{"id":55609,"date":"2026-03-31T15:08:57","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T07:08:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/?p=55609"},"modified":"2026-04-08T11:16:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T03:16:16","slug":"from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/","title":{"rendered":"From Classroom to Lab: Yang Nengneng\u2019s Internship Experience in Singapore"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Yang Nengneng (2nd from left) with classmates during their lab lesson at TUMCREATE. (Photo Source: Yang Nengneng)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
For many prospective students considering the Sustainable Food programme at TUM Asia, one key question stands out: What does the journey actually look like\u2014from lectures to real-world experience?

\nWe spoke with Yang Nengneng, a second-year student from the pioneer batch, to learn how she navigated her internship and shaped her career direction in food science.\n<\/i><\/h5>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFinding Her Path in Sustainable Food<\/strong>

\n\nYang Nengneng, part of TUM Asia\u2019s pioneer cohort for the Sustainable Food programme, is currently in her final year. Before joining TUM Asia, she completed her bachelor\u2019s degree in Nutrition and Food Hygiene in China.

\n\nHer decision to pursue this path was driven by both ambition and passion:\n\u201cTUM had always been my dream school, and I\u2019ve always been interested in food science and human nutrition. The Sustainable Food programme felt like the perfect fit for me.\u201d

\n\nAs part of the pioneer batch, Nengneng and her classmates stepped into a completely new programme without guidance from seniors. While this came with uncertainty, it also created a unique advantage\u2014the cohort grew closer through shared experiences, fostering a highly collaborative and supportive learning environment.

\n\nThe small class size further enhanced this experience. With more personalised attention from professors, students were able to engage in in-depth discussions, build stronger academic relationships, and gain deeper insights into the field.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tStarting the Internship Journey<\/strong>

\n\nStudents in the programme are introduced to internship requirements in their second semester, giving them ample time to prepare and explore opportunities.

\n\nFor Nengneng, the internship search took approximately two months. She applied to around seven companies, focusing on roles aligned with her interest in sensory science, such as food sensory analyst and sensory scientist positions.

\n\n\u201cSometimes I didn\u2019t get replies, but I didn\u2019t feel discouraged. There are many applicants for the same role, so I treated each application as a step forward.\u201d

\nHer persistence paid off\u2014she secured an internship at the Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (A*STAR), where she now contributes to a food sensory research programme.

\n\nBeyond classroom learning, TUM Asia\u2019s strong industry connections played an important role in supporting students. Professors, many of whom are well-established in the food industry, provide exposure through industry visits and insights into potential career pathways.\nAs part of the pioneer batch, Nengneng and her classmates also had the unique opportunity to work closely with professors while preparing for their internship search. This close interaction allowed them to gain valuable guidance and build meaningful connections within the industry.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Preparing samples for TDA test for taste compounds. (Photo Source: Yang Nengneng)<\/i><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

From Theory to Practice<\/strong>

<\/p>

At A*STAR, Nengneng works as a research intern supporting food sensory projects, with a focus on bitter and umami compounds. Her responsibilities include training panellists for Taste Dilution Analysis (TDA) and designing digital sensory evaluation programmes.

<\/p>

Working at A*STAR has exposed her to a highly efficient and multicultural research environment, where collaboration is central to everyday work. Her team brings together colleagues from Singapore and across the globe, each contributing unique scientific perspectives that enrich discussions and drive innovation.

<\/p>

\u201cBeing at A*STAR taught me how to think collectively. Everyone shares ideas, and you grow by learning from each other.\u201d

<\/p>

While transitioning from classroom learning to a structured research environment was initially challenging, she quickly adapted:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

\u201cAt first, I felt uncertain, but once I got involved in a project, I became more confident. Just do it, and you will make it.\u201d<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOne of the most rewarding aspects of her experience has been applying theoretical knowledge to real-world problems. She highlights the use of the SENSOMICS approach\u2014learned in her Molecular Sensory Science module\u2014to analyse bitter compounds in mung bean protein.

\n\n\u201cIt was exciting to see how theory could be directly applied in a real company project.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Overcoming Challenges and Growing Professionally<\/strong><\/p>

Adapting to the rigorous and structured environment of a research institute was one of Nengneng\u2019s key challenges.<\/p>

However, the support she received made a significant difference.<\/p>

\u201cMy colleagues were very warm, and my supervisors were supportive and patient. They helped me a lot.\u201d<\/p>

Beyond technical knowledge, she emphasises the importance of initiative and curiosity:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

\u201cYou need to be proactive\u2014ask questions, find mentors, and keep learning. That\u2019s how you grow.\u201d<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tConnecting Internship and Thesis<\/strong>

\n\nNengneng\u2019s internship experience also influenced her academic direction. She chose to align her thesis with research projects introduced by her supervisor at A*STAR.

\n\n\u201cThe research projects aligned perfectly with my interests and strengths. It allowed me to work on something with real-world impact.\u201d\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLooking Ahead: A Future in Research<\/strong>\n\nHer internship ultimately clarified her long-term aspirations. Inspired by her exposure to high-level research, Nengneng now plans to pursue a PhD.\n\n\u201cThis internship gave me a realistic and inspiring look into the life of a professional scientist.\u201d\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Advice for Incoming Students<\/strong>

<\/p>

For those beginning their journey in the Sustainable Food programme, Nengneng offers practical advice:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

\u201cYou\u2019ll be exposed to many different areas through lectures. Use this opportunity to discover what you truly enjoy. And communicate more with your professors\u2014you\u2019ll learn a lot from them.\u201d<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tReady to turn your passion for food science into a future career? Discover how TUM Asia\u2019s Master\u2019s in Sustainable Food<\/a> can open doors to real-world research and industry opportunities today.<\/b>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Discover how Yang Nengneng, a student in TUM Asia\u2019s Master\u2019s in Sustainable Food in Singapore, gained hands-on research experience through an A*STAR internship. From applying sensory science in real-world projects to preparing for a PhD, her journey highlights career pathways, industry exposure, and opportunities within the Sustainable Food programme.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":55610,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-55609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTUM Asia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore how a TUM Asia Sustainable Food master\u2019s student gained hands-on experience through an A*STAR internship in Singapore. Learn about career pathways, sensory science applications, and industry exposure.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"zh_CN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Yang Nengneng\u2019s Internship Experience in Singapore | TUM Asia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Explore how a TUM Asia Sustainable Food master\u2019s student gained hands-on experience through an A*STAR internship in Singapore. Learn about career pathways, sensory science applications, and industry exposure.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TUM Asia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tum.asia\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-31T07:08:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-08T03:16:16+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/57267e0bf85d708aa079735cc9ec218d-e1775618155669.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"853\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"gigi.ng\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"\u4f5c\u8005\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"gigi.ng\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"\u9884\u8ba1\u9605\u8bfb\u65f6\u95f4\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 \u5206\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"TUM Asia","description":"Explore how a TUM Asia Sustainable Food master\u2019s student gained hands-on experience through an A*STAR internship in Singapore. Learn about career pathways, sensory science applications, and industry exposure.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/","og_locale":"zh_CN","og_type":"article","og_title":"Yang Nengneng\u2019s Internship Experience in Singapore | TUM Asia","og_description":"Explore how a TUM Asia Sustainable Food master\u2019s student gained hands-on experience through an A*STAR internship in Singapore. Learn about career pathways, sensory science applications, and industry exposure.","og_url":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/","og_site_name":"TUM Asia","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tum.asia\/","article_published_time":"2026-03-31T07:08:57+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-08T03:16:16+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1600,"height":853,"url":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/57267e0bf85d708aa079735cc9ec218d-e1775618155669.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"gigi.ng","twitter_misc":{"\u4f5c\u8005":"gigi.ng","\u9884\u8ba1\u9605\u8bfb\u65f6\u95f4":"5 \u5206"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/"},"author":{"name":"gigi.ng","@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/#\/schema\/person\/9855e5ca04ac83fa267985acafb1cb71"},"headline":"From Classroom to Lab: Yang Nengneng\u2019s Internship Experience in Singapore","datePublished":"2026-03-31T07:08:57+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-08T03:16:16+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/"},"wordCount":912,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/57267e0bf85d708aa079735cc9ec218d-e1775618155669.jpg","articleSection":["Stories"],"inLanguage":"zh-Hans"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/","url":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/","name":"Yang Nengneng\u2019s Internship Experience in Singapore | TUM Asia","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/57267e0bf85d708aa079735cc9ec218d-e1775618155669.jpg","datePublished":"2026-03-31T07:08:57+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-08T03:16:16+00:00","description":"Explore how a TUM Asia Sustainable Food master\u2019s student gained hands-on experience through an A*STAR internship in Singapore. Learn about career pathways, sensory science applications, and industry exposure.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"zh-Hans","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"zh-Hans","@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/57267e0bf85d708aa079735cc9ec218d-e1775618155669.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/57267e0bf85d708aa079735cc9ec218d-e1775618155669.jpg","width":1600,"height":853},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/from-classroom-to-lab-yang-nengnengs-internship-experience-in-singapore\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Stories","item":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/stories\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"From Classroom to Lab: Yang Nengneng\u2019s Internship Experience in Singapore"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/#website","url":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/","name":"TUM Asia","description":"Technical University of Munich Asia","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"zh-Hans"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/#organization","name":"TUM Asia","url":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"zh-Hans","@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/tum-main-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/tum-main-logo.png","width":585,"height":235,"caption":"TUM Asia"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tum.asia\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/tum_asia\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/#\/schema\/person\/9855e5ca04ac83fa267985acafb1cb71","name":"gigi.ng","url":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/author\/gigi-ng\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55609"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55609\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55694,"href":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55609\/revisions\/55694"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tum-asia.edu.sg\/cn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}