Detail

In 1997, Dr Keagan Chee graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a Diploma in Civil and Structural Engineering. He went on to attain a BEng in Civil Engineering from UCL, a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from NTU, and subsequently landed a position at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

But Dr Chee didn’t stop there. He took the plunge and founded NING Research, an engineering consulting firm, and even returned full circle to SP as a lecturer.

Life at A*STAR

“Despite being fairly new, I was asked to lead a team of over 20 research scientists and engineers which was a big role for me at the time. One of my job scopes was to evaluate projects before deciding to take them on or turn them away. I started thinking about the rejected projects, and how there was a demand for engineering research specifically for these niche projects.”

This prompted Dr Chee to venture out on his own to fill the demand with his expertise, leading to the incorporation of NING Research.

Venturing Out on His Own

At NING Research, engineers use computer simulations to design products before clients build actual prototypes. These essential simulations help pinpoint areas for improvement, identify chances for failure and minimise resource waste.

“We started out small, simulating a computer rack and running simple analysis but eventually we gained more clients and took on bigger projects. These projects could involve products as large as Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) units and as small as heart stents.”

On top of designing these, NING Research helped to design and analyse several Singaporean landmarks, such as the Woodlands Checkpoint extension, the largest underground substation in Southeast Asia, and the world’s largest Singapore Oceanarium.

Homecoming to SP

Between 2011 to 2015, Dr Chee decided to apply to teach at the very same school that set him on his path to success. The SP principal at the time encouraged Dr Chee to teach and manage NING Research concurrently, so as to impart his industry experience directly to the students.

“When I started teaching, it felt like I was doing something tangible and significant because my students would go on to become our future engineers.

On my first day of class, I bumped into my former lecturer Mr Tan Poh Seng, who encouraged me to approach each lecture with passion like a performance. I realised it’s not enough just to teach, you must also be engaging. Interaction with my students through teaching, learning and laughter encouraged me to be passionate as a lecturer.”

SP has since recognised his efforts as a lecturer and awarded him the Excellence in Teaching Award in 2014.

The Best Lesson from SP

Dr Chee shares that his greatest takeaway from SP as a student has to be the system that moulded his way of thinking. “We were given a lot of freedom and flexibility to decide how and when to do the job, as long as we got the job done. There wasn’t anyone to chase me for work as I had to be responsible for myself.”

He explains that this way of thinking is the exact skill set needed in this day and age of remote working.

Dr Chee also advises engineer hopefuls to learn everything with passion. “Don’t worry about whether what you learn will be useful or not because you will never know. So keep your mind open to everything you learn and just take it in. Once you learn it well, it’s going to be useful and eventually, you will enjoy what you do.

Dr Keagan Chee
Director, NING Research Pte Ltd
Diploma in Civil and Structural Engineering, 1997