Media OutReach

The World Smart Industry Expo 2025 Concludes Successfully, and the 2025 Digital Industry Ecology Conference Bears Abundant Fruits

Published

3 months ago

09/09/2025

CHONGQING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 September 2025 – The World Smart Industry Expo 2025 concluded successfully in Chongqing on 8^{^th} September. As a highlight event of the Expo, the “2025 Digital Industry Ecology Conference” hosted by Mashang Consumer Finance Co., Ltd. attracted government leaders, over ten academicians and industrial specialists, more than 300 top-notch technology firms, and over 1,500 industrial elites. Focusing on the new industrial opportunities spawned by the technological revolution, particularly advancements in artificial intelligence, the conference became a major highlight during the Expo.

Hu Henghua, Deputy Secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Committee of CPC and Mayor of the Chongqing Municipal Government, attended the 2025 Digital Industry EcologyConference and delivered an opening remarks.

Hu Henghua, Deputy Secretary of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of the Chongqing Municipal Government, attended the 2025 Digital Industry Ecology Conference held on the afternoon of 5^{^th} September and delivered an opening speech. He noted that with the theme of “Embracing Intelligence, Shaping a New Future”, this conference has facilitated the sharing of forward-thinking insights and sparked dynamic intellectual exchanges, , which will undoubtedly pool wisdom and strength while building momentum for the digital industry. Chongqing stands ready to seize this opportunity to work with all parties in shareing new opportunities in Digital Chongqing, advancing breakthroughs in digital technology, creating new landmarks for the digital industry, exploring innovative models of digital governance, and collectively building a brighter future in the intelligent era.

Hu Henghua stated that, as an important strategic pivot for the Western Development in the New Era and a comprehensive hub for inland opening-up as positioned by the central government, Chongqing boasts a well-developed industrial system, prominent geographical advantages, and abundant strategic opportunities, providing vast prospects for the development of its digital economy. In recent years, Chongqing has deeply implemented the spirit of the important speeches and instructions ofPresident Xi , and fully embraced the intelligent era. Led by the construction of Digital Chongqing, it has vigorously carried out the “AI +” initiative, promoted the deep integration of the real economy and the digital economy, and sped up the building of a highland for AI applications and a highland for digital-intelligence technological innovation. Chongqing is strengthening the foundation of digital development by enhancing data aggregation and computing power supply. It is fostering new quality productive forces in the digital sector through advancing digital industrialization and the digitalization of industries. By strengthening scenario-driven applications and AI empowerment, the city is promoting comprehensive digital transformation across urban domains. Additionally, it is optimizing the development environment for the digital industry by focusing on talent cultivation and building an open-source ecosystem.

Miao Wei, a member of the Standing Committee and Deputy Director of the Economic Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and former Minister of Industry and Information Technology, said in the keynote speech that, China, as the only country in the world with all industrial categories, is rapidly integrating its digital and real economies. He particularly lauded Chongqing as a benchmark for the integration of digital and real economies in the Western China, highlighting its remarkable achievements. Specific examples included the SERES Smart Factory, which has achieved 100% automation in key processes and reduced product delivery cycles by 30%, as well as Mashang Consumer Finance Co., Ltd.’s large language model “Tianjing 3.0″which uses AI to empower financial services so as to boost domestic consumption.

As the host city of the World Smart Industry Expo, Chongqing has also established itself as a major hub for the digital economy. The city is experiencing vigorous growth in this sector, with the scale of its digital economy exceeding the one-trillion-yuan threshold. It has nurtured a group of leading enterprises and formed a virtuous cycle of “innovation and R&D — real-world application — cluster expansion,” providing core driving force for the regional digital economy.

Mashang Consumer Finance Co., Ltd. is a typical example of an enterprise rooted in Chongqing while serving the whole nation. Backed by the excellent business environment in Chongqing, the company has always clung to independent R & D in science and technology. It has formed a research team of over 3,400 people, accounting for over 75% of its total staff, and independently built more than 1,000 core systems covering the whole processes of risk control, customer service, marketing and asset management, making a key leap from a “technology user” to a “technology creator”. In 2023, Mashang Consumer Finance Co., Ltd. pioneered the release of “Tianjing”, a large language model for retail financial services targeting a user base of hundreds of millions. Now it has evolved to Version 3.0 and the model has been fully deployed across eight major application scenarios.

At the 2025 Digital Industry Ecology Conference, Mashang Consumer Finance Co., Ltd. released a number of achievements and cooperation projects, leading the collaborative development of the digital industry ecosystem. It officially launched the first financial blockchain management platform ahead of other national consumer finance companies, and implemented the first-ever “Blockchain + Digital Yuan” ABS transaction, building a reliable, open and shared “digital base” for the industry. It unveiled two Chongqing Municipal Key Laboratories jointly with Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications and the Chongqing-Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Research Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, aiming to build an innovative platform for special-purpose quantum computing and enhance the research level of cybersecurity and digital economy governance. Additionally, a strategic cooperation agreement was signed with the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics to jointly build a new paradigm for deep industry-academia-research integration. This initiative integrates basic research, technological breakthroughs, talent development, and results translation into a unified strategy, fostering a fertile environment for Chongqing’s digital economy.

The conference also invited Jiang Xiaojuan, Honorary President of the China Society of Industrial Economics and Former Deputy Secretary- General of the State Council, Lu Jianhua, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Deputy Director of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Liang Tao, Former Vice-Chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, Wang Zixiong, a member of the Party Working Committee and Deputy Director of the Administrative Committee of Chongqing Liangjiang New Area, Li Lihui, former President of the Bank of China, Jiang Ning, Executive Deputy General Manager of Mashang Consumer Finance Co., Ltd., Yuan Foyu, Vice-President of Baidu Group, and Liu Yuanxin, Chief Expert of Huawei’s Digital Finance Legion, to jointly discuss key issues like the development trends of the digital industry and the deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy. More than ten government leaders and academicians, over 50 technologyfirms , more than 300 top-notch companies and over 1,500 industrial – chain partners gathered in Chongqing. The event demonstrated nearly 20 billion yuan in potential investment attraction, drove over 30 million yuan in direct and indirect economic benefits, and generated more than 20 million online and offline impressions. These efforts propelled “Chongqing’s Digital Industry” to trend once again, serving as a powerful testament to the city and the industry moving forward together.

At the closing ceremony of the Smart Expo held on the afternoon of 8^{^th} September, Cao Jingquan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Mashang Consumer Finance Co., Ltd., stated that under the guidance of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee and the Municipal Government of Chongqing, the company will continue to leverage the dividends of large language models to create a replicable and scalable “Mashang Solution”, and together with industrial partners, to enhance the accessibility, coverage and satisfaction of financial services , channeling more “financial vitality” into the real economy, and infusing more “intelligent nourishment” into thousands of households across the coutry.

As a national-level exhibition platform, the World Smart Industry Expo and Chongqing have mutually reinforced each other’s growth. The event has converged unprecedented flows of people, goods, capital and information, unleashing a strong “Smart Expo Effect”. Though the Expo concludes, its impact endures. The 2025 Digital Industry Ecology Conference not only enhanced Chongqing’s reputation as a hub of digital industry, but also continues to attract high-end talents, cutting – edge technologies and high – quality resources to Chongqing and Western China, injecting robust momentum into regional high – quality development while offering valuable “Chongqing Model” and “Western Experience” for talent mobility and industrial upgrading across the country.

Hashtag: #TheWorldSmartIndustryExpo2025

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Media OutReach

Payment Options Singapore Secures In-Principle Approval from MAS for Major Payment Institution Licence

Published

13 hours ago

08/12/2025

Media Outreach

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 8 December 2025 – Payment Options Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based payment solutions provider, is pleased to announce that it has received In-Principle Approval (IPA) from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) for a Major Payment Institution (MPI) licence under the Payment Services Act 2019.

Payment Options Pte Ltd office in Singapore

This milestone underscores Payment Options’ commitment to supporting Singapore’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with simple, secure, and accessible digital payment solutions.

If granted the licence, Payment Options Pte Ltd will be authorised to provide three regulated payment services: Merchant Acquisition, Domestic Money Transfer, and Cross-Border Money Transfer. Through these services, the company aims to empower SMEs with a full suite of payment capabilities — from online payment gateways and QR code payments to the upcoming SoftPOS payments technology — enabling merchants to accept digital payments easily and securely.

“We remain deeply committed to supporting Singapore’s SMEs as they grow and compete in an increasingly digital-first economy. Our vision is to position digital payments as a growth enabler — not a challenge — for small businesses”, said Aaron Yip, Director of Payment Options Pte Ltd. “Our goal is to make digital transactions seamless, secure, and accessible for every business, regardless of size.”

Building on this vision, if the licence is granted, Payment Options will continue to work closely with local merchants, financial institutions, and technology partners to enhance payment accessibility and drive innovation across Singapore’s SME ecosystem.

“We reaffirm our commitment to regulatory compliance and innovation, as we contribute to Singapore’s ongoing journey toward a secure, inclusive, and cash-lite economy.”

The IPA granted by the MAS indicates that a licence may be issued upon the fulfilment of specified conditions and provided there are no material adverse developments affecting the applicant. The IPA does not constitute a licence to provide payment services at this stage, and MAS reserves the right to rescind the approval if it deems appropriate.
Hashtag: #PaymentOptions

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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Payment Options Pte Ltd

Payment Options Pte Ltd is a Singapore-based financial technology company providing innovative and secure payment solutions designed to help SMEs and merchants simplify digital transactions. With a focus on compliance, technology, and customer experience, the company aims to make digital payments accessible for every business.

Media OutReach

Financial Assistance at SIM: Breaking Barriers to Education

Published

14 hours ago

08/12/2025

Media Outreach

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 8 December 2025 – For many aspiring learners, financial constraints remain one of the biggest obstacles to achieving their goals. SIM is determined to change that. Guided by the principle that no student should be left behind because of cost, SIM has built a comprehensive ecosystem of financial aid, scholarships, and bursaries to make quality education attainable for all.

At the heart of this mission is the SIM Impact Fund, a S$60 million initiative dedicated to empowering students from diverse backgrounds and ensuring that financial hardship never stands in the way of academic or personal growth. By blending need-based assistance with merit-driven opportunities, SIM is creating an inclusive learning environment where talent and ambition define success.

Empowering Learners Through the SIM Impact Fund

In 2024, SIM introduced the SIM Impact Fund, a S$60 million initiative dedicated to supporting students from lower-income households and ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder educational aspirations. Administered through SIM Trust, the fund is designed to empower learners within and beyond SIM’s community by removing barriers to access. Beginning in 2025, Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents with a per-capita income of S$1,750 or below can benefit from tiered assistance, ranging from S$6,000 up to S$13,500 for those with PCI of S$600 or less, S$4,500 to S$6,750 for PCI between S$601 and S$1,000, and S$2,000 for PCI between S$1,001 and S$1,750. Beyond tuition aid, the fund also provides support for overseas internships and merit-based scholarships, benefiting approximately 500 students annually.

Beyond Tuition: Comprehensive Financial Aid

SIM’s commitment to learning accessibility goes far beyond tuition subsidies. Through its Financial Assistance schemes, students can tap into a range of support options tailored to different needs. These include Enhanced Bursaries Aid, which provide up to S$13,500 per year for Singapore Citizens, and a SIM GE Crisis Fund offering emergency relief of up to S$5,000 for unforeseen circumstances. In addition, SIM encourages global exposure through Study Abroad Awards, enabling students to broaden their horizons without financial strain. Together, these initiatives reflect SIM’s ethos of inclusivity and resilience, ensuring that financial challenges never derail academic aspirations.

Community-Focused Support

The Dr Richard K M Eu – SIM Social Entrepreneurship Centre (RESSEC) exemplifies SIM’s deep-rooted commitment to community empowerment and social impact. Launched in July 2024 in partnership with the late Dr Eu’s family,

RESSEC received a combined S$8 million donation, S$6 million from the Eu family and S$2 million from SIM, marking a significant investment in nurturing social entrepreneurship. Guided by Dr Eu’s vision of transforming social service through ethical leadership and innovation, the Centre equips learners and social service professionals via initiatives such as a specialised postgraduate Diploma in Social Entrepreneurship, mentorship, and collaborative dialogues.

RESSEC also provides 12 bursaries of S$10,000 each for SIM Global Education students (check that this is accurate and that it’s not also extended to those outside the SIM ecosystem) who demonstrate strong community service and leadership and those with per-capita income up to S$1,750, prioritising those with per-capita income less than S$1,000. Through this initiative, SIM embeds purpose-driven learning into its mission, empowering students to create sustainable, positive impact in Singapore and beyond

Scholarship for Excellence

SIM offers a diverse range of scholarships under SIM Global Education to recognize excellence and resilience among its students. These include the SIM STARRR Award, which provides up to S$36,000 to outstanding achievers who demonstrate academic distinction and leadership qualities, and the Sports & Arts Talent Award, also valued at S$15,000 for students who excel in athletic or artistic pursuits. Additionally, the Chairman’s Award for Resilience grants S$3,000 to students who successfully balance work and study commitments, showcasing perseverance in the face of challenges. Together, these scholarships complement SIM’s need-based financial aid, creating a holistic support system that rewards merit while ensuring inclusivity.

Conclusion: Building a Future Without Barriers

SIM’s financial assistance framework is more than a set of policies, it is a promise to the community. By investing in initiatives like the SIM Impact Fund and expanding bursaries and scholarships, SIM is actively dismantling the barriers that prevent talented individuals from reaching their potential. This approach does not just benefit students, it strengthens society by cultivating a diverse pool of graduates equipped to lead, innovate, and give back. In a world where education often comes with a hefty price tag, SIM stands out as a beacon of accessibility and empowerment. For students and families seeking assurance that quality education is within reach, SIM offers not just hope but a clear, actionable path forward.

References:

Bursaries & Financial Aid (Enhanced) – https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/admissions/bursaries-and-financial-aids
Dr Richard K M Eu – SIM Social Entrepreneurship Centre (RESSEC) – https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/sim-global-education/ressec
The Dr Richard K M Eu – SIM Social Entrepreneurship Centre (RESSEC) Opens to Advance Singapore’s Social Sector – https://www.sim.edu.sg/news-events/the-dr-richard-k-m-eu-sim-social-entrepreneurship-centre-%28ressec%29-opens
SIM Scholarship – https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/admissions/scholarships
SIM’s STARRR Award – https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/admissions/scholarships/sim-starrr-award-for-new-undergraduate-students
SIM Award and Sports & Artistic Award – https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/admissions/scholarships/sim-global-education-scholarship
SIM Global Education Diploma Scholarships – https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/admissions/scholarships/sim-global-education-diploma-scholarships
Chairman’s Award for Resilience – https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/admissions/scholarships/chairman-s-award-for-resilience

Hashtag: #SIMGlobalEducation #SIMGE #GlobalEducation #InternationalDegree #CareerReady #FutureSkills

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About SIM Global Education

SIM Global Education (SIM GE) is a leading private education institution in Singapore and the region. We offer more than 140 academic programmes ranging from diplomas and graduate diploma programmes to bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes with some of the world’s most reputable universities from Australia, Canada, Europe, United Kingdom, and the United States. SIM GE’s cohort is made up of 16,000 full- and part-time students and adult learners, of which approximately 36% are international students hailing from over 50 countries.

SIM GE’s holistic learning approach and culturally diverse learning environment aim to equip students with knowledge, industry skills and employability competencies, as well as a global perspective to succeed as future leaders in a fast-changing, technologically driven world.

For more information on SIM Global Education, visit sim.edu.sg

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Beyond Academic Excellence: SIM Scholarships Champion Leadership, Resilience, and Talent

Published

1 day ago

07/12/2025

Media Outreach

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 7 December 2025 – The Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) is proud to reaffirm its commitment to developing future-ready graduates through a comprehensive scholarship framework that goes beyond academic achievement. These scholarships are designed to recognize and nurture qualities such as leadership, resilience, and talent. These attributes are essential for success in today’s dynamic global environment.

For decades, scholarships have been synonymous with academic excellence. SIM is redefining this narrative by adopting a holistic approach that values character, contribution, and courage alongside academic performance. This initiative reflects SIM’s mission to prepare graduates who are adaptable, innovative, and socially responsible.

Scholarships That Go Beyond Academics

SIM’s scholarship ecosystem reflects its belief that success is multidimensional. Rather than focusing solely on grades, these awards celebrate qualities such as resilience, leadership, and talent. The SIM STARRR Award, for instance, supports freshmen who embody Resilience, Resourcefulness, and Responsibility, offering up to S$36,000 in tuition fees, along with living and exchange allowances, without any bond requirement.

For students who shine in sports or the arts, the SIM Award & Sports/Artistic Talent Award provides S$15,000, disbursed in two tranches, to help them balance academic and extracurricular excellence.

International students pursuing diploma programmes can benefit from the Diploma Scholarships, which cover up to 100% of course fees for academic excellence or 50% for merit-based achievements.

For working adults who have overcome significant challenges, the SIM Chairman’s Award for Resilience offers S$3,000, recognizing perseverance and determination in the face of adversity.

Stories That Inspire

SIM’s scholarships are more than financial aid. They are catalysts for transformation, opening doors for students to turn challenges into triumphs. Take Ernita Tanudjaja, an international student who refused to let pandemic disruptions derail her ambitions. Instead, she leveraged technology to livestream events and boost engagement, showcasing resilience and resourcefulness.

Similarly, Chow Kah Ying, an ICU nurse, managed the intense demands of frontline healthcare during COVID-19 while completing her degree, showcasing perseverance and purpose. Likewise, Michelle Seah transformed O-level failure into triumph, excelling in javelin and academics to earn the SIM Sports & Artistic Talent Award, proof that determination and discipline can rewrite any story.

These journeys reflect SIM’s unwavering belief that leadership and resilience matter as much as grades, and that true achievement lies in character and contribution as much as in academic performance.

The Broader Vision

SIM’s scholarships represent more than financial assistance. They serve as a strategic platform for transformation and growth. Recipients benefit from networking opportunities that connect them with alumni and industry leaders, fostering mentorship and career development. Many scholarships also provide international exposure through exchange programmes that broaden perspectives and enhance global competencies.

In addition to academic achievement, students cultivate essential life skills such as leadership, resilience and adaptability through experiential learning and community engagement. These qualities equip graduates to excel in uncertain environments and contribute meaningfully to society.

This commitment reflects SIM’s core belief that education is not limited to examinations. It is about shaping leaders who create impact and drive positive change in a rapidly evolving world.

References: