The Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) will be implemented on 2 July. All universities and private educational institutions have to ensure that the personal data of their students are protected. Research collaboration with foreign universities will also come under the Act. Assistant Director at the SMU Office of Legal and General Affairs, Harkirat Singh Sidhu said that SMU has amended the contracts with foreign universities to state that both parties must keep personal data confidential and spelt out the ways to do so. SMU has completed 90 per cent of the preparatory work, but during the initial period of the Act’s implementation, it is expected that there would still be issues to resolve. The Personal Data Protection Commission will come up with guidelines for the education and social service sectors.