SMU School of Computing and Information Systems

10/09/2026

08/09/2026

Sproutastic, an educational platform that teaches Singapore primary school kids about sustainability and growing microgreens, has won the World Summit Award (WSA) Young Innovators category – shining a spotlight on SMU alumna Huei Suen Tan, the designer behind the platform.

08/09/2026

In a commentary, SMU Associate Professor of Information Systems (Practice) Paul Griffin opined that financial institutions should nurture professionals today for tomorrow’s threats. Assoc Prof Griffin highlighted that quantum computers could potentially break longstanding cryptographic systems protecting business transactions, an ability that current AI models do not have. He said that to maintain Singapore’s edge as a financial hub, it needs professionals familiar with the technology to protect its systems against future quantum computers. Assoc Prof Griffin stressed that financial institutions need quantum-safe cybersecurity, adding that they need to secure data for its entire lifetime to protect the confidentiality of long-lived financial information, digital identities, payment infrastructure and communication. He added that because of the ties between Singapore’s financial sector, universities, technology ecosystem and national investment in quantum technologies, the Republic is well positioned to nurture the quantum professionals who can keep us safe when the technology matures.

Read more at https://shorturl.at/CBoqv

07/09/2026

Motivated to work at the forefront of artificial intelligence security and safety in the US, scholar of the Lee Kong Chian Scholars' programme and BSc (Information Systems) undergraduate Jayce Lye Jia Jun is among a growing number of young Singaporeans proactively sourcing internships tailored to their interests and career aspirations.

Jayce landed his first self-sourced internship at Maihem, a Y Combinator-backed software company headquartered in San Francisco in August 2024. This six-month internship gave him the opportunity to learn, design and develop AI software alongside talented individuals in a team of five from all over the world – albeit remotely from Singapore.

Read more at https://www.straitstimes.com/life/travel/the-self-made-intern-why-gen-zs-are-self-sourcing-internships-in-the-us

Gen Z Singaporeans are increasingly self-sourcing US internships in AI, fintech and startups, overcoming challenges for career growth and global exposure. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

04/09/2026

Unlock tech-related opportunities! 🔓 On 3 September, the Tech Fair @ SMU gave our students direct access to connect directly with representatives from top firms, network with recruiters, explore internship and full-time roles, and get the scoop on industry trends.

📸 Ellipsis SMU Computing & Information Systems Society

04/09/2026

Since our founding in 2003 as the School of Information Systems, SMU School of Computing and Information Systems (now known as SCIS) has grown into an institution at the forefront of computing, programming and technology development.

Yet for some SCIS students, financial pressures beyond tuition fees can impact this experience, affecting their ability to cover daily expenses, purchase essential learning equipment, or take up overseas opportunities. These pressures can quietly limit their ability to focus, participate and thrive.

It is with this in mind that we are launching the SCIS Ascent Fund, which will provide non-tuition financial assistance in the form of cash grants ranging from $1,500 to $5,000 to full-time SCIS undergraduates facing financial hardship.

Our initial fundraising target is $50,000, and every contribution, regardless of size, brings us closer towards giving our students the foundation they need to ascend.💙

Be among the first to support the SCIS Ascent Fund. 🔗 https://giving.smu.edu.sg/campaigns/scis-ascent-fund

Contributions from Singapore tax residents qualify for a 2.5x tax deduction.

01/09/2026

Technical interviews can be daunting—but the right guidance can make all the difference. A heartfelt thank you to UBS for conducting an insightful Technical Interview Prep workshop for SCIS undergraduates. The session gave our students a clearer understanding of technical interview expectations and useful strategies for communicating their thought process with confidence. We are grateful to the UBS team for generously sharing industry perspectives, engaging with our students, and answering their questions candidly. Collaborations like this play an important role in helping students bridge classroom learning with real-world career readiness. Thank you, UBS, for supporting the growth and professional development of our future technology talents.

31/08/2026

Great teamwork from our BSc (Computer Science) students Oliver Goh, Khoo Kar Xing and Alister Chong! Congratulations for achieving the 1st Runner-Up spot at the Global Coding Challenge 2026! 🥈

Oliver recounts what it took for them to make it to the podium:

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💬 "What made this challenge stand out was that it actually embraced AI as part of the toolkit for solving the problems. You might think that defeats the whole point of a "coding" challenge, but I would argue it did the opposite. It let us spend more time thinking at a higher level about the actual problem: architecture, trade-offs, and strategy. It's not too different from where software engineering as a field is heading anyway, less about typing out every line, more about systems and architecting.

That said even with AI, the problems weren't easy. Two of them challenged us algorithmically.

One was a time-travelling salesman problem. Dynamic programming wasn't cutting it, the problem was just too big. I remember coming back from a break to find Kar Xing had made the breakthrough, a pruning greedy implementation, which we certainly made everyone knew we cracked it with the amount of cheering we made in the room.

The other was a simulated niche poker game with hidden rule-sets and bots running hidden playstyles you had to figure out. RNG, shifting playstyles, hidden rules. Alister was the only one with experience in that kind of game, and he carried us through the different phases.

Honestly, between the AI-augmented format and how novel and varied the problems were, this might be one of the most fun coding challenges I've done. And of course, can't forget the great food, great vibes, and great people we got to spend the weekend with."

26/08/2026

🏆 Congratulations to our undergraduates Benjamin Chai (BSc IS), Kelvin Chik (BSc IS) and Ben Aw Yong (BSc CS) for clinching the 1st Runner-up spot at the Batam Singapore Hackathon 2026 for their prototype 'MediPass' – a mobile application that integrates every stage of the patient experience between Singapore and Batam into one intuitive app that makes cross-border healthcare effortless. 👍

Learn more about their hackathon prototype at
🔗 GitHub: https://lnkd.in/gX_p8z8M
🔗 Live Site: https://lnkd.in/g96inzFR

25/08/2026

21/08/2026

🏆 Big win for Team SCIS! BSc (Software Engineering) students William Hansel and Wang Chongyu, alongside BSc (Computer Science) student Leow Yap Yong recently won 1st place in the Game Track at the Tencent Cloud “AI CAN DO IT” Hackathon Age Well Social Good Challenge (Singapore).

The team developed Project Memory Loop, a game designed to help players experience dementia through the daily life of Ah Hock as his condition progresses. The game consists of five scenes across three acts, with each scene illustrating different symptoms of dementia and encouraging greater awareness among younger generations who may support elderly individuals with dementia in the future.

Having won the Singapore Game Track, the team will be advancing to the Grand Final in Shenzhen, where they will compete against other teams at the Tencent Cloud hackathon.

18/08/2026

As artificial intelligence reshapes industries, careers and society, Singapore Management University is introducing a new suite of courses in the new academic year where students can gain greater ownership of their learning, deeper understanding of the society they will serve, and the applied fluency to work with AI. Here is a sample list of undergraduate courses offered by SMU School of Computing and Information Systems:

• [SE201] AI-Driven Software Engineering
• [IS4001] Smart Building Analytics
• [IS4002] Financial Services AI Immersion Program
• [CS467] Open-Source Software Systems
• [CS447] IT Audit and Data Protection
• [CS448] Digital Forensics

17/08/2026

06/08/2026

BSc (Software Engineering) alumnus Neil Sharma is one of the 36 students from the first graduating class of the software engineering degree program introduced under the government's SkillsFuture Work-Study Programme (WSP). Neil shared that he realised that career development would only be successful if you had direct understanding and experience of the industry. While studying, Neil interned for a total of one year and noted that through the internship, he developed public relations skills to work with professionals of different ages and his confidence as a young professional. Neil said that in a rapidly changing technological landscape due to AI, continuous learning and the ability to adapt to changes are essential.

Source: https://www.tamilmurasu.com.sg/youth/industrial-experience-integrated-degree-education

06/08/2026

Code, coffee and core memories! 💛 Let's reconnect with the SCIS family at the SMU Alumni Homecoming 2026! All SCIS alumni are welcome to register at https://eventregistration.smu.edu.sg/event/c994e85a-3a49-4a42-91e6-7326bb55a026/regProcessStep1:addc807b-7f95-4bcb-8905-7f1f2cfe7732?fbclid=IwY2xjawThDwZwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMVdsZXpCTDExbmpxcmhzNTRzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeQweUzFUmJbHP-jh7AMsyBJZTLEUwMtW-YJJwSdyYTHM1UZ9YewE9cGPvQZA_aem_5hv5UKu5gsjP2ChiHik1uw&rp=4d997149-9d89-479e-a1f5-9a9949e72a38

🎉 𝗦𝗠𝗨 𝗔𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗻𝗶 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸!

The best reunions always start with a simple question: "𝘓𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦... 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯?"

Come home to campus and reconnect with classmates and friends who made your SMU journey unforgettable. 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘜𝘗 over great conversations, relive your favourite memories, and meet fellow alumni from across different graduating classes as we celebrate the SMU community together.

🏆 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲: 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗨𝗣 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
Join our games trail where each School hosts a signature game booth. Take part, score points, and help your School climb the leaderboard to be the Homecoming Challenge champion.

Whether you graduated recently or years ago, this is your chance to reconnect, celebrate and be part of the growing SMU alumni community once again.

More event highlight details will be shared soon, so stay tuned and get ready to 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙐𝙋 @ 𝙎𝙈𝙐 𝘼𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙣𝙞 𝙃𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 2026!

👉 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘄 at https://smu.sg/Homecoming26

06/08/2026

More than a recognition, the 𝐙𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐧𝐢 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 is an invitation to shape impact by sharing wisdom grounded in experience, and an opportunity to encourage fellow faculty members to continue striving for excellence and lifelong growth as educators.

At the closing event of SMU Centre for Teaching Excellence's Faculty Teaching Forum (FTF) on 31 July 2026, Professor Robert Deng, the 𝘡𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘯𝘪 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘌𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 2025 award recipient, reflected on the highs, lows, and lessons from his two decades of experience at SMU. Titled 𝘈 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, the session drew well over 80 participants who came to hear his advice on building a meaningful career and tackling the challenges that lie ahead.

The key takeaways from Prof Deng’s sharing:

① The most impactful academic career emerges when teaching, research, and service are aligned.
② Invest in your students, peers and partners by creating opportunities for others to succeed.
③ Encourage students to ask unconventional yet impactful questions that challenge assumptions.
④ Young faculty must have a personal vision for how to make their mark; the established must remain intellectually curious and keep building expertise.
⑤ Your work is not simply to adapt to change, but to shape change and make an impact on society.

His reflections were a timely reminder of the pivotal role educators play in shaping minds and communities, and in making a meaningful difference to society.

We are most grateful to the SMU faculty and management who made time to join our new faculty for the closing segment of CTE's FTF orientation programme. Our special thanks go to colleagues from National Chengchi University for their collaboration and support in promoting teaching excellence.