UnionBank inks talent development program with Singapore Management University

The partnership with SMU’s Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship will immerse the SMU students in UnionBank’s expertise in banking and fintech.

SINGAPORE – Media
OutReach – 3 February 2020 – Union
Bank 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 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 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.