CGS-Supervised Team Wins Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Prize 2026

NUS Business School undergraduates (from left) Joshua Arjanto, Crystal Chen, Hu Shiyou, Asher Koh and Khaizuran Rosle were recognised for the research quality of their Field Service Project.

An undergraduate team supervised by the Centre for Governance and Sustainability (CGS) at NUS Business School has received the NUS Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Prize (Group). The award recognises outstanding undergraduate research across the University and celebrates students who demonstrate curiosity, rigour, originality and innovation in their work.

Exploring the Role of AI in Investment Research

The winning team comprised Joshua Arjanto, Crystal Chen, Hu Shiyou, Asher Koh and Khaizuran Rosle. Under the guidance of CGS Director Professor Lawrence Loh and Tim Zhang, Chief Executive Officer of Edge Research, the students examined how artificial intelligence tools can be used to uncover emerging technology trends.

Their project focused on the potential of large language models (LLMs) to improve and scale investment research across sectors such as AI, robotics and quantum computing. Beyond comparing the features of various AI tools, the team developed a Python-based fact-checking pipeline to support more rigorous verification of AI-generated insights.

Human Judgement Remains Essential

The team’s findings, published in a CGS case study report and an academic paper in Case Studies Journal, point to the value of LLMs as accelerators rather than replacements for human analysts. While AI tools can reduce mechanical workload and support faster research processes, human judgement remains essential for causal reasoning, evidence weighting, credibility checks and final investment assessment.

This conclusion is especially relevant as organisations continue to experiment with AI-enabled workflows. The project highlights the importance of combining technological efficiency with strong governance, verification and human oversight—principles that are central to responsible innovation.

Building an Applied Research Culture

The achievement reflects CGS’ commitment to nurturing applied research that connects academic inquiry with real-world challenges. By translating emerging AI capabilities into practical insights, the students demonstrated critical thinking and contributed to the investment research field.

CGS extends its sincere appreciation to Tim Zhang, who is also a senior fellow at CGS, and Edge Research for their strong support of student research and industry-engaged learning. We congratulate the students once again on this well-deserved recognition.