SUSS and Alibaba Cloud to Spur Entrepreneurship With New Accredited Program

The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) and Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, announced today the launch of an entrepreneurship program to help local tertiary students scale up their start-ups. This is the first partnership between Alibaba Cloud and a local tertiary institution to jointly offer a university-accredited program.

The program comprises three compulsory components: participation in the two-day Alibaba Cloud Certified Professional ("ACP") certification program, participation in pitching sessions to investors organized by Alibaba Cloud and SUSS, and successful securing of funding. To complete the program, participants must successfully meet all three requirements.

Participants also have the option to read for free and without having to take examinations, any of the 500 SUSS modular courses that they deem relevant for their businesses. For the duration of the program, participants will have free access to Alibaba Cloud services. They will also enjoy mentorship by Alibaba executives as well as C-level industry experts who have extensive experiences relating to entrepreneurship.

Upon successful completion, participants who are SUSS students will be awarded a Minor in Entrepreneurship worth 40 credit units. Non-SUSS participants will graduate with a certificate and have their credit units recognized should they enroll in a SUSS degree program subsequently. Participants who are unable to secure funding at the end of the maximum duration¹ will obtain a certificate of participation with no credit units. As long as participants have not exceeded the maximum duration of the program, they may keep trying to seek funding.

"SUSS has a suite of modular courses that can help participants to pick up functional knowledge and skills that they need in running and growing their businesses. However, to be a successful entrepreneur requires more than theoretical knowledge. Awarding credit units to successful program participants is the university's way of recognizing that effective learning can take place outside the classroom," said Professor Cheong Hee Kiat, President, Singapore University of Social Sciences.

"We are very excited to work with SUSS, who share our vision of developing the next generation of outstanding entrepreneurs. This program is another example of our commitment to provide the exciting drivers of change to start-ups with Alibaba Cloud's advanced technology as well as Alibaba Group's global resources," said Joey Tan, Head of Global Strategic Initiatives, Alibaba Cloud.

The entrepreneurship program is Alibaba Cloud's latest initiative to enable start-ups and foster talent development in the ASEAN region. In July, 15 start-ups from across the ASEAN region competed in the final of the ASEAN division of the Create@Alibaba Cloud Start-up Contest, which is dedicated to empowering start-ups with best-in-class cloud technology as well as access to a global cloud network.

For this entrepreneurship program, there will be two intakes a year and up to 20 teams comprising a maximum of three members will be recruited each time. Preference will be given to existing start-ups which are scalable, show potential for growth beyond Singapore, or meet pressing societal needs. To underscore their commitment to encouraging and recognizing entrepreneurship, SUSS and Alibaba Cloud will offer the courses of this program free of charge.

About Singapore University of Social Sciences

Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) is one of Singapore's six national universities and its mission is to provide lifelong education that equips learners to serve society. Home to more than 14,000 students, SUSS provides an applied education that targets both fresh school leavers and adult learners, with a focus on the social sciences. It adopts a flexible and practice-focused learning approach and offers more than 60 degree programs in various disciplines. Eligible students taking SUSS's undergraduate programs enjoy government subsidies and access to government bursaries, tuition fee loans and study loans. For more information on Singapore University of Social Sciences, please visit www.suss.edu.sg.

About Alibaba Cloud

Established in 2009, Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, is China's largest provider of public cloud services in 2016 by revenue, according to IDC. Alibaba Cloud provides a comprehensive suite of cloud computing services to businesses worldwide, including merchants doing business on Alibaba Group marketplaces, start-ups, corporations and government organizations. Alibaba Cloud is the official Cloud Services Partner of the International Olympic Committee.