Cutting Edge Research

SMU closes its 25th anniversary year with record achievements in rankings, research impact, and applied learning. Discover how these milestones position the University for an even stronger 2026.

SMU hosted the Reach Alliance’s first Asia conference, uniting changemakers to tackle the world’s toughest social challenges. Read the highlights here.

In her President’s State of the University Address 2025, Professor Lily Kong outlined the new SMU2030 strategic plan and its impact agenda to transform lives through education, research and partnerships. “Together, we can grow stronger, faster, and more resilient, and ensure that SMU continues to make meaningful impact for Singapore, Asia, and the world,” she said.

SMU and the Tax Academy of Singapore have launched the Singapore Tax Academy Research Initiative (STARI), advancing international tax research, nurturing local expertise, and fostering global scholarly collaboration.

Research co-authored by SMU Professor Winston Chow outlines a value chain strategy to transform data centres from climate liabilities into leaders of sustainable digital growth across Singapore and ASEAN.

Professor Lily Kong, President of SMU, has been elected as a Fellow of the British Academy, a prestigious recognition in the humanities and social sciences that honours global scholars for transformative research and thought leadership.

SMU and four global universities have launched the Global Alliance on Sustainable Urban Societies, a pioneering initiative to reframe how cities are studied and shaped.

SMU President Professor Lily Kong participated in the Worldwide Universities Network Presidents’ Forum 2025, joining global university leaders to pursue shared goals of academic collaboration, innovation, and sustainable development. Her presence underscored SMU’s commitment to regional integration and global partnerships in addressing shared challenges through higher education.

The positive effects of volunteering extent beyond the lives of the beneficiaries. Often, volunteers receive something too. But how far do the benefits go?

SMU's annual Singapore Rising Scholars Conference emphasised the collaborative nature of PhD studies, with participants engaging in networking and research presentations. The event highlighted the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in academia and the need for critical engagement with AI tools in research.