High Impact Thesis

NTU WOW
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The High Impact Thesis Podcast is a platform that hosts PhD students, Researchers, and Professors, from Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore), to talk about their research and share their work experience. Brought to you by NTU World of Wisdom. Email: hitpod.wow@gmail.com

  1. 12/29/2025

    44. Hilary Ma - Transforming Senior Care with Art

    How do we measure the value of a smile? Dr. Hilary Ma joins us to discuss her research on participatory arts and the aging experience. From the galleries of the National Museum to the heart of Singapore's neighborhoods, learn how her initiative, Project ARTISAN, uses intergenerational storytelling to combat loneliness and build resilience in seniors. It’s a story of art, heritage, and the powerful "kampong spirit" that emerges when we create together.

    49 min

  2. 11/24/2025

    43. Abu Bakr Azam - The Revolution in Underwater Robotics

    Welcome back to High Impact Thesis! This episode dives beneath the surface, exploring the 70% of our planet that remains largely hidden. We speak with Abu Bakr Azam from the Interdisciplinary Graduate Programme, whose doctoral work is challenging the million-dollar price tag of deep-sea access. His thesis, "Acoustic Aided Localization and Perception for Low-Cost Underwater Robotics," shows how to explore the oceans without breaking the bank. We discuss how his novel systems achieve centimeter-level localization accuracy using affordable sensors, overcoming challenges like murky water and the complete failure of GPS. Join us to explore the future of low-cost autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the drive for new solutions like non-contact cleaning, and how this work opens doors for conservation, energy, and scientific discovery. Abu Bakr also shares a candid look at the personal journey of completing this complex and impactful PhD.

    57 min

  3. 10/06/2025

    42. Zhou Qinrou - The Relational Bureaucrat: Balancing Zuoren and Zuoshi

    In this episode, we speak with Zhou Qinrou, a PhD student from NTU School of Social Science, whose research is challenging the foundational assumptions of how we understand bureaucracy. Qinrou takes us to walk through her thesis that discusses "What truly drives public servants to be good beyond simply doing well?" We dive into the critical Chinese concept of "zuoren" and "zuoshi". At the end, Qinrou also gives her personal understandings of the commitment, which supported her throughout her impactful PhD journey.

    1h 5m

  4. 08/25/2025

    41. Alka Luqman - From Industry to PhD: A Journey into Federated Learning

    In today's episode of "High Impact Thesis," we sit down with Alka Luqman, a final-year PhD student at NTU's College of Computing and Data Science. Before starting her PhD, Alka spent seven years in an industrial company, where she worked on machine learning projects and natural language processing in the pre-LLM era. Alka shares her motivation for leaving the corporate world, to create new technology rather than just use it. Her current research focuses on peer-to-peer federated learning, a form of distributed machine learning that allows data to remain on individual devices, improving privacy and security. We discuss the challenges of implementing this technology in the real world, including data distribution shifts and communication efficiency, which is a core focus of her research.

    1h 13m

  5. 07/25/2025

    40. Pritish Mishra - The PhD Journey: From Perovskites to TEDx

    In this episode of High Impact Thesis, we talk to Dr. Pritish Mishra, who recently completed his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering at NTU. Pritish shares how his fascination with nanotechnology led him to explore computational material science, culminating in his research on designing single-photon emitters using perovskite quantum dots. He discusses how simulations, machine learning, and experimental synthesis come together in the search for highly efficient quantum materials, which is essential for secure quantum communication. We also dive into the challenges of interdisciplinary work, unexpected turns in his PhD journey, and his experience leading TEDxNTU.

    1h 1m

  6. 07/02/2025

    39. Nicole Yao - Representing Ruins: Literature, Film, and Modern China

    In this episode of High Impact Thesis, we speak with Nicole Yao, a PhD student from NTU’s School of Humanities, whose research explores the representation of ruins in contemporary Chinese literature and film. Nicole discusses how abandoned spaces—urban and rural—symbolize the human cost of modernization in post-1990s China. She also reflects on the challenges of interdisciplinary research, the role of sincerity in representing marginalized lives, and what it means to pursue meaning in the humanities. Recommended works include The World by Jia Zhangke and The Song of Everlasting Sorrow by Wang Anyi.

    1 hr

  7. 05/26/2025

    38. Wu Tong - Impacts of "Sharing Good News"

    In this episode, we welcome Wu Tong, a Ph.D. candidate in Leadership, Management, and Organisation at NTU, whose research explores the family-work interface and the future of work. Tong shares insights from his current study on the social and psychological impact of "sharing good news"—why we do it, how others respond, and what it means for both personal and workplace relationships. He discusses the benefits for both sharers and receivers, highlights the influence of workplace culture and personality on disclosure, and outlines potential directions for future research. Tune in to learn how a simple act like sharing a success story can shape our connections at home and work.

    1h 1m

  8. 04/25/2025

    37. Michael Yuhas - Ensuring Autonomous Vehicle Safety

    In this episode, we speak with Michael Yuhas, a Ph.D. candidate in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Programme at Nanyang Technological University, whose research at the Energy Research Institute focuses on assured safety systems for autonomous vehicles. Michael shares how his industry experience at Apple and NIO shaped his academic path, and explains key concepts such as out-of-distribution detection and the challenges of validating AI-driven systems under unpredictable conditions like heavy rain. He also offers a glimpse into his daily Ph.D. routine and what it’s like doing research at the intersection of engineering, AI, and safety.

    59 min
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About

The High Impact Thesis Podcast is a platform that hosts PhD students, Researchers, and Professors, from Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore), to talk about their research and share their work experience. Brought to you by NTU World of Wisdom. Email: hitpod.wow@gmail.com

Information

  • Creator
    NTU WOW
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © NTU WOW
  • Show Website
    High Impact Thesis