SIT graduate Cheong Shao Jie brought his passion for electronics and data engineering to a higher level through his SIT-TUM joint degree programme and a fruitful internship stint at German MNC Rohde & Schwarz.

SIT graduate Cheong Shao Jie's love for electronics started early. In primary school, he picked up a discarded computer and brought it home to tinker with it. The inner workings of the machine so fascinated him that it sparked a lifelong interest in the field that eventually became his career.

“I found that if I connected certain components of the computer together, something happens. While I didn’t fix the computer, it ignited my curiosity,” he shared.

After graduating with a Diploma in Clean Energy from Singapore Polytechnic, Shao Jie joined the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) as an Electronics Engineer in the Maintenance and Engineering Support formation to gain some working experience. Throughout his eight years in the Army, he never stopped learning, expanding his knowledge in electronics through short courses and workshops.

Advances in areas such as data engineering and machine learning spurred his interest. Motivated by his desire for more in-depth knowledge and with the encouragement of his supervisor at work, Shao Jie decided to take up a full-time degree in Electronics and Data Engineering at SIT.

Said Shao Jie, “The course was a perfect fit for me, interest-wise and profession-wise. The Army was already actively exploring collaborations with the industry to enhance our operational resilience and readiness, so it was a logical step in my own career development.” 

Heading back to school was a logical step in Shao Jie’s career development. (Photo: Cheong Shao Jie)

Going back to school

However, Shao Jie’s long hiatus away from school meant that his learning curve was steep when he entered SIT. It took him a semester before he found his feet academically.

“Even though I had been upskilling myself through short courses and workshops, studying full-time was very different. I had to adjust to the new pace of learning and do a lot more self-learning to keep up with coursework and improve my GPA,” he recalled.

For instance, it meant relearning the engineering maths he left behind in polytechnic. But being the natural hands-on problem-solver he is, he tackled them head-on and soldiered on.

SIT’s value-add: A holistic curriculum

Nonetheless, Shao Jie found his newfound knowledge invaluable. Besides providing a context and a deeper understanding to the engineering work he was already doing in the Army, it also sharpened his soft skills when he rejoined the Army after graduation.

“The soft skills I picked up at SIT – such as communication and decision-making – really made a difference. By applying these new techniques and skills to the projects I was on, I was more productive and delivered better quality work projects,” he said.

As part of its curriculum to expose students to real work settings, SIT’s Integrated Work Study Programme (IWSP) incorporates attachments at local or overseas companies. Through SIT’s job portal, Shao Jie landed an internship role at Rohde & Schwarz, a German multinational corporation (MNC), that provides leading solutions in test & measurement, technology systems and networks & cybersecurity.

“Rohde & Schwarz was working on an AI and machine-based anomaly detection project. It not only aligned with my interests; it was an area that covered the knowledge and skills that I wanted to pick up in radiofrequency machine-learning and data science,” he pointed out.

Shao Jie (4th from right) with his IWSP supervisor, Mr Wong Kok Meng (3rd from right) and the Rohde & Schwarz team representing at an industry event in Stagmont Camp, Singapore.

An internship well-spent

As a mature student with substantial work experience, Shao Jie was no stranger to corporate life. This allowed him to swiftly acclimatise to his internship stint even though it required him to be familiar with different programming languages.

At Rohde & Schwarz, he was tasked to develop the Linux operating system so that the machine learning data already collected by his predecessors could be run on their existing hardware. While SIT’s curriculum had given him a solid foundation in different programming languages, this project tested his ability to extend that knowledge into uncharted territory. With guidance from his academic supervisor, A/Prof Neelakantam Venkatarayalu, he learnt to tackle the advanced demands of integrating machine learning with Linux-based systems.

“I had to do a lot of research and self-learning. Fortunately, as it was a joint project with SIT, I had plenty of guidance from my academic supervisor A/Prof Venkat, as well as my IWSP supervisor, Mr Wong Kok Meng. Although it took me three months to get it up and running, it was a great learning experience,” he recalled.

He highlights the close partnership between SIT and Rohde & Schwarz; explaining that if there were any gaps in his knowledge about machine learning, he could approach Mr Wong Kok Meng, his IWSP supervisor, and SIT research engineers to better understand those concepts played out in real-time applications.

He especially appreciated that while Kok Meng had a hectic schedule, he always made time to personally connect Shao Jie with other Rohde & Schwarz colleagues who had the specialised technical expertise to help move the project forward.

Shao Jie’s efforts in his internship stint were also similarly appreciated. Kok Meng, who is also the Head of Lab, Research & Development, said of his contribution, “Shao Jie’s positive attitude shone through with how he would often take the initiative to meet deliverables at work with minimal guidance. When faced with challenges, he would try to resolve them on his own before seeking guidance.”

For Rohde & Schwarz, their participation in SIT’s IWSP programme has been fruitful. Not only did the students bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas, the IWSP programme also provided the company an avenue to groom young talents as potential future hires.

New knowledge, new perspectives

Looking back, Shao Jie recalls not only the technical skills he gained but also the friendships and perspectives he picked up along the way. As a German MNC with colleagues from more than 18 nationalities, every company event — from Christmas and New Year to Oktoberfest — became an opportunity to connect across cultures.

“Everyone was friendly and knowledgeable, and I enjoyed hearing so many different perspectives on whatever hot topic was trending,” he said.

For Shao Jie, the IWSP was as much about learning from diverse voices as it was about honing technical expertise.