Singapore Management University Singapore Management University fosters a global outlook

SMU is EQUIS accredited. As well as fostering a high degree of internationalisation, it balances high academic quality with practical relevance to the corporate world. The university attaches particular importance to offering a learning environment that encourages a global outlook and promotes the development of managerial and entrepreneurial skills.

SMU adopts an all-encompassing learning environment by offering a blend of face-to-face and online teaching; collaborating on programmes with other universities; and promoting interdisciplinary learning. This fosters an integrated and a wellbalanced learning experience. Seminar style classrooms with an emphasis on real-world assignments and projects are seen as crucial for optimum learning and international vision.

“In a short span of time, the SMU team has built a highly focused and successful university that delivers excellence in research and education aligned with business needs,” said Professor Arnoud De Meyer, President, Singapore Management University. He explained, “SMU is distinctive for its clear commitment to a liberal, broad-based education. The university has shown outstanding capability in teaching and will develop the rigour of our research and the application of it in the community.”

“FT material is useful for class discussions,” says Professor Koh Niak Wu. “It carries with it the latest and greatest happenings globally. As an industry practitioner and adjunct faculty of operations management, I use the content to share, enrich and highlight key takeaways. For example, I shared and annotated on quality management for Toyota and GM.”

The professor adds, “Nothing brings the theoretical aspect of concepts to life better than cases and real life projects. All my classes are enriched through both approaches. From the feedback received, the students feel that the learning experience is improved vastly as they are able to relate better to the concepts. More importantly, they understand how and what needs to be done during implementation.”

The connection with real-world global business developments is central to the teaching techniques at SMU. The FT connects the course material to the corporate world, enabling students to bridge the gap between theory and practice. In addition, being able to access, share and comment on the articles 24/7 drives interactivity and dynamic learning.

University Librarian Gulcin Cribb says, “FT.com plays a pivotal role at SMU and is one of the resources that enriches student’s learning experience by providing practical, real-world context which can be integrated into curriculum. Having FT as an online resource makes it convenient for our students and faculty to access and utilise it, both within and outside the classroom.”

She adds that the FT Professional Subscription has encouraged more students to read the FT. The result is that its global news coverage and expert analysis are giving them fresh insights, while digital FT access enables them to work at any time of the day, remotely and with complete flexibility.

FT content brings business news and current affairs into the education curriculum. With over 600 correspondents across five continents, the FT adds value and depth with international news and a global perspective.

The FT provides an unparalleled breadth and depth of award-winning coverage: from sectors, companies and industries to economics and politics, it enhances student learning whatever their discipline.

Furthermore, the FT offers access to its content on multiple platforms, via third parties and integration into student portal workflows. The services includes an archive of all news and analysis since 2004, topic tracking and theme-following functionalities, and a suite of tools allowing account customisation.

SMU’s broad-based curriculum values breadth and depth, multidisciplinary learning and global exposure. This produces a strong set of hard and soft skills. Articles are current and cover areas that are relevant to the development of the students as they progress through the course.

Not only does the FT bring theory to life with course related business and market information, but it’s also used by students to enhance their professional competencies beyond the classroom. This might mean becoming a better presenter, improving ‘softer’ skills such as communicating, or simply becoming more knowledgeable about current affairs.

Gregor Halff, Associate Dean and Academic Director of MBA/EMBA at Singapore Management University says,

“The FT teaches life lessons between classes, business students become scrutinous with the facts and diligent with their views.”