The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Google have announced a new strategic partnership to boost applied artificial intelligence (AI) research and develop skilled AI professionals.
This collaboration reinforces Singapore’s ambition to be a global hub for AI innovation and talent, advances the national digital transformation agenda, and deepens industry-academia partnerships to strengthen the country’s research ecosystem, the duo said in a statement on Monday.
According to the statement, NUS and Google plan to establish a joint research and innovation center, bringing together resources and technology to pursue experimental or applied AI projects across diverse domains.
As part of the collaboration, a rapid prototyping sandbox will be set up and managed by the joint center. This sandbox will offer a controlled and flexible cloud-based space for developing and testing AI solutions.
It will be powered by Google Cloud’s energy-efficient Tensor Processing Units (TPUs), allowing researchers to experiment, test, and validate their ideas before launching or expanding them in real-world environments.
Alongside the joint center, Google will launch a special AI training program at NUS.
This program will help NUS students and researchers learn to use Google Cloud’s AI tools through training and certification, making it easier for them to work on real-world AI projects.
Google also plans to fund a new professorship at NUS to support leadership in AI, encourage closer ties between the university and industry, and help train the next generation of AI and tech talent.
“The joint center brings together NUS’s leadership in AI and multidisciplinary research and Google’s deep research expertise, advanced technologies and tools, as well as well-established pathways for research translation and deployment,” said Professor Liu Bin, NUS Deputy President (Research and Technology).
According to her, a key pillar of this partnership is talent development — through endowed professorships, mentorship, training programs, and hands-on research projects.
“We are confident that our joint efforts with Google will nurture the next generation of AI scientists, engineers, and innovators equipped to tackle real-world challenges,
“Together, we are well-positioned to drive AI breakthroughs that will transform lives, reshape industries, and advance the future of education, healthcare, and beyond,” she added.
Meanwhile, Serene Sia, Country Director, Singapore and Malaysia, Google Cloud, said Google and NUS share a longstanding partnership, anchored on talent development and applying frontier technologies for public good.
Past collaborations include setting up an on-campus Google Developer Group to help students build advanced software skills. Google Cloud has also been a key industry partner of the NUS AI Institute, supporting efforts to train talent for solving biomedical challenges using AI.
Other initiatives include creating the world’s first AI-powered legal journal podcast using NotebookLM, and launching a Google PhD Fellowship program to recognize outstanding research in computer science.
“Our new collaboration truly builds on those successes; it’s a significant step forward in Google’s commitment to bringing new capabilities for scientific discovery to Singapore,” she said.
According to her, NUS has consistently been at the forefront of Singapore’s RIE ecosystem, supporting Singapore’s transformation into a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy and society.
“By combining NUS’s world-class multidisciplinary research capabilities with Google’s world-class AI research and AI-optimized cloud infrastructure, this joint center is poised to steer safe and responsible AI development and accelerate scientific progress that transforms public health, learning experiences, and other vital fields,” she added.
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