Singapore to Broaden AI Governance Training and Certification

Singapore's approach to AI governance has always been as much about building capability as it is about writing rules. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) have signed a three-year Memorandum of Intent that doubles down on that philosophy — expanding professional training and certification pathways for AI governance and data protection practitioners in Singapore.

Under the agreement, professionals in Singapore will gain wider access to the IAPP's Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional (AIGP) certification, one of the industry's most recognised credentials for AI risk management, compliance, and ethical governance. The partnership also extends the integration between the Singapore Data Festival and the IAPP Asia Forum for another three years, bringing together policymakers, regulators, and industry experts from Singapore and overseas for what has become a key fixture in the regional AI governance calendar.

The move comes at a time when demand for AI governance expertise is outstripping supply globally. Singapore has positioned itself as a testbed for AI governance frameworks — from the Model AI Governance Framework to the AI Verify testing toolkit and the proposed AI-specific data notification rules rolled out by the PDPC in recent weeks. Each new framework creates a corresponding need for trained professionals who can operationalise these requirements inside organisations, and the IMDA-IAPP partnership is a direct response to that capacity gap.

Denise Wong, Commissioner of the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) and Assistant Chief Executive of IMDA's Data Innovation and Protection Group, said the collaboration aligns with the Singapore Data Festival's mission to advance global discussions on data and AI governance. "By bringing in international professionals and experts to Singapore, we are not only equipping industry leaders and regulators with the skills to address emerging challenges on data protection and AI governance but also positioning Singapore as a global hub for data protection conversations," she said. IAPP President and CEO J Trevor Hughes added that equipping practitioners with the knowledge, skills, and networks to navigate emerging challenges helps foster both trust and innovation.

Why it matters for Singapore: Training and certification infrastructure is the invisible backbone of any regulatory regime. As Singapore rolls out AI-specific data notification rules, updated cybersecurity codes of practice, and sectoral AI guidelines across finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure, the availability of certified AI governance professionals will determine whether those rules translate into actual organisational practice. The three-year commitment signals that IMDA sees governance capacity-building not as a one-off exercise but as an ongoing institutional investment — one that reinforces Singapore's ambition to be the regional hub for AI governance expertise, not just regulation.