Partnershipswith Barça Innovation Hub - Universitas for short courses in sports science,IPRS for PR diploma modules, and new industry advisory panels announced duringCollabX Asia, the Academy's week-long annual flagship conference.

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 01 October 2018 - PSBAcademy (PSBA), one of Singapore's leading private education institutions, hascommitted to strengthening industry ties with a host of new partnerships thatwill allow its students to benefit from exposure to professional bestpractices, as well as more options to pursue specialised short courses inexecutive education.

(Left) IPRS President Robert Conceicao and PSB Academy CEO Derrick Chang sign a collaboration agreement to co-develop PR modules for a communications diploma, the first such academic collaboration for the apex body for local PR practitioners.

Diplomasco-developed with industry

At the institution's week-long flagshipconference event, CollabX Asia,PSBA CEO Derrick Chang signed a milestone agreement with the Institute ofPublic Relations of Singapore (IPRS), which states their intention toco-develop and deliver three Public Relations (PR) modules for a new Diploma inCommunication Management (course subject to regulatory approval). 

"IPRS welcomes the partnership with PSBAcademy on the proposed Diploma. It is a practical way for the Institute tocontribute to the development of budding PR practitioners to prepare them tomake their mark in the industry. The Diploma will impart relevant PR andcommunication skills that are needed by key sectors of the industry: agency,in-house, the public sector and not-for-profits. PSB Academy already offersstudents opportunities to develop the cultural fluency needed to manage brandson the international stage. We hope this partnership will provide the extra legup for students by learning from seasoned communicators," says RobertConceicao, President, IPRS.

The Academy has plans to involve more ofSingapore's industry bodies in the development of courses, and provide studentsgreater access to their professional networks, to help with their prospectivecareers.

During the conference, the Institution ofEngineers Singapore also launched their first student chapter at a privateeducation institution, with PSBA's School of Engineering and Technology. TheChartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Singapore, will too, soonwork with the institution to co-develop logistics and supply chain diplomamodules (subject to regulatory approval) mapped against current skill gaps inthe industry.

Accessto more internationally-recognised schools and providers

In its bid to expand its range of offeringsto meet the evolving needs of school-leavers and workers alike, PSBA announcedthe launch of its first wave of executive education programmes, with its entryinto the Barça Innovation Hub - Universitas global network for the exclusivedissemination of online sports training programmes in Singapore, Indonesia,Myanmar and Vietnam.

From November, PSBA will offer 6specialised short courses (subject to regulatory approval) in Sport Management/Marketing and Sport Science from the Barça Innovation Hub digital platform.Each course focuses on current and innovative topics like neuroscience intraining, injury prevention and sports nutrition, with a specific objective: toimprove the professionalization of the sports industry.

The partnership will be the first of manyinternational collaborations that PSBA hopes to establish, to offer lifelonglearners more options to develop niches or pursue interests in subjects thatare not yet widely available in Singapore. "To support the spirit of continualself-improvement in our students and workers, it is imperative that we buildflexible learning options to complement our suite of full and part-timecourses. As a trusted education provider in the region, we can serve as aplatform for internationally-renowned providers like Barça Innovation Hub, tobring their specialised expertise and knowledge hubs to students here," saysDerrick Chang, CEO, PSB Academy.

Evolvingcurricula with industry counsel

To further enhance the relevancy of itscourses to meet the modern needs of various industries, PSBA has strengthened industryadvisory panels for its School of Business and Management, andSchool of Engineering and Technology, to work with the institution's academicsin improving course curricula. The 16 senior executives from multinational andlocal companies like HP, Singapore Power, and DHL Express, to startup brandslike Hcook, will meet on at least a bi-annual basis, to provide advice concerningthe development, maintenance and business acceptance of PSBA's programmes froma business and employer perspective. They will also provide necessary industryconnections that will give PSBA students the exposure to real workenvironments, and opportunities to build professional networks.

"These new collaborations signal a new wayof working for us--in that we are no longer working in silo, but rather havebecome an efficient platform for companies to tap on to build relevancy andrigour into our courses. While no institution has a full grasp of how the natureof jobs will change in the future, strengthening such ties with the industrywill make us nimbler as educators, as we train more versatile students and improvetheir career-readiness--which continues to be a key measure of oursuccess as an institution," says PSB Academy Dean, Dr Sam Choon Yin.