With 25 years in the software industry, Lee Chiang now teaches software engineering and machine learning at NUS-ISS and mentors students on their projects. From his early days as a software engineer to leading large-scale projects at companies like DSTA and NCS, his journey reflects a deep passion for technology and education.
Read on to learn what fuels his teaching and keeps him connected to the tech world:
1. Hi Lee Chiang, please tell us about your professional background.
I started off my career as a software engineer with DSTA immediately after I graduated from School of Computing, NUS. After spending about 1.5 years in DSTA, I moved on to join an e-commerce startup during the Dot Com boom after which I relocated to Auckland, New Zealand to work as software engineer. Subsequently, I joined System Integrator company NCS as a software architect. Prior to NUS-ISS, I worked in a China based IoT technology company as a software architect. Overall, I have been working in the software industry for more than 25 years, rising through the ranks from a software engineer to a lead software architect. I also used to teach as adjunct for 2-3 years in Building and Construction Authority Academy (BCAA).
2. Can you share more about the courses you teach at NUS-ISS?
I teach several MTech Software Engineering courses including Designing Modern Software Systems, Architecting Scalable Systems and Architecting Smart Systems graduate certificates. Additionally, I also co-teach a Machine Learning Application module in the Graduate Diploma for the System Analysis programme.
Besides formal teaching, I also help to supervise some students in their capstone projects.
3. Why did you choose to teach at NUS-ISS?
I used to teach as an adjunct lecturer in BCAA and it was during that time I realised how much I enjoyed teaching. I’ve been always wanting to be a teacher but couldn’t find the right opportunity. Then one day I came across job advertisement on LinkedIn from NUS-ISS looking for lecturer in software engineering practice. It immediately caught my attention because it was exactly the type of teaching position I had been searching for, so I decided to apply.
4. What do you enjoy most about your work?
One of the most enjoyable parts of my work is I get to interact with participants or students from different industries and in the process, I get to learn from them.
5. How do you keep up with the industry?
I have frequent interactions with my peers in the industry. They are mostly my ex-colleagues. Sometimes they share their work challenges with me and consult me for advice. Additionally, my students and participants discuss with me the technical challenges they encounter in their daily work. To keep up with the industry, I rely on online resources.
6. What are your favourite activities outside of work?
I have three kids, so outside of my work, my main activity is spending time with them.
Lee Chiang with his three children
7. Share with us something about yourself that few people know about.
On the weekends, I usually accompany my children. Besides that, I love reading books (usually in Chinese language) especially those on philosophy, spiritual and Chinese history. Ever since I joined NUS-ISS, I've started using my daily MRT commute to catch up on my reading.