NTU Singapore and AMD officially open joint Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab

Supported by Singapore’s EDB, the NTU-AMD Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab is a strategic partnership committed to strengthening the pipeline of tech leadership talent

AMD and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), with the support of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) today announced the official opening of the NTU-AMD Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DS&AI) Lab. With a dedicated goal of nurturing the next generation of globally-competitive tech leaders and innovators, AMD and NTU’s synergised efforts will augment local DS&AI education, equipping students with the tech tools and skills needed to inspire a better future.

In line with Singapore’s efforts to build a thriving AI ecosystem, the NTU-AMD DS&AI Lab will combine AMD’s leading-edge deep-learning technology and NTU’s global strengths in machine learning, AI and data science, enabling local DS&AI talent to pioneer the development of impactful AI solutions in key sectors.

About 150 NTU students from NTU’s Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence programme have benefitted from the Lab's facilities since it was launched in 2018. These undergraduates attended lessons at the Lab and were able to access computing resources through the AMD server for their projects and other related activities.

This initiative also aims to support the AI Singapore programme and the nation’s transition to Industry 4.0.

In 2018, AMD provided one instance of AMD’s first generation EPYC^TM server processor and Radeon Instinct^TM MI25 accelerator that can be scaled to handle hyperscale workloads. In 2020, AMD upgraded the hardware to keep up with evolving server technology, providing five instances of AMD’s second generation EPYC processor and Radeon Instinct MI50 accelerator, designed with deep learning operations, exceptional double precision performance, and hyper-fast HBM2 memory.

This injection of advanced technology in NTU’s DS&AI Programme will expose students to invaluable real-world machine learning and deep learning application, equipping them with the technical skills and knowledge to navigate and elevate Singapore’s DS&AI capabilities.

Professor Louis Phee, Dean of NTU’s College of Engineering, said: "Our collaboration with AMD is a fine example of NTU’s close relations with leading industry partners to nurture futureready graduates equipped with the latest industry-driven digital skills and knowledge. Leveraging AMD’s deep-learning technologies and NTU’s global strengths in machine learning, AI and data science, this collaboration exposes students to real world applications and cutting-edge technologies and enables them to acquire practical experience through attachment and internship opportunities with AMD. This partnership will better prepare our students to tackle the challenges of an increasingly evolving and digitalised world driven by Industry 4.0. and help them get a head start in making their mark in the industry after graduation.”

In preparing students for the workforce in the tech industry, this initiative also provided NTU students with attachment opportunities with AMD. AMD’s AI and machine learning experts will continue to work closely with NTU professors to conduct joint training and workshop sessions for industry members.

NTU is also supporting AMD’s engineers who wish to pursue PhD programmes through EDB’s Industrial Postgraduate Programme (IPP). There are currently four AMD engineers under the programme, which aims to build a pool of postgraduate manpower in Singapore with critical research and development skillsets.