Engaged City University

Founded on 12 January 2000, SMU has since been at the forefront of higher education as a purveyor of transformative learning and leading-edge research. The University's mission is to equip students with broad-based expertise, and nurture creative and entrepreneurial leaders ready to face real-life challenges in the knowledge-based economy of tomorrow.

The highly anticipated SMU Arts Festival 2021 brought the year to a close with a month-long, multisensorial showcase themed 2GETHER AS 1.

Singapore’s higher education system may seem to have always punched above its weight for quality teaching, research and innovation. But it has achieved in a mere three or so decades what other countries have taken centuries to develop.

Over many decades, university has been the final stop for many students before they venture into adulthood. It stands as an institution that tests and challenges those who enter, providing them with knowledge to be ready when it matters most-the real world.

It has been six years since 196 countries signed the Paris Agreement to mitigate the effects of man-made climate change, and two since Greta Thunberg delivered her powerful speech at the UN Climate Change Action Summit.

As of June 2021, the Singapore government has fully vaccinated almost half of the population in tandem with private clinics. This means the nation is on track to meet its goal of vaccinating at least 75 per cent of its 5.7million residents and citizens by October 2021.

As any avid Facebook user might be aware, vlogger Nas Daily has recently been accused of being disrespectful of Filipino culture. He was alleged to have scammed a revered Filipino tattooist into conducting an online course featured on his website, and of being impudent during interactions with another Filipino social entrepreneur.

From online marketplace behemoths like Amazon, Taobao, Shopee and Lazada, to digitally native, direct-to-consumer brands, e-commerce is a thriving, rapidly burgeoning sector. The exponential growth of online retail has been further fuelled by the pandemic: According to findings from the IBM US Retail Index, Covid-19 has accelerated the move from physical stores to online platforms by about five years.

Wander through a housing estate in Singapore, even in the midst of pandemic restriction measures, and chances are you would find groups of elderly residents mingling at void decks, pavilions, gardens and playgrounds. Loneliness is a feeling experienced by millions across the globe during lockdowns and social distancing initiatives.

The Covid-19 pandemic has devastated countries and individuals around the world. Lives were lost, plans were put on hold, milestones were celebrated in isolation, and a shared sense of loneliness and despair has rippled across the globe. But, as much as we have taken to social media to lament our circumstances — and share our Circuit Breaker baking accomplishments, we have most certainly not suffered equally as a community.