EduAsiaNews, Singapore – The NUS Achievement Awards (NAA) 2026 celebrated 341 students and graduates from the Class of 2026 for their outstanding achievements beyond the classroom.
Held on 25 October and graced by NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Professor Aaron Thean, the ceremony presented 11 Distinctions, 24 Merits, 57 Commendations and six Recognitions across seven categories, reflecting the diverse ways students have made a difference to campus life and the wider community.
Innovation with purpose
To improve the residential experience, Isaac Chin, a final-year Data Science & Analytics student and past President of Sheares Hall’s Junior Common Room Committee (JCRC), worked with his vice president to develop an AI-powered co-curricular activity (CCA) points calculator for more than 500 residents across over 70 CCAs, and a simulator to assess how proposed policy changes would affect residents before implementation.
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Isaac Chin, AY2025/2026 President of Sheares Hall’s JCRC, received a Distinction in the Leadership category for his contributions to the Hall community.
“I’m most grateful to the 45th JCRC and to Master Vini (Associate Professor Vinicius Rosa) for daring to challenge the status quo. Not every idea worked, but they never wavered so that we could build a better community for Sheares,” he said.
The spirit of innovation also secured Bumblebee Autonomous Systems’ victory at RoboSub 2025, an international competition in autonomous underwater vehicle design.
The 23-member team used AI and machine learning to help its underwater robots identify and respond to targets more reliably in challenging conditions. Following its win, the team open-sourced its software stack for the wider robotics community to build on.
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Bumblebee Autonomous Systems received a Distinction in the Competitions (General) category after emerging champion at RoboSub 2025.
Forging community connections
Other recipients channelled their knowledge and talents towards serving others.
Led by Duke-NUS Medical School students, Project Healthy to Thrive (HTT) provided free health screenings and health education materials to over 450 migrant workers, partnering with the Ministry of Manpower’s Assurance, Care and Engagement Group, fellow Duke-NUS initiative Project Brother Bear, and local doctors.
“Many migrant workers face barriers to preventive healthcare because of demanding work schedules, language differences, financial constraints and limited access to health information,” explained Doctor of Medicine student Gini Wong Wei Wen, who served as Project Director in 2025 and 2026.
“HTT not only detects disease, but also empowers them to take ownership of their health through education, partnership and sustained engagement.”
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Project Healthy to Thrive received a Merit in the Community Service category for its efforts to improve migrant workers’ access to preventive healthcare.
Students also found ways to bridge generations and cultures through the arts.
Over 12 weeks, Tan Yu Hao (Year 2, Computing) taught choreography to pre-frail older adults at Lions Befrienders’ Active Ageing Centres through the intergenerational NUS Community Dance Programme, adapting movements to accommodate different mobility levels.
“Their growing confidence showed me how dance can support health, dignity and connection,” said the AY2024/2025 President of NUS Dance Blast!.
NUS students bridge generations through dance and dialogue
NUS Arts Festival 2026 brings the arts to the epicentre of student life
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Tan Yu Hao (centre) received a Merit for Performing Arts Student of the Year and represented NUS Dance Blast! in receiving a Distinction for Arts Production of the Year.
Meanwhile, NUS Indian Dance and NUS Dikir Barat joined forces for Antara Dua, a cross-cultural production at NUS Arts Festival 2026 that combined Indian and Malay artistic traditions, fostering mutual understanding by consulting faculty from the Departments of English, Sociology and Malay Studies.
NUS Indian Dance President Sridevi Vasanthakumar Reshmika (Year 3, Economics) said the production affirmed the value of intercultural collaboration in Singapore’s arts landscape.
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NUS Indian Dance and NUS Dikir Barat received a Merit for Arts Production of the Year for Antara Dua: Between Two Choices, A Destiny Prevails, which brought together Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Dikir Barat and Asian folklore.
Celebrating sporting excellence
The spirit of teamwork was equally evident in NUS Table Tennis, which received the President’s Sports Award of the Year in recognition of its sustained sporting excellence.
Over three consecutive years, the team secured 10 of 12 titles at the Singapore University Games and Institute-Varsity-Polytechnic (IVP) Games, including twin victories by its men’s and women’s teams at IVP 2024 and 2025.
It also contributed to campus life through initiatives including its Learn-to-Play programme, the Inter-College Games and NUS120 Homecoming.
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NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Professor Aaron Thean presented the President’s Sports Award of the Year to NUS Table Tennis, in recognition of the team’s sustained excellence.
“Receiving the President’s Sports Award of the Year motivates us to continue working hard and striving for even greater achievements in the future,” said former Captain of the Women’s Team Jade Ng (Year 3, Business Analytics).
Together, the recipients’ achievements reflect how NUS students are stepping up to pursue their passions and make a difference to society.
By NUS Office of Student Affairs (OSA)
Read more about the NUS Achievement Awards 2026 and the full list of recipients on the OSA website.
