Advancing digital transformation and sustainability together
After a decade of collaboration, SMU and the Australian National University (ANU) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that elevates their long-standing relationship to a strategic partnership.
The MOU, signed by SMU President Professor Lily Kong and ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Genevieve Bell on 11 October 2024, formalises an agreement that aims to deepen cooperation in the key areas of digital transformation, sustainable living, and Asia-focused growth.
The collaboration between the universities began with a university-wide student exchange agreement established in June 2014. An MOU was signed in 2016 to explore more university-wide collaborations including joint academic and research programmes.
In 2018, the tie between the two universities was deepened once again with two joint research seminars in which SMU faculty gave an overview of educational research from SMU’s Centre for Teaching Excellence, as well as key insights on cybersecurity research.
With the new framework that has been laid out, SMU and ANU will harness complementary strengths to jointly address pressing issues across both societies such as law, governance, sustainability, urban transformation, technology and their intersections over the next five years.
This partnership also represents a shared vision of both universities, advocating for an interdisciplinary and systems-based approach to societal challenges. Both universities aim to bridge regions and transcend borders, cultures, and disciplines in education and research.
A major initiative under this new partnership was the ANU-SMU Global Digital Economy Forum, co-hosted by SMU's Yong Pung How School of Law and ANU’s College of Law on 26-27 November 2024 in Singapore.
The event brought global experts together to address regulatory and legal challenges of the digital economy, aiming also to shape a research agenda that is both forward-looking and responsive to industry needs.
On top of this, the two law schools have committed to seed-funding joint research projects that emerge from this forum, reinforcing a commitment to practical and actionable scholarship.
This agreement marks SMU’s fourth strategic partnership with a global city university, after HEC Paris in 2021, the University of Toronto in 2022, and Chulalongkorn University in 2023. Through thematic collaborations aligned with SMU’s Vision 2025, SMU has chosen to work with strategic partners to enhance collective reach, knowledge and impact on business, government and society by addressing societal challenges in Asia and beyond.
As SMU and ANU look to the future, their collaboration promises to contribute significantly to shaping the digital and sustainable transformations of the region — creating new pathways for knowledge exchange and societal progress.
