SINGAPORE – 25 September, 2018: The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) today announced that it will bring together the National Infocomm Scholarship (NIS), Media Education Scholarship (MES) and Infocomm Polytechnic Scholarship (iPOLY) under a single brand, the Singapore Digital (SG:D) Scholarship. In addition, IMDA also announced that it is doubling the number of scholarships it will award. This is aimed at preparing Singapore’s next generation of infocomm and media (ICM) leaders to power its push to become a leading digital economy.
From 2019, IMDA will award up to 100 scholarships, comprising SG:D Scholarships and National Cybersecurity Postgraduate Scholarships (NCPS). The NCPS is jointly awarded by the IMDA and National Research Foundation Singapore. IMDA will also provide more global exposure opportunities for about 2,500 tertiary students over the next two years to be plugged into regional and international markets through curated internships, immersion programmes, and international competitions. The plan was announced by Minister for Communications and Information, Mr S Iswaran, at IMDA’s National Infocomm Media Award Ceremony.
IMDA also announced new enhancements to its tertiary programmes, including:
Expansion of programmes to cover Polytechnic courses in Arts, Design and Media
The convergence of infocomm and media domains will bring about exciting career opportunities for ICM professionals. To build Singapore’s competitive edge in this new space, IMDA will extend the SG:D Scholarship to students looking to pursue polytechnic studies in Arts, Design and Media, beyond Information and Digital Technologies (IDT) courses. IMDA plans to award a total of 30 scholarships to students pursuing ICM courses in polytechnics each year. IMDA’s Industry Preparation for Pre-graduate (iPREP) programme* will similarly be extended to tertiary students in Arts, Design and Media courses.
Introduction of postgraduate scholarships to develop deep tech expertise
Recognising industry demand for specialised skills in frontier technologies, the SG:D Scholarship will support Masters and PhD studies in deep tech areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain and Immersive Media. This is in addition to the postgraduate scholarships IMDA currently offers to support media-related courses and cybersecurity (through NCPS). A total of 20 postgraduate scholarships for ICM courses will be awarded each year.
Curated development programme and global exposure opportunities
The SG:D Scholarship will fund scholars’ professional development beyond their studies, and actively support networking opportunities with industry professionals across SMEs, start-ups and MNCs.
To enable scholars to develop a sharper appreciation of global developments in the ICM domain, IMDA will work with industry partners on curated overseas competitions and immersion programmes, and expand support for overseas internships. An example is IMDA’s partnership with Huawei on the Seeds for the Future programme, which enabled students to better understand the telecomm sector through visits to China. IMDA will work with other industry partners to open up more of such global opportunities.
Students under the iPREP programme will likewise benefit from more curated global opportunities, which is targeted to support more than 2,500 students over the next two years. The iPREP programme will be open to all interested ICM tertiary students.
At the National Infocomm Media Award Ceremony, Minister Iswaran presented awards to 54 scholarship recipients, which includes 21 recipients of the NCPS. In addition, 800 tertiary students received their acceptance into the iPREP programme.
Applications for the SG:D Scholarship opens from 2 January 2019. Students interested in the iPREP programme can apply directly through their schools.
More information about the scholarships can be found on www.imtalent.sg/scholarships
More information about the iPREP programme can be found on www.imda.gov.sg/imtalent/programmes/iprep
ISSUED BY THE INFOCOMM MEDIA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
About Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) leads Singapore’s digital transformation with infocomm media. To do this, IMDA will develop a dynamic digital economy and a cohesive digital society, driven by an exceptional infocomm media (ICM) ecosystem – by developing talent, strengthening business capabilities, and enhancing Singapore's ICM infrastructure. IMDA also regulates the telecommunications and media sectors to safeguard consumer interests while fostering a pro-business environment, and enhances Singapore’s data protection regime through the Personal Data Protection Commission.
For more news and information, visit www.imda.gov.sg or follow IMDA on Facebook IMDAsg and Twitter @IMDAsg.
For media clarifications, please contact:
Priscilla GAN (Ms)
Manager Industry and Marketing Communications, IMDA
DID: (65) 6202 4417
Email: priscilla_gan@imda.gov.sg
*The iPREP programme aims to prepare and equip pre-graduates with relevant skillsets and work experience to ensure a pipeline of industry-ready graduates. Pre-graduates will have opportunities to attain industry certifications, work on infocomm projects and interact with industry experts.
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