Keynote title: Less than 2°C at 1°N?: Paris Agreement, Energy Efficiency, and Solar Cells Deployment Considerations for Tropical Megacities

The successful implementation of the Montreal Protocol (1987), on substances that deplete the ozone layer, is a shining example of what one can achieve by a combination of science and political-will to reverse the harmful effects of anthropogenic activity on the environment. The Kyoto Protocol (1992) and the recently signed Paris agreement (2015), addresses the present and imminent need for a transition towards a more carbon free economy, while considering a holistic approach towards addressing the energy trilemma of energy security, environmental sustainability, and economic development. In this perspective, the large-scale development of Renewable Energy (RE) technologies is considered as a significant leverage for reducing anthropogenic emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), and “Holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C,” as one of the explicit aims of the Paris Agreement.

Singapore, situated at the equator (1.35°N, 103.8°E), is a self-acknowledged alternative-energy disadvantaged nation that has very limited wind or marine resources; and a solar resource which is only 30% more than southern Germany. Additionally, Singapore may be considered to be a blend of Manhattanesque dense Urban Megapolis and Houston Ship Channel-like dense Petrochemical complex. Despite these considerable constraints, Singapore has set the target of stopping any increase to its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. It also pledged to reduce its energy intensity by 36 per cent from 2005 levels by 2030 by pursuing energy efficiency in both industrial and residential sectors, improving public transport, and increasing renewable energy deployment.

In this context, nanomaterials are poised to play a transformative role in providing solutions that range from heat rejection materials, materials that can cut the solar thermal gain through glass windows, to next generation thin film and tandem solar cells. Opportunities that energy efficiency measures offer to reduce Singapore’s energy intensity are thought to be higher than deployment of solar photovoltaics. However, emerging perovskite thin film solar cells promises to deliver solar cell efficiencies beyond what is possible with conventional solar cells; thus promising to boost the solar-output/unit area; a measure essential in real-estate constrained megacities like Singapore.

This presentation while broadly outlining challenges for Singapore to meet our Paris Agreement targets will focus also on perovskite solar cells, tandem solar cells, and new materials and concepts that promise to deliver efficiencies beyond the Shockley–Queisser limit.

Career Preparation Begins Now

Graduate studies are often seen as the epitome of intellectual pursuit. Many students pursue PhD studies because of deep passion in research and a strong interest in a specific subject area. Students also hope this pursuit will eventually lead to a fruitful and meaningful career, but what sort of career options await after thesis submission? When and how should a graduate student think about career preparation? This talk seeks to address these questions, and provide some tips on how you can start preparing for working life now.

Qritive, is a med-tech AI company working with Singapore's biggest hospitals, SGH and NUH, to make cancer diagnosis fast to ease the pressure on the health system. Qritive was founded by ex-NUS PhDs, Kaveh and Aneesh, who found that they could drastically impact the cancer diagnosis workflow by building tools that improve the lives of both patients and doctors. Qritive is backed by SGInnovate and Entrepreneur First to bring this new generation of products to the world. Qritive is actively seeking talented employees and interns who want to have a big impact on the world, while working and learning from a world-class team.

Building AI Products: From Paper to Prototype to Production

In this Keynote talk we will learn about some of the latest and greatest technology that is being used in developing and creating real-world AI products. It's one thing to see people talk about the emergence of these technologies and another to see industry experts break down how some of these products are being made with tips and tricks of the trade.