SoC Newsletter - April 2025 by SOCCVP

Student Academic: Learning Journey and Workshops

WorldSkills Singapore 2025 3 to 5 April 2025

Students from the School of Computing (SoC) proudly represented Singapore Polytechnic at WorldSkills Singapore 2025, showcasing their talent and dedication on a national stage. Zhang Jun Kai competed in the Mobile Application Development category. For the Cybersecurity category, Shaun Tan Qing Xuen and Yap Ming Yang Ryan demonstrated strong technical skills and problem-solving under pressure, eventually attaining the Medallion for Excellence

Beyond the competition, other SoC students also contributed by supporting the Youth Cyber Exploration booth, a collaborative effort with the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) and CyberSG Talent, Innovation & Growth (TIG) Their involvement helped raise awareness about cybersecurity and inspiring younger participants to explore the Cybersecurity field, reflecting SP’ s commitment to nurturing future-ready tech talent.

SP Students: Shaun Tan Qing Xuen, Ryan Yap Ming Yang (Year 3, DCDF)

Overseas Study Trip: Shenzhen

7 to 11 April 2025

The Overseas Study Trip to Shenzhen offered an exciting opportunity to explore one of China’ s leading tech hubs and deepened students’ understanding of AI and emerging technologies During the trip, students visited cutting-edge companies specialising in AI and other emerging technologies, Campus visits to Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and City University Hong Kong-Shenzhen (CUHK). Students also had the chance to explore the Shenzhen Museum, delving into the local history. The trip also included visits to various historical landmarks, offering a perfect balance of modern advancements and cultural heritage. This was a unique opportunity to witness the dynamic intersection of technology, business, and culture in China’ s most vibrant city.

- Lim Ker Xinn, Year 3 DAAA Student

Overall, this trip pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me the value of being open, curious, and independent. I discovered new sides of myself and found confidence in connecting with others and embracing new experiences. I’ m truly thankful for the opportunities this trip brought and the memories that came with it. It’ s an experience I’ll carry with me moving forward, both personally and professionally.

AWS Skills Builder Workshop

9 April 2025

The AWS Skills Builder Workshop provided Year 2 Diploma in Applied AI & Analytics (DAAA) students and lecturers with a comprehensive understanding of Amazon Web Services’ resources and certification strategies Attended by 22 students and 10 lecturers, the workshop began with a detailed session on the AWS Skill Builder platform, covering the AWS Certified AI Practical course and test-taking strategies

A key highlight was the AWS Cloud Quest competition, leveraging on a gamified learning experience. Teams of two raced to complete AWS-related tasks, deploying EC2 instances across multiple availability zones.

Despite the time pressure, two teams successfully configured different instance types, gaining practical exposure to real-world AWS scenarios.

AiSP Cybersecurity & AI Hackathon 2025

9 to 11 April 2025

The Association of Information Security Professionals (AiSP) Cybersecurity x AI

Hackathon brought together Polytechnic, ITE, and tech enthusiasts in an exciting 3-days challenge to tackle real-world problems in the domain knowledge of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Participants formed teams of three to develop innovative solutions for pressing issues such as phishing detection, AI model security, fraud prevention, and data privacy. The event featured a mix of expert-led training sessions, hands-on workshops, and rapid prototyping, providing participants with both the knowledge and tools to bring their ideas to life. Final presentations were judged by industry professionals, with top teams walking away with attractive prizes and recognition.

Notably, this hackathon marked the first-ever collaboration between SoC Ambassadors (SoCA), Gryphons and Singapore Polytechnic Artificial Intelligence (SPAI) bringing together members from all three SIGs to co-organise and support the event. Their combined efforts created a vibrant, engaging experience that highlighted the strength of inter-club synergy.

Freshmen Orientation Camp

9 to 11 April 2025

Freshmen Orientation Camp 2025 - The Hunger Games kicked off the school year with three thrilling days of games, bonding, and unforgettable memories. Planned and run by the School of Computing Club (SoCC), the camp featured a variety of team-building activities designed to help new students break the ice and forge new friendships. Overall, this creates a supportive and engaging environment for the freshies to familiarise themselves within the SP campus, as well as to build meaningful relationships and foster teamwork through various activities There was a focus on engaging social interactions outside their allocated groups to promote a positive collaborative mindset, which let them develop a sense of camaraderie within life@SP!

NUS – Guru Network Innovation Challenge 2025 12 April 2025

SoC proudly emerged as the only polytechnic team among the top 8 finalists out of over 100 participating teams in a nationwide Generative AI (GenAI) Innovation Challenge. The competition invited university and polytechnic students across Singapore to develop creative solutions using GenAI to address real-world business challenges across various industries such as education, healthcare, finance, and more. Participants were tasked with identifying key pain points, demonstrating how GenAI could solve them, and building a working prototype. This incredible achievement highlights SP’ s innovation, technical skills, and forward-thinking spirit in shaping the future of AI-powered solutions.

Congratulations to Thu Htet San, Su Thiri Kyaw, Aysha Mufliha, Tasmiyah Taj and Shasmecka Reba A huge thank you to our dedicated mentors Mr Lim Kim Hoe, Mr Ng Chee Seng, Dr Peter Leong and Mr Glen Tan for coming down to show physical support to the team. (left to right)

Freshmen Orientation Programme

15 and 16 April 2025

The Freshmen Orientation Programme (FOP) gave new students a warm and exciting welcome to SP, setting the stage for a fulfilling polytechnic journey ahead. This compulsory programme guided freshmen through everything they needed to know about poly life, from touring the campus and exploring SP’ s cutting-edge facilities to learning how to navigate the e-services and academic systems. Students connected with their peers, seniors, and lecturers through engaging icebreakers and team-building activities, while gaining valuable insights into their course structure and academic expectations.

Not to forget the annual SP Games, a spirited, campus-wide competition where students from different schools come together to represent their course and battle it out in a series of fun, high-energy challenges. The games encourage healthy competition, school pride, and togetherness among the freshmen

SP Cares – Make a Difference, One Tree at a Time! 16 April 2025

A meaningful highlight of this year ’ s Freshmen Orientation Programme (FOP) was the SP Cares segment, where students stepped out of the classrooms and into nature, literally Partnering with NParks, SP freshmen took part in the OneMillionTrees movement, planting 1,000 trees across the South-West District in a united effort to support Singapore’ s sustainability goals. At SP, we believe in starting strong, with purpose and heart. That’ s why SP Cares is more than just a community service initiative; it’ s a chance for freshmen to make a real, lasting impact from day one Each school was assigned a dedicated location, allowing students to work together to green up our shared spaces and leave their mark, one tree at a time. Through this meaningful experience, students not only gave back to the environment but also built bonds and memories that will grow alongside the trees they planted It was a powerful reminder that even the smallest actions can contribute to a greener, more sustainable future.

Raves don’t save our world, tree planting does.

Learning Journeys and Workshop

This month, students from Regent Secondary, Assumption English School, Kranji Secondary, Beatty Secondary, and Gan Eng Seng Secondary School joined us for engaging introductory hands-on game workshops and learning journeys at SP School of Computing. Students from Gan Eng Seng Secondary School participated in an interactive Augmented Reality (AR) quiz, giving their feedback response a 4 5 out of 5 stars rating We received positive feedback from both teachers and students, who found the session engaging and informative Teachers especially appreciated how it connected classroom learning to real-world technology

“Before the visit, I thought the computing industry seemed boring, as I assumed it mostly involved sitting in front of a computer all day I was also curious to know how computing would remain useful in the future with the rise of Al After the learning journey, my perspective changed I now understand that the skills and work involved are crucial to the development of the modern world. I learned that important skills in this industry include critical thinking, computer literacy, and teamwork. One of the key challenges is how competitive the industry is. The visit gave me a new appreciation for the field.”

LocalLoco is a hyperlocal discovery platform supporting small businesses by helping them gain visibility and attract nearby customers through exclusive deals and promotions. By connecting businesses with their communities, It is playing a key role in revitalizing local economies and shaping the future of neighborhood commerce Our SP students behind LocalLoco are Gabriel Jin Wai Kit and Abdul Gafoor Mohamed Aslam

Entrepreneurship Pathways

Videotto.com builds AI Agents for Video Editing, built by Year 2 Diploma in Applied AI & Analytics (DAAA) and Diploma in Engineering with Business (DBE) students

Yue En Qi and Tay Yao Ming from Singapore Polytechnic Its AI Agents edits long-form content like podcasts, livestreams, and lectures into short, engaging clips for social media, with features like multilingual subtitling, color grading, and smart B-rolls for video automation

Team Rehabify, comprising Gabriel Kuek, Dominic Chan, Lim Jian Ping, and Macam Rafael from the Diploma in Information Technology (DIT), Singapore Polytechnic, is honoured to be selected as one of the top 10 finalists in NTU’ s Kumar Sustainability and Innovation Prize (KSIP). This prestigious award celebrates outstanding innovation and entrepreneurship in promoting sustainable practices, and we are proud of our students for representing the spirit of innovation and excellence

Thank You

The “SoC Newsletter” is a publication of the Singapore Polytechnic School of Computing

Editors: Goh Yi Xin Karys, Raina Lim, Soh Yong Sheng

Writer/Design Layout: Goh Yi Xin Karys, Raina Lim

Secretary: Ong Li Ern

Advisors: Soh Yong Sheng, Ryan Lim Zi An