Professor Arnoud De Meyer President, SMU

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3 President s Message 2015 has been yet another year of growth and accomplishments as we celebrated SMU s 15 th anniversary and Singapore s 50 years of nation building. SMU has, in its first 15 years, developed into a strong, research-based university that has advanced in academic stature and global reputation, but we re not stopping here. We want to take SMU to its next level of success. In August 2014, I had outlined SMU Vision 2025 which will serve as our roadmap over the next ten years and aims to build SMU into a great university. This bold and powerful vision is already being realised in a number of ways. Game Changer: SMU s undergraduate curriculum continues to evolve to ensure that we will give our graduates the edge when they enter the workforce and throughout their working lives. Ten courses were launched last year with the SMU-X collaborative, practical projectbased learning initiative. Efforts are being made to put SMU-X at the heart of the undergraduate curriculum. Catalyst: As a catalyst for cutting edge and multidisciplinary research, we have expanded our Areas of Research Excellence from three to five Analytics for Business, Consumer and Social Insights; Economics of Ageing and Healthcare Management; Finance and Financial Markets; Innovation and Entrepreneurship; and Urban Management and Sustainability. Our faculty has continued to secure more funding in research grants and from a wider variety of sources Global Exemplar: To be a leading Asian City University, we continue to integrate SMU into the city and its stakeholder groups of business, education, arts and sports, and the city residents through our academic and student life activities. SMU now co-operates with a network of 222 partner universities around the world, providing valuable research and exchange opportunities. We launched our own Summer School programme last year, hosting 87 students from 16 countries on our campus for four weeks. Over the summer, we also had SMU students attached to Emory University in Atlanta in the US and iminds in Belgium, an infocomm technology research lab where they were matched with start-ups in both places. Next year, SMU will be introducing two new locations in China and India to expand this entrepreneurship immersion programme. What we have achieved over the past year has been made possible with the generous support from our individual, foundation and corporate donors. The resulting learning, research and outreach cross disciplinary boundaries, address major societal issues, and have a profound public impact. As we continue to scale new heights in pursuit of excellence by expanding our programmes, building new facilities, conducting innovative research, and ensuring accessibility to an SMU education, we look forward to your enduring strong support in realising SMU Vision Thank you for all you have done for SMU and will continue to do in the future. Professor Arnoud De Meyer President, SMU SMU Giving Review

4 2015 AT A GLANCE Hotel 81-Choo Chong Ngen Bursary Mr Choo Chong Ngen (left) shakes hands with SMU student Ng Bing Xian, one of 24 inaugural bursary recipients. P.A.K. Entrepreneurship Fund Mr Jeff Tung (holding frame, right) and Mr Benjamin Twoon (holding frame, left) have given the largest single alumni gift to establish the fund. Mastercard Social and Financial Inclusion Programme SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer with Mr Ari Sarker (right), Co-President of Asia Pacific for MasterCard, at the signing ceremony. Citi-SMU Financial Literacy Fiesta Mr Michael Zink (far left), Head of ASEAN and Citi Country Officer, Singapore presents the cheque to SMU, continuing their support for the fiesta and associated programmes, in the presence of guest-ofhonour Mrs Josephine Teo, then-senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport. 2 SMU Giving Review 2015

5 Ayala Master of Tri-Sector Collaboration Scholarship SMU Board of Trustee Mr Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala (left) at the signing of the agreement to support the first postgraduate scholarship for Filipino students. MERCU-SMU Excellence Scholarship At the launch event, guest-of-honour Dr Yaacob Ibrahim (centre) speaks with inaugural recipients of the scholarship. SICC-SMU Eureka! Prize SICC Chief Executive Victor Mills (right) presents the prize to Team Marine Nexus, one of two winning teams. SMU Giving Review

6 Game Changer Igniting the passion for entrepreneurship In a sense, it is a homecoming for two alumni, Jeff Tung and Benjamin Twoon (both from the Lee Kong Chian School of Business [LKCSB] Class of 2013), as they are welcomed into the family of SMU s leadership donors. With 1-to-1 government matching, the total sum of $2 million has established two initiatives under the P.A.K. Entrepreneurship Fund the Eagles INCubator LKCSB Entrepreneurship Club and an annual business plan competition. Jeff and Ben are drawn back to SMU with an earnest wish to see more LKCSB student entrepreneurs receive the support and guidance needed to succeed in the world of business. What matters to them is that 4 SMU Giving Review 2015 Game Changer

7 students have the opportunity to try and fail and then get up and try again. Dean of LKCSB, Professor Gerry George said: This is just the beginning; it will get us to more engagement, more commitment and more entrepreneurship. Their involvement did not end after establishing the fund in October The pair has actively engaged students in the new club by volunteering their time to support club activities to mentor aspiring entrepreneurs. Jeff and Benjamin are exemplary alumni who embody the spirit of giving at SMU. We are contributing back, by supporting entrepreneurs and providing a platform for alumni to come back. The university is only as great as its students and alumni. Mr Benjamin Twoon From left to right: Professor Gerry George, Jeff Tung and Benjamin Twoon SMU Giving Review 2015 Game Changer 5

8 Paying It Forward The Hotel 81 Choo Chong Ngen Bursary is the single largest bursary gift to SMU from an individual donor. Mr Choo Chong Ngen, founder and Executive Chairman of Singapore s biggest chain of owner-managed hotels, has made an endowed contribution of $2 million to establish a new bursary for needy students at SMU to help pay for tuition fees. Ng Bing Xian was one of 24 undergraduates who received their bursaries from Mr Choo at an appreciation ceremony held at SMU. A third-year accountancy student, Bing Xian has already begun paying it forward through his leadership of the Citi-SMU Financial Literacy Club, which conducts financial literacy workshops for students. I have benefited from various scholarships and bursaries throughout my education, Bing Xian said, It is my responsibility to contribute back to society however I can. This is exactly the type of character Mr Choo hopes to instill through his gift. Through this bursary, I hope that motivated and deserving students are able to realise their aspirations and potential through a university education without the burden of financial obstacles. With the education they will receive, I hope the bursary recipients will go on to become responsible citizens and contribute back to society. Mr Choo Chong Ngen 6 SMU Giving Review 2015 Game Changer

9 Helping Hands Cherish the opportunity of a good education. We were inspired by the passion which the children demonstrated for learning and better appreciate the quality education we receive in school. Extract from Project Reverie II post-project report Project Reverie is one of the projects supported by Wilmar International Ltd through the Wilmar Overseas Engagement Projects Grant. The grant was established to help SMU students relate to the needs of the less fortunate in emerging economies. Gifts in support of community service projects, such as this, have the ability to impact many lives and greatly enrich the holistic student experience. During the second annual Project Reverie in 2015, students travelled to the Jiangsu Province in China to teach English at the Yihai Orphanage. Through the simple act of making a home cooked meal for the orphans, the team of 17 students had their undivided attention immediately. Throughout the 18 days spent at the orphanage, the students used practical situations to teach English and even helped the children write their goals for the year ahead, which were placed in a time capsule. When the students travel back to the Yihai Orphanage in 2016, they will open the capsule together with the children and reflect on this experience that was equally rewarding for the orphans and the SMU students. SMU Giving Review 2015 Game Changer 7

10 Nothing but Smiles The Aloysius & Kalice Scholarship was established by Mr Aloysius Lee, Group CEO of Millenium & Copthorne Hotels PLC, and his wife, Mrs Kalice Lee to motivate and reward academically inclined undergraduate students to achieve academic and practical excellence. This scholarship demonstrates their continuous commitment to supporting education and encouraging others to give back. Inaugural recipients of the Aloysius & Kalice Scholarship, Wong Jia Ling (Year 3, School of Accountancy; pictured right) and Aloysius Yeo Heng Hup (Year 4, School of Economics; pictured below), were thankful for the generosity of Mr and Mrs Aloysius Lee. Both were selected for their leadership qualities and involvement in community projects. Giving back is something Aloysius Yeo deeply values. As the Human Resources Director for SMU Caretalyst, a community service club, he has founded and led an overseas community service project to help impoverished children from Iloilo, The Philippines. Aloysius (the recipient) dreams of growing the project every year and continuing it for the long term so that he, his peers, and future generations of SMU students can make an even greater impact. Just the smiles on the faces of those I ve helped make it all worthwhile. Aloysius Yeo Heng Hup, recipient of the Aloysius & Kalice Scholarship SMU Giving Review 2015 Game Changer

11 Giving Back to Community The MERCU-SMU Excellence Scholarship is the first SMU scholarship to be established solely for full-time Malay Singaporean undergraduates. The Scholarship was established by MERCU Learning Point together with two anonymous donors with a contribution of $600,000. Attracting a 1-to-1 match from the government, the total gift will help to fund three scholarships per year. Speaking on behalf of the donors, Mr Azmi Muslimin, Chairman of MERCU Learning Point said, The establishment of the MERCU-SMU Excellence Scholarship is a small step we are taking in the hope that others will be encouraged to come forward and give back to the community. This scholarship aims to provide financial support for needy SMU Malay undergraduates whom we hope will pay it forward to the larger community. With the aim to inspire financially disadvantaged students, this scholarship will not only recognise strong academic results, but also a commendable record of cocurricular activity and community service involvement. This pioneer and milestone gift sets an incredible example for students and the broader Singaporean community. The inaugural recipients of the MERCU-SMU Excellence Scholarship are (L-R) Nur Amalina Binte Saparin, Muhammad Hafiz Bin Kasman, and Khairul Ashraf Bin Khairul Anwar. SMU Giving Review 2015 Game Changer 9

12 A Decade of Giving In celebration of SG50 and SMU15, the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce (SICC) made a gift to support innovation and productivity. In the first ever collaboration of its kind between the Chamber and a university, the SICC-SMU Eureka! Prize business innovation competition was created to generate groundbreaking business ideas with commercial potential. The competition was open to all current undergraduate and postgraduate students of SMU and the teams had one month to develop their business plans. The two winning teams, which were awarded $20,000 each, were Team Homage a platform for the provision of homecare services; and MarineNexus a vessel trading platform. Each team must use the prize money for prototype development and proof of concept testing. Through this competition, I have learnt a great deal about how to pitch a business idea in the most convincing and succinct way. Tong Nhat Duong of Team Homage This exchange is truly one of the most immersive experience of my university education. Yap Hsien Liang describes his experience at Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania while on the SICC International Exchange Scholarship This year also marks the tenth anniversary since the SICC began supporting the SICC International Exchange Scholarship in The Chamber has supported a total of 44 students on international experiences to the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania in the U.S. and to various partner universities in Asia. Alumni who received the SICC International Exchange Scholarship gather to celebrate SICC s 10 years of giving. 10 SMU Giving Review 2015 Game Changer

13 In loving memory PROFESSOR WINSTON KOH ENDOWED MEMORIAL FUND The late Professor Winston Koh was a dear friend to many, kind mentor to countless students, and wonderful colleague to all who worked with him. The Professor Winston Koh Endowed Memorial Fund was established in memory of his life and achievements. It will support, in perpetuity, bursaries that encourage undergraduates from the School of Economics to strive for academic excellence and gain a holistic education at SMU. Professor Koh himself came from a financially challenged background and demonstrated that with hard work and perseverance, one can achieve excellence. We are overwhelmed by the generous support of the SMU community who have donated and welcome more support for the fund. From academic year 2016 onwards, one bursary will be given to a deserving student from the School of Economics. Please contact Office of Advancement at giving@smu.edu.sg to donate to the fund. Photo credit: Hong Huazheng SMU Giving Review 2015 Game Changer 11

14 Catalyst Social Entrepreneurship On 23 September 2015, MasterCard and SMU formed yet another partnership, this time for an original and innovative Social and Financial Inclusion Programme. Through MasterCard s support, this cutting-edge programme will bring together highly regarded faculty and industry leaders to catalyse important research on social entrepreneurship, innovation, and financial inclusion. As part of the programme, there will be an annual MasterCard-SMU Forum where research on social inclusion and economic value creation will be presented, funding for student projects, the establishment of the MasterCard Professorship of Social Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion, and a seminar series. This stimulating series will provide advanced training on the approaches and best practices of social and financial inclusion for senior government officials, central bankers, regulators and senior business executives in Asia Pacific. The Co-President of Asia Pacific for MasterCard, Ari Sarker (right) said, By partnering with SMU to establish a Social and Financial Inclusion Programme, we hope that new, innovative solutions will be discovered that will help us bring the benefits of products and services to Asia Pacific s unbanked population. In addition to the newest endeavour, MasterCard has generously supported 13 postgraduate students as part of the MasterCard MBA Scholarship for Women over the past five years. We are grateful for the company s continued support. 12 SMU Giving Review 2015 Catalyst

15 Entrepreneurial Exchange We have decided to endow a gift to name and support the Kwanpen-IIE Entrepreneurship lunch time talks as it is an excellent platform for entrepreneurs to share their bitter-sweet experiences, wisdom and expertise with the SMU community. Kwanpen is a proud-tobe-local brand established by my late father who is passionate about education both formal and informal. We believe this is one way to honour him as well as to empower SMU with real life business knowledge, said Mr Kwan, Director of Kwan Brothers Pte Ltd and Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Acorn Marketing and Research Consultants. The inaugural talk in the series kicked off in November 2015 with the aim of promoting entrepreneurship. The series is comprised of eight inspirational talks each year and is organised by SMU s Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The talks provide a forum for successful local entrepreneurs to share their entrepreneurial journey with the SMU community and partners. Future Ready Innovative partnerships are needed to address urgent and complex societal challenges, and will be the cutting edge of new approaches to governance, business and management. The Singapore Management University is foremost in building knowledge and capabilities and advancing practice on the ground, in Asia and internationally, and I am proud to be part of these efforts, said Dr Simon Zadek, Visiting Professor and DSM Senior Fellow in Partnership and Sustainability, SMU School of Social Sciences; and Co-Director, UNEP Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System With the generous support of DSM Singapore Industrial Pte Ltd, the establishment of the new DSM Senior Fellow in Partnership and Sustainability is timely. The fellowship is aimed at advancing knowledge, influencing policies and facilitating networks & partnerships to promote sustainable development. We welcome Dr Zadek into the SMU family, who brings his wealth of expertise and experience. His presence will surely enrich research at SMU. Ahead of the Curve With the support of donors, SMU hosted an outstanding line-up of lectures and professorships. Featuring distinguished guest speakers, eminent business leaders and renowned academics, 2015 highlights include: The Shaw Foundation Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series, 19 Mar Professor Gerard J. Tellis University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business Ho Rih Hwa Leadership in Asia Public Lecture Series, 30 Jun Mr Lee Hsien Loong Prime Minister, Republic of Singapore The Ngee Ann Kongsi Annual Lecture Series, 8 Oct Professor Chen Ling Zhejiang University Herbert Smith Asian Arbitration Lecture Series, 24 Nov Professor Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler Geneva University Celia Moh Professorial Chair Professor Phang Sock Yong Singapore Management University Cheng Tsang Man Professorship in Accountancy Professor Mark DeFond University of Southern California Marshall School of Business Ho Bee Professorship in Chinese Economy & Business Professor Wang Zhongming Zhejiang University Jones Day Professorship of Commercial Law Professor Eilis Ferran University of Cambridge Lee Kong Chian Professorship Professor Virgil Gligor Carnegie Mellon University MPA Professorship in Maritime Business Economics Visiting Professor Stavros Tsolakis Athens University of Economics and Business The OUB Professorial Chair Professor Lim Kian Guan Singapore Management University The Tommie Goh Visiting Professorship in Entrepreneurship and Business Professor Ashish Arora, Duke University, Fuqua School of Business Professor Sunil Gupta, Harvard Business School Professor Jarrad Harford, University of Washington, Foster School of Business Yong Pung How Professorship of Law Professor Yeo Tiong Min Singapore Management University SMU Giving Review 2015 Catalyst 13

16 A Party for Financial Education 14 SMU Giving Review 2015 Catalyst

17 One usually thinks of a Fiesta as a festive party, but in the case of the latest partnership between Citi Singapore and SMU, the Financial Literacy Fiesta was a celebration of a different variety a community give-back project focused on celebrating Singapore s 50th year of independence with a tribute to the nation s financial legacy as well as Citi s 10th Global Community Day. Through seminars, workshops, a symposium, and a carnival on SMU s Campus Green, volunteers from Citi Singapore and SMU students, faculty, and staff came together to educate the local community on the importance of financial literacy. Mr Michael Zink, Head of ASEAN and Citi Country Officer, Singapore said Citi Singapore is delighted to partner with SMU on the Financial Literacy Fiesta to celebrate Singapore s 50 years of nation building. Citi has been in Singapore for over a century and it has been our privilege to provide financial solutions and banking convenience to our clients in Singapore. We also believe in using our expertise to serve the community and financial education is a natural extension of our work as a global financial institution. Since 2012, Citi Foundation has supported SMU in the establishment of the Citi-SMU Financial Literacy Programme, aimed at reaching out to youths between the ages of and instilling them with the importance of financial management at a young age. Their enduring generosity and partnership with SMU will ensure the continuity of this important and meaningful outreach programme. SMU Giving Review 2015 Catalyst 15

18 Global Exemplar Building Value Pioneer, savvy businesswoman, motivational leader, connector these are all words that describe treasured SMU Professor, Annie Koh (right). Since SMU s beginnings in Bukit Timah, Annie has been championing its initiatives and its relevance in Singapore, confirming the building blocks were in place to ensure the university s success. Originally brought on to run Executive Education and teach Finance, she is now Vice President of Business Development and serves as the Academic Director for the International Trading Institute (ITI), Business Family Institute (BFI), Financial Training Institute (FTI), and Centre for Professional Studies (CPS). The growth of these institutes has not only come from Annie s strength as a leader, but also her extraordinary ability to build relationships that are critical to advancing education at SMU, and more broadly in Singapore. When asked about her secret to developing, fostering, and keeping such robust relationships? Professor Koh says, You must start with building value. Value is critical and if you build it right, people You must start with building value. Value is critical and if you build it right, people will come to you and say they want to do more. 16 SMU Giving Review 2015 Global Exemplar

19 Opposite page: Professor Koh (centre) moderates the Entrepreneurship Seminar featuring Mr Douglas Foo (second from left), Chairman of Sakae Holdings. Top: Professor Koh (third from left) leads business family members on a learning journey to Silicon Valley from November Bottom left: Professor Koh (right) at the 2015 Forum on Chinese Family Business Inheritance in China, held by Zhejiang University. Bottom right: Professor Koh (second from left) moderates the Ngee Ann Kongsi Lecture Series, featuring Professor Chen Ling from Zhejiang University as speaker. will come to you and say they want to do more. This is evident with the ITI. As she describes, We always make a deliberate effort to engage our partners for their inputs when developing new initiatives as we want to ensure they are relevant to our stakeholders. Take the International Trading Concentration which was developed in consultation with industry as an example. Our graduates from the programme are amongst the most sought after talent by companies operating in the trading sector as they are equipped with the right skills and knowledge. Opportunities are enormous for industry partnerships to couple with university partnerships. Professor Koh emphasizes that another key component for developing relationships is building trust. This is especially true with the work she does with the BFI. Through commissioned research, educational and engagement programmes, business families learn about specific issues on family, ownership, business succession and governance to develop, harness and leverage their family and financial capital across generations And as a respected and enthusiastic academic, Professor Koh often serves as a moderator for some of the university s most important events. This is where she implements her other key component of growing relationships: listening. You build relationships only when you hear people s needs. We thank Professor Koh for her unwavering support of and commitment to the university s many relationships, the students, SMU, and the greater Singapore community. SMU Giving Review 2015 Global Exemplar 17

20 Cultural Learning Darren Yuen (Year 3, Lee Kong Chian School of Business) is the third recipient of the Mahendra Misra Scholarship and is intrigued by the prospect of spending time in India s commercial capital, Mumbai. Receiving the Scholarship is meaningful to Darren and encourages him to attain ever greater heights. With a twin brother studying at the same time in SMU, this has greatly relieved the the financial burden on his family. Having recently returned from an exchange programme in Sweden, Darren is ready to experience a completely different culture in The Mahendra Misra Scholarship was established by SMU Trustee Mr Sanjiv Misra in honour of his father, to motivate and provide financial assistance to outstanding full-time SMU undergraduates who are also active leaders in the SMU community. In addition, the recipients must possess a keen interest in India and be willing to participate in an overseas student programme there in order to gain a deep immersion in and understanding of the country. Darren (centre) with twin brother, Barry (left), at an SMU Icon event. I would like to delve deeper into India s culture and see why India s economy is one of the strongest in the world. 18 SMU Giving Review 2015 Global Exemplar

21 Ties that bind On 28 September 2015, the Ayala Master of Tri-Sector Collaboration (MTSC) Scholarship was launched in Makati City, The Philippines. The partnership between Ayala Foundation and Singapore Management University marks the first postgraduate scholarship for Filipino students at SMU. SMU is privileged to receive the support of Mr Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman and CEO of Ayala Corporation in making this scholarship possible; but also benefitted from his wise counsel and guidance as member of SMU Board of Trustee and Master of Tri-Sector Collaboration Advisory Group. Speaking at launch event, SMU President Arnoud De Meyer said, This partnership with Ayala Foundation is testimony of the strong and collaborative relationship between SMU and Ayala, as well as the quality and rigor of our MTSC program, the first of its kind in the world. SMU welcomed the three inaugural recipients of the scholarship, Christine Marie Cruz, Lani Mateo and Philline Donggay (pictured on page 20), have since joined the MTCS programme in The programme empowers emerging leaders from businesses, governments and civil society to work together to develop sustainable solutions to the world s big problems. There is a pressing need for individuals to be equipped with skills to deal with a future of increasing complexity and scarce resources. Professor Ann Florini, Academic Director of the Master of Tri-Sector Collaboration programme at SMU, elaborates, The boundaries between public and private are breaking down. Governments turn to business to help solve wicked, complex problems and to join large-scale, long-term public-private partnerships. Business faces demands to serve the public interest and go far beyond regulatory compliance. Civil society organisations are shifting from campaigning against business and government to working with both sectors to achieve their goals. Our partnership with SMU is a strategic expression of our support for the global Filipino committed to national development, but also highly attuned to what goes on in the rest of the world, and able to harness these for the benefit of everyone. It is also our way of strengthening our relationship with the rest of our ASEAN neighbors, one of the most exciting regions for economic and social development. Mr Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, CEO of Ayala Corporation. SMU Giving Review 2015 Global Exemplar 19

22 Thank You For Your Support And Encouragement!

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