On 16 November 2023, the SMU Office of Alumni Relations (OAR) held a gathering to appreciate and celebrate the contributions of SMU’s alumni volunteers – just one of the many ways that the University’s alumni constantly step up to give back to the SMU Community. Giving the welcome address, Ms Florence Neo, director of Alumni Relations, thanked the alumni for their contribution in time, talent, ties, and testimonials to the SMU community.

Finance plays a critical role in supporting nature and biodiversity. In fact, according to a news report by the World Economic Forum back in 2020, around US$44 trillion (about SG$58.6) of economic value generation – more than half of the world’s total GDP – was found to be moderately or highly dependent on nature. It therefore makes sense that governments, organisations, and financial institutions are increasingly recognising the need to account for nature in their strategies and capital allocation decisions.

More than 400 alumni, faculty members and current students of SMU’s School of Computing and Information Systems (SCIS) gathered for a dinner to celebrate the school’s 20th anniversary. The past two decades have seen the school grow from strength to strength. It is now housed in a brand-new shared sustainable city-college block, with an alumni body of over 6,000, more than 2,300 undergraduate students and close to 700 postgraduate students, including about 130 doctoral students.

Financial services are a key sector of Singapore’s economy, contributing around 14 per cent of our GDP and employing nearly 190,000 workers. It is also a highly competitive and fluid sector – financial crises add to its volatility, while geopolitical risks and technology can create massive challenges. At the same time, every challenge can also present an opportunity – but it is critical to have good leadership for the financial sector.

Active teaching and learning are an important part of nurturing 21st century skillsets that are aligned with evolving industry demands. It is with this belief in mind that SMU organised its inaugural INDEX Symposium.

On 10 November 2023, the Business Families Institute (BFI) held its 10th anniversary conference, “From Succession Planning to Legacy Building”. This acknowledges how family businesses have both supported and benefitted from BFI’s programmes and initiatives. BFI was officially launched by SMU in March 2013 as Southeast Asia’s first regional business-family-centric institute, a few months after it was first established in response to the growing need for research and education.

The latest edition of the Ho Rih Hwa Leadership Lecture series saw Dame Jacinda Ardern, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, share her experiences and perspectives in a conversation with Mr Ho Kwon Ping, the founding and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Singapore Management University.

SMU’s business-case club, Team Cognitare, continued its strong showing this year when its team was awarded the title of Global Champion – over 19 others – at the prestigious Thammasat Undergraduate Business Challenge in October this year.

Will we have planned well enough to live well in our golden years, especially if some form of long-term healthcare is needed? How well do we plan for retirement?

Over 400 athletes from Singapore competed in the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou in China. Running from 23 September to 8 October 2023, it featured Singapore’s largest delegation yet – 160 athletes more than represented our country at the 2018 Asian Games five years ago.