Ms Yvonne Tan, 42, believes the best way to learn is through "a combination of industry-based learning built on a foundation of high-calibre theoretical knowledge".
The research design and development engineering manager at Dyson oversees the design of motors, and mechanical validation teams in Singapore and the Philippines.
Based in one of the most advanced manufacturing centres in Tuas, she also oversaw the building of 13 million Dyson digital motors last year.
Work aside, Ms Tan has always been willing to go to great lengths to keep learning.
After graduating from the German Singapore Institute in 1995 with a Diploma in Manufacturing Engineering, she joined the workforce.
She then attained a Bachelor in Engineering Management from the University of Western Sydney in 2000, followed by a Master of Science in Business Information Technology from the University of Wales in 2009.
To further her quest for knowledge, she signed up for an engineering doctoral programme this year at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).
She says: "Having achieved career success after spending more than 20 years in the engineering sector, I felt the need to stay in touch with technological breakthroughs and explore new fields that can make a difference in engineering."
Industry-oriented approach
Her four-year doctoral programme at SUTD is an industry-led engineering research programme. With a focus on control systems, practical knowledge and innovation, it offers students an industry-oriented approach.
Positioning itself as a leading research-intensive global university, SUTD also conducts collaborative research work and exchanges with other renowned institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Dyson supported her in pursuing her doctorate, and she received funding from the Economic Development Board's Industrial Postgraduate Programme (EDB-IPP).
The EDB-IPP allows Ms Tan to tackle a research project for her PhD at SUTD while working.
Says Ms Tan: "This opportunity has allowed me to combine my experience and knowledge of motors control systems with my explorations of how the principles could be applied for future use."
