With the NUS Merit Scholarship, Foo Shih Han has gained the freedom to unleash his creativity and connect with a global community of designers.

When a problem crops up at home, Foo Shih Han prints a solution. Layer by layer, he and his trusty 3D printer turn ideas into something real.

For Shih Han, this high-tech tool unlocks the joy of creating. “The joy from seeing my designs come to life and solving a prolonged problem is unbridled,” said the second-year Industrial Design student at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Ever since getting his own 3D printer, Shih Han hasn’t stopped tinkering with it, be it for schoolwork or personal passion projects.

However, this hands-on education came with a hefty price tag. Without the NUS Merit Scholarship, Shih Han may not have been able to afford all the demands of Industrial Design.

“Industrial Design has not been a cheap course,” he said. Within his first semester, the costs had already begun to pile up. More than just tuition fees, Shih Han needed to purchase a laptop powerful enough for 3D modelling, materials for his coursework, and reference books to feed his appetite for knowledge.

The NUS Merit Scholarship covered these costs, empowering Shih Han to explore and experiment without limits. “I simply would not have been able to learn and explore many interesting materials if I were on a tight budget,” he explained. “Having to buy wood and granite, for example, was not cheap; but with the Scholarship, I was able to experiment with them in my own work and think more deeply about how materials affect our use of products.”

Shih Han’s favourite 3D-printed creation: a tape measure he spent nine weeks perfecting.

Armed with the right materials and the freedom to experiment, Shih Han has fully embraced the work and grown in his creative pursuits. One of his most memorable creations was a tape measure, which became the perfect canvas for his creativity to take flight. For nine weeks, he redesigned it, reworking its inner mechanism and outer shell, producing prototypes within hours and dozens of drafts within a week.

“This was definitely my favourite 3D-printed creation, simply because of the amount of exploration and fun I had during this project,” he enthused.  

Building a Creative Network

But no creation happens in a vacuum. Behind Shih Han’s printer and prototypes is a community of designers who have shaped the way he thinks and creates.

At NUS, his professors and lecturers aren’t just ordinary educators. They are practising designers at the forefront of the Singapore design scene, and their influence goes far beyond what any textbook could offer. Beyond campus, an internship in business and market consultancy has helped him to build connections in the creative industry.

Shih Han (first from right) and his Industrial Design friends showing off their 3D-printed creations.  

“Beyond the money, networking and connections are incredibly important,” Shih Han shared. “Having the opportunity to learn from and collaborate with some of the best designers in Singapore is truly a once in a lifetime experience.”

That community is about to get a lot bigger. With the Scholarship’s support, Shih Han will soon be headed to the Technical University of Eindhoven in the Netherlands for his semestral exchange programme.

For someone who has always been intrigued by how design shapes the way people live, there is no better classroom than a completely different culture.

“As design is different in every country, being given the opportunity to learn about design in another country is incredibly exciting,” he said.

The exchange programme is part of a much bigger blueprint: designing his own future. “Inspired by my professors, I hope to start my own studio and work on projects that excite and inspire,” he shared. “Practising design independently in Singapore is incredibly difficult, but definitely a worthwhile goal for me.”

The Scholarship covered his costs, set his creativity free, and opened up a world of connections. But behind every dollar of that Scholarship is a donor who chose to invest in a student whose potential they simply believed in.

“Being able to purchase a new laptop and a 3D printer may not seem like much, but it is an incredible privilege,” Shih Han reflected. “To the donors behind my Scholarship: I cannot thank you enough for your generosity in giving students like me an opportunity to further my studies without the financial burden.”

Your gift can equip the next generation of industrial designers with the tools to bring their ideas to life. Support Annual Giving Scholarships at https://give.nus.edu.sg/ags