Alibaba Talent Programme

AliBABA Talent Programme

The Alibaba Group has launched the “Alibaba Talent Programme” in Singapore to encourage outstanding undergraduate and Masters graduates to pursue PhD degrees.

This programme is supported by the Economic Development Board (EDB) and Alibaba’s first overseas research institute – the Alibaba-NTU Singapore Joint Research Institute (JRI). Successful candidates will study in local universities and participate in joint research projects between Alibaba and partner universities. They will be Alibaba full-time employees and pursue this programme on a full-time basis. Each PhD student will be mentored by at least one supervisor from his/her enrolled university and one co-supervisor from Alibaba. Alibaba will provide data sets and business scenarios to create an enriching academic environment for students. 

In addition to existing research areas, the JRI is launching a new area, namely digital transformation for global sustainability. Examples of possible projects include environmental sustainability, renewable energy, efficient energy utilization, pollution control, machine learning for process automation and predictive maintenance.


  1. Must be a Singapore Citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident.
  2. Must meet the university's admission and academic requirements.
  3. Must hold a bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Science, Engineering, Humanities, Health or other related areas.
  4. Genuine interest in fundamental research in Artificial Intelligence and its impactful applications in Health, E-Commerce, Smart Cities and Global Sustainability.
  5. Prepared to spend up to 50% of the time at Alibaba’s premises to work on the R&D projects;
  1. Monthly salary of 5,000 SGD for 4 years.
  2. Fully supported tuition fees for 4 years.
  3. Central Provident Fund (CPF) Contribution. Note: the rate is pegged to the prevailing employer's contribution rate set by CPF.
  4. Other benefits, such as insurance, financial support for attending conferences, internship allowance, etc.

Application for the Alibaba-NTU Talent Programme is open year-round.

Email your application to [email protected], with your name in the subject line. Please attach your Curriculum Vitae (CV) including your Grade Point Average, and indicate your residency status (Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident). Should you require any additional information, you may contact us via email.

Before you submit your CV, please refer to NTU Personal Data Privacy Statement and Consent for Applicant online.

The Alibaba IPP student application deadline for SCSE PhD Aug 24 batch is 17 May 24.