Coding
for
success
SIT aims to meet the
growing
need for software
engineers
who are equipped to
handle
complex information
systems
Prof Wong has mentored more than 120 bachelor's,
master's and PhD students like Ms Lim. PHOTO: CHONG JUN
LIANG
______________________________________________
by hazel tan
FROM developing smart watches to designing enterprise solutions
in the cloud, software engineers are increasingly becoming a prized
resource among technology companies.
To cater to anticipated demand, the Singapore
Institute of Technology (SIT) started offering an undergraduate
degree programme in software engineering two months ago.
Software engineering is very much needed by the
industry to grow Singapote's economy says Associate Professor
Steven Wong Kai Juan, 39, who is the programme's director. ·
"It is difficult to imagine a world without
software engineers, given the prevalence of the adoption of
computing devices in our everyday lives.
"Organisations, businesses and individuals will
only be more reliant on such computing devices and the software
running on them over time," adds Prof Wong, who has a doctorate in
informatics from the University of Edinburgh and a first class
honours degree in computer engineering from Nanyang Technological
University.
"With the emergence of the Internet-of-Things where
everyday objects, including household devices, are progressively
connected to the Internet - the complexity of the software systems
required will also increase to manage, process and utilise this
vast amount of information and technology," he says.
Fit for purpose
Software engineers will be valued for their ability to "come up
with solutions and algorithms to solve complex problems relying on
the foundation of mathematics and logic," says Prof Wong, who has
taught at SIT for two years.
A software engineer has to ensure that the software
system engineered is fit-for-purpose and its operations are
sustainable.
"While the programming of a simple software may be
outsourced to other countries, it is less optimal or more difficult
to outsource the entire engineering of the software system
overseas, especially with operationally, critical systems. This is
why there is a critical need for software engineers locally," he
adds.
Software engineering should not be mistaken for
software development or programming, he says.
He explains: "Even though software development is
part of software engineering, the job scope and the required
knowledge of a software engineer goes beyond that of a
programmer.
"It is like comparing electrical technicians to
electrical engineers. The ability to connect the wires to a
three-pin plug does not make one an electrical engineer.
"Similarly, the ability to programme software
applications does not make one a software engineer."
Unique modules
According to Prof Wong, the software engineering programme is
the "first undergraduate degree programme offered by a local
autonomous university that majors in software engineering".
A team integrated project, an industry
certification module and an integrated work-study programme (IWSP)
are among the modules offered under the practice- oriented
programme, aimed a grooming highly specialised and industry-focused
software engineers.
For example, the one-year IWSP is offered in the
final year of the course and aims to seamlessly transition SIT
graduates into the industry.
"They will take on real work and meaningful
capstone projects with their host organisations.
"To integrate the study component into their work
experience, students will return to the university while working
for an equivalent of two mornings a week," say Prof Wong, who has
mentored more than 120 bachelor's, master's and PhD students since
he entered academia in 2002.
Giving back from the
classroom
Ms Lim Mei Xi, 20, who is pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering
with Honours in information and communication and technology
(software engineering), is looking forward to the IWSP.
"This programme allows me to get a degree and, at
the same time, gain a year of work experience.
"It will also help me transition from a full-time
student to a full-time working adult since I would have learnt to
apply what was taught to me before I graduate and find a job," says
the first-year undergraduate.
Ms Lim and her classmates may get an opportunity to
give back to society through their work. Prof Wong is currently
working with government agencies to enable students in SIT's
software engineering programme to collectively work on developing
software solutions to improve the productivity of small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore as part of their
curriculum.
"Simple solutions developed by software engineers
can sometimes help organisations in prove their productivity or
help improve the quality of life for various segments of the
society," he says.
"Such an arrangement not only benefits the SMEs who
are often constrained by resources to develop or procure such
solutions themselves, it also helps better train the students to be
more industry-ready by exposing them to real-life problems. This is
definitely a win-win situation."
Special, Professional Engineers Board Day Of Dedication, The
Straits Times, Saturday, November 8, 2014, Pg 18