Diligence, not Artificial Intelligence, is Key to Success 

Joon Jun Han (Diploma in Information Technology, Class of 2026) reflects on his academic journey, from overcoming early setbacks to co-founding an AI-powered platform, ArchAIve, and gaining valuable research experience with A*STAR.

My interest in technology began with curiosity. In secondary school, I read an article about the release of ChatGPT in 2022, and I was fascinated by what Artificial Intelligence (AI) could achieve. That moment sparked my decision to enrol in the Diploma in Information Technology, where I built strong foundations in software development and later specialised in AI in my third year.

My academic journey, however, was far from smooth. Achieving my goals took perseverance, especially when my mid-semester results dipped considerably. Doubt and stress set in, but I reminded myself, “I did not come this far only to come this far.” With that mindset, I pushed on, learnt from setbacks, stayed disciplined, and steadily improved until I reached my goal.

Along the way, I was honoured to receive the A*STAR Graduate Academy Science Award and later undertook a research attachment with A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research. There, I worked on a full‑stack web tool for annotating audio files, gaining valuable exposure to applied research. An overseas internship with LEGIONS TEK at Shanghai Minhang Polytechnic further broadened my perspective on technology, innovation, and global collaboration.

One of my proudest milestones was co‑founding ArchAlve, an AI‑powered platform developed in collaboration with the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The platform digitises cultural artefacts by transcribing and translating calligraphic scripts, even using facial recognition to identify individuals in event photos, to preserve cultural heritage through technology.

Beyond academics, I believe strongly in giving back. As a Youth Student Ambassador for the Singapore Computer Society, I conducted digital literacy workshops for elderly beneficiaries. I also served as Vice‑President of the SIT Club, organising events that strengthened peer connections.

For my Final Year Project, I chose to challenge myself by building a system dynamics model to simulate swine performance in farms – a methodology typically taught at university level. Teaching myself the fundamentals through online lectures and refining the model using large datasets taught me a lasting lesson: tools are powerful, but diligence, reasoning and conceptual clarity are what truly drive meaningful outcomes.

I have received offers to read data science and AI at NTU, and computer science and management at NUS. These opportunities reflect the journey from that curious secondary school student reading about ChatGPT to where I am today.