SUTD and Mendaki to partner on design, AI training for Malay/Muslim community
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Yayasan Mendaki staff attending a generative AI class at SUTD on March 18.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
- SUTD and Mendaki partner to equip the Malay/Muslim community with AI, design, and applied learning skills over three years.
- Some 200 Mendaki staff will participate in SUTD's Generative AI course to improve productivity and service delivery, enhancing digital literacy.
- Mendaki integrated Luminee, an AI learning system, into its tuition programme, with SUSS to evaluate its impact on students.
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SINGAPORE – The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and community self-help group Mendaki will collaborate in providing training and skills development opportunities in design and artificial intelligence for the Malay/Muslim community.
This will start with 200 Mendaki staff, who will participate in the two-day SUTD-Yayasan Mendaki Generative AI Professional Course. The programme aims to introduce how AI can be used to support Mendaki officers in their work, improve productivity, better manage day-to-day responsibilities and enhance service delivery to the community.
The tie-up is part of a three-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by SUTD and Mendaki on March 18 to collaborate on initiatives in AI, design and applied learning.
The partnership aims to equip the Malay/Muslim community with relevant skills, applied learning opportunities and AI-driven capabilities.
Yayasan Mendaki staff attending a generative AI class at the Singapore University of Technology and Design on March 18.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Under the agreement, SUTD and Mendaki will also work on joint research and collaborative projects, and support SUTD’s student initiatives, including Capstone and Design Studio projects that work on community challenges.
The partnership will also see Malay/Muslim individuals participating in SUTD’s programmes, and SUTD employees and students joining Mendaki’s programmes. This aims to facilitate knowledge exchange, raising community awareness while strengthening digital capabilities and fostering innovation within the Malay/Muslim community.
In his Budget 2026 speech on Feb 12, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong underscored that Singapore must harness AI as a strategic advantage so it does not fall behind in a rapidly changing world, and ensure that AI serves Singapore’s national interests and people.
“Harnessed well, AI will be a strategic advantage for Singapore. It can help us overcome our structural constraints – our limited natural resources, rapidly ageing population and tight labour market,” PM Wong had said.
By combining Mendaki’s strong community reach with SUTD’s expertise in technology, innovation and applied design, the partnership seeks to translate academic and industry expertise into real-world impact, said the organisations in a joint statement on March 18.
The partnership supports Mendaki’s five-year work plan in building a future-ready workforce, and contributes to Langkah Digital, an initiative led by Mendaki to promote AI adoption and digital literacy within the community.
Mendaki chairman Zaqy Mohamad (centre), Senior Minister of State for Defence, and Sustainability and the Environment, witnessing the MOU signing by SUTD’s deputy president and chief innovation and enterprise officer Tai Lee Siang (left) and Mendaki CEO Feroz Akber at SUTD on March 18.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
The MOU was signed by SUTD’s deputy president and chief innovation and enterprise officer Tai Lee Siang and Mendaki chief executive Feroz Akber at an event held at SUTD.
Speaking to the media at the event, Mendaki chairman Zaqy Mohamad said Mendaki has a role to help the Malay/Muslim community understand AI to ensure they are not afraid to use AI and can remain competitive.
Mr Zaqy, who is also Senior Minister of State for Defence, and Sustainability and the Environment, said the collaboration will encourage other Malay/Muslim organisations to come on board, embrace AI and help the community gain confidence to use AI.
The SUTD-Yayasan Mendaki Generative AI Professional Course is conducted by SUTD’s adult learning arm, SUTD Academy. The academy has been working with organisations over the past year to build practical AI capabilities, running over 125 AI-related courses with close to 3,700 participants from April 2025 to January 2026.
Mendaki had also signed an MOU with Quantedge Foundation in December 2025 to integrate Luminee, an AI-powered adaptive learning system, into its Mendaki Achievement Programme, formerly known as the Mendaki Tuition Programme.
Mendaki chairman Zaqy Mohamad (centre), who is also Senior Minister of State for Defence, and Sustainability and the Environment, at SUTD on March 18.
ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Luminee, a platform for students, combines diagnostic quizzes with interactive activities to adjust question difficulty and pinpoint learning gaps for each student, provide targeted feedback and track progress more effectively.
Tutors supervise students as they navigate the platform and provide closer guidance to those who require more support. The platform was rolled out in February to 445 Primary 5 pupils for core subjects, including English, mathematics and science.
To study the impact of the programme, Mendaki will collaborate with the Singapore University of Social Sciences on a two-year evaluation involving up to 890 Primary 5 pupils.
The study will provide insights into how AI-enabled personalised learning impacts pupil outcomes and explore how tutors can best support programme delivery.
Mr Zaqy said of the programme: “I’ve seen tutors who now say they spend a fraction of the time preparing classes and can spend more time thinking about how to make their engagements more effective and creative.”
He added that the AI platforms motivate students and give them more confidence in learning.
