SUTD Holds Inaugural ‘Frontiers & Trends’ Conference, Signs Collaboration Agreements with Industry and Overseas Universities to Advance Built Environment Sector and Climate Research
The inaugural ‘Frontiers & Trends’ conference was held on 9 September 2022 as a satellite event of the International Built Environment Week (IBEW) 2022.
Organised by the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), the conference aims to catalyse a collective response towards a brighter, more sustainable, and inclusive future for the sector.
The conference addressed five key segments namely ‘Future of Cities’, ‘Future of Building’, ‘Future Health’, ‘Climate Change’ and ‘Artificial Intelligence and Architecture’. As a progressive Institute of Higher Learning (IHL), SUTD strongly believes in the value of fostering a more coordinated and collaborative approach between government agencies, IHLs and the industry to tackle complex issues within the built environment. Each segment thus presented a glimpse into how the synergy of this well-connected tripartite eco-system paves the way forward for Singapore to become a leading knowledge and innovation hub both regionally and globally.
Signing of Three Memorandum of Understanding
Guest-of-honour Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for National Development, said in her keynote address, “Collaborations and partnerships are key to achieving more. I note that SUTD is already working with many stakeholders to explore innovative and forward-looking ideas and capabilities to advance the BE sector.”
Three memorandums of understanding (MoU) were signed during the conference, a significant pledge of the commitment to building more collaborations.
SUTD and the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) will jointly establish an SIA-SUTD Collaboration to promote architectural design excellence and celebrate architecture and the built environment. Main areas of mutual collaboration include industry-academia collaboration, continuing education and training (CET) programme, internship and career opportunities.
(Left to right) Ar Richard Lai (Immediate Past President, SIA); Ar Tiah Nan Chyuan (1st Vice President of 62nd Council 2022/2023, SIA); Ms Indranee Rajah (Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for National Development); Prof Tai Lee Siang (Head of Pillar for Architecture and Sustainable Design, Director of DesignZ, SUTD); Prof Chong Tow Chong (SUTD President).
The RSP-SUTD Collaboration between SUTD and RSP Architects Planners & Engineers Pte Ltd (RSP) will also promote close exchange of ideas, information and research between academia and industry. This is RSP’s first partnership with an educational institution. SUTD architecture undergraduate and master’s students can expect to benefit from this collaboration with the injection of industry expertise into the curriculum and research, scholarships and overseas internship opportunities.
(Left to right) Ar Seah Chee Kien (Senior Managing Director, RSP); Ar Sonny Chionh (Executive Director, RSP); Ms Indranee Rajah (Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for National Development); Prof Tai Lee Siang (Head of Pillar for Architecture and Sustainable Design, Director of DesignZ, SUTD); Prof Chong Tow Chong (SUTD President).
Lastly, an alliance between SUTD, Pratt Institute and Pace University will see the launch of a joint Climate Research Center that will look into a multi-lateral action plan focused on advancing climate solutions targeted at water resiliency and climate justice. Understanding the shifts produced by climate change as an assemblage of networked interactions, so colossal that it escapes spatio-temporal specificity, research will extend beyond and into other regions nationally and/or globally.
Prof David Erdman (Chairperson, Department of Graduate Architecture and Urban Design, Pratt Institute) and Prof Tai Lee Siang (Head of Pillar for Architecture and Sustainable Design, Director of DesignZ, SUTD) signed the MoU between SUTD, Pratt Institute and Pace University.