The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Google are combining to advance applied artificial intelligence (AI) research and cultivate top-tier AI talent in Singapore.
Unveiled at the NUS School of Computing’s 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner, the collaboration involves the creation of a joint research and innovation centre to bring together NUS’s multi-disciplinary research strengths and Google’s technologies, cloud infrastructure and expertise. The centre will pioneer experimental and practical AI projects in education, legal and healthcare sectors.
“Google has been a valued long-term partner of NUS, and we are excited to deepen this strategic relationship. The joint centre brings together NUS’ 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, Deputy President (Research and Technology) of NUS.
Plans are underway for a rapid prototyping sandbox powered by Google Cloud’s tensor processing units to offer a cloud-based environment where researchers can safely test and validate new AI-driven solutions before deployment at scale. This includes applying Google Cloud’s Vertex AI to develop advanced tools for lifelong learning, such as adaptive tutoring systems and career-tracking technologies, to support the growing demand for continuous upskilling across industries.
The legal domain will see the development of a Singapore-specific large language model (LLM) tailored to local statutory interpretation and case law, which could become the backbone of new AI-powered legal research assistants and improve the efficiency and accessibility of legal information for professionals and the public.
In public health, the initiative will leverage AI to integrate data across healthcare, social services and environmental systems to support preventive care initiatives such as Healthier SG and enhancing cognitive health and active ageing.
Talent development
Google will launch a dedicated AI talent development programme at NUS and provide hands-on training opportunities and certifications in Google Cloud AI platforms for students and researchers.
A Google-supported professorship will be established at NUS to bolster faculty leadership in AI and facilitate deeper collaboration between academia and industry.
“Google and NUS share a longstanding partnership, anchored on talent development and applying frontier technologies for public good. 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,” said Serene Sia, Country Director of Singapore and Malaysia at Google Cloud.
Entelechy Asia 