The International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI) is one of the most prestigious competitions in the computer science world. Held every summer since 1987, the tournament sees exceptional high school students from over 80 countries gather to test their programming and problem-solving skills.

The School of Computing at NUS is set in tranquil surroundings — buildings atop gentle hills are connected by breezy walkways, and research labs and classrooms look out onto lush tropical vegetation. In recent months, however, the views have been tainted by an eyesore: a monstrous construction site.

To get to his office, Jun Han has to walk down a long windowless corridor. There are office rooms on either side, but the doors are often closed, making the whole thing “quite hollow.” One day, as Han was unlocking his door and his key made a droop sound when it entered the lock, a thought crossed his mind: “Wow, this is really loud.”

There have been many moments of disbelief throughout the pandemic, but one of the most shocking ones happened last April, when then U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that disinfectants could be a cure for Covid-19.