Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will host a Taipei information session on Nov. 6 for its Master of Science in Blockchain (MSBT) program, alongside a forum titled “Linking the Future: Blockchain Industry Trends and the Global Talent Summit.” The event will be held on Friday evening at National Taipei University of Technology.
The session is aimed at current students, fintech and Web3 professionals, and people seeking to move into AI and blockchain-related fields. In addition to introducing the master’s program, the event will also cover doctoral research and further study opportunities related to blockchain.
Speakers and panel lineup
The main speakers are Li Yi, director of the MSBT program and deputy director of NTU-CCTF, Alvin Song, supervisor of the NTU MSBT Capstone project, and Alex Liu, founder and chairman of MaiCoin Group. Fan Shu-Kai, dean of the College of Management at National Taipei University of Technology, will attend as a guest.
Song is a co-founder and former chief technology officer of Huobi, now HTX. Liu leads MaiCoin Group. A panel discussion will be moderated by Wen Hung-Chun, a director at the Taiwan FinTech Association. Panelists include Tether institutional business development director Chen Chun-Yueh, BSOS chief executive Huang Chao-Chiu, Taiwan Blockchain University Alliance chairman Peng Shao-Fu, and Li Yi.
The program is divided into three parts: an introduction to the NTU Centre for Computational Technologies in Finance (NTU-CCTF), an overview of the MSBT degree, and an industry talk titled “Blockchain Industry Trends and Building Future Talent Competitiveness.” Current MSBT students will also share their academic experience.
The panel is titled “What Kind of Talent Will Drive the Next Wave of Blockchain Innovation.” It will focus on industry prospects, professional value, and international career opportunities. Food will be available during check-in, and the event will end with open networking and a Q&A session.
Academic and industry background of Li Yi and Alvin Song
Li Yi is an associate professor at NTU’s College of Computing and Data Science. Since September this year, he has also served as assistant dean of NTU’s Graduate College, where he is responsible for interdisciplinary programs. He earned his undergraduate degree in computer science from the National University of Singapore and later completed both his master’s and PhD in computer science at the University of Toronto. During his studies, he worked as a research intern with Google’s security team and at Microsoft.
Since 2018, Li has led NTU’s Software Reliability and Security Lab (SRSLab). His research covers program analysis and automated reasoning, with a current focus on the security and fairness of decentralized applications and blockchain systems. His work has received four ACM Distinguished Paper Awards.
Alvin Song holds a doctorate in fintech and has served as an adjunct lecturer at NTU since November 2023. He supervises the MSBT Capstone blockchain innovation project and teaches courses including blockchain technology and fintech systems architecture.
Song was Huobi’s co-founder and first CTO. During his tenure from November 2013 to January 2016, he built the exchange’s research and development team. He sold all of his shareholdings in September 2022. He later founded blockchain consulting firm Leapal Dapptech in Beijing and is now the founder of Singapore-based Vision Reactor.
The Capstone project he supervises is an industry-academic collaboration in which partner companies define project topics and student teams complete development work under joint guidance from corporate mentors and faculty. In an NTU interview published by Chain News last year, associate professor Chang Tien-Wei described Capstone as a student’s first step into the industry.
Program structure, credits and curriculum
The MSBT program is offered through NTU-CCTF in coordination with multiple schools within the university. In an interview published last October, associate professor Chang Tien-Wei said the curriculum is divided into three areas: foundational theory, engineering practice, and business and management applications, with a Capstone project developed in partnership with companies.
Students must complete 30 academic units to graduate. The full-time track takes a minimum of one year and a maximum of 2.5 years. The part-time track takes a minimum of two years and a maximum of four years.
Application window, tuition and admission requirements
Applications are open for the August 2027 intake. The application period runs from Sept. 1, 2026 to Feb. 26, 2027, and the application fee is S$50.
Total tuition for the 2026–27 academic year is S$60,320, or S$65,748.80 including goods and services tax.
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree in a computer-related field, or a bachelor’s degree in any discipline plus two years of software development work experience. GRE scores are not required. Applicants who did not graduate from an English-medium university must submit either an internet-based TOEFL score of at least 100 or an IELTS score of at least 6.5. The test date must fall within two years before the application date.
Scholarships and registration
MSBT graduate scholarships are available to full-time applicants. The study award, which is open to applicants of all nationalities, has gold, silver, and bronze tiers with maximum amounts of S$15,000, S$10,000, and S$5,000. A separate award is available only to applicants from ASEAN countries, with a maximum amount of S$30,000.
Registration for the information session is required in advance. Attendees can sign up through the Luma registration page or by scanning the QR code on the event poster.
Chain News previously released a podcast episode focused on the degree program, titled “EP.210 Is a Singapore blockchain degree worth pursuing? feat. Perry.”
