Yale-NUS Tech Conference explores interdisciplinarity in the tech industry

As global issues become increasingly complicated, it is no surprise that Yale-NUS College students are exploring the multiple facets of a problem to develop effective solutions. On 19 and 20 February 2022, student organisation Yale-NUS Tech hosted their first flagship event, the Yale-NUS Tech Conference, which aimed to provide insights into the interdisciplinary nature of the tech industry.

The conference comprised a series of panel discussions by a diverse group of speakers – incuding start-up founders, industry professionals, and Yale-NUS alumni working in tech – who shared on topics such as Fashion Tech, Green Tech, and non-engineering roles in tech.

When asked about the inspiration behind the event, Laura Sutanto (Class of 2024), Design & Marketing Lead of Yale-NUS Tech and an organiser of the conference, said, “It is a common concern that the breadth of a liberal arts education may affect the cultivation of specialised, technical skills. However, we realised that the tech field actually welcomes people from a diverse range of backgrounds and skillsets, and is not limited to conventionally rigid ‘tech’ positions such as electrical engineers or programmers.”

In fact, it was the diversity of the organising committee’s interests that inspired them to learn more about the tech field and share this knowledge with the wider Yale-NUS community. “Our team of directors prepared pitch decks, reached out to potential speakers in the industry, and collaborated with other student organisations in the wider NUS (National University of Singapore) community, namely NUS MedTech, NUS Student Green Energy, and Yale-NUS Fashion Society,” Charles Loy (Class of 2024), President of Yale-NUS Tech, said.

The panel on Green Tech during the Yale-NUS Tech Conference.  Image taken by Rachel Tey for Yale-NUS College.

The panel on Green Tech took place on the first day of the event, and involved Business Development Manager for Industrial Applications at Siemens Energy Zeeshan Khan, and Senior Research Fellow and Lead Energy Economist at the Energy Studies Institute David Broadstock.

The lively discussion centred on the ways in which tech is being utilised to advance the energy transition away from fossil fuels, how tech could be used to prevent companies from engaging in unethical greenwashing practices, and how the ‘generalist’ could be the most valuable person in today’s multi-faceted climate change crisis.

“I appreciated that two distinct perspectives in green tech was represented in the panel – the insiders’ point of view as well as the economists’ take,” shared Rachel Tey (Class of 2024) who attended the panel. “As an Environmental Studies major, I was able to take my learning from the classroom into these conversations with the stakeholders of the clean energy transition and engage with more professional voices.”

The panel with the co-founders of TalentGeist on what it is like to pursue a job in tech. Image taken by Rachel Tey for Yale-NUS College.

The conference also provided students with a platform to learn about how they can pursue a career in tech. “We hosted the co-founders of TalentGeist, a start-up that helps people land their dream jobs in tech,” Charles said. “Their passion for getting people into tech really energised the audience,” he added.

The panel on Starting a Tech Company during the Yale-NUS Tech Conference. Image taken by Desmond Lee for Yale-NUS College.

Those with an entrepreneurial interest also had the chance to gain insights into the journey of building tech start-ups. Co-Founder of Sixsense.AI Akanksha Jagwani and Co-Founder of Datature Keechin Goh participated in the panel discussion “Starting a Tech Company”, which enabled students to appreciate the challenges and skills needed in the field, such as adaptability and resilience. “I realised that in an ever-changing industry like tech, it is impossible to plan and chart out my whole future on paper. It’s important that we focus on how we can make the best out of their current situations and not get discouraged by things beyond our control,” Laura shared.

Charles Loy (Class of 2024), President of Yale-NUS Tech, giving closing remarks to the conference. Image taken by Desmond Lee for Yale-NUS College.

“Yale-NUS Tech was founded with the aim of being a learning space for Yale-NUS students interested in the tech industry to discuss tech-related issues, and we hope that the conference met these goals,” Charles said. After the conference, the student organisation hopes to organise overseas trips to locations like San Francisco, the United States, and Tokyo, Japan to further broaden their horizons about tech.

“Some people are interested in tech but do not necessarily have extensive tech knowledge and may feel intimidated by the thought of joining the industry. However, I hope that students who attended the conference gained confidence that they can adapt their unique skillsets to take on a useful role in tech,” Laura said.