南大数理专家：下功夫收集资料能走好运

南大数理专家：下功夫收集资料能走好运



南大助理教授周若羽说，要改善运气就要掌握更多信息，减低不确定性。（图／南大提供）

南洋理工大学数理科学学院助理教授周若羽（47岁）说，要改善运气，关键在于掌握信息，多下功夫采集资料，走运的机会就更大。

周若羽本月19日（星期六）在南大举行的TEDx（Technology、Entertainment、Design）大会上，以“运气”（luck）为题，发表了专题演说。

着重研究复杂系统背后物理原理的周若羽说，只要存在不确定性就会出现运气的元素，而增加好运的重要因素就是设法掌握最多的“信息”。

周若羽举例说，如果知道回家或上班的其中一条道路交通阻塞，公路使用者就可选择走另一条路，减少“倒霉”受困在车龙里的几率。

“虽然，大家都绕到同一条路去，也会造成阻塞，但这时如果有交通流量密度的信息，司机也能做出更好的判断，增加自己脱困的机会。”

赌博游戏虽然讲究或然率和运气，但掌握足够的信息，也能提高赢的几率。

周若羽举赌场轮盘（Roulette）游戏为例说，赌博游戏其实也有一定的可预知性。早在1960年代，美国数学教授爱德华徒普（Edward Thorp）便研究了各式轮盘的摩擦和倾斜程度等，并静悄悄与伙伴到拉斯维加斯等赌场进行实验。

他们将轮盘珠子最初掉落的位置和速度，以及轮盘的转速等信息，输入藏在鞋里的微型电脑，使用物理原则，预测珠子最后可能落下的点数，跟着押注在附近的数字就行了。结果，实验证实，赢的几率比赌场高44％。

（新明日报）

New cryo-electron microscopy laboratory

NTU opens new cryo-electron microscopy laboratory



Prof Daniela Rhodes with the most advanced microscope from FEI, housed at Nanyang Technological University's new CryoEM Lab. -- PHOTO: NTU

The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on Thursday opened its new Cryo-Electron Microscopy Laboratory.

The lab's cryo-imaging technology allows scientists to more accurately view - in a frozen state - particles half a million times smaller than a grain of rice, such as chromosomes and viruses. Its microscopes are ten times more sensitive than regular electron microscopes.

One of the lab's first efforts will be in-depth research into cancer biology and aging. Its research will be supported by a $24 million grant from the Education Ministry (MOE). NTU structural biologist Daniela Rhodes, who is leading the research, will study telomeres, the structures that cap the ends of chromosomes. She will also study an enzyme crucial in repairing telomeres, which by doing so allows the chromosomes and cells to endlessly replicate - a hallmark of cancer.

"It is our hope that with such powerful instruments, we can make new discoveries. Only by understanding the inner workings of proteins and enzymes related to aging and cancer, can we start to look for and to develop solutions to treat such conditions," said Prof Rhodes, who was formerly a scientist at Cambridge University's MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in the UK for more than four decades.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Southeast Asia's first green maritime energy test facility

NTU to set up Southeast Asia's first green maritime energy test facility

The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is setting up an advanced maritime energy test facility for research and development work in green ship and port technologies.

Called the Maritime Energy Test Bed, it will be open to scientists and engineers from both academia and industry, and is expected to be ready by 2015.

NTU and the Singapore Maritime Institute (SMI) are jointly funding the centre, which they say will be the first in Southeast Asia.

SMI Chairman Teo Siong Seng said: "The establishment of the Maritime Energy Test Bed will help in the translation of innovative technologies from lab-scale to large-scale application where new technologies will be tested prior to sea trials."

SMI will contribute S$4.7 million over the next 10 years to the centre while NTU will provide S$3.4 million with support from the industry.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Medical school building named after late Singapore entrepreneur

NTU names medical school building after late Singapore entrepreneur

The Nanyang Technological University has named a new building at its medical school after a late Singapore businessman Toh Kian Chui.

The Toh Kian Chui Foundation donated $20 million to the school in February.

This was matched by the government, bringing the total endowment to $50 million.

The money will be used to set up scholarships and a Gold Medal award for the top performing student.

It will also be used to set up a distinguished professorship, in the hope of attracting the best scientists and researchers to mentor the students.

A pioneer entrepreneur, Mr Toh's story was a rags-to-riches one, where he set up a construction company Swee Constructions in 1948.

His company was involved in many nation-building projects in the 1960s, including the runway for Changi Airport.

At the opening ceremony of the Toh Kian Chui Annex, his family said the medical scholarships and bursaries the Foundation has set up is meant to honour Mr Toh's wish.

They said he would have chosen to study medicine to benefit his fellow man if he had been given the opportunity for an education.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

明年起 本地2大学增400学额

明年起　本地2大学增400学额

本地两所大学新加坡科技学院和新跃大学，明年起推出自身的学士课程，两校2014年各提供200个学额。

教育部长王瑞杰今早出席新跃大学（UniSim）一年一度的毕业典礼时宣布，除了部分时间制（part-time）的课程以外，新跃大学明年也将增设三个全日制学位（full-time degree）课程。

它们分别是行销、金融和会计学位课程，一共将有200个名额供学生报读。

另外，目前与外国大学合作提供专长（niche）学位课程的新加坡科技学院（Singapore Institute of Technology），明年起也将开办自己的基础设施工程、软件开发和会计课程，同样将接受大约200名学生。

王瑞杰说，新跃大学和新加坡科技学院提供的课程，将结合课堂学习和现实生活中的应用。

《新明日报》

MIT visual art don as head of new Centre for Contemporary Art

NTU appoints MIT visual art don as head of new Centre for Contemporary Art



Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has appointed an international curator and visual art don from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to head its new Centre for Contemporary Art.

Besides her role at the centre, Professor Ute Meta Bauer will also be on the faculty of NTU's School of Art, Media and Design.

The 55-year-old don was an associate professor of visual art in MIT's School of Architecture and Planning before coming to Singapore.

Other positions that she has held include Dean of the School of Fine Arts with the Royal College of Art in London.

The German-born professor has also curated various notable exhibitions and presentations on contemporary art, film, video, and sound.

NTU's Centre for Contemporary Art is located in Gillman Barracks, alongside a cluster of galleries.

A joint NTU-Gillman Barracks statement says the centre will open officially on October 23, 2013.

It is a national research centre supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

64th spot in The Economist's ranking of full-time MBA programmes

NTU takes 64th spot in The Economist's ranking of full-time MBA programmes

Nanyang Technological University's business school has climbed eight places in The Economist's global ranking of full-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes.

It has moved up to the 64th position, from 72th a year ago.

That is the highest placing ever by a Singapore business school in the magazine's ranking, said the university in a statement.

It is also the 10th straight year that the magazine is ranking Nanyang Business School as the best in Singapore, the statement added.

Within Asia, NTU's business school is ranked fourth for its full-time MBA programme.

NTU attributes its ranking improvements to strong ratings by participants of its MBA programme.

The ratings covered educational experience, faculty quality and new career opportunities.

Hong Kong University is ranked top within Asia and 24th worldwide.

The top three full-time MBA programmes worldwide this year come from American universities.

The top programme is from the University of Chicago, the second from Dartmouth College, and the third from University of California, Berkeley.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

NTU honours 23 alumni including Masagos, Lee Teng

NTU honours 23 alumni including Masagos, Lee Teng



Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Masagos Zulkifli is among 23 NTU alumni honoured in an award ceremony on Saturday.

Nanyang Technological University (NTU) recognised 23 of its alumni members on Saturday evening in an award ceremony to celebrate achievements in their respective fields.

Acting Culture, Community and Youth Minister Lawrence Wong gave out the awards.

The recipients included Major Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, son of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono; artiste Lee Teng and Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs Masagos Zulkifli.

The Nanyang Alumni Awards was launched in 2005.

Mr Masagos said: "As a student, (there were) lots of studies, lots of mugging, preparing for examinations, projects, but apart from that, NTU also provided a lot of opportunities for students to pursue other non-academic areas.

“It is also my hope that as we continue to pursue our careers, we do not forget to give back to society."

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

Management programme for senior hospitality executives

NTU, Cornell University launch management programme for senior hospitality executives



Senior professionals in the hospitality industry can now look forward to a new management programme to advance their hospitality knowledge.

They will be able to take up the Advanced Management Programme in Hospitality Management, launched by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Cornell University.

It is believed to be Asia's first hospitality management programme for senior professionals in the industry.

The programme aims to help senior executives with more than seven years of managerial experience advance their knowledge of hospitality management in a multinational setting.

The four-week programme will be conducted by Cornell's School of Hotel Administration and NTU's Nanyang Business School.

The first intake of students will be admitted to the programme in March 2014.

The students will attend classes at two locations - Cornell's Ithaca campus in New York, US and NTU's campus in Singapore.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~

NTU, NUS move up in world university rankings

NTU, NUS move up in world university rankings



Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has improved its ranking - moving up 10 places to 76th worldwide in the latest 2013-2014 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings.

This is NTU's third straight year of progressing up the rankings. Since 2010, NTU has moved up 98 positions.

The National University of Singapore (NUS) has also improved its ranking - from 29th last year to 26th this year.

Times Higher Education World University Rankings uses 13 separate performance indicators to reflect a university's strengths in five areas - Teaching, Research, Citation, Industry Income and International Outlook.

And for the first time, NTU is ranked first in the world under the Industry Income indicator. Last year, NTU was ranked 15th for this performance indicator.

This indicator measures a university's knowledge-transfer activity based on the research income it attracts from industry, scaled against the number of academic staff.

~News courtesy of Channel Newsasia~