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13 Aug 2025
At the Defence Scholarship Awards Ceremony 2025, 82 students received scholarships to pursue their studies locally and abroad — including 33 recipients of the DSTA Scholarship.
The event was graced by Minister for Defence Mr Chan Chun Sing, who urged the scholars to embrace teamwork, lead with care for those under their charge, and rise to generational challenges in an increasingly uncertain and complex world.
Mr Chan Chun Sing highlighted the vital role of the Defence Technology Community, noting that if they excel,
Singapore may never need to put the strength of the Singapore Armed Forces to the test.
Since its launch, the DSTA Scholarship has supported passionate youths in their pursuit of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) degrees at top universities around the world. More than just a scholarship, it opens the door to meaningful careers in the Defence Technology Community (DTC), where scholars can contribute in areas such as engineering, digital transformation and cybersecurity.
Permanent Secretary (Defence Development) Melvyn Ong (first row, sixth from right) and members of the
DTC management with recipients of the DSTA Scholarship.
Among this year’s recipients are Naresh Arumugam and Rayna Phua, who are eager to pursue their passions and contribute to the nation in meaningful ways.
Naresh, who is pursuing Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Singapore, credits his curiosity and love for learning as the driving forces behind his passion for engineering. In 2023, while doing an internship at DSTA’s Air Systems Programme Centre, he joined BrainHack’s SpaceCube competition with fellow interns, where they learned to build and test mini satellites. The team fell short of winning. Determined to challenge himself further, he returned in 2025 and clinched second place.
Senior Minister Zaqy Mohamad (second from right) with Naresh (second from left) and his team
at the BrainHack 2025 awards ceremony.
Keen to deepen his expertise in defence technology, Naresh embarked on a second internship at DSTA’s Advanced Systems Programme Centre, where he developed machine learning models to detect drones using radio frequency data. Field trials showed him the level of detail needed to bring such systems to life.
For Rayna, a student of the University of Edinburgh’s Electrical and Mechanical Engineering programme, the scholarship represents a unique opportunity to grow meaningfully. She was drawn to defence technology because it brought together many aspects of electrical and mechanical engineering in exciting ways. During her internship at DSTA, she built a software prototype to track objects in space – an experience that opened her eyes to how engineering could be applied beyond the classroom.
“Having the chance to do what I love while contributing to Singapore’s defence makes this path especially purposeful,” she said.
Beyond the technical challenges, both scholars valued the mentorship of DSTA staff, who offered advice, shared real-life stories, and helped them better understand the impact of a career in defence.
While they are excited about the journey ahead, Rayna and Naresh credit their families as their strongest pillars of support. From encouraging them to pursue their interests to cheering them on through each milestone, their loved ones played a central role in shaping their aspirations.
Naresh (third from left) and Rayna (third from right) with their families at the Defence Scholarship
Awards Ceremony 2025.
As they prepare to embark on their studies, both scholars look forward to returning to the Defence Technology Community with fresh perspectives, ready to create new possibilities for Singapore’s defence and security.
Thinking about pursuing the DSTA Scholarship? Learn more here.