NTU provost Christian Wolfrum appointed to lead Singapore's national AI programme

NTU provost Christian Wolfrum appointed to lead Singapore's national AI programme Professor Christian Wolfrum has significant experience in shaping AI research ecosystems, said the Ministry of Digital Development and Information and the National Research Foundation. SINGAPORE: Nanyang Technology University's (NTU) provost Christian Wolfrum has been appointed to lead Singapore's national artificial intelligence initiative as executive chairman of AI Singapore (AISG) from Wednesday (Jul 1). Professor Wolfrum takes over from Professor Ho Teck Hua, who stepped down on Tuesday, the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) said in a press release. AISG brings together Singapore-based research institutions and the broader ecosystem of AI start-ups and companies to support Singapore’s AI efforts. The programme is driven by MDDI, NRF and the Infocomm Media Development Authority. As AISG's new executive chairman, Prof Wolfrum will work with MDDI, NRF and relevant stakeholders to lead AISG's next phase of growth. This includes advancing Singapore's priorities under the National AI Strategy 2.0 and supporting Singapore's ambitions to be a leading global hub for trusted and impactful AI, MDDI and NRF said. Prof Wolfrum "has a deep familiarity with Singapore’s research, innovation and enterprise ecosystem, and has been a consistent supporter and advocate for our national initiatives and cross-institutional collaboration", they said. Prof Wolfrum currently serves as deputy president and provost of NTU, and has significant experience in shaping AI research ecosystems, they added. As the former vice president for research at ETH Zurich, he played a key role in defining the university’s strategic research direction and was closely involved in the establishment of major Swiss national AI efforts, including the Swiss national AI institute and the Swiss AI initiative. Prof Wolfrum said that he was "honoured" to take on the role as AISG executive chairman. "AISG's unique strength is its position at the interface of academia and industry, and that is exactly where AI champions are built: Companies that embed AI into the core of their products and operations, not as an add-on but as a fundamental capability, backed by a workforce that understands AI deeply enough to build with it. "Research without industry impact is incomplete, and industry without deep research is short-sighted. Singapore's AI ecosystem can close that gap, and AISG will be the engine to get there." PROF HO'S TIME AT AISG MDDI and NRF thanked Prof Ho, who had been AISG's founding executive chairman since it was set up in 2017, for his leadership in shaping AISG's strategic direction and advancing Singapore’s AI ambitions. Prof Ho, who is also the president of NTU, "strengthened partnerships across academia, industry, and government", they said. Under his stewardship, AISG has strengthened Singapore’s position as a leading global hub for AI research and innovation, said MDDI and NRF. The initiative has also become a cornerstone of Singapore's national AI ecosystem, helping to advance impactful programmes in research, capability development and industry adoption. Prof Ho helped expand Singapore's AI research and manpower development efforts through initiatives such as the AISG PhD fellowship, 100 Experiments and the AI Apprenticeship Programme. AISG has delivered over 300 AI projects and trained close to 500 Singaporean AI engineers, enhancing the ability of Singapore’s companies to operate at the forefront of AI, said MDDI and NRF. Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, permanent secretary for National Research and Development, said that under Prof Ho, AISG has "anchored important national capabilities in AI, strengthened collaboration across the research, industry, and public-sector communities, and built valuable platforms for talent development, innovation, and industry adoption". "His contributions have been instrumental in Singapore’s AI journey, strengthening our international competitiveness in AI and positioning us well as a leading global hub for AI research and innovation," said Mr Chng Kai Fong, permanent secretary for Digital Development and Information. He added that Prof Wolfrum's experience in building research ecosystems and his commitment to collaboration will be valuable to AISG.