11 Mar 2023
What does it mean to be a defence technologist?
That was something students and their guests found out at the DSTA Scholarship Tea Session held on 11 March 2023, where they got a glimpse of the myriad opportunities offered.
Speaking to the enthusiastic audiences, DSTA’s Deputy Chief Executive (Strategic Development) (DCE (S)) Lee Eng Hua and DSO National Laboratories’ (DSO) Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Technology) Dr Desmond Lim outlined what students could expect from the DSTA Scholarship and how it would help them grow professionally and personally. They also spoke more about how Singapore’s defence technologists are empowered to contribute to Singapore’s defence.
DSTA DCE (S) Lee Eng Hua provided audiences with fresh insights about a career in defence technology.
The audiences were also inspired by the personal stories of DSTA scholars who are currently working in DSTA, DSO, and the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies (CSIT).
When asked why he’d applied for the DSTA Scholarship, DSTA’s Programme Manager (Advanced Systems) Donovan Chan highlighted how the scholarship provided him with opportunities to pursue his passion for engineering and work with advanced technologies.
“You can expect a diverse career path with the DSTA Scholarship. While I’d started out as a communications engineer, my journey in DSTA has taken me to explore other defence domains, including naval platforms and air systems. Now, I have even ventured into video analytics for the Singapore Armed Forces using artificial intelligence. The possibilities are endless, as long as you keep an open mind and are keen to try new things,” he said.
Programme Manager (Advanced Systems) Donovan Chan (second from right) was among the DSTA scholars sharing their experiences.
This was followed by a Q&A session with senior management representatives from DSTA, DSO and CSIT, who were there to debunk myths about a career in defence tech.
(From left): Q&A session with DSO Chief Executive Officer Cheong Chee Hoo, DSTA DCE(S) Lee Eng Hua, and CSIT Chief Executive Goh Wei Boon.
Rounding off the event, students and their guests were also invited to get up close with technologists via the interactive exhibits. They got a preview of the kaleidoscope of innovative work and projects, which ranged from software development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, to the gamification of commercial technologies to transform the training experience.
Defence technologists shared more about their work experiences and their work with students and their guests.
“Attending today’s session gave me a better understanding of what a career as a defence technologist entails. I look forward to pursuing my passion as a robotics engineer with the DSTA Scholarship!” shared Luah Yuan Sheng, one of the participating students.
Keen to hop on the bandwagon of defence technologists? Check out the DSTA Scholarship here!