Transformative Education

SMU Hall buzzed with anticipation as faculty, staff, students and guests gathered to hear Professor Lily Kong delivered her sixth SMU President’s State of the University Address. Professor Kong took a broad view, reflecting on SMU’s progress over the last five years since the launch of the SMU2025 strategic plan in 2020. She shared milestones in the University’s transformative education, cutting-edge research, and commitment to being an engaged city university.

In a remarkable display of innovation and technical prowess, three second-year Computer Science students from SMU clinched the top prize at the prestigious Alibaba International Global E-Commerce Challenge, held at Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou on 4 September.

The SMU Arts Fest 2024 embraced the theme of “PLAY”, celebrating the joy, spontaneity and boundless possibilities that playfulness can bring to both art and life. The two-week festival saw nearly 20,000 attendees across five events – a significant increase from 2023’s 13,726-strong crowd. It also marked SMU’s second year of collaboration with the Singapore Night Festival, with SMU as its youth hub.

SMU proudly took home the prestigious Excellence Award at the People's Association Community Spirit Awards recognising its unwavering commitment to building a more caring and inclusive Singapore.

SMU ushered in the Academic Year 2024/25 with a celebration of talent, diversity, and impact, welcoming its 25th cohort of 2,400 eager freshmen. The event marked not just the start of a new academic year, but a fresh chapter in SMU’s journey to nurture changemakers, innovators, and future leaders.

The 3,792-strong class of 2024 represented SMU’s 21st and largest batch of graduates since the University was established in 2000. There were 1,389 masters degree and Juris Doctor degree graduates, and 96 doctorate graduates. Among the bachelors degree graduates, 73 received double degrees.

SMU had the privilege of welcoming Prime Minister Mr Lawrence Wong for an inspiring dialogue, jointly organised by SMU and attended by nearly 1,000 students from various tertiary institutions. PM Wong discussed issues relevant to the younger generation, including employment and economic trends, and encouraged young people to pursue careers that match their abilities.

SMU’s business case club, Team Cognitare, has continued its strong track record, this time clinching the title of Global Champions for the second consecutive year at the prestigious International Case Competition @ Maastricht (ICC@M).

Open House 2024 saw the largest turnout in SMU’s history, with more than 20,000 visitors to the SMU campus over two days. Visitors were offered 118 information sessions, in-depth talks, and sample classes so they could get an idea of how their SMU journey could be.

SMU has announced a new programme that offers business undergraduates a unique 18-month, immersive exchange experience that spans three continents. It is offered in partnership with the University of North Carolina at Chapell Hill (UNC) in the United States, as well as the Copenhagen Business School (CBS) in Denmark.