![PM Lawrence Wong and SMU President Prof Lily Kong PM Lawrence Wong and SMU President Prof Lily Kong](/sites/engage.smu.edu.sg/files/styles/medium_16x9/public/articles/20240702-19hrs47min40s.jpg?itok=cM3rMRTe)
PM Wong discusses mega trends with Prof Lily Kong and students at SMU
Published onSMU had the privilege of welcoming Prime Minister Mr Lawrence Wong for an inspiring dialogue, jointly organised by SMU and attended by nearly 1,000 students from various tertiary institutions. PM Wong discussed issues relevant to the younger generation, including employment and economic trends, and encouraged young people to pursue careers that match their abilities.
![(Clockwise from left) SMU, the University of North Carolina at Chapell Hill (UNC) in the United States, and the Copenhagen Business School (CBS) in Denmark. (Clockwise from left) SMU, the University of North Carolina at Chapell Hill (UNC) in the United States, and the Copenhagen Business School (CBS) in Denmark.](/sites/engage.smu.edu.sg/files/styles/medium_16x9/public/articles/Engage%20%2338%20-%20TREBLE%20campuses.jpg?itok=Fl0f0NUe)
SMU has announced a new programme that offers business undergraduates a unique 18-month, immersive exchange experience that spans three continents. It is offered in partnership with the University of North Carolina at Chapell Hill (UNC) in the United States, as well as the Copenhagen Business School (CBS) in Denmark.
![Photo (L-R): Megan Bon; Dr Ma Kheng Min; Harold Lu; Ooi Chu Han; and Megan Teo. Photo (L-R): Megan Bon; Dr Ma Kheng Min; Harold Lu; Ooi Chu Han; and Megan Teo.](/sites/engage.smu.edu.sg/files/styles/medium_16x9/public/articles/Champion%20Trophy-87.jpg?itok=BKj77wkM)
Team Cognitare – SMU’s business case club – won the title of Global Champions at the prestigious Champions Trophy Case Competition organised by the University of Auckland in New Zealand, which exclusively invites winners of other high-profile international case competitions. This year saw Team Cognitare pitted against 11 other teams from around the world.
![Staff from SMU’s Office of the Registrar with seniors from the Thye Hua Kwan Active Ageing Centre (Bukit Merah View) on an excursion to the S.E.A. Aquarium. Staff from SMU’s Office of the Registrar with seniors from the Thye Hua Kwan Active Ageing Centre (Bukit Merah View) on an excursion to the S.E.A. Aquarium.](/sites/engage.smu.edu.sg/files/styles/medium_16x9/public/articles/Engage%2038%20-%20RO%20main%20pic.jpg?itok=lb5YNRmS)
Volunteerism is an integral part of SMU’s DNA and staff and students alike actively engage in diverse types of community service. Staff from SMU’s Office of the Registrar found a meaningful way to build bonds with their colleagues last year when they accompanied seniors from an active ageing centre on an excursion.
![SMU's OUB Chair Professor of Computer Science David Lo. SMU's OUB Chair Professor of Computer Science David Lo.](/sites/engage.smu.edu.sg/files/styles/medium_16x9/public/articles/SIS_David%20Lo%20AT.jpg?itok=0Txtils3)
SMU Professor David Lo has been honoured as a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). ACM Fellows represent the most prestigious member grade in ACM, the largest professional organisation for computing, which boasts a global membership of 110,000.
![Panellists (L to R): Assoc Prof Orlando Woods, Director of SMU Urban Institute (moderator); Prof Jane Jacobs, Monash University, Indonesia; Mrs Rosa Daniel, Dean, Culture Academy, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth; Mr Chiu Wen Tung, Group Director (Research & Development), Urban Redevelopment Authority; and Mr Luke Wu, Head of Innovation, Kajima Development. Panellists (L to R): Assoc Prof Orlando Woods, Director of SMU Urban Institute (moderator); Prof Jane Jacobs, Monash University, Indonesia; Mrs Rosa Daniel, Dean, Culture Academy, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth; Mr Chiu Wen Tung, Group Director (Research & Development), Urban Redevelopment Authority; and Mr Luke Wu, Head of Innovation, Kajima Development.](/sites/engage.smu.edu.sg/files/styles/medium_16x9/public/articles/Engage%2037%20-%20CD%20-%20HB.jpg?itok=0iyrm3_Q)
Creating sustainable cities demands large initial investments, but the benefits of these sustainable cities often take many years to materialise. This challenge was the inspiration behind the theme for the SMU City Dialogue session hosted on 18 January 2024.
![SMU’s Industry Project-Based Experiential Learning (INDEX) programme, SMU-X, won two 2023 QS Reimagine Education Awards. SMU’s Industry Project-Based Experiential Learning (INDEX) programme, SMU-X, won two 2023 QS Reimagine Education Awards.](/sites/engage.smu.edu.sg/files/styles/medium_16x9/public/articles/Reimagine_1.jpg?itok=mrT_tlbZ)
SMU’s Industry Project-Based Experiential Learning (INDEX) programme, also referred to as SMU-X, won Gold and Silver at the prestigious international awards.
![SMU President Prof Lily Kong speaking in Singapore at the 8th St. Gallen Symposium. SMU President Prof Lily Kong speaking in Singapore at the 8th St. Gallen Symposium.](/sites/engage.smu.edu.sg/files/styles/medium_16x9/public/articles/St%20G%201_1.jpg?itok=uYCCiIpw)
Creating sustainable cities demands large initial investments, but the benefits of these sustainable cities often take many years to materialise. This challenge was the inspiration behind the theme for the SMU City Dialogue session hosted on 18 January 2024.
![(L–R) Assoc Prof Orlando Woods, Director of SMU Urban Institute; Prof Timothy Clark, Provost of SMU; Mr Piyush Gupta, SMU Chairman; Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and National Development; Prof Lily Kong, President of SMU; Prof Archan Misra, Vice Provost (Research) of SMU. (L–R) Assoc Prof Orlando Woods, Director of SMU Urban Institute; Prof Timothy Clark, Provost of SMU; Mr Piyush Gupta, SMU Chairman; Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and National Development; Prof Lily Kong, President of SMU; Prof Archan Misra, Vice Provost (Research) of SMU.](/sites/engage.smu.edu.sg/files/styles/medium_16x9/public/articles/SMU%20Engage%2037%20-%20UI%20HB.jpg?itok=VThABdBq)
The new SMU Urban Institute (UI) is dedicated to multi- and inter-disciplinary research on cities in Asia and was launched in response to trends that underscore a critical need to prioritise urban research. These include the rapid urbanisation of many Asian cities, and the need for policymakers to face increasingly complex and pressing challenges when it comes to balancing urban growth with the development of resilient and sustainable cities.
![President Tharman Shanmugaratnam (front, centre) visiting SMU with his spouse, Ms Jane Ittogi (front, right), on SMU’s Patron’s Day 2024. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam (front, centre) visiting SMU with his spouse, Ms Jane Ittogi (front, right), on SMU’s Patron’s Day 2024.](/sites/engage.smu.edu.sg/files/styles/medium_16x9/public/articles/Engage%2037%20-%20PD%20-%20HB.jpg?itok=_pTNSvOU)
![SMU Assistant Professor of Psychology Jacinth Tan. SMU Assistant Professor of Psychology Jacinth Tan.](/sites/engage.smu.edu.sg/files/styles/medium_16x9/public/articles/Jacinth%2520Tan%2520HBM.jpg?itok=ewt_5tw2)
As a university, SMU has showed continued commitment to creating meaningful impact by engaging with the community and conducting research with direct societal impact. One of the most important considerations for multi-racial and multi-religious Singapore is to ensure that the diverse population lives harmoniously together – an area which overlaps with SMU Assistant Professor of Psychology Jacinth Tan’s research interests in social status and inequality.