SINGAPORE, 22 May 2026 – BDO Business Services & Outsourcing Pte. Ltd. (“BDO”) and the Singapore University of Social Sciences (“SUSS”) have formalised a strategic partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen human resource management and payroll capability development, enhance talent readiness, and deepen industry-academia collaboration.
The MOU establishes a framework for both organisations to work closely on professional development initiatives, applied learning opportunities, and knowledge exchange programmes that address evolving industry needs. Key areas of collaboration include practical payroll training, access to industry systems, internships, industry visits, and shared learning platforms. This collaboration is set to benefit over 1,000 SUSS students currently matriculated in SUSS’ full-time and part-time Bachelor of Human Resource Management (BHRM) programmes.
Commenting on the collaboration, Mr Frankie Chia, Managing Partner of BDO Singapore, said that the partnership reflects BDO’s commitment to developing future-ready talent. “At BDO, we believe that the industry has a responsibility to actively contribute to talent development. This collaboration with SUSS allows us to bring real-world payroll and HR practices into the classroom, equipping students with practical skills, digital capabilities, and industry exposure that are increasingly critical in today’s workforce.”
Associate Professor Sirene Lim, Dean of the S R Nathan School of Human Development (NSHD), said the partnership underscores the University’s commitment to applied learning and purposeful industry collaboration. “As the only autonomous university in Singapore offering a direct-honours degree in Human Resource Management, the collaboration with BDO will provide our students with valuable exposure to payroll and human resource management. Students can look forward to strengthening their industry-relevant capabilities and building the confidence to contribute meaningfully to evolving workforce needs, the HR sector, and the wider community.”
A cornerstone of the partnership is the application of BDO’s payroll solutions complementing the SUSS HRM curriculum, providing students with hands-on experience in real world human-capital operations. Students will have the opportunity to engage with BDO’s payroll professionals through guest lectures, workshops, seminars, and masterclasses. This includes annual two-day practical payroll management workshops for SUSS students, focused on real-world payroll operations and industry practices. BDO will ensure that HRM students gain hands-on technical proficiency before entering the workforce.
Furthermore, this cooperation advances SUSS’s institutional goal of promoting social good by empowering future HR practitioners to manage human capital with precision and ethics. This ensures fair and accurate HR practices, which are vital for the well-being of the Singaporean workforce and the stability of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) landscape.
The collaboration also prioritises career development and employability. BDO will offer internship and training opportunities to SUSS students, subject to mutually agreed arrangements, and contribute to industry engagement through guest lectures, mentoring, and networking activities. In addition, BDO will host annual industry visits to expose students to its business operations and current trends in accounting, human resources, and payroll.
The signing ceremony, held at BDO’s premises, was officiated by Mr Frankie Chia, Managing Director of BDO Singapore, and Associate Professor Sirene Lim, Dean of the SR Nathan School of Human Development, SUSS. This event marks the start of a strategic collaboration to accelerate the digital readiness of SUSS HRM graduates, ensuring they enter the workforce with the practical competencies required to lead in today's human capital landscape.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Muhammad Noor Amin
Senior Manager, Marketing Communications
Tel: +65 69902826
Cell: +65 97286964
Email: muhammadnoor@bdo.com.sg
Nur Aziemah Binte Aziz
Public Relations Manager, Communications & Marketing
Tel: +65 62408846
Email: aziemah@suss.edu.sg
About BDO Business Services & Outsourcing Pte. Ltd
BDO Business Services & Outsourcing Pte. Ltd. is an entity within BDO Singapore, a leading professional services firm renowned for its comprehensive range of audit, tax, advisory, and business outsourcing, accounting and payroll solutions. Serving SMEs, large private enterprises, and multinational corporations since 1972, BDO has earned a strong reputation for excellence. With over 650 dedicated professionals, BDO delivers expertise across Audit & Assurance, Tax & Risk Advisory, Business Restructuring & Forensics, Deal Advisory, Cyber Security & Digital Advisory, Management Consulting, and Business Outsourcing (BSO).
As an independent member of BDO International, the world’s fifth-largest professional services network with a presence in 169 countries, they provide global expertise with local insights. BDO’s partners and directors foster trust and innovation, helping clients grow and transform in a culture of collaboration and excellence. For more information, www.bdo.com.sg
About Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)
At SUSS, we have a singular vision to be a university that inspires learning for life and impacts lives, regardless of age, background or life path. Our university is a vibrant tapestry of ages and experiences. From recent JC and polytechnic graduates to seasoned professionals, parents seeking new horizons and individuals redefining their careers in their golden years—our diverse community comes together for one common goal: to empower themselves with an education that impacts lives and society.
We offer more than 110 undergraduate and graduate programmes, available in full- and part-time study modes which are flexible, modular and interdisciplinary, catering to both fresh school leavers and adult learners. The university is known for its specialised, industry-aligned offerings, including Singapore’s only dedicated, direct-honours Bachelor of Human Resource Management. Complemented by our specialised post-graduate Human Capital Management degrees, SUSS provides a comprehensive pathway for the holistic training and professional upgrading of Singapore’s HR workforce. SUSS also offers a broad range of continuing education and training modular courses for the professional skills upgrading of Singapore's workforce.
Our programmes and courses are offered by our six schools:
- S R Nathan School of Human Development
- School of Business
- School of Humanities & Behavioural Sciences
- School of Law
- School of Science & Technology
- School of Social Work & Social Development
Since becoming an Autonomous University in 2017, over 21,000 graduates have experienced our unique brand of education. More than 19,000 students are currently pursuing their full- and part-time studies with us.
The Institute for Adult Learning (IAL), as part of SUSS, leads in the field of research on adult and workplace learning and training of adult educators to build capabilities of the training and adult education sector in Singapore and beyond.
For more information about SUSS, please visit www.suss.edu.sg.