SHAPING IMPACT,
TRANSFORMING LIVES
Chairman's
Message
The world is changing at speed. For universities, standing still is not an option. It may be tempting to chase every new idea or react to every passing trend. Yet strong leadership lies in rootedness, in our mission, values, and purpose — even as we adapt with agility to what the world demands.
With the same pioneering spirit that has defined the institution since its founding, SMU2030 charts a clear course for the future. Its pillars of Education, Research, and Partnerships are the levers through which we create meaningful, real-world impact.
The strategies outlined herein set out what we want to achieve — but it is culture that determines how we will succeed. If we nurture a culture that is agile, collaborative, and impact-driven, SMU2030 will not remain words on a page; it will become a living commitment.
For Singapore Management University (SMU), clarity of purpose means preparing graduates who are agile and adaptive, advancing research that addresses society's most pressing challenges, and forging partnerships that make a difference for Singapore, Asia, and the world.
The Board of Trustees and I stand firmly behind this plan. Now it is up to every member of the SMU community — faculty, staff, students, alumni, and partners — to take ownership of it.
Rooted in purpose, and with confidence in direction, we can shape impact and transform lives together.
Mr. Piyush Gupta
Chairman
SMU Board of Trustees
President's
Message
As SMU marks its 25th Anniversary, the world around us is changing rapidly. Shifting geopolitical dynamics, accelerating technological disruption, changing demographics, and rising societal expectations are reshaping the higher education landscape, making it more competitive and complex than ever.
In this environment, SMU must take deliberate steps to meet evolving industry and employer needs, and to respond to the growing demand for research that delivers real-world impact and thought leadership on society's most pressing challenges.
The SMU2030 Strategic Plan charts SMU's path for the next five years, driven by a purposeful impact agenda, focused on four domains vital to national and regional advancement: Human Capital Development, Knowledge Creation, Economic Development, and Social and Community Life. To deliver on this ambition, we will continue to build on our Education, Research, and Partnerships, supported by key enablers: Talent, Financial Resources, Digital Infrastructure, Physical Infrastructure, and Brand and Reputation.
We will continue to nurture agile and adaptive graduates who can thrive in a rapidly changing world, driving positive change through innovative insights and solutions, while grounded in ethics and social responsibility.
We will pursue research that addresses complex real-world challenges that span across our strategic priorities (Digital Transformation, Sustainable Living and Growth in Asia), enhancing the University's academic reputation and contributing to meaningful societal impact.
And we will forge partnerships that enable and support education and research objectives, expand learning opportunities, facilitate collaborations to address societal challenges, create knowledge transfer to benefit society, drive innovations and create real-world impact.
As we embark on this next chapter together, I invite the SMU community to be intentional in our quest to make a positive difference within and beyond academia.
Together, we will build a university of impact – one that empowers people, advances knowledge, and uplifts communities across generations.
Professor Lily Kong
President
Our Refreshed
Vision and Mission
Launched in January 2025 at the onset of SMU's 25th anniversary, our Vision statement embraces our roots in Asia while engaging globally; celebrates our city location as an asset; claims the space at the nexus of management, social sciences and technology; foregrounds our DNA in driving innovations and transcending boundaries; and ultimately, declares our aspirations to transform lives. Our Mission statement spells out how we will do so, through Education, Research and Partnerships.
VISION
Asia's premier global city university
At the nexus of management, social sciences and technology
Driving innovations, transcending boundaries, transforming lives
Mission
Nurture a community of independent lifelong learners and change agents
Enable world-class researchers to address societal challenges
Harness partnerships to serve as gateway between Asia and the world
Transform lives to create sustainable futures
Our Impact
Agenda
The SMU2030 Strategic Plan is anchored on a clear and purposeful impact agenda. It is underpinned by a strong commitment to evidencing the impact of each initiative, capturing the deliberate and measurable ways in which communities, economies, and societies are transformed.
Our impact framework is defined through four key domains:
Human Capital Development
SMU's distinctive education model aims to develop graduates who are future-ready, globally attuned, and socially conscious.
Impact is reflected in graduate outcomes, such as strong employment rates, career progression, salary growth, and graduates' achievements across business, government, and society.
Knowledge Creation
SMU's research advances the frontiers of academia and knowledge, contributing to a deeper understanding of complex societal challenges.
Impact is demonstrated through the production of high-quality scholarly work and its accessibility, relevance and application to broader audiences, including policy communities, industry, and the wider public.
Economic Development
SMU contributes to sustainable economic growth through research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and education that influence business practices, catalyse technological change and adoption, improve productivity, and stimulate the development of new products and services.
Impact is evidenced by policy and practice changes, business support initiatives, and commercialisation outcomes, such as technology transfer, startup incubation, patents, and licences.
Social and Community Life
SMU enhances social well-being and cultural vibrancy through research, service, environmental and cultural activities that are responsive to societal needs.
Impact is realised through initiatives that help shape public policy, strengthen social resilience, and improve the quality of life in communities.
SMU2030
Strategic Plan
To realise our impact aspirations, the SMU2030 Strategic Plan comprises three strategies under each of three pillars: Education, Research, and Partnerships. Each strategy is delivered through a range of strategic initiatives.
The Strategic Plan also spells out initiatives as part of five enablers: Talent, Financial Resources, Digital Infrastructure, Physical Infrastructure, as well as Brand and Reputation.
Asia's premier global city university
At the nexus of management, social sciences and technology
Driving innovations, transcending boundaries, transforming lives
- Nurture a community of independent lifelong learners and change agents
- Enable world-class researchers to address societal challenges
- Harness partnerships to serve as gateway between Asia and the world
- Transform lives to create sustainable futures
- Human Capital Development
- Knowledge Creation
- Economic Development
- Social and Community Life
- Digital Transformation
- Sustainable Living
- Growth in Asia
EDUCATION
RESEARCH
PARTNERSHIPS
Education
Desired Impact
Summary of Education Strategies
The first education strategy identifies the 'what' that is desired of SMU graduate qualities, while the second and third education strategies delve into the 'how' of delivering those qualities.
Education Strategies and Strategic Initiatives (SIs)
- Graduates who are self-directed and agile, with an informed worldview and a strong sense of purpose
- Graduates who are career-agile professionals with applied expertise, interdisciplinary perspectives, and purpose-driven leadership
- Graduates who are career-agile researchers with intellectual depth, impact-driven inquiry mindsets and interdisciplinary perspectives who contribute to knowledge, as well as economic and societal progress
- Graduates who are self-directed, industry-relevant lifelong learners equipped to thrive in evolving industries
Empower self-directed learning through personalised and flexible approaches
Research
Desired Impact
Summary of Research Strategies
The first research strategy identifies what societal challenge areas we will strengthen capability in, delivering insights that contribute to impact. The second focuses on how we will guide faculty in striving for academic and societal impact. The third seeks to support our faculty and researchers to achieve our collective ambitions through data access and AI technologies.
Research Strategies and Strategic Initiatives (SIs)
Forge collaborations across academia, government, and industry to harness data and AI technologies
Partnerships
Desired Impact
Summary of Partnerships Strategies
The first strategy focuses our minds on how we engage Asia, the vast continent within which we are located. The second turns attention to the types of engagement partners, and the third to how we can be of value to our partners.
Partnerships Strategies and Strategic Initiatives (SIs)
Strengthen SMU's knowledge and expertise in the region through research collaborations with academia and 3P partners
Strengthen SMU's market presence through differentiated regional engagement, by expanding PG and PCE and exploring research collaborations in key Asian markets
Strengthen SMU's knowledge and expertise in the region through research collaborations with academia and 3P partners
Cultivate partnerships and networks with universities, industry and community organisations to provide students with real-world learning experiences and enhance their global outlook, career preparedness and capacity for social impact
Cultivate partnerships and networks with international organisations, regional organisations, and alumni to amplify SMU's thought leadership, thereby strengthening SMU's visibility and reputation
Position SMU as a gateway to Asia through immersive learning programmes focused on Asia for learners from beyond, with SMU as trusted guide and regional expert; and through enabling research collaborations across regions
P
Enablers
To further support SMU2030, targeted enabling initiatives will be implemented across the following five areas:
Talent
Prioritise the attraction, development, and retention of world-class faculty, researchers, teaching instructors, and highly experienced administrative staff
Strengthen the faculty pipeline and enhance research capacity
Strengthen talent and career development and succession planning for faculty and administrative staff
Financial Resources
Maintain a sustainable financial base that supports SMU's planned vision and mission
Ensure financial sustainability through revenue growth, cost optimisation, and disciplined financial management
Digital Infrastructure
Implement a strategic and integrated digital modernisation agenda to remain competitive and future ready
Leverage innovation-enabling technologies to strengthen teaching, learning, research and service delivery
Physical Infrastructure
Refresh SMU's campus environment by constructing new facilities to support fresh academic pursuits
Refresh the campus environment to optimise space efficiency, modernise facilities and strengthen collaboration
Develop a new integrated residential and recreational facility
Brand and Reputation
Celebrate SMU's legacy of transformative impact while establishing a strong foundation for growth
Implement a new branding agenda
Strengthen SMU's voice in ASEAN, China and India
Our Commitment
to Impact
To make SMU's impact more intentional, visible, and widely felt, the University is making deliberate efforts to track, evidence, and measure the impact of its initiatives. SMU will develop systematic documentation of results, establish ways to measure progress, and amplify the University's positive influence.
Tracking progress entails monitoring the inputs, outputs, and outcomes that are precursors to impact.
Input
Resources used to support our activities in education, research and partnerships, such as student intake and research grants
Output
The direct products from our activities, such as number of graduates and publications
Outcome
The short-to-medium-term consequential effects arising from outputs, such as employment rates and citation counts
Impact
The long-term, broader effect on a larger and more sustained scale
Together, they allow us to track progress and demonstrate the value of an initiative. They form a 'results' or 'value' chain from input to ultimate economic and/or societal benefit.
Download the
SMU 2030 Compendium
“We will continue to strengthen our DNA as an innovative and impactful university — to drive bold ideas and derive big impact.”
Professor Lily Kong
President