Choosing a Computing Degree in the AI Era: SIM Explains the Skills and Career Pathways to Compare

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 23 October 2026 - The Singapore Institute of Management is encouraging prospective students to assess computing degrees by the capabilities they develop, rather than whether their titles feature artificial intelligence. Programming and mathematics requirements, opportunities to build and test systems, and the work students hope to pursue provide a more useful basis for comparison than the search for an "AI-proof" qualification.

This distinction matters as AI changes how work is performed. The Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) Labour Market Report First Quarter 2026 found that 18.9% of firms reported redesigning job functions in response to AI, compared with 6.2% reporting AI-related reductions in headcount or hiring. MOM's findings suggest that AI's impact was more evident in changes to existing work than in widespread job displacement.

For students considering whether to study computer science or another technology degree, the decision therefore extends beyond learning to use the latest tools. It involves understanding which programme will help them develop, evaluate and apply technology in the areas that interest them.

Computing knowledge extends beyond generating code

AI-assisted coding does not remove the need to understand how software works. GitHub's guidance on reviewing AI-generated code emphasises testing, checking whether code meets its intended requirements, and identifying security vulnerabilities or incorrect logic. These responsibilities require more than accepting a tool's output at face value.

Singapore's technology skills landscape also points to a range of capabilities. The Infocomm Media Development Authority's Singapore Digital Economy Report 2025, which examines developments in 2024, reported technology workforce growth led by AI and data roles and cybersecurity. It also identified rising demand for skills involving AI, Python, SQL and cloud technologies.

Against this backdrop, students can assess a computing degree by how it develops their ability to solve problems, understand systems and check the reliability of their work, alongside the particular technologies it covers.

Different computing pathways emphasise different kinds of work

Programmes offered at SIM through its university partners illustrate the distinctions between broad computing foundations and more specialised areas of study.

The University of London's Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Computer Science, developed by Goldsmiths, University of London, covers programming, algorithms, data structures and software development. Its published career directions include application programming, software engineering and systems analysis. For students interested in building software while exploring different computing areas, the breadth of compulsory and optional modules is an important point of comparison.

The University of London's Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Computer Science (Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence) combines computing foundations with specialist subjects including machine learning and neural networks, natural language processing and intelligent signal processing. Its listed career directions include machine learning engineering and software engineering involving machine learning. This pathway focuses on understanding and constructing intelligent systems, rather than simply using consumer AI applications.

The University of Wollongong's Bachelor of Computer Science (Cyber Security) focuses on protecting digital systems. Its curriculum combines programming, networks and databases with subjects such as system security and ethical hacking. Potential career directions include security analysis and penetration testing. Students comparing this pathway should therefore examine both the security specialisation and the computing knowledge that supports it.

The University of Wollongong's Bachelor of Business Information Systems connects technology with organisational needs. Subjects include systems analysis, business process management and management information systems, alongside programming and mathematics. Its published career directions include systems analysis and IT consultancy. The programme illustrates why a business-oriented technology degree should not automatically be regarded as a non-technical alternative.

These career directions are possibilities rather than guaranteed outcomes. A useful comparison considers both the curriculum and the requirements of the roles a student hopes to pursue.

Programming and mathematics deserve early attention

Programme titles alone do not reveal the extent of technical study involved. The University of London's computer science degree includes introductory programming, computational mathematics and discrete mathematics in its first year. The University of Wollongong's cybersecurity and business information systems programmes both include Fundamental Programming with Python and Mathematics for Computing among their core subjects.

Students should distinguish between meeting admission requirements and being prepared for the learning ahead. Reviewing module descriptions, assessment methods and the progression from introductory to advanced subjects can help them understand the demands of a programme. For those new to coding, useful areas to investigate include the amount of independent practice expected, the role of laboratory assignments and the academic support available. For those considering an AI specialisation, the comparison should also examine how mathematical concepts are applied to developing and evaluating systems.

Practical projects should reveal how students think

Practical work provides another way to assess a degree. The University of London's computer science programme includes a final project in which students combine their knowledge and skills to create a software system. Its machine learning and AI pathway identifies a substantial practical project involving the construction of an AI system and its application to a problem.

Rather than looking only for the phrase "hands-on learning", prospective students can examine what a project requires them to demonstrate. Useful questions concern how problems are defined, how solutions are tested and how individual contributions are assessed in group work. For example, a recommendation-system project could be assessed not only on whether it produces suggestions, but also on whether the student can explain the data used, the evaluation method and the system's limitations. This distinction helps separate a working demonstration from a well-understood solution.

The decision should begin with the problems students want to solve

Building software, developing machine learning systems, investigating security weaknesses and improving business processes suggest different priorities when comparing degrees. Students can begin with the work that interests them, then examine the compulsory modules, specialist options and practical assessments that support that direction. The aim is not to identify a qualification that promises protection from every technological change. It is to choose a programme whose foundations and learning demands match the student's interests, while providing opportunities to develop and demonstrate their understanding.

References

1. Ministry of Manpower, Manpower Research and Statistics Department. Labour Market Report First Quarter 2026. - https://stats.mom.gov.sg/iMAS_PdfLibrary/mrsd-Labour-Market-Report-1Q-2026.pdf
2. Infocomm Media Development Authority. Annual Report and Singapore Digital Economy Report 2025 - https://www.imda.gov.sg/resources/press-releases-factsheets-and-speeches/ar-sgde-2025
3. GitHub. Review AI-generated code - https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/tutorials/review-ai-generated-code
4. Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Computer Science, University of London - https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/programmes/programme-listing/bachelor-of-science-honours-computer-science.
5. Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Computer Science (Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence), University of London - https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/programmes/programme-listing/bachelor-of-science-honours-computer-science-machine-learning-and-artificial-intelligence
6. Bachelor of Computer Science (Cyber Security), University of Wollongong - https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/programmes/programme-listing/bachelor-of-computer-science-cyber-security
7. Bachelor of Business Information Systems, University of Wollongong - https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/programmes/programme-listing/bachelor-of-business-information-systems
8. SIM IT and Computer Science Discipline - https://www.sim.edu.sg/degrees-diplomas/programmes/disciplines/it-computer-science

Hashtag: #SIMGlobalEducation #SIMGE

https://www.sim.edu.sg/

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 170 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 17,000 full- and part-time students and adult learners, of which approximately 41% 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 www.sim.edu.sg

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• New report sets out a method the industry can use to put a financial value on climate resilience
• The Westbund Central case study shows that its resilience measures are expected to keep storm-surge and rainfall-flood losses in 2050 below the losses an unprotected building would face today

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 October 2026 – Hongkong Land Holdings Limited ("Hongkong Land") today published Building Value That Lasts: Quantifying the Return on Climate Resilience in Real Estate. The report developed with Marsh puts a financial value on designing buildings for a changing climate. Its case study is Westbund Central, Hongkong Land's mixed-use waterfront development of approximately 1.7 million sq. m. on Shanghai's Huangpu River.

(From left to right) From left: Michael Long, Head of Group Sustainability, Hongkong Land; Stuart Grant, Chief Executive of Westbund Central, Hongkong Land; Swenja Surminski, Managing Director of Climate and Sustainability, Marsh; and Michael Li, Chairman and President, Marsh Risk China.

The report finds that the development's resilience measures cut expected storm-surge losses by 84% and rainfall-flood losses by 88% under today's conditions. Westbund Central's resilience measures are expected to keep storm-surge and rainfall-flood losses in 2050 below the losses an unprotected building would face today.

Closing the resilience valuation gap

Climate risk now shapes how real estate is assessed, financed and insured. Almost every climate related disclosure acknowledges the need for adaptation, yet fewer than one in ten puts a number on it. Hongkong Land and Marsh set out to close that gap together by treating resilience as an investment with a measurable return, not a cost to be absorbed.

Resilience pays, and the reductions are large

Working with global leading insurance broker and risk advisor Marsh, Hongkong Land modelled the average annual loss (AAL) at Westbund Central from storm surge, rainfall flooding and wind. AAL is the expected yearly cost of physical damage. The modelling compared climate risks today and in 2050 for buildings with and without resilience measures beyond those required by building codes. It assumed a future in which global greenhouse-gas emissions remain high.

Without the development's enhanced resilience measures, expected storm-surge losses would more than double and wind losses would more than triple by 2050. The measures reduce expected losses as follows:

• storm-surge losses fall by 84%, both today and in 2050
• rainfall-flood losses fall by 88% today and 79% in 2050
• wind losses fall by 36% today and 31% in 2050

Built for the climate of 2050

Westbund Central was engineered for projected climate conditions in 2050, rather than historical conditions. These measures significantly reduce the impact of increasing climate risk:

• Storm surge: with Westbund Central's resilience measures in place, average annual losses in 2050 are projected at 0.12%, compared with 0.38% for a building without these measures today.
• Rainfall flooding: with the resilience measures in place, average annual losses in 2050 are projected at 0.05%, compared with 0.19% for a building without these measures today.

Insurers are raising premiums, tightening terms and withdrawing cover from exposed locations. In that market, a lower and more stable loss profile matters.

Westbund Centrals resilience features include:

• 23% more drainage capacity, protecting against a 1-in-100-year rainfall event
• Grade 1 waterproofed basements and the elevation of critical equipment
• A "Sponge City" network of more than 12 features designed to capture and store stormwater, with capacity exceeding 2,000 m³

The figures are conservative. They count physical damage only and exclude extreme heat, the fastest-growing hazard at the site, which the development manages through design and operations.

Michael T. Smith, Group Chief Executive of Hongkong Land, said: "Climate change is a significant force reshaping real estate. At Westbund Central, climate resilience is core to all that we do because we believe resilience and commercial performance reinforce each other. This report shows the return on that investment can be measured today, with tools that already exist. The industry no longer has any excuse not to."

Stuart Grant, Chief Executive of Westbund Central, said: "A premium destination is a seamless one. Much of the resilience work at Westbund Central is deliberately invisible to the tenants and visitors who use it every day. Its value shows in the disruption that never reaches them. Keeping the precinct open, comfortable and trading regardless of weather conditions is how resilience facilitates commercial performance."

Michael Li, Chairman and President of Marsh Risk China, said: "Climate risk is now a balance-sheet risk. Westbund Central shows that adaptation pays back through lower loss exposure and stronger access to capital. As a risk orchestrator, Marsh matches protection needs to capital flows, helping clients quantify resilience and close the valuation gap."

A method for the industry

The report is offered as a method others can apply, not just as an account of one development. It traces how climate risk can be assessed from site selection through to operations and linked to financial outcomes. It calls on the industry to:

• quantify early, at site selection and design, when action is most cost-effective
• bring insurers and lenders in from the start
• build a shared standard so resilience can be benchmarked across assets, as carbon already is

For further details, please see the full report which is available for download [here].

Hashtag: #HongkongLand

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

Westbund Central

Hongkong Land's Westbund Central is the Group's largest-ever single investment. Scheduled to complete in phases up until 2028, it is an US$8 billion development encompassing approximately more than 1.7 million sq. m. of prime mixed-use property strategically located at Shanghai's Xuhui Waterfront. It is a flagship development of Hongkong Land's prime commercial properties' CENTRAL Series. The ultra-premium integrated commercial property includes 240,000 sq. m of retail space, 650,000 sq. m. of premium Grade A offices, 160,000 sq. m. of high-end waterfront luxury residences, two hotels (55,000 sq. m.) and over 50,000 sq. m. of cultural and art venues.

Hongkong Land

Hongkong Land is a major listed property development, investment and management group. It focuses on developing, owning and managing premium and ultra-premium mixed-use real estate in Asian gateway cities, featuring Grade A office, luxury retail, residential and hospitality products. With over US$50 billion in assets under management, Hongkong Land's ultra-premium mixed-use real estate footprint spans over 1.97 million sq. m. lettable area in operation and 1.43 million sq. m. lettable area under development, with flagship mixed-use projects in Hong Kong, Singapore and Shanghai. Its properties hold industry leading green building certifications and attract the world's foremost companies and luxury brands. Established in 1889, Hongkong Land takes a long-term view, investing significantly alongside its capital partners and concentrating its portfolio where it can create the most value for tenants, customers and investors. Hongkong Land Holdings Limited has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange, with secondary listings in Singapore and Bermuda. Hongkong Land is a member of the Jardine Matheson Group.

Marsh
Marsh (NYSE: MRSH) is a global leader in risk, reinsurance and capital, people and investments, and management consulting, advising clients in 130 countries. With more than 95,000 colleagues, Marsh helps build the confidence to thrive through the power of perspective. For more information, visit marsh.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and X.

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