NUS Chief Information Technology Officer named one of ETCIO Southeast Asia’s Transformative CIOs of 2024

Ms Tan Shui-Min, NUS Chief Information Technology Officer, started the year on a high note with her recognition as one of the ‘Transformative CIOs of 2024’ by the Economic Times CIO Southeast Asia. This accolade celebrates her visionary leadership and instrumental role in driving digital transformation at NUS.

The award, which honours top Chief Information Officers (CIOs) across Southeast Asia, is presented to those who have demonstrated exceptional foresight, strategic thinking, and the ability to integrate technology seamlessly into their organisations. Ms Tan was selected for her significant role in advancing NUS’ digital landscape, creating a robust ecosystem that fosters collaboration, learning, and research.

A standout initiative launched under her leadership in 2024 is AI-Know, NUS’ proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) platform. This comprehensive suite of AI-powered tools is designed to empower NUS staff to build digital competencies alongside Digital Enablement training that enhances AI literacy across the university. With features tailored to support the academic and administrative needs of university users, AI-Know aims to transform workplace culture by fostering a mindset of self-service, innovation, and agility, while embracing the full potential of AI.

Emphasising the importance of cultivating a culture of agility and innovation to navigate the ever-evolving tech landscape, Ms Tan said, “Our transformative approach to advancing the campus digital landscape stems from our belief in enabling and empowering all staff to embrace AI. That is why, from the onset, NUS Information Technology (NUS IT) decided to build an AI platform instead of a function-specific AI solution. Through AI-Know, we enable staff from all departments to build their own AI solutions within defined safe guardrails.”

Since its launch, AI-Know has empowered nearly 1,000 staff and engaged over 120 departments across campus. Departments have leveraged the platform’s AI-Create feature to develop their own generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs), integrating their data repositories and tailoring specific instructions. For example, NUS Office of Human Resources has developed a GPT to assist candidates during the hiring process, while ‘GPT Tutor’ provided personalised support to learners.

Beyond AI-Know, Ms Tan’s strategic emphasis on cloud computing, AI, and data fabric has solidified NUS’s position as a beacon of innovation within the educational sector, inspiring institutions across the region to follow suit.