EEE PIONEER LIM PENG HUN may not be an F1 racer but his job as a Singapore Polytechnic lecturer saw him race through 1,000 kilometers of the Australian desert in 1999. The Deputy Principal led a team to the 5th World Solar Challenge in Australia. He said, “We travelled 3,000 kilometers in a solar-powered car from Darwin to Adelaide through the desert highway. Unfortunately, it rained and the car sputtered to a screeching halt.” That was not his only eye-catching desert foray. Earlier in 1993, he had led a team to install solar panels in the Mongolian desert. They were there to build an automation laboratory at the Mongolian Technical University.

Peng Hun's experiences give a glimpse of the significant contributions NTI pioneers made to Singapore's engineering education. Engineering has long been the backbone of the economy. The country's speedy rise from third-world port to global city is due in part to the efforts of its engineers. Hence, the role of engineering educators — including many NTI pioneers — is important as they are at the frontline training future engineers for Singapore's economy.

Many NTI pioneers went into teaching with a wealth of experience. Heng Guan Teck was a project engineer with the Republic of Singapore Air Force. His background was an asset when he joined Institute of Technical Education (ITE) to oversee the curriculum. Currently the Deputy CEO, he enjoys formulating policies and the satisfaction of seeing the positive impact of ITE on students.

The list continues. Ah Kat had worked in shipbuilding and electronic manufacturing industries; Choong Yang was a product engineer with Chartered Electronic Industries; Benjamin Wong Liang Juee owned a firm providing cable harnessing to clients in the electronics industry. When the clients moved operations to China and Thailand, he sold his shares. In 2003, he went to teach at Temasek Polytechnic. Albert Wong Yuen Choe brought his wealth of computer-aided design and manufacturing experiences to Nanyang Polytechnic.

Passion drives these NTI pioneers. Their mission in Guan Teck's words is to “equip graduates with relevant knowledge and skills to be globally competitive”. They are continuing the fine tradition of a practice-oriented training where they impart practical skills honed from years of industry experience.