Economics and Financial Markets

SMU’s new Singapore Capital Markets Initiative advances research, policy dialogue and talent development to help shape Asia’s evolving capital markets and financial ecosystem.

Donations from Dr Lillyn Teh, alumnus Gregory See and other friends of SMU are empowering future leaders, expanding access to education and shaping a more inclusive future.

Singapore’s capital markets are evolving through technology, regulation, and global trends. Insights from the Dentons Rodyk Dialogue 2025 at SMU highlight opportunities and challenges ahead.

SMU bachelors and masters alumnus Lim Nanli leads product innovation at Thunes, transforming cross-border payments while mentoring students, proving how technology and purpose can expand access and opportunity worldwide.

SMU has issued Singapore’s first university Sustainability Bond, raising S$150 million to fund projects that advance environmental innovation, inclusive education, and social wellbeing with measurable, lasting impact.

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.

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.

“Elites” is often a term imbued with negative connotations.

Every day, people interact with insurance products and services. Whether it is car insurance, health insurance, or life insurance, most people have some type of policy to protect their valuable tangible or intangible assets. Behind the scenes, there is a team of professionals who work diligently to ensure that the products offered are affordable and meet the customer's needs.

Sustainable, responsible, and impact (SRI) investing is on the rise. But with SRI investing called out as “marketing hype” by sceptics like Mr Tariq Fancy, the former chief investment officer for sustainable investing at BlackRock Inc, the importance of measuring and assessing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) impact on investment is more pertinent now than ever before.