AsianScientist (Oct. 20, 2014) – IBM and National University of Singapore (NUS) have signed an agreement to offer the first Watson-based cognitive computing education in Southeast Asia. Students will have unprecedented access to IBM’s Watson cognitive technology and the opportunity to collaborate with experts on the development of new solutions fueled by Watson’s capabilities.
Watson represents a new era of computing based on its ability to interact in natural language, process vast amounts of disparate forms of big data and learn from each interaction. According to technology research firm Gartner, Inc., smart machines will be the most disruptive change ever brought about by information technology, making people more effective and empowering them to “do the impossible.”
“As a leader in education and research in cognitive computing research, NUS aims to groom industry-ready students who can harness this combination of science and technology to create innovative products and services,” said NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan.
“It is crucial for our students to be able to work with the most cutting-edge systems and technologies, and hence we are truly excited about this partnership with IBM which will enable this through a multidisciplinary and systematic approach,” Prof. Tan added.
The collaboration between IBM Watson Group and leading academics from NUS will provide the technical know-how and hands-on learning experience for students. Apart from access to IBM Watson through the Watson Developer Cloud, the partnership includes IBM world-class developers and researchers to advise on content and implementation, guest lectures and technical mentors.
Selected undergraduate and post-graduate students from NUS School of Computing, NUS Business School and NUS Business Analytics Center will be enrolled in early 2015 for this unprecedented Watson-based cognitive systems experience in Asia. They will learn about Watson and its underlying technologies that are required to develop cognitive systems applications and develop prototype applications and business plans for industries such as such as, banking, retail or telecommunications.
“We are entering into the era of cognitive computing which has the potential to be a game-changer across diverse industries,” said Janet Ang, Managing Director, IBM Singapore. “Through the collaboration with NUS and other Watson initiatives in Singapore, we hope to be able to continually play an integral role in Singapore’s development towards becoming one of the world’s smarter cities.”
This agreement between IBM and NUS cements Watson’s roots in the academic community and deepens the existing partnership between both institutions in Business Analytics and other domains in science and technology.
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Source: National University of Singapore.
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