SINGAPORE, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The National University of Singapore (NUS) and OpenAI on Tuesday announced a strategic collaboration to expand access to artificial intelligence (AI) tools across the university, as students increasingly view AI skills as critical to their future careers.

NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Prof Aaron Thean (left) and Open AI Managing Director, International Mr Oliver Jay (right) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 6 August 2026 at NUS. The collaboration marks a new addition to NUS’ expanding suite of AI resources, equipping students, faculty and staff with enhanced capabilities and opportunities. (Photo: NUS)

The collaboration will expand AI access across the NUS, bring advanced AI tools into teaching and learning, create more opportunities for students to build, explore new research collaborations and support responsible adoption across the university, the duo said in a statement.

The collaboration comes as a survey of 514 university students in Singapore found that 81 percent believe AI skills will give graduates an advantage in the global workforce, while 77 percent consider them essential to their careers.

The survey, conducted from Aug. 3 to 7, found 94 percent of students use AI several times a week or more, with 55 percent using it multiple times a day.

It also found 95 percent want more opportunities to use advanced AI tools on real-world university projects, while 88 percent want to build an AI application, product or company while at university.