Navigating the tech industry — whether as an investor, a start-up founder or an employee — can be challenging, especially today.

“We have seen the highs and lows for ourselves in recent years,” said NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ‘85), speaking at the NUS Innovation Forum (NIF). “From the new NUS unicorns being crowned and rising interest in deep-tech investments, to widespread tech layoffs and the funding winter, it is a rapidly evolving operating environment, and we must keep abreast with developments to seize opportunities that each tide and season presents.”

NUS alumni, students, thought leaders and industry experts in the San Francisco’s Bay Area in the United States shared insights and exchanged opinions at the second edition of NIF, which ran from 13-14 June 2024 and was attended by 200 participants. Coming on the heels of the inaugural edition held in Manila in May 2024, NIF is organised by the Office of Alumni Relations to bring alumni, thought leaders and industry experts together to discuss trending topics in innovation. The two-day NIF San Francisco Bay Area, the first in the US, was organised with support from BLOCK71 Silicon Valley, NUS Overseas Colleges and the Singapore Global Network.

On why NIF was held in the Bay Area, Ms Ovidia Lim-Rajaram (Arts & Social Sciences – Political Science and History ‘89), Chief Alumni Officer of the University, explained, “Given NUS’ long history in the Bay Area — over 20 years — through the NUS Overseas Colleges or NOC programme, to this BLOCK71 start-up launchpad — the Bay Area was a natural choice for our second international forum. Many alumni have settled in the area after graduation, drawn to the area’s vibrancy.”

AI for Good
The panel discussion on the first day was devoted to novel and impactful use cases of Artificial Intelligence (AI), an increasingly pertinent topic in recent times. While much has been said in recent times about its potential ills, less attention has been given to the positive changes AI can effect when dealing with intractable global issues.

The panel comprised Dr Avinash Balachandran, Vice President of the Human Interactive Driving Division at Toyota Research Institute; Ms Mariane Bekker, Founder of Founders Bay and Women Founders Bay; and Dr Wee Hyong Tok (Computing ‘99), Partner Director of Products (Cloud and AI) at Microsoft. It was moderated by Mr Arvind Ayyala (Engineering ‘10), Partner at Geodesic Capital and Chairperson of the NUS Alumni Overseas Chapter San Francisco.

The diverse experiences and insights of the panelists in the tech industry gave the audience a holistic picture of AI’s possibilities and potential. For example, one speaker shared how a tech giant was already exploring ways that AI could be leveraged for sustainability efforts, such as conserving endangered species.

Prof Tan also updated the audience about the University’s own efforts to harness AI. “At NUS, we are challenging our community to leverage AI to accelerate research, discoveries and translation. Among others, NUS researchers are using AI to accelerate the discovery of drug combinations and personalise healthcare treatment plans; alumni entrepreneurs are employing AI to develop cancer-screening tools; NUS start-ups are using AI-empowered video analytics and facial recognition to improve public and workplace safety.”

Tech’s Next Chapter
On the second day, the discussion focused on opportunities and challenges for tech investments in the Bay Area and Singapore. This panel comprised Ms Aihui Ong (Computing ‘98), General Partner of Transform Capital; Dr Radha Nagarajan (Engineering ‘86) Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Marvell’s Optical Platforms and NUS Visiting Professor; and Mr Arvind Ayyala. It was moderated by NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Professor Aaron Thean.

The panel opened with a lively discussion on the differences in the tech ecosystems of the Bay Area and Singapore. One speaker noted that the fear of failure was still prevalent in Singapore’s ecosystem and encouraged founders to be more open to the risk of failure. Panellists also advised players in the ecosystem to avoid building products for just Singapore or even Southeast Asia. The key message they had for the audience – go bigger.

Noting that the alumni network was rich with such insights, Prof Tan welcomed the audience to tap into it. “We see the value of a strong alumni network at work: from the ties that are forged across generations, to the willingness of our alumni to make introductions, invest in, and share their knowledge with each other. By paying it forward, the community grows and flourishes.”

New Contacts, New Insights
Both days of the forum featured well-attended networking sessions.

All these opportunities for the meeting of minds are critical for powering innovation, said Associate Professor Benjamin Tee, NUS Vice President (Ecosystem Building), who spoke on the NUS Enterprise ecosystem at the forum. “Meaningful collisions and collaborations are the fuels for innovation, and thought leadership forums like these are the engines,” he said.

Added Prof Thean, “We are committed to fostering a culture of creativity and critical thinking in the NUS global community where, even after our students graduate, they are empowered to become lifelong changemakers with their ideas.”

The NIF concluded with a NUS Alumni & Friends Dinner, during which participants reconnected with old friends and made new meaningful connections, sowing the seeds for future partnerships to come.

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This story by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations first appeared in NUSNews on 20 June 2024.