President’s State of the University Address 2024: SMU2025 and Beyond
Published onSMU Hall buzzed with anticipation as faculty, staff, students and guests gathered to hear Professor Lily Kong delivered her sixth SMU President’s State of the University Address. Professor Kong took a broad view, reflecting on SMU’s progress over the last five years since the launch of the SMU2025 strategic plan in 2020. She shared milestones in the University’s transformative education, cutting-edge research, and commitment to being an engaged city university.
SMU’s Sustainability Forum 2024 sparked a powerful call to action, gathering over 200 participants, including students, faculty, and leading industry voices, to shape the future of climate resilience.
In a remarkable display of innovation and technical prowess, three second-year Computer Science students from SMU clinched the top prize at the prestigious Alibaba International Global E-Commerce Challenge, held at Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou on 4 September.
In the 2025 QS Global Master’s Rankings, SMU's Master of Science in Wealth Management (MWM) and Master of IT in Business (MITB) programmes have been ranked among the best in the world.
SMU hosted the groundbreaking GRASFI 2024 conference, uniting global experts to drive innovation in sustainable finance, with keynote insights from Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat.
The SMU Arts Fest 2024 embraced the theme of “PLAY”, celebrating the joy, spontaneity and boundless possibilities that playfulness can bring to both art and life. The two-week festival saw nearly 20,000 attendees across five events – a significant increase from 2023’s 13,726-strong crowd. It also marked SMU’s second year of collaboration with the Singapore Night Festival, with SMU as its youth hub.
SMU proudly took home the prestigious Excellence Award at the People's Association Community Spirit Awards recognising its unwavering commitment to building a more caring and inclusive Singapore.
Professor Li Jia has been appointed as Dean of the School of Economics, effective 1 July 2024, and Professor Kenneth Benoit as Dean of the School of Social Sciences, effective 1 August 2024, with both appointments lasting four years.
SMU ushered in the Academic Year 2024/25 with a celebration of talent, diversity, and impact, welcoming its 25th cohort of 2,400 eager freshmen. The event marked not just the start of a new academic year, but a fresh chapter in SMU’s journey to nurture changemakers, innovators, and future leaders.
SMU kicked off its 9th Global Summer Programme with a groundbreaking new addition — the Digital Intelligence track. This exciting new offering empowers participants with cutting-edge skills in AI, business-data management, and beyond.
The Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy (SIDRA) at SMU’s Yong Pung How School of Law (YPHSL) has unveiled its highly anticipated 2024 Survey Report, offering groundbreaking insights into the evolving world of cross-border dispute resolution.