Designing intelligent systems

Many industries are now leveraging technology to improve efficiency of their operations, making automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and smart systems more essential than ever

By Gilbert Wong

Aug 3, 2020

Dr Pamela Lin, senior engineer at Infineon Technologies Asia Pacific, talks about why it’s now the right time to enter this field, and how the Master of Technology in Intelligent Systems programme by the National University of Singapore’s Institute of Systems Science (NUS-ISS) can help you gain the relevant knowledge and skills to prepare for the future.

Who should opt for this course?

The Master of Technology in Intelligent Systems programme targets working professionals from the IT and engineering domains who wish to learn about system design and development using AI and other smart system techniques.

Even though the course is rather technical, managerial professionals can also apply if they want to learn the technical know-how to drive and manage AI projects. Non-IT or engineering professionals looking for a career switch have to first undergo an assessment and interview conducted by NUS-ISS.

Why is this course relevant now?

As the saying goes, “data is the new gold” — every industry is looking to leverage their data pool to create value, drive profits, productivity and efficiency, and make more informed decisions.

This programme focuses on learning and developing state-of-the-art AI algorithms and emphasises heavily on practical application, creating end-to-end solutions for customers.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, it is evident from many job portals and professional networking platforms that data science-related jobs are in high demand and companies are actively looking to set up data science expert teams to drive their digital transformation journey, especially in the manufacturing and healthcare industries.

How will the course help students face a post-Covid-19 world?

The pandemic has forced businesses to rethink and reimagine their future. This is especially so in the manufacturing industry where many companies have had to move towards automation to minimise human contact.

This course will equip students with relevant skill sets to drive innovation, as course projects typically require them to identify problems and opportunities across different industries and create novel solutions to those problems or breakthrough technologies to serve the public good.

How will the course be conducted?

Before Covid-19, the course was conducted on campus every Saturday from 9am to 5pm. The course has moved to online-based learning via Zoom and there are currently no plans to resume in-person classes.