Temasek Foundation, Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Indonesia’s MoRTHE will collaborate to implement a fintech learning programme for higher education providers in the archipelago

Temasek Foundation International (TF Intl) and Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) will partner with Indonesia’s Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education (MoRTHE) to deliver a new programme that encourages an exchange of knowledge among academia, industry partners and regulators in the fintech sphere.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by MoRTHE’s Director of Learning, Dr. Ir. Paristiyanti Nurwardani, and NP’s Principal, Clarence Ti, on the sidelines of the third Indonesia-Singapore Leaders’ Retreat in Bali, Indonesia.

The collaboration was made possible by TF Intl, which has committed a grant of about S$523,000 (approx. US$380,000) for this cross-border programme.

Over the next three years, the three parties will collaborate to implement a fintech learning programme for higher education providers in Indonesia. Some 180 academic leaders and faculty from Indonesian tertiary institutions will work towards developing fintech curriculum and capability.

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The programme will span over two runs, ending in 2020. The institutions confirmed for the first run include Institute Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Politeknik Negeri Jakarta (PNJ), Universitas Indonesia (UI), Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI), Universitas Padjadjaran (UNPAD) and Univeristas Airlingga (UNAIR).

The programme will include experiential learning through lab crawls, hackathons, seminars and workshops. The course participants will get to visit and network with fintech developers and users to gain fresh insights into the emerging field, as well as take part in challenges that will inspire innovative applications for the financial sector.

“There’s a lot our two countries can learn from each other as fintech starts to impact the way our populations gain access to financial services. This MOU is just a start of a conversation on how we can best support the growth of necessary skills in both our countries,” said Ti.

“We hope to develop lecturers with high performance and good understanding in fintech to supply talent who can compete in the industry’s 4.0 era. This MoU will give a lot of benefits to Indonesia’s higher education, especially in universities and polytechnics. They will have an opportunity to get knowledge and information about fintech, from the best resources and work together to have many innovations in fintech, as well as inspire over 4,000 higher education institutions in Indonesia,” said Nurwardani.

“The digital economy is disrupting work and indeed lives. This means that educators need to collaborate to reinvent and update their skills to keep pace with industry developments. This programme will enable educators from Indonesia and Singapore to exchange knowledge and develop new ways to train aspiring youths in financial technology,” said Benedict Cheong, CEO of TF Intl.

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

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