NTU Singapore has partnered with Microsoft to shape the future of education through innovation and technology at the University’s Smart Campus.

To grow and thrive amid the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, NTU Singapore has adopted a digital-first strategy and technologies such as Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams Phone, to transform itself into a pandemic-proof organisational model and succeed in this new environment.

As of January 2022, NTU has successfully converted over 2,600 fixed phone numbers to the Microsoft Teams Phone system. With the cloud-based phone system, calls become richer and more collaborative, as NTU employees can make and receive calls on their business number from all their internet-enabled devices, while using the same tool they use to chat and host video meetings. In addition to cost savings for the University, employees remain productive, as they can also seamlessly transfer their calls across multiple devices, including laptops, PCs, tablets and mobile phones.

The cloud-based phone system was adopted in 2019, when NTU rolled out Microsoft 365, which includes Microsoft Teams Phone, enabling hybrid learning and remote work. At the height of the pandemic in the first quarter of 2020, the transformation to Microsoft 365 enabled the University to successfully shift within one week from more than 1,000 in-person lessons weekly to online learning for 30,000 students.

Ms Tan Aik Na, Senior Vice President for Administration at NTU Singapore said, “Innovation has always been core to the University’s DNA. This digital transformation in partnership with Microsoft marks a significant milestone in our commitment to embrace a culture of innovation, promote maximum efficiency, foster sustainability and improving the lives of our students and employees through empowered learning and living experiences.”

Technology plays a key role in powering the 200-hectare campus, which includes a living lab of digital experiments - from running an autonomous electric bus to testing drones for Singapore’s airspace. This forms part of NTU Singapore’s 2025 vision in equipping its Smart Campus with cloud-first technology and agile infrastructure. As the University adapted to respond, recover and reimagine its future during the pandemic, NTU Singapore partnered with Microsoft to create and sustain an environment that fosters flexibility and innovation on and off-campus.

“Fostering a culture of continuous learning in the education sector for our future is key as we keep pace with global changes that shape our education sector in Singapore. Universities like NTU Singapore are stepping in the right direction as they accelerate their digital learning ambitions, embrace change, transform our education system and ensure the readiness of our future workforce,” said Lum Seow Khun, Director, Public Sector Group, Microsoft Singapore.

Beyond Microsoft Teams Phone and Microsoft 365, NTU Singapore plans to roll out its new cloud-based student management system built on Microsoft Azure, amongst other ongoing initiatives to leverage technologies like chatbots and AI. “With a partner like Microsoft, we are confident of achieving our ambitious agenda in our NTU Singapore 2025 vision,” said Alvin Ong, Chief Information Officer at NTU Singapore.