SINGAPORE, 28 October 2021 – AMD and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), with the support of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) today announced the official opening of the NTU-AMD Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DS&AI) Lab. With a dedicated goal of nurturing the next generation of globally-competitive tech leaders and innovators, AMD and NTU’s synergised efforts will augment local DS&AI education, equipping students with the tech tools and skills needed to inspire a better future.
In line with Singapore’s efforts to build a thriving AI ecosystem, the NTU-AMD DS&AI Lab will combine AMD’s leading-edge deep-learning technology and NTU’s global strengths in machine learning, AI and data science, enabling local DS&AI talent to pioneer the development of impactful AI solutions in key sectors.
About 150 NTU students from NTU’s Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence programme have benefitted from the Lab’s facilities since it was launched in 2018. These undergraduates attended lessons at the Lab and were able to access computing resources through the AMD server for their projects and other related activities.
This initiative also aims to support the AI Singapore programme and the nation’s transition to Industry 4.0.
“Singapore aspires to be amongst leaders in developing and deploying scalable impactful AI solutions in high value sectors. Entering into the next phase of growth, it is imperative to build a strong bench of multidisciplinary talent to meet the needs of the industry,” affirmed Mr Chang Chin Nam, Senior Vice President and Head Operations, Semiconductors, EDB. “This partnership between AMD and NTU to nurture next-generation tech leaders will contribute to this effort, creating good economic opportunities for Singaporeans.”
In 2018, AMD provided one instance of AMD’s first generation EPYC™ server processor and Radeon Instinct™ MI25 accelerator that can be scaled to handle hyperscale workloads. In 2020, AMD upgraded the hardware to keep up with evolving server technology, providing five instances of AMD’s second generation EPYC processor and Radeon Instinct MI50 accelerator, designed with deep learning operations, exceptional double precision performance, and hyper-fast HBM2 memory.
This injection of advanced technology in NTU’s DS&AI Programme will expose students to invaluable real-world machine learning and deep learning application, equipping them with the technical skills and knowledge to navigate and elevate Singapore’s DS&AI capabilities.
“AMD is passionate about leading the way in technology-enabled education to empower stimulating, rewarding and inspiring learning experiences,” said Mr. Peter Chambers, Managing Director, Sales, AMD Asia Pacific & Japan. “Education has the profound ability to expand horizons and inspire action from the next generation of trailblazers, and we are incredibly proud to be working with a world-renowned institution like NTU to help bring Singapore’s DS&AI education to the forefront.”
Professor Louis Phee, Dean of NTU’s College of Engineering, said: “Our collaboration with AMD is a fine example of NTU’s close relations with leading industry partners to nurture futureready graduates equipped with the latest industry-driven digital skills and knowledge.
Leveraging AMD’s deep-learning technologies and NTU’s global strengths in machine learning, AI and data science, this collaboration exposes students to real world applications and cutting-edge technologies and enables them to acquire practical experience through attachment and internship opportunities with AMD. This partnership will better prepare our students to tackle the challenges of an increasingly evolving and digitalised world driven by Industry 4.0. and help them get a head start in making their mark in the industry after graduation.”
In preparing students for the workforce in the tech industry, this initiative also provided NTU students with attachment opportunities with AMD. AMD’s AI and machine learning experts will continue to work closely with NTU professors to conduct joint training and workshop sessions for industry members.
NTU is also supporting AMD’s engineers who wish to pursue PhD programmes through EDB’s Industrial Postgraduate Programme (IPP). There are currently four AMD engineers under the programme, which aims to build a pool of postgraduate manpower in Singapore with critical research and development skillsets.
About AMD
For 50 years, AMD has driven innovation in high-performance computing, graphics and visualization technologies – the building blocks for gaming, immersive platforms and the data center. Hundreds of millions of consumers, leading Fortune 500 businesses and cutting-edge scientific research facilities around the world rely on AMD technology daily to improve how they live, work and play. AMD employees around the world are focused on building great products that push the boundaries of what is possible. For more information about how AMD is enabling today and inspiring tomorrow, visit the AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) website, blog, Facebook and Twitter pages.
About NTU
A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has 33,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Engineering, Business, Science, Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, and Graduate colleges. It also has a medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, set up jointly with Imperial College London.
NTU is also home to world-class autonomous institutes – the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering – and various leading research centres such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI) and Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N).
Ranked amongst the world’s top universities by QS, NTU has also been named the world’s top young university for the past seven years. The University’s main campus is frequently listed among the Top 15 most beautiful university campuses in the world and it has 57 Green Mark-certified (equivalent to LEED-certified) building projects, of which 95% are certified Green Mark Platinum. Apart from its main campus, NTU also has a campus in Singapore’s healthcare district.
Under the NTU Smart Campus vision, the University harnesses the power of digital technology and tech-enabled solutions to support better learning and living experiences, the discovery of new knowledge, and the sustainability of resources.
For more information, visit www.ntu.edu.sg
About the Singapore Economic Development Board
The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), a government agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, is responsible for strategies that enhance Singapore’s position as a global centre for business, innovation, and talent. We undertake investment promotion and industry development, and work with international businesses, both foreign and local, by providing information, connection to partners and access to government incentives for their investments. Our mission is to create sustainable economic growth, with vibrant business and good job opportunities for Singapore and Singaporeans.
