. They will learn to create and invigorate tourism experiences, better understand the application of digital technologies in the tourism sector and explore sustainable business practices for the industry at large.
Mr Yeo added, “The issues that society face today are becoming increasingly complex, which necessitates new thinking and competencies to thrive amid this ever-changing environment. As prospective students deliberate on their interests and learning pathways, we believe the two new programmes will give them an edge in the workforce by the time they graduate as industry professionals.”
“Students from the Diploma in Tourism Management with Technology programme will be trained to leverage technology in the delivery of bespoke tourism experiences against the evolving tourism landscape, while students taking the Common Arts, Design and Media programme will develop a good grounding and holistic overview of the arts, design and media fields before they proceed to specialise in their chosen disciplines. RP will also place renewed emphasis on affording them opportunities to work alongside industry professionals throughout the curriculum to sharpen their core competencies while putting their knowledge and skills into real-world practice.”
Republic Polytechnic Open House 2023
The launch of the STAR Lab is part of RP’s Open House 2023, which is held from 5 to 7 January 2023 at its Woodlands campus. Fresh O-Level, N-Level and ITE graduates seeking higher education opportunities are welcome to visit RP to find out more about RP’s full-time diploma programmes in Applied Science, Engineering, Management and Communication, Events and Hospitality, Infocomm, Sports, Health & Leisure, and Technology for the Arts. Event highlights include. More details on RP Open House 2023 can be found here. [APBN]
Footnotes
- Students can choose from the Diploma in Media Production and Design (DMPD), the Diploma in Sonic Arts (DSA), the Diploma in Arts & Theatre Management (DATM), the Diploma in Design for Games & Gamification (DDGG) and the Diploma in Design for User Experience (DDUX).
Source: Republic Polytechnic