Singapore University of Social Sciences undergraduate Low Wei Teck is dreaming big with data analytics

Unable to pursue a course in design and media, Low Wei Teck found a new passion in business analytics at the Singapore University of Social Sciences

By Esther Teo

December 17, 2020

As a digital visual effects student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Mr Low Wei Teck’s dream was to study art, design and media (ADM) at university. Despite graduating at the top of his cohort, the photography and film-making enthusiast did not make the cut for his desired university programme. 

Disappointed, he decided to explore other options, and ended up with something completely different. In 2018, he enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Analytics with Minor in Information Technology programme at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). 

“Analytics is very close to ADM as both are ultimately about telling a story to the audience. Unlike film and visual effects however, in analytics, we communicate efficiently using data,” explains the 24-year-old. 

“Singapore is becoming a digital and Smart Nation, and business analytics is a growing industry. I like how my education journey will not simply end when I graduate. Continuous learning is needed so I can grow as an expert in the field.” 

This year, Mr Low was awarded the SUSS Scholarship, which is bond-free and includes benefits such as full coverage of course fees.

A focus on service learning

Mr Low’s passion lies in making a change in the world, by leveraging data science and machine learning to build predictive models that help make better decisions — in particular, for social good. 

The third-year student is already making a difference at SUSS, which has a focus on service learning. As a former president of SUSS Impact, he organised events to foster student bonding and relaxation. He is also active in the SUSS Business Analytics Interest Group, which holds bonding and community-involvement events, and P2P teaching sessions. 

Mr Low was also part of an SUSS team that won a J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge last year, beating other local universities in a social media contest and 5km race. He says: “Through my involvement in these activities, I have developed as a leader and become more selfless in giving back to the student body. We keep a lookout for individuals who may need more help.” 

Real-world lessons 

Beyond SUSS, Mr Low has had ample exposure to the working world. 

Last year, he participated in a prestigious two-week summer programme at top business school Audencia in Nantes, France, where he took two courses — European Economics, and Big Data and Marketing. 

Mr Low has also interned at public relations firm Edelman and e-commerce platform Shopee. Currently, he is a data science intern at retail data analytics company Omnistream, with a focus on using data analytics and visualisation to derive high-level insights that help drive the company’s decision-making processes. 

During his free time, he takes online courses to equip himself with industry skills. “I am still relatively new to the industry, so there are often steep learning curves,” he explains. “But my internships have exposed me to things beyond the school curriculum and given me a taste of what working in the industry is like.” 

Mr Low is keen to pursue further education in computer science or data science, and dreams of becoming a data scientist. He adds: “I want to give back to SUSS by helping future batches of Business Analytics undergraduates get accustomed to the ever-growing industry.”