Reimagining the university for the AI age
As the world’s first Design·AI university, the Singapore University of Technology and Design is embedding AI across education and research to prepare...
The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) is pioneering a new approach to higher education in the age of artificial intelligence. When students Rachel Tan and Chia Zhi Feng conceived their startup pitchMe—an AI-powered tool for personalized presentation feedback—SUTD embraced the opportunity to apply their idea beyond the classroom.
PitchMe has grown to serve over 300 users, completing more than 1,000 presentation analyses and extending its impact beyond Singapore. SUTD's philosophy, known as Design·AI, integrates AI across education, research, innovation and enterprise. Rather than teaching AI as a standalone discipline, Design·AI graduates become "trilingual": proficient in AI tools, deeply knowledgeable in domain expertise, and equipped with design thinking to solve real-world problems.
A key component of this approach is the Design·AI Innovation and Venture Exploration (DIVE) program, which emphasizes hands-on learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and turning ideas into practical solutions. DIVE provides students with opportunities to explore their ideas, collaborate across disciplines, gain global exposure, and create solutions with meaningful impact.
SUTD's curriculum is human-centered, allocating up to 20% of every undergraduate program to humanities, arts, and social sciences. With this approach, SUTD strives to prepare graduates who can work effectively with AI, even when technology is unavailable. To date, SUTD's Design·AI model has garnered significant support, including grants, mentorship, and startup funding.
The university's impact extends beyond its campus, as evidenced by pitchMe's collaborations with Singapore Polytechnic, the National University of Singapore, and the National Youth Council, as well as its partnership with UTH University in Vietnam. SUTD also works with businesses, public agencies, and workers to help them apply AI effectively, with over 1,500 participants improving their AI proficiency by at least 30%.
SUTD's success demonstrates that successful AI adoption relies on people who deeply understand their work and can recognize opportunities for AI to create meaningful difference, rather than solely on the technology itself.
Written by urgent.news from The Business Times - Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
