74 awarded PSC scholarships, including ex-Hwa Chong student heading to top Chinese university

SINGAPORE – A chance to form new networks and tap China’s rapidly growing technological prowess were key reasons why former Hwa Chong Institution student Amber Goh opted to go to Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Goh, 19, added that she is also keen on developing new technologies that can help Singapore become a safer and more sustainable society, when she finishes her studies in material science and engineering.

She is one of 74 people who secured a Public Service Commission scholarship in 2026.

Speaking ahead of the scholarship awards ceremony at the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre on July 24, she said: “Studying at a university in China will allow me to gain early exposure to the newest technologies as well as first-hand experience working with Chinese professors and researchers.”

She added that her degree will give her practical ways to improve sustainability by learning about developing batteries with increased capacities and enhanced safety or developing more efficient solar panels.

The scholarship holders will serve a four to six-year bond in the public service after completing their studies.

A little over 10 of them will study in Singapore, while 61 are headed overseas – 43 to Britain, 12 to the US, four to China, one to Germany and one to Japan.

The event also marked 75 years since the founding of the PSC in 1951.

Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing, in his address, said PSC has undergone changes over the years, but even so, the judgment of commission members in selecting, developing and deploying people to serve Singapore cannot be replaced by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.

Chan, who is also Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister-in-charge of the Public Service, urged the scholarship holders to do even the smallest tasks meaningfully, build teams that will last beyond them, and form networks that can help the public service succeed.

PSC chairman Lee Tzu Yang, in his opening speech, said the PSC has evolved over 75 years to match the needs and aspirations of each generation, and has always been committed to finding and developing people who serve Singapore.

He added that the recipients come from 15 pre-university institutions, which is a reflection of how the PSC seeks out promising young people from different schools, backgrounds and interests.

Lee said: “You are here not only because you have talent, and you worked for it, but because of the community that supported you and opened these opportunities for you.”

Former Singapore Polytechnic student Siva Saadhurva, who will go to King’s College London to study law on a PSC scholarship, said he is looking forward to working in different areas of public service and learning how public institutions can collaborate to address complex issues.

Siva, 21, also paid tribute to his teachers, calling them his first role models in public service.

He thanked his Secondary 4 Mathematics and English teachers for pushing him, as well as his polytechnic lecturers for broadening his perspective of the world.

Siva said he was not always certain about what he wanted to do but he always wanted a career that would have a meaningful impact on society.

He said: “That conviction has only grown stronger over time. I want to join the public service because it offers the opportunity to contribute to issues that have a lasting impact on Singapore.

“The decisions made today will have a lasting impact across our society for generations to come.”