It has been three years since I landed at Nanyang Technologial University (NTU) Singapore, to pursue my four-year direct PhD programme on climate change impacts studies in hydrology. It is a research project undertaken by the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NTU from Singapore. I had applied for this programme right after my bachelor’s and was invited to join the research team.
Various student activities at NTU have shaped my outlook and understanding. At NTU, certified training is being provided for research scholars, and this is a must for scholars to proceed towards research. I also got an opportunity to be a part of the Graduate Students’ Club at NTU as one of its directors. This role helped me connect with the university and network with other students. Singapore itself is a beautiful, clean, well-organised and multi-facilitated city with completely well-disciplined and soft-spoken people and the NTU is another feather in its cap. NTU has state of the art infrastructure which provides a conducive atmosphere for learning as well as research. The university campus is vast with modernised buildings and lush greenery. Diverse research areas have made NTU one of the most research-intensive universities in the world. The course structure incorporates both theoretical and practical knowledge.
There are experienced professors from various parts of the world in the faculty. The teaching facilities at NTU include recorded lectures, online discussions to facilitate interdisciplinary learning and an e-learning platform. Students can attend lectures and seminars at different schools and by professors from various other universities in this campus. The university arranges career talks and presentations by different companies which serve as a platform for industry-institution networking.
NTU offers various scholarships for graduate students. Students with only bachelor degrees and a keen research interest are also accepted into PhD programmes. Meritorious research students are eligible for scholarships and stipend. A passion and dedication to pursue research, relevant experience in the field and a CGPA of 4 out of 5 are enough to secure admission to a PhD programme at NTU. The GRE and TOEFL/IELTS scores are mandatory.
Campus life
The academic ambience here encourages acquisition of new skills and knowledge and the development of one’s personality. The university has many clubs and societies for academics, religious activities, arts and culture. Besides academics, students can learn aerobics, yoga, dance, music, martial arts and swimming in the campus. Students coming to Singapore for education also get to travel to neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia.
I suggest that students wanting to pursue PhD at NTU directly establish contact with professors of NTU in the relevant department. This is really helpful.
The writer is pursuing her research at NTU, Singapore. Email: suraa12@gmail.com.
