Fifth Hub Builds on Global Effort to Train One Million Purpose-Driven Data Practitioners

Today, with the generous support of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, data.org launched the Asia Pacific (APAC) Data Capacity Accelerator, the fifth in a growing network of global partners that are building a workforce of purpose-driven data practitioners.

The APAC Data Capacity Accelerator will catalyze the application of data to address systemic financial inclusion challenges – including the critical need to build the data for social impact workforce. In partnership with the Asian Institute of Digital Finance (AIDF) – a university-level institute at the National University of Singapore (NUS) – and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, this accelerator will produce a cohort of data practitioners and a training model to scale across the region.

“Digital transformation, AI and data all have a role to play in shaping society and driving economies towards financial health and resilience,” said Shamina Singh, founder and president, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. “At Mastercard, we are committed to driving financial inclusion for small businesses, workers, and communities all around the world. We are proud to work with partners such as data.org, the Asian Institute of Digital Finance at the National University of Singapore, and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities to reach the next generation of data practitioners, so they can harness the power of data and AI to support inclusive economic growth in the APAC region.”

The latest Capacity Accelerator Network (CAN) launch announcement came at an event held at NUS. Domain leaders across academia, industry, government, and NGOs came together to discuss shared goals and coordination around developing and upskilling purpose-driven data capacity for inclusive growth.

“data.org works at the intersection of what is possible and what is practical, as increasingly illustrated by the impact of our CAN network partners,” said Danil Mikhailov, executive director of data.org. “We will only reach our goal of training one million purpose-driven data practitioners by 2032 through interdisciplinary, locally-led programs. Our growing and diverse network of partners—including now five Capacity Accelerator Network hubs worldwide—is making connections across sectors and across borders, inspiring a new generation of problem solvers.”

The APAC Data Capacity Accelerator builds on the work being done at hubs in Africa, India, Latin America, and the United States. To date, data.org programs have engaged more than 20 academic partners around the world, applying the power of research and academic expertise to enable social impact organizations to unlock the power of data to meet their missions.

For the APAC Accelerator, AIDF and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities are the primary higher education partners.

“AIDF is proud to host today’s event together with data.org and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities. It’s very exciting to be a part of a movement to empower young people and underprivileged communities, such as small business owners, around the world with the skills they need to be competitive in an increasingly tech-driven workforce,” said Professor Huang Ke-Wei, Executive Director of AIDF. “Our students, regardless of their disciplines, can benefit from exposure to and understanding of data and AI. We hope to create more opportunities for them to apply such critical skills in ways that would be beneficial to the community, society, and the world.”

“This partnership is about tapping into the power of higher education to ensure that our workforce and our communities are not left behind,” said Thomas Schneider, chief executive of the Association of Pacific Rim Universities. “Data science for social impact has the potential of significant societal benefits in areas such as economic mobility, gender equity, and even public health and climate, so we are eager to see how the data practitioners and social impact organizations involved will address this challenge in a way that serves the public good in the Asia Pacific and beyond.”

Today’s event included keynotes on topics such as data and AI driving inclusive growth, the power of collaboration among government and social impact leaders, and the unique challenges and opportunities of AI in social impact. Subject matter experts shared their perspectives through panel discussions on bridging the data talent demand-supply gap, data-driven decision-making in multistakeholder partnerships, and scaling innovation and resources.

About data.org

data.org is accelerating the power of data and AI to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. By hosting innovation challenges to surface and scale groundbreaking ideas, and elevating use cases of the most effective tools and strategies, we are building the field of data for social impact. By 2032, we will train one million purpose-driven data practitioners, ensuring there is capacity to drive meaningful, equitable impact.

About the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth advances equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. The Center leverages the company’s core assets and competencies, including data insights, expertise, and technology, while administering the philanthropic Mastercard Impact Fund, to produce independent research, scale global programs, and empower a community of thinkers, leaders, and doers on the front lines of inclusive growth. For more information and to receive its latest insights, follow the Center on LinkedIn, Instagram and subscribe to its newsletter.

About the Asian Institute of Digital Finance

The Asian Institute of Digital Finance (AIDF) is a university-level institute at the National University of Singapore (NUS), jointly founded by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the National Research Foundation (NRF), and NUS. AIDF aims to be a thought leader, a FinTech knowledge hub, and an experimental site for developing digital financial technologies, as well as for nurturing current and future FinTech researchers and practitioners in Asia. For more information, please visit: https://www.aidf.nus.edu.sg/.

About the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU)

As a network of leading universities linking the Americas, Asia and Australasia, the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) is the Voice of Knowledge and Innovation for the Asia-Pacific region. APRU brings together thought leaders, researchers, and policy-makers to exchange ideas and collaborate on practical solutions to the challenges of the 21st century. For more information, please visit: https://www.apru.org/.

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