A New Era of Collaboration in Singapore's Higher Education Landscape
The recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Yayasan MENDAKI marks a pivotal moment for inclusive skill development in Singapore. This three-year partnership focuses on equipping members of the Malay Muslim community with essential competencies in artificial intelligence (AI), design thinking, and digital technologies. By bridging academic expertise with community needs, the initiative aligns seamlessly with Singapore's national push towards an AI-driven economy.
SUTD, renowned for its interdisciplinary approach that integrates engineering, technology, and design, brings its renowned Design·AI pillar to the table. This framework emphasizes human-centered innovation, where AI serves as a collaborative tool rather than a replacement for creativity. Meanwhile, Yayasan MENDAKI, the Council for the Advancement of the Malay Muslim Community established in 1982, leverages its deep community roots to ensure these advanced skills reach those who need them most. The MOU was formalized on March 18, 2026, witnessed by Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad, who also chairs MENDAKI.
This collaboration is not just timely but transformative, responding to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's Budget 2026 emphasis on AI as a strategic advantage for overcoming Singapore's challenges like an ageing population and tight labor market. It promises to create pathways for lifelong learning, starting from staff training and extending to broader community engagement.
Core Objectives: Building a Digitally Empowered Community
At its heart, the partnership aims to prepare the Malay Muslim community for a digitally enabled future. Key objectives include providing targeted training in AI and design, fostering joint research projects, and integrating SUTD students into community-focused initiatives. This multi-faceted approach ensures that skills development is practical and impactful, translating theoretical knowledge into real-world applications.
MENDAKI's Langkah Digital initiative, an M³ (Malay Muslim Minority) program, forms the backbone here. Launched to boost AI adoption and digital literacy, it now gains momentum through SUTD's involvement. The goal is clear: nurture technological confidence, enhance productivity, and open doors to high-demand careers in Singapore's tech ecosystem.
- Skills training for MENDAKI employees and community members in generative AI and design tools.
- Collaborative projects addressing community-specific challenges using applied learning.
- Knowledge exchange via joint events and workshops.
Professor Tai Lee Siang, SUTD's Deputy President and Chief Innovation & Enterprise Officer, highlighted the shared commitment to lifelong learning: "Through it, SUTD and MENDAKI will collaborate in areas such as Design and AI, training and skills development, joint research, and student-led projects." This vision positions the partnership as a model for how higher education can drive social mobility.
Spotlight on Training Programs: From Generative AI to Capstone Projects
The flagship offering, the SUTD-Yayasan MENDAKI Generative AI Professional Course, is a two-day intensive program delivered by SUTD Academy. Already in its second run with 20 MENDAKI staff participants, it teaches how to leverage AI for daily tasks, boosting efficiency in service delivery and responsibility management. SUTD Academy's track record is impressive: over 125 AI-related courses trained nearly 3,700 participants from April 2025 to January 2026, including executive workshops for leaders and SMEs.
Beyond staff, the MOU extends to community-wide access. SUTD's Capstone Programme, a year-long senior project, and Design Studio initiatives will incorporate Malay Muslim community challenges, allowing students to develop solutions in AI and design. This hands-on method—defining problems, prototyping with AI tools, iterating based on feedback—mirrors industry practices, preparing graduates for roles in tech innovation hubs.
For more on SUTD Academy's offerings, visit their official page.
Complementing this is MENDAKI's integration of Luminee, an AI-powered adaptive learning platform from a prior MOU with Quantedge Foundation. Rolled out to 445 Primary 5 pupils in February 2026, it personalizes education by adjusting difficulty, identifying gaps, and providing feedback—evaluated in partnership with Singapore University of Social Sciences.
SUTD's Design·AI Pillar: Pioneering Human-AI Synergy
SUTD stands out in Singapore's higher education scene with its Design·AI pillar, the world's first curriculum fully integrating AI into design processes. Launched in 2020, the Design and Artificial Intelligence (DAI) degree program trains students to use AI across user research, ideation, prototyping, and evaluation. This isn't rote coding; it's about AI as a creative partner, enhancing human ingenuity for complex problems.
Initiatives like the Office of AI and Digital Innovation, established in 2025, drive curriculum reforms and talent pipelines. SUTD Academy's executive programs, such as the five-day Design, AI, and Tech course, equip professionals with strategic AI application skills. These align perfectly with the MENDAKI partnership, extending SUTD's impact beyond traditional classrooms to community upskilling.
- AI-assisted mood detection in classrooms for better teacher-student interaction.
- 36 Design AI workshops for over 800 leaders.
- 19 AI Impact Series for SMEs, training nearly 400 participants.
This pillar positions SUTD as a leader among Singapore universities like NUS and NTU, which also embrace AI but with SUTD's unique design focus.
Yayasan MENDAKI's Enduring Commitment to Education and Empowerment
Since 1982, MENDAKI has been Singapore's pioneer self-help group for the Malay Muslim community, emphasizing education from preschool to lifelong learning. Under the MENDAKI 2030 Workplan, it nurtures confident learners, strong families, and a future-ready workforce. Langkah Digital specifically targets AI literacy, with events like Mosque Tech Challenges encouraging youth to apply digital tools in real scenarios.
Programs span tuition schemes, scholarships (e.g., MENDAKI Talent Scholarship for university students), and now AI-focused interventions. By partnering with SUTD, MENDAKI amplifies its reach, ensuring no one is left behind in Singapore's digital transformation. CEO Feroz Akber noted: "This partnership strengthens our Langkah Digital efforts by translating intent into action."
Aligning with Singapore's Budget 2026: National AI Strategy
Budget 2026 allocates resources to train 100,000 workers as 'AI Bilingual,' offering six months of free premium AI tools post-training. This addresses a skills shortage where only one in five professionals demonstrates AI readiness. SUTD-MENDAKI fits perfectly, contributing to national missions in healthcare, finance, and manufacturing. PM Wong stressed AI's role in productivity amid demographic shifts.
Singapore's tertiary education rate hit 64% for employed residents in 2025, but digital gaps persist, especially in AI engineering and design. For details on Budget measures, see the Ministry of Finance site.
Tackling Skills Gaps and Community Realities
The Malay Muslim community, comprising about 15% of Singapore's population, has made strides in education but faces hurdles in high-tech sectors. While overall employment is robust, transitioning to AI roles requires targeted upskilling. This partnership addresses that by focusing on PMETs (Professionals, Managers, Executives, Technicians) aged 50+, alongside youth.
Broader initiatives like NTUC's AI-Ready SG platform complement this, but university-community ties like SUTD-MENDAKI offer bespoke solutions. Statistics show 56% self-rate low on advanced AI skills despite 70% digital literacy.
Future Impacts: Innovation, Jobs, and Inclusive Growth
Expected outcomes include enhanced community productivity, new research outputs, and stronger higher ed-community links. Graduates from joint projects enter AI jobs booming in Singapore, projected to grow with national investments. This model could inspire similar pacts, like SUTD's with RSN or AI Singapore.
For MENDAKI, it means better services; for SUTD, real-world testing of Design·AI; for Singapore, a more equitable tech workforce. Long-term, it fosters resilience against automation, with actionable insights like starting with free AI courses via SkillsFuture.
Explore more via MENDAKI's website.
Implications for Singapore's Higher Education Sector
This MOU exemplifies how Singapore universities are evolving into societal engines. Amid AI integration at NUS (AI tutors) and NTU (mid-career AI programs), SUTD's design focus differentiates it. It promotes minority inclusion, vital for holistic growth, and sets a benchmark for public-private-community triangles.
Challenges remain: scaling access and measuring ROI. Yet, with government backing, it promises sustained impact, positioning Singapore as an AI education leader.
