16 Nov 2022 – The School of Computing was once again abuzz with creative energy as some 120 students presented 40 innovative projects across 4 tracks to over 600 guests and industry sponsors at the 21st STePS (SOC Term Project Showcase).
Touted as the biggest developer centric event at the NUS School of Computing, the brainchild of Prof Anand Bhojan can be described as a mini tradeshow that provides a platform for selected student projects to be showcased to peers, industry sponsors, government agencies and interested parties.
Singaporean inspired project titles like ‘Climbjios’, a vibrant community for climbers to share passes, meet new people and share Beta videos and ‘Lobang King’, a one-stop solution to creating, hosting, joining and discovering the best deals for group buys took 1st place in their respective tracks this year.
In the Game Development Project track, a fantasy-inspired game titled ‘Get Out of My Land!”, a rogue-like 3D tower defence game where players build towers to defeat incoming beasts and expand their territory took the top spot.
4 Tracks, 40 Projects, 120 Students
This year, students were encouraged to ideate and develop projects that utilize knowledge from computer science and information systems modules such as Software Product Engineering for Digital Markets (CS3216), Game Development (CS4350) and Enterprise Systems Interface Design and Development (IS3106). There was also an open category where students could submit their FYP (Final Year Project), UROP(Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme), MIP (Module Independent Project) and Source Academy projects.
Education, Entrepreneurship and Employment
This flipped career fair approach was created to focus on e^3 (Education, Entrepreneurship and Employment). Each year, students apply their computing knowledge and creativity to develop real life applications to solve real problems. Each project is then assessed not just by faculty but by multiple parties including potential industry employers and government agencies through a voting poll.
The event was also a chance for students to connect with potential employers and collaborate with industry partners and investors to further develop their work. This year’s platinum sponsors such as Micron, DSTA, PSA, SLB and Switcheo were on hand to lend their support and give industry talks to STePS participants. It goes to show that computing skills are in high demand in many industries from semiconductor manufacturing to shipping logistics, defence technology to the global energy industry and decentralized finance.
Inculcating strong work ethics and attitude
Said Prof Anand Bhojan,” I believe this industry-based showcase can change education in the classroom by giving our students an opportunity to develop applications to solve real world problems. The team-based project also inculcates a strong work ethic and attitude. We don’t need any other proof to show that the event helps students improve their skills and competitive spirit, and they perform better every year.” Looking around Seminar Room 1 during the award ceremony, he said, “Although, we have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, this is a great start and I hope we can return to the pre-pandemic numbers in the near future.”
Congratulations to all winners and participants of the 21st STePS for your dedication, teamwork and creativity! And a big thank you to the 21st STePS organizing committee who worked behind the scene tirelessly to put up another amazing STePS event.
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