The NUS Business Analytics Centre Symposium (BACS) 2025 took place on 25 September 2025 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, bringing together a dynamic community of over 500 industry leaders, alumni, faculty, and students. This year, 115 NUS Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) students presented 111 capstone projects, each reflecting the transformative role of analytics in shaping the future of business and society.
From Generative AI breakthroughs to cutting-edge applications in finance, healthcare, manufacturing, e-commerce, and consumer analytics, the diversity and impact of the projects underscored how business analytics continues to redefine industries. Each year, our NUS MSBA students push boundaries, applying their knowledge to solve real-world challenges and 2025 was no exception.
Celebrating Innovation and Industry Collaboration
BACS is an annual flagship event organised by the NUS Business Analytics Centre (BAC). It serves as both a culmination of the NUS MSBA students’ academic journey, showcasing the capstone projects they have developed with industry partners and a gathering point for analytics and AI professionals to exchange insights, ideas, and opportunities.
This year’s symposium opened with our emcee, Jen Park, proud NUS MSBA alumnus, followed by a Welcome Speech from Ian Wilson, Chairman of the BAC Advisory Board, and an opening address by Professor James Pang, Co-Director of NUS BAC. Their words set the tone for a day that highlighted innovation, collaboration, and the growing influence of analytics and AI in business decision-making.
We remain grateful to our industry partners, whose guidance and mentorship ensure our students gain exposure to practical, high-impact business problems. These collaborations form the backbone of the NUS MSBA programme, reinforcing its reputation for producing industry-ready professionals.
Joe Chiu, Vice President (Digital & Data Management Systems) at Changi Airport Group and BAC Advisory Board Member, shared, “The NUS MSBA programme stands out for its capstone project, which provides students with valuable hands-on experience. The extended attachment allows them to better understand business needs, engage with stakeholders, and deliver well-researched, practical solutions that are thoughtfully articulated and highly relevant to real-world challenges.”
Pek Wee Leng, Head of Business Analytics (Personal Financial Services) at UOB, remarked, “This year’s student project was exceptionally good and engaging. The students brought the use case to life, applying what they learned to develop practical solutions for real-world problems we encounter every day.”
Recognising Excellence: Outstanding Capstone Project Awards
A highlight of the symposium was the presentation of the Outstanding Capstone Project Awards (OCPA). Five students were honoured with crystal trophies and a cash prize of $500 each for their outstanding work in solving complex business challenges with analytics.
Congratulations to the 2025 OCPA winners (in alphabetical order):
Steven Prawira reflected, “Collaborating with industry partners gave us a real-life context for what we’ve learned. It’s not just textbook learning, these are actual use cases that show us how to deploy solutions in real-world scenarios, which was incredibly valuable.”
Thinking back on her Capstone Project and BACS experience, Soumya Haridas said, “This experience has helped me grow both personally and professionally. We had the opportunity to engage with people from various industries who were keen to learn more about analytics and AI. It also honed our soft skills as we learned to story tell and present our projects in a clear, engaging way.”
Their achievements exemplify the spirit of innovation, resilience, and excellence that defines the NUS MSBA programme.
Showcasing Alumni Start-Ups
Beyond student projects, BACS 2025 proudly spotlighted six NUS MSBA alumni-founded start-ups. These ventures exemplify how our graduates are applying analytics and AI to drive real-world innovation, from reshaping consumer experiences to advancing enterprise solutions.
Attendees had the opportunity to hear directly from founders on how their NUS MSBA journey equipped them with the skills, vision, and network to transform ideas into thriving businesses. Their stories serve as inspiration for our current students and as proof of the programme’s impact well beyond graduation.
Lee Gang, NUS MSBA Alumni AY20/22 and co-founder of ELGO AI, said, “I’m very happy to be able to showcase, as an alumnus, what we’ve been doing since graduating to industry partners, alumni and students. It’s great for students to see the different pathways available after graduation, especially for those interested in entrepreneurship.”
This showcase reinforced the strength of the NUS MSBA alumni network, a vibrant community that continues to expand and contribute to the analytics ecosystem worldwide.
A Thriving Community, A Promising Future
It was especially heartening to see so many NUS MSBA alumni return to the symposium, reconnecting with peers and witnessing the programme’s growth over the years. Many remarked on how the curriculum continues to evolve in line with industry needs, ensuring our graduates remain at the forefront of analytics and AI.
After experiencing BACS 2025, Assistant Professor Varun Karamshetty from NUS Computing remarked, “What makes BACS truly special is its ability to bring industry and academia together. Each project has both an industry and an academic supervisor, ensuring it is academically rigorous while remaining relevant to the industry and addressing real-world problems.”
As we look ahead, the momentum from BACS 2025 fuels our mission: to nurture the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of analytics and AI with creativity, rigour, and impact.
We extend our deepest appreciation to all industry leaders, faculty, students, alumni, and attendees who made BACS 2025 a resounding success. Together, we continue to power innovation with analytics.
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📩 For sponsorship opportunities or enquiries about the NUS Business Analytics Centre Symposium, please reach out to us at msba@nus.edu.sg.
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