Sustainable Living

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 Patron’s Day 2024 saw the annual celebrations given a major boost as crowds of students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of SMU came together on SMU’s Campus Green to celebrate the University’s 24th anniversary.

The focus, in line with the University’s Vision 2025, was on environmental protection and sustainable development. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam graced the event, on his first visit as SMU’s Patron. He attended with his spouse, Ms Jane Ittogi.

On 10 November 2023, the Business Families Institute (BFI) held its 10th anniversary conference, “From Succession Planning to Legacy Building”. This acknowledges how family businesses have both supported and benefitted from BFI’s programmes and initiatives. BFI was officially launched by SMU in March 2013 as Southeast Asia’s first regional business-family-centric institute, a few months after it was first established in response to the growing need for research and education.

The latest edition of the Ho Rih Hwa Leadership Lecture series saw Dame Jacinda Ardern, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, share her experiences and perspectives in a conversation with Mr Ho Kwon Ping, the founding and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Singapore Management University.

SMU held its inaugural Sustainability Forum to showcase its multi-faceted contributions to economic, social and environmental sustainability. The event attracted students and educators from a range of institutes of higher learning, representatives from various social-service agencies and non-profit organisations, as well as business owners.  

SMU President’s State of the University Address 2023 touched on significant developments, strategic priorities, as well as future endeavours. It took a new and engaging format in embracing SMU’s people-centric thrust: faculty, staff and students shared their experiences and achievements through a series of videos that formed Prof Kong's compelling narrative.  

On 22 September 2023, SMU launched two innovative sustainability programmes – the Master of Sustainability (MST), and a Second Major in Sustainable Societies (SSOC). These were launched as part of a suite of sustainability courses and programmes that aim to develop sustainability leaders and meet the needs of a green economy.

Singapore is often described as a melting pot of cultures – a vibrant brew that gives the country its unique character. With such diversity comes the need for different ethnic groups with their distinct cultures and religious beliefs to understand, respect each other and live together peacefully. The question then is how can Singapore further strengthen respect for  differences in beliefs and perspectives and live together.

SMU Study: Framework needed to raise the bar for quality volunteer experience Depending on the stage of life that they are at, volunteers can have starkly different resources, responsibilities, and even motivations. Hence, social service agencies (SSAs) need to learn more about volunteers and match their experiences and expectations to the volunteer tasks.

On 22 April 2023, as the world came together on World Earth Day to recognise the importance of positive environmental impact, SMU reinforced its commitment to sustainability to drive positive change.