OCBC Bank has launched the postgraduate OCBC AI Scholarship in partnership with both the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
The first of its kind offered by any Singapore company, the scholarship will be open to applicants of either institution’s full-time master’s programme in Artificial Intelligence.
It is worth up to SGD100,000 each, and fully covers all educational and living expenses.
The initiative is part of OCBC Bank’s digital strategic framework, which was designed to harness the potential of AI to deliver greater customer value and business scalability.
For a start, three students will be awarded the scholarship this year.
After graduation, scholars will serve at the OCBC AI Lab for between 12 to 18 months. Within this period, they will participate in and contribute to the test-bedding, deploying and scaling-up of bank-wide AI solutions. During their studies, the scholars will have access to mentorship and guidance from the Bank’s senior executives. They will also be given internship opportunities.
Applicants for the scholarship need to demonstrate a keen interest in AI, on top of excellent academic excellence and leadership qualities. They will also be put through different forms of assessments, including a coding test.
“We recognised the potential of AI early and have been accelerating our efforts in this space over the past five years,” said Ken Wong, Head of AI Lab, OCBC Bank.
“As we delve deeper into our AI journey, we are looking to attract and develop top talents to create new roads for us. Individuals who are passionately aligned with us in taking AI to the next level will be able to contribute meaningfully to help create new frontiers of banking.”
