Living in Singapore: Qin Rongchen (Green Electronics)
As our Master of Science students embark on their first semester in the various Master programmes, our DIGEST team took the opportunity to speak with some of our new Master students to find out more on how they have been adjusting to their studies and living in Singapore.
Hi Rongchen, can you give our readers a short introduction about yourself?
Rongchen: Hi, my name is Qin Rongchen. I graduated from Beijing institute of technology in Automation. Now, I am a student in TUM Asia and my major is Green Electronics. It is a great honor for me to take part in this interview.
What attracted you to Singapore as a study location?
Rongchen: Singapore is an important economic centre in Asia, and Singapore also has a diverse culture. Besides this, there is a huge variety of technology companies and institutes, such as A*STAR and Infineon. This provides plenty of opportunities for me to learn foreign concepts as well as to seek job prospects in the field of Green Electronics
How was it like adjusting to a new environment here?
Rongchen: In terms of the climate, I have to say that the weather here is rather similar to my home city so I was able to adapt easily. In terms of culture, the one thing I must improve in is to converse regularly in English, which is the common language spoken in Singapore. To overcome the language barrier, I try my best to communicate with native English speakers. Another interesting thing I have observed about Singapore is that there are unique laws and regulations that people need to abide by, such as the forbiddance of food and drinks on trains.
Share with us an interesting observation you have noticed since starting class at TUM Asia.
Rongchen: I realized many of my classmates come from different majors under the same domain of ‘Microelectronics’, and thus we have diversified knowledge bases in the classroom. The most interesting observation is that no matter how difficult the course is for some students, they will stretch themselves to solve the difficult problems and to understand the complex concepts.
“ONE CHALLENGE I FACED WAS THE ABILITY TO GRASP THE FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES USED IN THESE AREAS.
THIS IS WHY I CHOSE TO STUDY GREEN ELECTRONICS AS I WANTED TO HAVE A DEEPER THEORETICAL UNDERSTANDING OF ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING BEFORE MOVING ON TO MORE ADVANCED CONCEPTS.”
Tell us one aspect of the field of Engineering which inspires or interests you.
Rongchen: It would be 3D-printing technology. The technology was created in 1986 and has been used in many industries, such as aerospace science and technology, biomedical field, housing construction, auto industry and electronic industry. It requires an extremely precise control of materials, which makes settings and imaginations in old movies come true today. I believe that this technology will become more valuable in the future.
What is one thing you hope to gain/take away in the next two years of your studies here?
Rongchen: When I studied Automation during my undergraduate studies, the three major topics we studied were System Control, Pattern Recognition and Satellite Navigation. One challenge I faced was the ability to grasp the fundamental understanding of electronic devices used in these areas. This is why I chose to study Green Electronics as I wanted to have a deeper theoretical understanding of Electronic Engineering before moving on to more advanced concepts. That will enhance my ability in creation and research.
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Qin Rongchen is from the NTU-TUM Master of Science in Green Electronics programme. More information about the programme here >>
This interview was published in the DIGEST Sept – Dec 2018 issue >>