Cultivating sustainability champions for tomorrow
Nanyang Polytechnic’s Sustainability Masterplan empowers students, businesses and communities with the skills, partnerships and innovations needed to create lasting positive change.
Residents get hands-on at Repair Kopitiam, a community initiative that promotes sustainability by giving old appliances a second life. Photos: Nanyang Polytechnic
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From alternative proteins to sensor technology that tracks soap and toilet paper usage, sustainable transformation calls for a broad range of innovative solutions, talents and partnerships.
To empower neighbourhoods, communities and industry partners in building a greener future, Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) has launched its Sustainability Masterplan, an overarching strategy that includes NYP X, a plug-and-play collective of sustainability initiatives that can be brought to various communities and neighbourhoods across Singapore.
The first NYP X iteration was at Eco Fest, an event rolled out by Teck Ghee grassroots organisations and NYP last month. Attracting around 1,000 attendees, the event kicked off a series of sustainability-themed initiatives between NYP and the Teck Ghee precinct. These include freecycle markets, e-waste collection drives and Repair Kopitiam, where residents can fix their broken appliances instead of discarding them.
On the same day as Eco Fest, Project Rejuven-Aid – an initiative within NYP X – was flagged off. Three hundred NYP students, together with NYP staff and grassroots volunteers, cleaned and repainted the homes of elderly and low-income residents in Teck Ghee. In the following months, they will join NYP alumni in visiting households to encourage sustainable living habits.
Mr Russell Chan, NYP’s principal and CEO, said: “We see ourselves as catalysts and changemakers for a better tomorrow. That means extending our hand in partnership beyond the campus.”
INNOVATING IMPACT AT THE LIVING LAB
In addition to NYP X, another key component of the NYP Sustainability Masterplan is the NYP Living Lab, which has a dedicated S$10 million funding to find innovative solutions to sustainability issues.
At the Living Lab, projects bring together NYP staff and students, industry partners and the campus. Solutions that have the potential to create “good and impactful change” will be first trialled on campus to ensure they are ready for broader application. For example, a student might think of a solution to reduce waste in eateries. The project can then be designed and tested in NYP’s canteens before partnering with an F&B business for commercial rollout.
Mr Chan explained that the goal of the Living Lab is to rapidly generate, test and implement ideas in real-world settings. “NYP Living Lab has shown that we can quickly deploy the technologies tested on campus in commercially driven spaces,” he said.
Mr Chan highlighted an early success: Using Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to monitor waste bin capacities, foot traffic and restroom supply levels, trialled in NYP’s campus and later deployed with other organisations.
At the NYP Living Lab, companies like alternative proteins start-up Fisheroo are looking to collaborate with NYP on translational research of cultivated meat and seafood, a promising frontier in food sustainability. The idea involves using multiple bioreactors to scale up cell production, enabling alternative protein companies to conduct market trials and consumer acceptance tests right on campus.
EMPOWERING LEARNERS WITH SKILLS AND EXPERTISE
Beyond offering future-ready programmes like the Diploma in Sustainability in Engineering with Business, NYP is developing the next generation of professionals who will lead sustainable change through a range of campus-wide initiatives.
These efforts include integrating sustainability into the curriculum through foundational and interdisciplinary elective modules, conducting research on sustainability-related topics, and enhancing campus operations by leveraging technology to monitor and reduce NYP’s carbon footprint as well as its water and electricity consumption.
NYP also collaborates with industry partners through its Alliance for Sustainability Innovation (ASI), launched in October 2023. The dynamic platform, which is especially dedicated to helping small- and medium-size enterprises meet their sustainability goals, connects members with industry leaders and experts.
Besides networking opportunities with key sustainability leaders, the ASI offers workshops, learning journeys and curated courses. It also provides firms with opportunities to consult with NYP experts to introduce new technologies or green practices that improve productivity and reduce environmental impact. Funding for these Enterprise Transformation Projects is available through SkillsFuture Singapore’s Mentorship Support Grant.
“Whether it’s businesses that want to embark on their own sustainability journeys; firms that are keen on technology or consultancy to improve production, processes or policy; neighbourhoods that want to find ways to reduce collective footprints; or start-ups that want to try out and test their solutions – we can work together and make a difference,” shared Mr Chan.
Learn more about the NYP Sustainability Masterplan and become a corporate partner on Living Lab projects.
Visit the NYP Open House from Jan 9 to Jan 11, 2025, to learn how NYP is preparing students to become tomorrow’s sustainability champions through courses like the Diploma in Sustainability in Engineering with Business.
