The scholar says the programme’s multidisciplinary approach – combining technical expertise with business acumen and strategic thinking – taught him to solve problems beyond pure code

Most engineering students are trained to solve technical problems. For Nanyang Technological University (NTU) undergraduate Xu Jialu, that was only the starting point. 

During an internship at a fintech company, Jialu was tasked with designing a payment solution. He pressed beyond the technical brief and asked more questions: How would it create value – and at what cost?

“It was not just about building something that worked,” Jialu explains. “We had to think about the cost, the long-term value and whether it made sense for the business.”

This big-picture mindset was shaped by the Renaissance Engineering Programme (REP), NTU’s flagship engineering dual-degree scholarship programme, where students are trained to bridge technical know-how and strategic thinking through a multidisciplinary curriculum designed for a rapidly evolving world. “REP trains you to think across disciplines,” he says.

The programme integrates engineering and science with business, technology management and the humanities, equipping students with skills to look beyond code and make real-world decisions with confidence. Students pursue a bachelor of engineering science in a chosen specialisation before progressing directly to a master of science in technology management in their fourth year.

Emphasis on experiential learning

Now in his final undergraduate semester, Jialu – who is from REP’s 12th cohort – has seen the full breadth of the programme’s curriculum. In his first year, he took foundational engineering modules alongside subjects outside his core discipline, including writing, ethics and civics, and health and well-being. The second year introduced core engineering modules, alongside courses in sustainability, career design, workplace readiness and accounting.

REP’s small cohort size – just 39 students in Jialu’s batch – also shapes the learning experience. It allows for more one-on-one time with lecturers, and more meaningful engagement when professionals from companies visit to share industry insights and career opportunities. 

“When company representatives come in to speak to us, the interactions feel more personal,” he says. “You are not just another face in the crowd.”

From August 2024 to May 2025, Jialu spent his third year on an overseas exchange at the University of California, Berkeley in the US, taking courses ranging from computer security and interface design to astronomy.

He also joined Cubstart, a web and mobile development course led by the organisers of Cal Hacks, the world’s largest collegiate hackathon. The semester culminated in a final competition, where his team clinched first prize for Best App. Together, they developed a day-planner app that automatically removes and adjusts reminders so that users are not overwhelmed with additional tasks. 

“That win only happened because I’d already been exposed to real-world problem-solving at REP,” he reflects.

Stepping into the real world

Today, Jialu is applying those same skills at the Temasek Laboratories@NTU and REP Makers’ Lab, where he is working on his capstone project in the emerging field of 3D ceramic printing.

“While plastic 3D printing has already been commoditised, ceramic printing remains fragile and prone to defects – limiting its use in high-stakes environments like healthcare, aerospace and defence,” explains Jialu.

Working alongside a professor and two PhD researchers, his team is building a machine-learning model to predict print failures. The aim is to reduce waste and enable the reliable manufacture of ceramic components with optimised internal structures, such as those used in orthopaedic implants and prosthetics that require complex gyroid designs.

The project reflects the breadth of training REP students receive – and how the programme encourages them to move across disciplines with ease.

This year, Jialu will be taking that multidisciplinary grounding into a very different setting: cybersecurity at Apple Singapore’s Information Security department. He counts securing the internship after a month-long application process as one of his biggest achievements.

“When you develop software, you cannot ignore security. Cybersecurity complements my work, and it is an exciting, high-stakes field that is only becoming more relevant,” says Jialu.

The shift underscores the range of roles REP graduates can step into – spanning hardware, software, product development and cybersecurity – and how the programme prepares them to adapt as technologies and industries continue to evolve.

“I’ve always considered Apple my dream company, and now that an opportunity to work there is within reach, I am very excited,” he says. “I’d love to work there someday, and I think an internship is a good way to start.”