15 September 2007 - A total of 39 students received the National Infocomm Scholarship (NIS) today. They were selected from 633 applications, a record high for the NIS since its inception in 2004. Presented by the Infocomm Development of Authority of Singapore (IDA), with the support of 21 public and private sector organisations, the NIS offers a unique opportunity for students to do a six-month attachment and mentorship with their sponsoring companies at their overseas offices or research facilities in the final year of undergraduate study.
Singapore, 15 September 2007 | For Immediate Release
39 Scholars To Have Local And Overseas Attachments At 21 Organisations
A total of 39 students received the National Infocomm Scholarship (15.40KB) (NIS) today. They were selected from 633 applications, a record high for the NIS since its inception in 2004. Presented by the Infocomm Development of Authority of Singapore (IDA), with the support of 21 public and private sector organisations, the NIS offers a unique opportunity for students to do a six-month attachment and mentorship with their sponsoring companies at their overseas offices or research facilities in the final year of undergraduate study. This gives the students early exposure to working in the industry and even valuable international experience.
Presenting the scholarships at the National Software Competition cum NIS Awards ceremony today, Mr Chan Yeng Kit, Chief Executive Officer, IDA said, “Given the intensity of global competition, there is a growing demand for talent with not only technical expertise but also business insights in managing complex environments. It is important that infocomm professionals have the necessary technology skills and the ability to innovatively apply technology and help grow any business. Through initiatives like NIS, IDA hopes to identify and groom the necessary talent to support our industries moving into the Digital Age.”
Supported by the Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation (SiTF) and the Singapore Computer Society (SCS), the NIS is open to top students from junior colleges, polytechnics and universities. This year’s crop of scholars come from a diverse background, including five from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. (Please see Annex A (16.65KB) for the list of NIS scholars and Annex B (20.99KB) for some profiles.)
Among the 39 NIS scholars, nine will be pursuing two infocomm-related degrees – Bachelor and Master – within the amount of time it would take to get one, under the fast-tracked flagship infocomm master’s programmes. These include the Singapore Management University-Carnegie Mellon University (SMU-CMU) Fast Track Programme, and two new programmes, namely the National University of Singapore-Carnegie Mellon University (NUS-CMU) Entertainment Technology Centre Programme in Interactive Digital Media and Nanyang Technological University-Georgia Institute of Technology (NTU-Georgia Tech) Integrated Programmes. (See Annex C (45.43KB) for more details on the programmes.)
Esther Goh from Hwa Chong Junior College, who will be pursuing the NTU-Georgia Tech programme, said, ”I believe that IT will always be in demand and beneficial for our society in search for improvement and development. I am eager to join the infocomm industry and work towards greater achievements.”
Pham Viet Hung from Vietnam, who will be attached to SingTel, said, “My goal is to become one of the best professionals to lead the infocomm industry. Studying in Singapore has given me an excellent opportunity to gain important domain knowledge and stay competitive in the digitally-driven economy.”
A key component of the NIS is the participation of public and private sector organisations. Among the 21 participating organisations, five are joining the NIS this year. They are the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies, ILOG, MediaCorp Technologies Pte Ltd and StarHub Ltd and an infocomm-user organisation, Singapore Power Ltd. (Please see Annex D (19.32KB) for the list of all 21 organisations.)
StarHub Ltd has taken the lead to offer four scholarships in recognition of the critical need for developing local infocomm talent. Mr Terry Clontz, President & CEO, StarHub Ltd said: "Being one of Singapore's largest media and communication companies, we are keen to employ talented young people into StarHub. We welcome IDA's efforts to spearhead this scholarship programme which will enable Singapore to build a significant talent pool for Singapore's burgeoning info-communication industry. This is StarHub's first collaboration with IDA on this scholarship programme, and we are excited by the quality of the candidates we have seen."
ISSUED BY CORPORATE & MARKETING COMMUNICATION DIVISION
INFOCOMM DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE
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About Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) is committed to growing Singapore into a dynamic global infocomm hub. IDA uses an integrated approach to developing info-communications in Singapore. This involves nurturing a competitive telecoms market as well as a conducive business environment with programmes and schemes for both local and international companies. For more news and information, visit https://www.imda.gov.sg/.
For media clarification, please contact:
Vanni Cheong (Ms)
Manager, Corporate and Marketing Communication
Tel: +65 6211 0353
Fax: +65 6211 2227
Email: Vanni_Cheong@imda.gov.sg
Jesmin Tan (Ms)
Manager, Corporate and Marketing Communication
Tel: +65 6211 0917
Fax: +65 6211 2227
Email: Jesmin_Tan@imda.gov.sg
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