Pursuing a PhD has long been my dream. Doing PhD at IORA is one of the most right things that I have done. The changing environment presents a lot of challenges, which are also opportunities for us to explore, in the area of optimization. Currently, I am doing mechanism design and interface of operations research and machine learning. It is amazing to implement the most popular technique—machine learning to solve operations research problem, especially in the big data era. There are still many unknown issues needs our endeavor. Pursuing PhD at IORA is fulfilling. Being here, I get a bunch of friends to chat, to talk about research ideas and to encourage each other. Beyond that, the weekly seminar consistently help refresh my knowledge base. Moreover, the faculty here are fantastic. They are always enthusiastic, approachable and helpful. Everytime when I got stuck, I can get input to help me improve myself
Student
“My experience in the IORA PhD programme has been fantastic!”
Pursuing a PhD is a difficult endeavor, but the programme provides ample resources and support to help me achieve my goal. The faculty members here are welcoming and approachable, always open to discussion about research and life in general. They are friendly and go out of their way to care for the students. This culture makes IORA feels like a big extended family and I feel right at home at the institute.
Being at NUS, and particularly IORA, there are great opportunities available for students to pursue their area of interest due to the interdisciplinary nature of the programme. I have been able to take courses in a variety of fields taught by excellent teachers, attend seminars by leading experts at the pinnacle of their area of research, and work with prestigious faculty members from a wide range of research interests. Few institutes in the world can boast of providing such an intensive and comprehensive education. It is a challenging, yet fulfilling experience.
As a Singaporean, studying at IORA allows me to still be near my family and loved ones, while having access to a world class research programme and institute. Singapore is known for its diverse food offerings and I get to enjoy my favourite hawker centres and local cuisines. I could not have been happier studying at IORA.
Alumni, Research Fellow