Alibaba Cloud the National University of Singapore (NUS), and EZ-Link, Singapore’s largest issuer of Contactless e-Purse Application (CEPAS) compliant cards, have teamed up to boost Singapore’s smart computing and data-driven capabilities.
The three organizations have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at bolstering the University’s data science curriculum and paving the way for a pilot data analytics project with EZ-Link.
The collaboration is also aimed at helping build local IT skillsets, meet enterprise demands and support the research and development of advanced technologies in the big data era.
Ethan Yu, Vice President of Alibaba Group and General Manager of Alibaba Cloud Global said, “Singapore has been a pioneer in fostering innovation and technological disruption in Asia, and we are proud to contribute to the nation’s development through our partnership with NUS and EZ-Link.
By leveraging the expertise of academia, the government and enterprises, we intend to raise the bar in nurturing talent, business and communities to reach new frontiers of the digital economy.”
Alibaba Cloud will contribute $500,000 in cloud credits towards the use of its cloud platform and data centres by students and researchers from NUS for academic and research purposes. IT experts from Alibaba Cloud will also offer hands-on lessons on the use of Alibaba Cloud’s platform for NUS staff and students.
In addition, Alibaba Cloud and NUS will collaborate in the areas of cloud computing, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum computing, and interactive digital media, as well as identifying opportunities for joint research projects and information exchange.
"NUS contributes to Singapore’s vision of becoming a digital economy through our University's strengths – creating value through fundamental and applied research, and training the next generation of digital talent,” NUS deputy president for research and technology Professor Ho Teck Hua said.
“By working with Alibaba Cloud, a global cloud leader, we can tap into its extensive ecosystem and technology capabilities for these efforts. The partnership with Alibaba Cloud and EZ-Link further demonstrates the close collaboration between academia and industry in solving real-world problems, and will help contribute towards a future, cashless Singapore.”
Alibaba Cloud and NUS are currently working with EZ-Link to analyze card usage patterns across the EZ-Link card schemes, service touch points, and customer segments to improve customer experience and create better services via real-time insights.