Applied Science
The School of Applied Science (SAS) offered four diploma programmes during the year, namely:
• Diploma in Biomedical Sciences (DBMS)
• Diploma in Biotechnology (DBIO)
• Diploma in Materials Science (DMTS)
• Diploma in Pharmaceutical Science (DPHM)
At the end of AY06-07, SAS had an enrolment of 624 students and 86 staff members.
The second intake of the Advanced Diploma in Biomedical Science (ADBMS) saw an enrolment of 23 students. These third year DBMS students, who started the programme in AY06-07, will be placed into the third year of Monash University’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences on successful completion of the ADBMS. Nine DBMS graduates, from the first ADBMS intake, completed their Degree in Biomedical Science from Monash in November 2006. Three have been offered honours and two will be taking up the offer.
MOE has approved the launch of a new diploma by SAS in AY07-08 – the Diploma in Environmental Science (DES). The programme will admit a pioneer intake of 50 students.
Collaborations
SAS signed three MOUs with industry partners during the year. These were with Papitto LLP, Foodedge Gourment Pte Ltd and Top Taste Pte Ltd for project collaborations under the Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) TDC.
An agreement was reached with NTU’s School of Materials Science and Engineering, on the articulation of the DMTS into the Bachelor of Engineering (Materials Science and Engineering) programme. Under the agreement, students completing the DMTS with a prescribed module set with good GPAs would be fast-tracked to complete the four-year degree programme in two years.
Events
SAS facilitated and supported Clean and Green Week 2006 as well as the launch event on 5 November 2006, which saw Mr Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister, seven Cabinet Ministers and more than 10,000 members of the public and media, congregate at RP.
The CAM TDC held its Technology Series on Functional Foods on 22 November 2006 for about 200 participants.
Outreach
SAS continued to reach out to secondary school students to raise awareness of applied science and RP’s teaching pedagogy. An example of these efforts was the ongoing support for science and math PBL in Nan Hua High.
SAS organised MATERIALising Your Dreams! – a material science seminar which saw participation from 160 students from secondary schools like Hwa Chong Institution, Nanyang Girls High School, Nan Hua secondary and Gan Eng Seng Secondary.
SAS also published the second instalment of RP’s science newsletter – ReGen.