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Staff Profile

Dr Kheng-Lim Goh

Associate Professor & Reader in Mechanics of Composite Materials

  • Telephone: +6597578847
  • Address: Newcastle University in Singapore
    1 Punggol Coast Road
    Block E1, Level 2
    Singapore 828608
Background


OVERVIEW

Dr Kheng-Lim Goh is Associate Professor and Reader in Mechanics of Composite Materials at Newcastle University in Singapore, where he leads the Advanced Composite Materials Group. His research focuses on composite mechanics, interfaces and joints, repair, and sustainable composite systems, linking fundamental mechanics with validation and industry-facing application. His work has advanced understanding of how composite structures perform in service, how they can be repaired reliably, and how material and design choices can support more sustainable and circular use of composites.


He served as Director of Research at Newcastle University in Singapore from 2018 to 2024, leading research strategy and development for the Singapore campus. His international standing is reflected in visiting appointments and external recognition, including Distinguished Visiting Professor at Kasetsart University, the High-end Experts of Henan Province Fellowship, and a fellowship to visit Meijo University. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a Fellow of the Institute of Physics, and is both a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Physicist.


His research has attracted support from industry and public funders and has received international recognition, including coverage in Asia Research News and recognition by JEC Composites for work on sustainable composite materials for prosthetic applications.


CAREER

Before joining Newcastle University, Dr Goh held academic appointments at Nanyang Technological University and Monash University Malaysia, following postdoctoral research appointments at the Universities of Stirling and Cardiff on an EU Framework V multidisciplinary project. Since joining Newcastle University in Singapore in 2011, he has held a series of leadership roles, including founding Director of Operations for the Mechanical Design and Manufacturing Engineering degree programme and Director of Research for the Singapore campus from 2018 to 2024.


QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL STANDING

  • PhD, University of Aberdeen
  • MSc (Physics), National University of Singapore
  • MSc (Medical Physics), University of Aberdeen
  • BSc (Physics), National University of Singapore
  • Chartered Engineer (CEng)
  • Chartered Physicist (CPhys)
  • Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FIMechE)
  • Fellow of the Institute of Physics (FInstP)


SELECTED ESTEEM AND EXTERNAL RECOGNITION

  • Visiting Fellow, Meijo University, Japan, 2025
  • Distinguished Visiting Professor, Kasetsart University, 2024–2025
  • High-end Experts of Henan Province Fellowship, 2023
  • Global Engagement Fellow, Newcastle University, 2020–2021
  • NESTA Crucible Fellowship, 2004-5
  • Chair, Sub-working Group (Research), UK-Singapore Universities Alliance for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, 2021–2023


SELECTED AWARDS

  • NUSS The Education Awards – Finalist, 2024
  • The Institute of Engineers Singapore Award in Research & Development, 2021
  • NSCC High-Performance Computing Innovation Challenge for the Environment – Finalist, 2021
  • Monash PVC Award – Research, 2010 and 2011
  • Nanyang Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2008
Research

RESEARCH PROFILE

  • Dr Goh leads the Advanced Composite Materials Group at Newcastle University in Singapore. His research focuses on composite mechanics, interfaces, repair and durability, and sustainable composite systems, linking fundamental understanding with validation and application. His work addresses how composite materials and structures perform in service, how they can be repaired reliably, and how design and materials choices can support more sustainable and circular engineering use.


CURRENT RESEARCH THEME

  • Current research includes composite laminates and repair technologies for engineering applications, sustainable and recycled polymer composites, nanocomposite systems for membrane and biomedical applications, and materials solutions relevant to environmental challenges.


RESEARCH LEADERSHIP AND FUNDING

  • His research has been supported by external funders and collaborative programmes including the Singapore Economic Development Board Industrial Postgraduate Programme, the British Council, UKRI QR-SPF, EPSRC partnership funding, the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and industry-linked collaborations. He has led and co-led projects spanning composite repair, sustainable materials, manufacturing, and environmentally responsive materials technologies.


SELECTED RESEARCH ESTEEM

  • Dr Goh is the author of the Springer monograph Discontinuous Fibre Reinforced Composites: Fundamentals of Stress Transfer and Fracture. He has delivered keynote and invited lectures at international academic and industry forums, including the Innovative Composite Centre Member Forum, International Polymer Conference of Thailand, JEC Asia, JEC Korea, JEC Bangkok, the IULTCS Congress, and the DTU International Symposium. He serves on the editorial boards of Materials & Design and Scientific Data, and is a reviewer for external funding bodies including EPSRC, MRC, Heart Research UK, and the Future Composite Manufacturing Hub.


RESEARCH STUDENTS AND GROUP DEVELOPMENT   

  • Dr Goh has supervised PhD and MPhil researchers across composite materials, sustainable materials and related technologies, with successful doctoral and master’s completions. Members of his group have also received conference and presentation awards. 


KEYNOTE SPEAKER AND INVITED LECTURES SINCE 2019

  • Keynote Speaker, International Polymer Conference of Thailand (2023, 2026)
  • Keynote Speaker, 88th Innovative Composite Centre Member Forum, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Japan, 2025
  • Invited Speaker/panelist, JEC Asia / JEC Korea / JEC Bangkok (2020-2024)
  • Invited Speaker, DTU International Symposium, 2024
  • Heidemann Lecture speaker, IULTCS Congress, 2019


EDITORIAL BOARD

  • Materials & Design
  • Scientific Data


REVIEWER FOR EXTERNAL RESEARCH GRANT BODIES

  • Reviewer for external funding bodies including EPSRC, MRC, Heart Research UK, and the Future Composite Manufacturing Hub.


FUNDED PROJECTS

Research supported by external and collaborative funding from the Singapore Economic Development Board Industrial Postgraduate Programme, British Council Research Environment Links, UKRI QR-SPF, EPSRC partnership funding, the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and PUB-linked collaborative projects

  • EDB IPP
  • British Council REL
  • UKRI QR-SPF
  • EPSRC Partnering for GCRF
  • DSIT Tactical Funds




Teaching

TEACHING PROFILE

  • Dr Goh teaches across mechanics, materials and sustainable design and manufacturing, with a focus on linking core engineering principles to sustainability, industrial practice and contemporary materials applications. His teaching spans large-cohort undergraduate delivery, project-based learning, and postgraduate teaching in sustainability-related areas. Over the last several years, he has combined sustained teaching at scale with curriculum leadership, module redesign, and the development of a distinctive sustainability-led materials pedagogy.


TEACHING LEADERSHIP AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

  • Since 2022, Dr Goh has led the redesign of core Stage 1 and Stage 2 materials teaching, using a sustainability-led materials pedagogy through which students learn core materials principles through sustainability constraints rather than treating sustainability as a separate topic. This redesign embedded life-cycle assessment within design-and-manufacturing decision-making, aligned materials teaching with circularity, and strengthened learning through industry and academic guest lectures linked directly to assessed work. The approach positioned sustainability as an engineering decision framework rather than an add-on theme.
  • He has held substantial responsibility for materials modules including MME1262 and MME2261, including module leadership of both, with sole teaching responsibility for MME1262 in 2024/25. Across this period, he used that leadership to strengthen alignment between learning outcomes, teaching activities and assessment, while extending life-cycle-assessment-led teaching beyond his own modules through its adoption in Design of Mechanical Systems, where it was embedded in assessed design work for large annual cohorts.


Past undergraduate teaching has included:

  • MME1112 Engineering Maths 2
  • MME1171 Thermofluids
  • MME2121 Engineering Dynamics

He has also contributed to postgraduate teaching in:

  • NUS8202 Materials for Sustainability
  • NUS8206 Energy Storage
  • NUS8205 Energy Management
  • NUS8208 Mechanical Integrity


STUDENT OUTCOMES AND EVALUATED ENHANCEMENT

  • The redesign has been positively evaluated through both internal review and student outcomes. In 2023, the SIT Sustainability Education Committee commended the modules for their sustainability relevance in the Singapore context, while peer review highlighted the novelty of embedding life-cycle assessment within materials teaching and the contribution of curriculum-linked guest lectures to learning. Student attendance for the guest-lecture component rose to above 95% once it was explicitly tied to project work and examination tasks, and the quality of student reports and presentations improved. Student feedback increased from 3.4/5.0 before redesign to 4.0–4.6/5.0 afterwards, with scores reaching or exceeding the university average.
  • The revised approach has also strengthened professional readiness. Internship supervisors commended students supervised by Dr Goh for their critical thinking, problem-solving and sustainability awareness, consistent with the evidence-based decision-making embedded in the redesigned modules.


TEACHING AT SCALE

  • From 2022/23 to 2024/25, Dr Goh sustained a high-volume teaching contribution of 357–369 hours annually across lectures, small-group teaching, practical teaching and assessment, alongside responsibility for module design, marking and feedback. This included programme-critical teaching at scale, with Stage 1 cohorts of 74–82 students and comparable Stage 2 responsibility. His teaching profile therefore evidences not only workload, but sustained delivery at scale, leadership of core provision, and evaluated curriculum enhancement across multiple stages of the programme.


INDUSTRY-ENGAGED TEACHING

  • Dr Goh brings industrial perspectives into teaching through engagement with external contributors from companies including SeikoWall Pte Ltd (https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.31639138), AEM Pte Ltd, Innoventures Inc., and Makino Pte Ltd. These contributions help connect student learning with current engineering practice in materials, manufacturing, sustainability, and applied technology. His teaching is further informed by his research and industry collaborations in composites and sustainable materials.


EXTERNAL TEACHING AND EDUCATIONAL ENGAGEMENT

  • Dr Goh has contributed invited undergraduate and postgraduate seminars and wider teaching-related engagement at universities in the region and internationally, including Chulalongkorn University, Kasetsart University, Universiti Malaysia Perlis, and Zhengzhou University. As Distinguished Visiting Professor at Kasetsart University, he contributed as an external reviewer and adviser on Stage 3 curriculum in polymers for sustainability, informing curriculum design, teaching content, assessment and programme review. This work drew directly on the principles of his sustainability-led materials pedagogy and led to formal commendation for the relevance of sustainable polymer material selection to the Thailand context. He also contributed curriculum and assessment advice as external reviewer and examiner in professional training contexts, including additive manufacturing teaching at OREL Academy, Sri Lanka.
  • He has also contributed to professional learning through engineering forums organised by The Institution of Engineers, Engineers Australia, and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, including invited talks on reinforced plastics, sustainable materials, and emerging developments in materials technology.


TEACHING-RELATED AWARDS AND SUPERVISION RECOGNITION

  • Dr Goh’s wider educational contribution includes recognised strength in research supervision. He was shortlisted as a finalist for the NUSSU Education Awards (Research Supervisor of the Year) in 2022 and 2024, reflecting student recognition of his supervisory practice. His structured approach to supervision emphasises independence, publication readiness, and progression, and has supported student achievement, external opportunities and progression into academic and research careers.


SELECTED PUBLIC-ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

Dr Goh has also contributed to public-facing educational resources and outreach materials on topics including plastic recycling, clean drinking water technologies, and sustainable prosthetic materials. These activities extend the reach of his teaching beyond the classroom and reflect his interest in connecting engineering education with broader societal and sustainability challenges.


Selected public-engagement resources have addressed plastic recycling, clean drinking water technologies, and sustainable prosthetic materials.




















Publications