ITE gets thumbs-up from Australian government officials and students

Students at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) should count their blessings for having some of the best teachers, curricula, training methods and facilities in the world.

That was the conclusion of visiting staff and students from Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) institutions, the equivalent of ITE in Australia.

"A number of senior Australian government delegations visited ITE College East and were especially impressed by the dedication of the trainers, the use of modern teaching tools and the effective curriculum," said Mr Suhaimy Hassan, director (education) of the Australian Education International (AEI) in Singapore.

The AEI is the international arm of the Australian government's Department of Edeucation, Employment and Workplace Relations.

NTU team maps Malaria parasite's behaviour

The secrets of the most deadly malaria parasite, Plasmodium facliparum, have been unravelled by scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), raising hopes that stagnation in drug development for the disease can end.

The team at NTU has mapped the behaviour of the 5,300 genes of the parasite. Previously, only half the genes were understood. The discovery was reported in January 2010's edition of the journal Nature Biotechnology.

Changi Airport second again in World Ranking

For the second year running, Changi has emerged as number two in a ranking of airports worldwide.

The annual Airport Service Quality ranking is done by Airports Council International (ACI), a global trade representative of airports, with 575 members operating in nearly 180 countries.

Among other indicators, travellers were asked to rank the airports based on waiting time at check-in, ease of finding their way through the airport, ground transportation to and from the airport, thoroughness of security inspection, cleanliness of washrooms as well as waiting time at security inspection, and passport and visa inspection.

Changi was third in 2006.

Source: The Straits Times (Feb 17, 2010)

Singaporean wins US maths award

A Raffles Institution (Junior College) alumna has become the first Singaporean to clinch a major American award given to female undergraduates who excel in mathematics.

She is Ms Charmaine Sia, 23, just months away from graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a double degree in mathematics and physics.

The annual award, given by the non-profit Association for Women in Mathematics since 1990, aims to encourage women to study and pursue careers in the mathematical sciences.

New trials give hope to liver cancer patients

Singapore's drawing power for clinical trials give hope to several hundred liver cancer patients in the region, with the launch of three clinical trials this year.

EADS to conduct research in Singapore

Singapore's aerospace research capabilities climbed up a notch on 4/2/10 when European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS) committed to work with three Singapore institutions on "green" aircraft solutions.

EADS, parent company of aircraft manufacturer Airbus, is working with A*Star's Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences on converting algae oil to kerosene for use as jet fuel.

It also signed a research agreement with Nanyang Technological University, where it is involved in developing an energy efficient radio system.

The National University of Singapore and EADS already have two projects in mind. One of these looks at solar powered aircraft, while the other is on improving the aerodynamic qualities of aircraft.

Singapore 1 of top 10 nations registering inventions overseas

The number of patents registered in Singapore by local companies, individuals and institutions has grown steadily from 572 in 2005, to 729 in 2007 and 827 last year.

Overseas too, Singapore punches above its weight.

It is one of the top 10 countries registering inventions overseas, according to a study by the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development.

Singapore ranks 10th on the list. The only other Asian territory is Taiwan, in third spot.

The top filers are the national Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) and technology companies like Creative Technologies, though there are also individuals as well as universities and polytechnics.

Nanyang Polytechnic is the only polytechnic which has consistently been among the top 10 patent applicants in the last 10 years.