Tan Shui-Min, Chief Information Technology Officer, National University of Singapore (NUS)

1. How do you use technology/policy to improve citizens’ lives? Tell us about your role or organisation. 

As the Chief IT Officer (CITO) of the National University of Singapore (NUS), a globally leading institution dedicated to quality education, influential research, and visionary enterprise, my role involves overseeing IT solutions, services, and governance.

Together with my incredible colleagues in NUS IT, we strive to build a “Borderless University, Powered by Infinite Technology,” leveraging technology to enable NUS to transcend borders and extend its global influence in the digital realm. 

Our approach to the use of technology and its related policies to improve learning, teaching, and working experiences of our communities revolves around creating engaging user experience, enabling data-driven decisions, and driving transformation and efficiency.

Underpinning our solution offerings are in-depth layered security and a resilient and scalable IT infrastructure.  

A great example of our innovative IT infrastructure is our solar-powered outdoor WiFi on 5G.

The first of its kind in Singapore, this award-winning solution has significantly enhanced connectivity for our community and gained international recognition, being featured on Economist Impact.

We have since achieved another breakthrough by extending our secured WiFi to all parts of Singapore for our NUS community. Named NUS WiFi-on-the-Move, our WiFi connectivity transcends our campus boundaries to the entire island (and its islets!), unlocking new possibilities for secured learning, research, and work.

Students can now learn anywhere outside campus with access to secured NUS digital services, researchers can enjoyed secured connectivity while conducting fieldwork, and our campus security file reports on the go without lag. 

Through digital, we are also redefining our student experience, ensuring a unique unified experience across the student life cycle starting from their first engagement with the University as prospectus, to undergraduates, to alumni, and returning as life-long learners.

uNivUS, our superapp to “Unite all Individuals in NUS” is one such solution. Available to all in the NUS community, uNivUS will intelligently adapt its offerings to different personas accordingly, thereby transcending profiles, roles and age groups.  

At NUS IT, we constantly challenge ourselves to be agile, innovative, and push boundaries. We are committed to achieving a new digital standard for education, research, and administration, ultimately enhancing the lives of citizens through technological advancement. 

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2. What was the most impactful project you worked on this year? 

Well, I know it is AI-Know! 😊 

AI-Know is our very own in-house built AI platform. Developed using a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) architecture, this platform contains tools and plug-ins to enable both IT and non-IT staff to build AI solutions. 

Atop AI-Know, NUS IT has built AI-Minute (a super cool minute generation tool), AI-Guide (the know-it-all of NUS policies), AI-Discover (a deep-mine knowledge discovery tool) and AI-Create (a powerful built-your-own-GPT tool). 

We believe in enabling and empowering all staff when it comes to AI. This is why at the onset, NUS IT decided to build an AI platform, and not a function specific AI solution. Through the AI-Know platform, we will enable staff from all departments to build their own AI solutions within safe guardrails. 

An example of one of the many solutions that were jointly built by IT and other departments include the AI tool for processing hostel appeals which was a joint effort between NUS Office of Student Affairs and NUS IT.

This tool enabled thousands of hostels appeals to be processed within hours and has achieved 540 man-hour savings annually.   

Our latest solution AI-Create enables staff to develop their GPTs by integrating their data repositories and tailoring specific instructions.

Using AI-Create, our users have created various GPTs for example a customised hiring GPT that assists them in hiring candidates, and another GPT Tutor that offers personalised support to learners.  

All in all, AI-Know and all its intelligent products have provided tremendous productivity savings, fostered innovation and improved quality of work and learn experience in NUS.  

I know more is set to unfold with AI-Know. 2025 is gonna be even more exciting! 

3. What was one unexpected learning from 2024? 

I had many learning moments in 2024, but one that came to my mind almost instantaneously was the Crowdstrike incident that happened on 19 July 2024.

While NUS was not impacted, the scale of disruption worldwide shocked me. It reinforced the need to ensure our systems are designed to withstand and recover quickly from unexpected disruptions.

We often take for granted that enterprise grade commercial solutions and cloud solutions come along with unassailable resiliency, but the incident has clearly proven otherwise. 

Thus, this incident has prompted us to double down on regular stress-testing our systems and reviewing our vendor risk management protocols to enhance our overall IT resiliency. It was a wake-up call.  

4. What’s a tool or technique you’re excited to explore in 2025? 

We can’t wait to explore the potential of AI agents in 2025!

These intelligent, autonomous systems could serve as virtual assistants for students, faculty, and administrators, handling routine tasks like scheduling, resource allocation, and personalised recommendations.

For example, AI agents could provide students with real-time academic advising or even make decisions on behalf of administrators particularly in rule-based environments. 

On the IT side, these agents could monitor system performance, predict potential issues, and even execute automated resolutions, allowing our team to focus on strategic initiatives.

By integrating AI agents into our ecosystem, we can enhance efficiency, scalability, and the overall user experience, making our university smarter and more responsive. 

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5. Everybody’s talking about AI today – give us your hot take on AI and what it means for the public sector.

AI has been around for decades, but the recent development of AI, particularly Gen AI, has been breathtaking. Wield it strategically, it can be a game-changer for both the public sector and higher education. 

Starting with the public sector, AI has this incredible ability to streamline operations.

Imagine government services being as efficient as your favourite tech app—that's the potential we're looking at.

AI can help with data-driven decision-making, making services faster and more responsive to citizen needs. Of course, we can't ignore the challenges, like privacy and security, which are critical to address as we integrate these technologies. 

On the university front, AI is opening exciting possibilities. For students, AI can personalise learning experiences, adapting to how each student learns best. It's like having a personal tutor available 24/7.

And for research, AI is a powerhouse, helping us analyse data in ways we couldn’t before, speeding up breakthroughs across different fields. 

Operationally, AI helps us automate those mundane administrative tasks, freeing up time and resources to focus on what truly matters—education and research. 

For NUS, we have an added responsibility, which is to educate our students not just about how to use AI, but also about the ethical implications, preparing them to be thoughtful leaders in a tech-driven world. 

6. What are your priorities for 2025? 

With regards to work, my priorities will be to continue to fortify the cyber security of NUS, driving AI integration and adoption for the University, and focusing on attracting and retaining top IT talent for NUS IT.  

With regards to my personal life, I hope to be more discipline in my walk with God especially setting aside more time to read His Word and be still before Him.

I have also set a goal for myself to declutter my messy work-desk and shelves at home – there are just piles and piles of ‘stuff’ everywhere!  

7. What advice do you have for public sector innovators? 

I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to a group of primary 6 students recently, and one piece of advice I shared with them is just as relevant for public sector innovators: "Start small, dream big!" 

To public sector innovators, I'd say the same—keep dreaming big and remember that no idea is too small to innovate.

It's about taking those first small steps and gradually building on them to create something impactful. Innovation doesn't always have to start with grand gestures; it can begin with small, thoughtful changes that lead to significant improvements over time. 

Stay curious, stay open to new ideas, and don't be afraid to experiment. Even the smallest innovations can lead to big changes, so keep pushing boundaries and exploring new possibilities. 

8. Who inspires you today? 

When it comes to finding inspiration, for me, it's Christ. His teachings are timeless, offering a profound sense of guidance and purpose.

What really resonates with me is His emphasis on compassion, humility, and service to others. These principles are incredibly important, not just in personal life but in professional settings too. 

In my role as a CITO, I find these values particularly relevant. Leading with empathy and integrity, striving to serve our university community effectively, and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued—these are all aspects I draw from His example.

Christ's ability to inspire hope and encourage positive change is something I try to emulate, aiming to make a meaningful impact in whatever I do. 

It's about being grounded in these values and letting them steer my decisions and interactions daily. His influence reminds me of the bigger picture and the importance of contributing to the well-being of others, which is truly inspiring.