The Government of the Virgin Islands recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National University of Singapore (NUS). The official MoU was signed by representatives of the NUS School of Computing and representatives of the Government of the Virgin Islands at a private leaders’ dialogue event in Singapore on Monday 12th November, 2018.
The document formally recognises the alignment of the long term goals of the NUS School of Computing and the BVI Government to further expand the educational initiatives and resources available to both Government and businesses, to capture the opportunities presented by emerging AI (Artificial Intelligence), blockchain, cloud technology, cryptocurrency, and data technologies.
Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE said this collaboration with the National University of Singapore, which is the flagship University of Singapore, comes at an opportune time as the Government seeks to reposition itself digitally and to foster innovation, investment and the development of new businesses in all sectors of the BVI’s economy.
Premier Smith added, “As we enter an era of digital change, the relationship fostered between NUS and the BVI with this MoU will generate tangible results through the exchange of ideas, expertise, and the application of academic insight and research to real-world problems and opportunities.”
Dean of the NUS School of Computing, Mohan Kankanhalli said: “The relationship fostered by the signing of this memorandum will build upon the unified mission of NUS, Singapore, and the BVI – fostering increased collaboration and education between countries’ technology, academic, financial, and business sectors.”
Dean Mohan added, “We look forward to the fruitful results this relationship promises to accrue, and to actively accelerating the accumulation of knowledge and the growth of the AI, blockchain, cryptocurrency, cloud, and data economies.”
The strategic relationship fostered as a result of the agreement will result in increased collaboration, cooperation, and innovation between parties, as they seek to leverage their joint resources to train the next generation of global actors and effectively connect the worlds of academia, technology, and finance.
As part of the agreement between the university and the BVI, professors and researchers from Singapore’s leading university will provide training and educational resources to business actors, students and professionals in the Territory. This represents the first formal educational initiative to exist between the University and the Government of the Virgin Islands.
The announcement of the official MoU between the BVI and NUS School of Computing follows the recent launch of the NUS Cryptocurrency Strategy, Techniques, and Algorithms (CRYSTAL) Center, an academic research lab and think tank, aiming to lead as one of the world’s foremost centres for research on blockchain technology.
The signed MoU serves as a significant step for both the NUS School of Computing and the BVI, bringing together one of Asia-Pacific’s leading universities and research centres and the BVI, a longtime leader in the financial services industry.
The signing agreement was held in the Andaz Hotel in Singapore at an event which brought together technological, academic, financial, and regulatory thought leaders from around the world to discuss the future of the global economy and the role of emerging technologies in shaping industry and enterprise.
BVI representatives present at the signing of the MoU included the Acting Permanent Secretary in the Premier’s Office, Dawn Smith; President of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, Judith Vanterpool; Interim Executive Director of BVI Finance, Lorna Smith, OBE, and Deputy Managing Director (Corporate Services) of the Financial Services Commission, Jennifer Potter-Questelles.
The original article was published by the Government of the Virgin Islands.