The partnership with SMU’s Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship will immerse the SMU students in UnionBank’s expertise in banking and fintech. UnionBank of the Philippines (UnionBank) and the Singapore Management University (SMU) – one of Asia’s premier universities – recently inked an agreement to further develop the potential of SMU’s brightest and most entrepreneurial students by learning from UnionBankers.

Under the partnership, up to 10 pre-screened SMU students with mixed expertise will be exposed to various projects of UnionBank for 12 weeks to co-create the development of emerging technologies. “We are always on the lookout to collaborate with the best knowledge partners that can equip our students with new skills and information and expose them in various learning environments,” shared HAU Koh Foo, Director of the SMU Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

The students are participants of Singapore Management University’s Global Innovation Immersion (GII) program – a talent development program seeking to imbue and enhance the entrepreneurial and global mindset of its most outstanding students. Students will be interning in startups, venture funds, corporates & non-government organizations in selected key markets.

HAU Koh Foo adds, “With UnionBank’s expertise in the banking and finance space coupled with their experience in fintech, we look forward to the various innovative collaborations our SMU students will generate through this program.”

The program is supported by the Singapore government under the Global Innovation Alliance, a network of Singapore and overseas partners in major innovation hubs and key demand markets, with focus on technology and innovation. For its part, UnionBank, a digital banking frontrunner in the Philippines, is very excited with its latest talent development initiative with SMU.

“This partnership is in line with the bank’s “Student Mentoring Program” which offers the opportunity to work in the bank’s most innovative and exciting projects; learn and collaborate with experienced professionals; gain experience in a corporate/fintech setting; obtain a deeper understanding of banking, finance, technology and the impact of the bank’s initiatives to promote financial inclusion thereby fostering holistic development for the participants,” said Michelle Rubio, UnionBank Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer.

Rubio added that they are looking at strengthening linkages with more schools and universities in the ASEAN region. In 2018, UnionBank launched its first-of-its-kind Blockchain Institute, Data Science Institute and Blockchain Xcellerator programs to help build a pool of tech talents in the Philippines.

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