Page 52 - Scholarship Guide Feb 2020

50 Zacary Tan Jin Kiet

Introduction How did you know you Some parting words
Hi, I am Zac! I took up the HDB scholarship were making the right As you begin to make decisions for your next
and did my undergraduate studies at the choice in taking up the HDB phase of life, I urge you to consider what
University of California, Berkeley where I you love, what you are good at and what
crammed hard, had lots of fun and drank Scholarship? the world needs. If the betterment of public
too much bubble tea. I am now working as I knew that I liked buildings and design, I housing for many of our fellow islanders
an engineer at the Housing & Development wanted to create things that had an impact resonates with you, the HDB scholarship
Board driving the creation of Smart Cities and on people, and I itched to see more of the will be a great stepping-stone in the journey
still drinking lots of bubble tea. world. At that point, an HDB scholarship ahead!
was a logical choice, and there have been no
What did you get out of the regrets since!
scholarship?
If I was asked this question as an 18-year- Being on a scholarship helps guide you in
old, I would have said the main draw of a selecting useful courses in school. However,
scholarship was the chance to study and this does not mean you need to follow a pre-
experience life overseas. Looking back, the set list of classes throughout your course of
same motivation remains but now, the study especially in the US universities where
benefi ts of a scholarship are much clearer. the liberal curriculum encourages students to
explore disciplines outside their major. Besides
engineering modules, I also took several
The scholarship defi nitely provided me the interesting modules that complemented my
freedom to explore courses and internships learning and training in engineering. Some
during my university years, as well as examples include Biomechanics (aren’t bones
participate in more activities. For example, the columns and beams of a body?) and
in addition to Civil & Structural Engineering, Architecture History (especially geeking out
I also completed programmes in Sustainable over the ancient engineering of pyramids,
Design and Architecture. pagodas and the Pantheon). Through these
explorations, I honed my strengths and HDB Undergraduate Scholarship
passions, becoming more certain in my
Studying overseas also broadened my Zacary Tan Jin Kiet
worldview. I encountered many viewpoints choices.
from people of varied backgrounds, and in Age
turn, better appreciated the quirks and values What do you do now? 27
– Singaporean-isms – that defi ne me. As it I am currently working at HDB’s Building
turns out, kiasu-ness is a universal trait. In & Research Institute, which looks at Attained
addition to expanding my interpersonal and applying exciting R&D and innovative Civil Engineering,
academic horizons, studying overseas also technology in HDB towns to drive liveability, University of California (Berkeley)
gave me a glimpse into the inner workings sustainability and productivity. For instance,
of other societies. For example, I saw the we look at new renewable energy sources, Now
positive and negative effects of various public advanced construction materials, robotics, Senior Engineer
housing programmes in the United States sociobehavioural studies, data analytics and Building & Research Institute
(US). This exposed me to new possibilities artifi cial intelligence. Personally, I am looking
that Singapore can strive towards to and at the development of Smart HDB Towns. From
allowed me to better appreciate things we This includes sensor deployment, developing Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)
often take for granted. analytics tools and introducing artifi cial
intelligence in the optimization of estate
Being on the scholarship programme meant services such as lifts, lighting and solar panels.
that I received lots of guidance from my I even had the chance to visit China where I
mentors and seniors. After all, they are learned from smart city thought-leaders and
individuals who have “been there and done experienced their cutting-edge technology
that”. Through them, I learned which were fi rst hand.
the more interesting classes to take and
where to acquire second-hand textbooks. I In separate projects, I also enjoy applying
gained a better sense of the type of work that engineering and architectural knowledge from
I would do, and was able to choose the right school in my research on passive cooling and
courses and gained skills that I knew I could phase change materials. One of the benefi ts
use in the future. For instance, in California, of HDB’s large and varied work is that I am
the professors would teach us the importance able to move across diverse functions and
of drawing warm air into buildings in the experience various types of projects. In the
winter. A few years later, here I am at HDB, coming years, I look forward to designing and
fl ipping this principle on its head and doing overseeing the construction of entire housing
research on how to keep our fl ats cool by precincts from scratch, alongside other
channelling warm air out. planners, architects and engineers.