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Eng Kee has been an adjunct professor at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) since 2002. Through a professor he was working with on a MINDEF-NTU Joint Applied R&D Cooperation Programme (JPP) project, he learnt of a vacancy in the Division of Control and Instrumentation at NTU's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE). After meeting the Division head and submitting his research publications, he was offered the adjunct position.
In his first semester, he supervised first year students in their laboratory classes and foundation subjects. "A light assignment, but it allows plenty of interaction with the students," he recalls endearingly. Things have become much "heavier" since. By his second semester, he was teaching a 15-hour graduate course on Digital Signal Processing. Currently, Eng Kee lectures on graduate engineering subjects and is co-supervisor to three final year doctoral students.
As an adjunct associate professor, he spends about one day a week at NTU, and has also had to give up some family time on the evenings when he has to conduct lectures.
"The most critical time is around the year-end examinations when frantic students will request for last-minute consultations, and there is the tight deadline to mark all examination scripts within two days - although thankfully, I have always managed to complete my marking over the weekend," he says.
While juggling work, teaching and family has not been easy, it is a challenge that Eng Kee takes in his stride, with the support of his supervisors. When he first applied for his position at NTU, his then laboratory head, Dr Goh Cher Hiang, and centre head, Dr Tan Jiak Kwang, readily agreed to be his character referees and wrote his testimonials. He says: "I am also deeply appreciative of the generous support and understanding of DSO management to allow me to assume the adjunct position until today."
Demands on his time aside, Eng Kee says that another major challenge in being an adjunct professor is to introduce industrial application to his teaching. He has tried to cite examples from defence research in his classes, with mixed results. "I have observed that many of the students are not able to relate to these application problems. This is not surprising as these students, even the postgraduates, do not have job exposure. Nevertheless, I hope that I have at least imparted in them an awareness of certain facets of defence science and technology," he says.
His efforts to impart and share his knowledge have not gone unheeded. Khoo Sui Yang, a second-year PhD student, says: "Eng Kee normally teaches a little beyond the topics that the textbook covers, which is good for us research students. He also provides us with case studies, which enable us to see how theory can be brought into real-life applications."
First-year PhD student, Novi Quadrianto, found Eng Kee's teaching methods interesting and engaging. "Besides using the usual powerpoint presentation method, he is not afraid to use a marker pen to do derivations of formulas on the whiteboard, in front of the class. To see a clean whiteboard turn into a 'dirty' one is far more inspiring and stimulating than viewing nicely done powerpoint slides."
Feng Le, a PhD student Eng Kee co-supervised, was heartened by his patience and guidance: "I was doing linear model predictive control design, and got stuck with a problem for weeks. Prof Poh and Prof Wang patiently discussed with me over several occasions and gave me valuable advice on how to locate the problem step by step. Finally, we figured out the problem and solved it. I really appreciate Prof Poh's invaluable guidance, insightful comments and strong encouragement over the years."
Eng Kee finds great reward in bonding with those he mentors. "Being an adjunct professor has taught me a lot on continual learning and patience. You need to read up to keep abreast of new knowledge and to be patient with students who have varying technical aptitudes. Only through these interactions and experiences, are you able to learn, share, guide and mould."
Apart from co-mentoring students and guiding them on interesting research projects, Eng Kee's adjunct appointment also allows him to work with other professors as research partners."
I relish the opportunity to interact and engage them on emerging theoretic - and sometimes esoteric - issues and ideas." He also says that working with other researchers has provided him a kaleidoscope of valuable experiences in initiating and co-ordinating research.
Eng Kee's commitment to defence research is evident. One day, he hopes to guide some of his students into defence research and DSO. "I have always been on a sharp lookout for potential recruits to join DSO and foster research initiatives and programmes in the university that will have far-reaching impact on future defence capabilities. Currently, I have not found anyone to join my division, but I have introduced a few of them into others!" he says with a laugh.
Photo Caption
Dr Poh (middle), with Feng Le (left), whom he co-supervised with Prof Wang Jian Liang (right). Feng Le has since graduated and is currently a research associate with NTU. |