Singapore, Thursday, 12 February 2009 - The Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) signed an MOU to help SBF members tap NUS's talent pool for recruitment purposes as well as foster useful links to facilitate the needs of businesses.
SBF members can look forward to gaining easier access to the talent pool of over 30,000 NUS students and leverage on NUS faculty expertise and the wide alumni network for business support, research and consultancy, partnership and collaboration opportunities for different aspects of their businesses. Another possible area of cooperation is for SBF to tap on NUS students, faculties and the Centres of Excellence for industry specific surveys.
NUS students can develop their business skills in the context of the global environment for the SBF-led programmes. SBF organizes more than 10 overseas trade missions to countries in Asia, Middle East, Eastern Europe and Latin America, and runs more than 200 business seminars and industry networking sessions annually. These include dialogue sessions with Ministers, government policy updates, Financial Management Series for SMEs, Business Outlook and Sentiment Series which students could participate in. SBF also actively surveys members on their needs and business sentiments and students may get first-hand experience in the process of such information gathering.
During the welcome address, Mr. Lim Chai Boon, Deputy Executive Director, SBF, said, "SBF welcomes the potential opportunities to work with NUS in jointly hosting business seminars and industry networking sessions, as well as in test-bedding and commercialization of technologies that will benefit our members, by leveraging on the R&D and technical expertise from the university. As an example, our collaboration could extend into the area of clean energy where SBF recently formed a Clean Energy Business Group (CEBG) to connect like-minded businesses with solutions and opportunities in the clean energy sector."
Professor Tan Eng Chye, NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost said, "Our University's Graduate Global Talent Development Programme incorporates experiential learning and training that equips our students with the relevant global and career competencies to become globally savvy and future Asian leaders of tomorrow. With this joint collaboration with the Singapore Business Federation, our students are provided with invaluable opportunities to thrive on challenges facing a globalised economy. They will become global talents sought after by organisations and businesses worldwide."
Areas of Cooperation between NUS and SBF
Both NUS and the SBF would be setting up key initiatives which include:-
a) Easier Access to Young Talents from NUS
SBF members would get access to young graduates and potential business partners, and would be able to talent scout from the NUS alumni network and other university recruitment channels. Member companies would also be able to post job listings for free at NUS' eJob portal, and make use of the interview rooms at the NUS Career Centre to interview NUS students and alumni.
b) NUS-Singapore Business Federation Global Internship
This structured global internship programme would help businesses build a pipeline of global talents and future global leaders for Asia.
c) Singapore Business Federation - NUS Mentorship Programme
This unique mentorship programme would have SBF members guiding NUS students on business practices and cross-cultural issues.
d) Business Attachment Programmes
NUS students would get the opportunity to be attached to key SBF events which include Overseas Business Study Missions, Industry Events and Dignitary Visits. Students on such programme would get first-hand knowledge on business practices, management, corporate governance and current issues challenging businesses around the global and on societies and cultures around the world.
e) Expanding business opportunities and collaborations for SBF members through NUS networks
The University would also be mobilising and leveraging on all its resources in a concerted and holistic way to assist graduating students secure jobs and cope with the current adverse economic climate.
Led by the University's Career Centre, some of the upcoming efforts include a massive on-campus interview exercise, tapping on alumni networks to organise more networking opportunities between alumni members and graduating students, organising of talks or workshops relating to entrepreneurship, increasing the number of career skills preparation workshops, and exploring ways to mitigate the financial burden of graduating students who are unemployed and facing difficulties in repaying loans.
For more information on this SBF-NUS collaboration, please contact:
Patrick Chan
Director, Industry Division
Singapore Business Federation
Email: industry@sbf.org.sg
Tel: 6827 6882
Appendix
1) NUS Facts and Figures
A leading global university centred in Asia, the National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore's flagship university which offers a global approach to education and research with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise.
Its 14 faculties and schools across three campus locations in Singapore - Kent Ridge, Bukit Timah and Outram - provides a broad-based curriculum underscored by multi-disciplinary courses and cross-faculty enrichment. NUS' transformative education includes programmes such as student exchange, entrepreneurial internships at NUS Overseas Colleges, and double degree and joint degree programmes with some of the world's top universities, offering students opportunities and challenges to realise their potential. The learning experience is complemented by a vibrant residential life with avenues for artistic, cultural and sporting pursuits. Over 30,000 students from 100 countries further enrich the community with their diverse social and cultural perspectives.
NUS shares a close affiliation with 21 university-level, 16 national-level and more than 80 faculty-based research institutes and centres. A culture of excellence thrives within the academic and research community fostering a stimulating intellectual environment. Research activities are strategic and robust, and NUS is well-known for its research strengths in engineering, life sciences and biomedicine, social sciences and natural sciences. Integrating its core competencies of education and research with an entrepreneurial dimension, NUS strives to create a supportive and innovative environment to promote creative enterprise within its community.
NUS is actively involved in international academic and research networks such as the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) and International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU). This global networking further enhances its international presence.
Statistical Highlights
Students (AY 2008-09)
Undergraduate Students: 24,638
Graduate Students : 7,728
Class of 2008 (As at September 2008)
Bachelor's Degrees conferred: 5,691
Graduate Diplomas awarded: 295
Master's Degrees conferred: 1,778
Doctoral Degrees conferred: 331
Faculty and Staff (As at June 2008)
Faculty Members: 2,103
Research Staff: 1,710
Administrative and Professional Staff: 1,344
General Staff: 2,491
2) NUS's special programmes
NUS offers its undergraduates a number of very exciting special programmes that would provide them the competitive edge to thrive in any environment. Graduates of these programmes would have the added advantage when they join the working world because of the knowledge, skills and experience they had attained. These are carefully crafted programmes that provide opportunities for a wide spectrum of students.
The University Scholars Programme offers a rigorous broad-based multidisciplinary curriculum with exciting local and overseas research and beyond-the-classroom learning opportunities.
The NUS Overseas Colleges is a highly innovative programme which provides students with the opportunity to intern full-time with companies located at the entrepreneurial and academic hubs of Silicon Valley, Philadelphia, Shanghai, Stockholm and Bangalore.
The Student Exchange Programme, for which NUS has well over 180 top-ranked partners, allows undergraduates to spend a semester or two at an overseas partner university and earn credits towards their NUS degree
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