**🎓 Mat-E Alumni Accepted to NUS (Ranked #1 in Asia) with Full PhD Scholarship **
Congratulations to Mr. Thura Lin Htet, our Mat-E Master’s alumni, on being admitted with a full scholarship to the Ph.D. Program in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore.
NUS is one of the world’s leading universities, ranked #8 in the world and #1 in Asia in the QS World University Rankings.
Here is Thura’s journey and advice for applying to a top PhD program:
🔬 Application Process
Thura:
“I first applied through the ASTAR SINGA Programme, where applicants can select up to three research projects across NUS, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and ASTAR institutes.
After submitting my SINGA application, I received an email from NUS inviting me to apply directly to the university while still being considered under the SINGA process.”
📅 Application Timeline
- August intake: application deadline at the end of December
- January intake: application deadline on June 1
“I applied in May, and the results were announced in October.”
🎤 Interview Process
“Before applying, I emailed several professors to express my research interest.
The selection process included:
1️⃣ An interview with the professor
2️⃣ A panel interview with three professors
I received interview invitations from both NUS and NTU.”
💰 PhD Scholarship
“I was awarded the NUS ASEAN Scholarship (directly from NUS, not through A*STAR).
The scholarship requires completing a Graduate Assistantship Programme (416 hours) before graduation.
Overall, the entire application process took about 5–6 months.”
⚙️ Experience during the Mat-E Master’s Program
Thura completed his Master’s degree at Materials Engineering, Kasetsart University, supported by scholarships from: ICE-Matter, AUN/SEED-Net, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
His research focused on advanced nanomaterials for electrochemical sensor applications under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Oratai Jongprateep.
During his studies, he:
📄 Published several international research papers
🧪 Built strong expertise in semiconductors and advanced materials
⚡ Developed a solid background in electrical materials
🌟 We are very proud of Thura’s achievement.
After graduating from the Mat-E Master’s program, he continued strengthening his English proficiency and research experience.
With his dedication and strong research background, it is no surprise that he has now been accepted into one of the world’s top PhD programs with a full scholarship.
👏 We wish Thura great success in his PhD journey and future career!