Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, has made its Alibaba Cloud Certified Associate (ACA) Generative AI Engineer Course available to its global customers, partners, and developers, including the Philippines, starting in May 2024. The course is available as part of Alibaba Cloud’s commitment to supporting digital talent development and making AI more accessible.
The ACA Generative AI Engineer course, developed by Alibaba Cloud Academy, teaches fundamental knowledge about the technology. It covers topics from its roots in machine learning to natural language processing, encoder-decoders to generative adversarial networks, leveraging models via retrieval-augmented generation, agents, and more. Alibaba Cloud Academy is the training and certification division of Alibaba Cloud.
Through the course’s three-step approach — learn, imagine, and apply — users can develop the skills to deploy Generative AI apps on Alibaba Cloud platforms. Users who complete the course and pass the exam will obtain an ACA Generative AI Engineer certificate. With the wider rollout now underway, the program aims to equip 10,000 to 20,000 learners worldwide with basic AI knowledge by the end of 2024.
“Generative AI is a transformative technology promising to bring the creativity of individuals and companies to new heights. Our ACA Generative AI Engineer course aims to help customers, partners, developers, and users of various backgrounds globally to unlock that potential and drive tomorrow’s digital agenda,” said Selina Yuan, president of International Business, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, “We are strongly committed to supporting talent in mastering essential digital skills, and we’re excited to continue expanding our training offerings around the world.”
Since April 2023, over 60,000 people from various backgrounds have received training certificates through Alibaba Cloud’s talent development initiatives, including university programs, training partners, online training courses, and offline Skills Centers and Training Centers. Alibaba Cloud Academy offers over 300 online & offline certification courses, 17 professional certifications, and 250 online hands-on labs with over 300 associated partners worldwide.
Empowering Tech Education: Alibaba Cloud Partners with National University Philippines
Alibaba Cloud collaborates with more than 80 universities across 16 countries and regions outside the Chinese mainland, offering cloud computing learning resources to equip future talents.
In the Philippines, Alibaba Cloud forged a partnership with the National University (NU) Philippines last year to equip students and faculty with digital technologies and AI expertise, providing access to Alibaba Cloud’s learning and training resources.
At Asia Pacific College which is in consortium with NU, Alibaba Cloud offered ongoing online training sessions covering topics like GenAI, cloud computing, security, and databases for students, aiming to enhance their technological knowledge. Additionally, over 50 professors and teachers from NU participated in a comprehensive training program featuring a blend of interactive onsite and online learning sessions.
In Hong Kong, Alibaba Cloud partnered with The University of Hong Kong Business School to jointly announce the first cloud computing credit course for undergraduate students. Over 50 undergraduate students from different majors, including computer science, finance, law, and design, have completed the course.
In Indonesia, Alibaba Cloud has established partnerships with esteemed universities such as Binus University, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Universitas Pendidikan Manadalika, and Universitas Pelita Harapan. These collaborations facilitate the integration of cloud computing and AI-centric courses into their curricula, thereby supporting the nation’s strategic goals of cultivating a robust and competitive skilled workforce for the future.
Enhancing training capabilities worldwide
Alibaba Cloud recently launched its first Training Center in Singapore, partnering with Trainocate Singapore to offer courses on various subjects, including cloud computing and AI. The Center works to empower local customers, partners, and instructors with knowledge-sharing opportunities and organize events such as the recently held “AI’s Impact on the Education of Today’s Youth” — a roundtable attended by 25 professors from 15 universities in seven countries and regions, exploring the potential of university-industry cooperation in delivering crucial skill-building opportunities to students.
Alibaba Cloud Academy Skills Centers and Training Centers are offline hubs designed to enable people of all ages, professions, and walks of life to come together to discover the power of cloud computing and stay up-to-date on the latest technological advancements. Both Centers offer exhibits, free training, and specific courses to build in-demand job skills. The Skills Centers are designed for students still learning the basics, while Training Centers are tailored for professionals already engaged in the cloud computing industry, enabling them to enhance their skills further.
Skills Centers and Training Centers are Alibaba Cloud Academy’s latest initiative to improve digital training capabilities worldwide. It has launched six offline facilities in six markets, such as the Middle East, Malaysia, Thailand, and Hong Kong. In 2024, Alibaba Cloud plans to expand the reach of its Skills Centers and Training Centers to more markets in Asia and Europe.