NUS Computing Joins Forces with TZ APAC to Develop Singapore’s Next Generation of Tech Innovators

Asia-based blockchain adoption entity TZ APAC will be spearheading the blockchain curriculum at new Centre for Nurturing Computing Excellence

TZ APAC is pleased to announce a partnership with the National University of Singapore School of Computing (NUS Computing) to set up the Centre for Nurturing Computing Excellence. Led by Associate Professor Tan Sun Teck from NUS Computing, the new Centre will empower students to learn from real-world industry experts in fields such as blockchain technology, cloud computing, and data science.

Singapore is fast becoming a leader in blockchain technology, and the blockchain ecosystem in Singapore and around the world has seen substantial growth in recent years. To meet the growing demand, it is crucial for top schools such as NUS Computing to build a strong talent pipeline in this fast-growing field and to ensure that computing talents in the country are well-equipped to harness the potential of blockchain technology, in combination with other complementary technologies, to contribute towards Singapore’s digital economy.

“Over the past few years, Singapore has established itself as a leading destination for tech enterprises in breakthrough industries. By partnering with pioneering organizations such as TZ APAC, students will have the opportunity to benefit from real-world expertise at a critical juncture of their education,” said Associate Professor Tan from NUS Computing. “In establishing this Centre for Nurturing Computing Excellence, we hope to raise the bar for computing education in the country and across the region, as we nurture the next generation of tech talent.”

Assoc Prof Tan is also responsible for training and coaching students participating in internationally-renowned programming contests such as the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI), National Olympiad in Informatics (NOI), and the International Collegiate Programming Contest. In 2021, he led the Singapore IOI team to achieve the best showing in its history, winning 3 gold medals and a silver medal.

The IOI is a competition of significance across the crypto ecosystem, with many leading figures across the industry having participated. Notably, early architect of Tezos Arthur Breitman was an IOI contestant who represented France and secured a bronze medal. Other prominent figures in the Tezos ecosystem who have participated in the IOI include the President of France-IOI Mathias Hiron and Nomadic Labs Senior Software Engineer Mehdi Bouaziz. In addition, Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin was a bronze medalist who competed for Canada.

To boost blockchain literacy amongst students involved with the IOI as well as secondary and tertiary students, TZ APAC will create a blockchain developer curriculum where students will be able to learn directly from TZ APAC team members across hybrid virtual and in-person classes, workshops, hackathons and tutorials based on use cases within the Tezos ecosystem. With education as a key priority within the Tezos ecosystem, the establishment of the Centre for Nurturing Computing Excellence comes on the back of past engagements with other higher education institutions across the region including Kyoto University, Nagoya University, and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

Colin Miles, newly-appointed CEO of TZ APAC, said: “Over the past year, we’ve seen a great deal of progress across Asia’s blockchain ecosystem in terms of meaningful adoption and TZ APAC has played a significant role in driving this growth — whether across enterprising projects building on Tezos or pioneering NFT artists looking to enter the digital frontier. In partnering with NUS Computing, we hope to advance a future in which blockchain education isn’t something limited to niche developer communities, but a vital part of computing curriculums across some of the region’s leading universities.”

TZ APAC’s commitment to Singapore is timely considering that investments in the country’s blockchain and cryptocurrency ecosystem saw a tenfold increase from 2020 to 2021, with 82 deals valued at a combined US$1.48 billion according to KPMG. In line with this, the TZ APAC Tezos Developer Hub will also be launched in the central business district of Singapore.

TZ APAC, along with other community entities, is backed by a ~US$1.2 billion ecosystem war chest stewarded by the Tezos Foundation to support some of the most promising local and regional projects. Serving as the entity’s new APAC headquarters at City House, the TZ APAC Tezos Developer Hub is a testament to TZ APAC’s long-standing commitment to cultivating blockchain talent in Singapore and across the region.