The National University of Singapore (NUS) has officially launched two new digital platforms, the Internship-As-A-Service (IAAS) and conNectUS, to prepare students for the working world. IAAS simultaneously meets the needs of industry partners for specialised talent and expands the scope of hands-on internship and gig opportunities for NUS students. conNectUS allows students to build greater connectivity with the University’s alumni and tap on their wealth of industry knowledge and experience as they chart their career journeys.
Against a backdrop of NUS’ strengthening commitment to preparing graduates for the workplace of the future, the platforms support the holistic development of graduates particularly in the areas of interdisciplinary education, internship opportunities, intellectual flexibility, and diversity of skill sets, as well as instil the value of lifelong learning in graduates and alumni.
NUS recognises that we are in a unique position to create powerful platforms that bring together and match people, industry, skills and opportunities. The strong NUS brand name and reputation bring trust to the platforms that are vital for success.
– Professor Tan Eng Chye, NUS President
The digital platforms have the ability to match industry to academia, which will quickly bring new technologies, knowledge, and skills to students. This ensures that academic curricula remain relevant and in tandem with evolving needs of companies and the economy. Industry exposure for students helps students translate what is taught in theory to real-world applications and gain other soft skills that may be more difficult to develop in a classroom setting. Companies get the opportunity to tap on fresh ideas and perspectives from students when they collaborate on projects, and better-trained graduates mean a stronger future talent pipeline for companies.
Led by the NUS Centre for Future-ready Graduates (NUS CFG) and NUS Enterprise, IAAS is a tight-knit, mutually beneficial talent marketplace that provides NUS students with the chance to land gigs and internships, while self-marketing their skills and talents — programming, data analysis, graphic design, copywriting, research, and the like. The platform also enables companies to tap on this talent pool for skilled services.
With more than 400 projects from over 60 companies and a strong pipeline of companies keen to come on board, IAAS is set to be a game-changer in expanding the range of internship opportunities available to students. Industry partners, both local and overseas, are diverse, ranging from small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups.
NUS also addressed the other half of the equation in the symbiotic talent marketplace — convenient and direct access of companies and businesses to skilled talent in the NUS community. Companies can easily engage NUS students from a range of disciplines and years of study in freelance projects, such as video editing, software development, and digital marketing projects. They can also interview, recruit, and pay students on the platform, and monitor the progress of the job through milestone tracking.
With features such as a people directory, live feeds and forums, event calendar, and job opportunities, students can plug into a wide and diverse pool of alumni for mentorship, to share insights and ideas and be notified of career development opportunities. Alumni members can also benefit from this network to build a stronger connection with their alma mater and be spurred to pursue lifelong learning opportunities, while student societies and clubs stand to gain valuable avenues of mentorship from the conNectUS platform.
As reported by OpenGov Asia, medical and nursing students at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine will be using three-dimensional holographic technology from a tech company to help them learn certain medical procedures and study anatomical structures. The collaboration, which spans NUS Medicine, the National University Health System and a tech company add mixed reality to the learning experience.
