SMU 2025: GROWING IMPACT, CULTIVATING CHANGE
Since Vision 2025 was first unveiled in 2014, SMU has steadily grown in the breadth and depth of our accomplishments.
We have successfully made meaningful impact in myriad ways on our economy and society.
As we entered the second phase of this journey in 2022, the world faced new challenges
and opportunities – not least those presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our university continues to respond and
refocus our resources and energies accordingly.
OUR PRIORITIES
SMU has selected three priorities that serve as cross-disciplinary focal points cutting across our Schools. As we move towards Vision 2025, we turn our focus and efforts on areas of particular economic and social relevance to our nation and region.
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
- Spearhead cutting-edge ideas to digitally transform the private and public sectors
- Develop robust insights into the impact of digitisation on customer and citizen experience
SUSTAINABLE LIVING
- Drive solutions in managing climate change and sustainable city living, enhancing quality of life
- Shaping legal and regulatory frameworks to build healthier and happier societies
GROWTH IN ASIA
- Offer a deep understanding of Asia’s economy, polity and society
- Contribute to the region’s growth and manage the ensuing impacts
These priorities were selected because they:
- Address the future needs of Singapore, the regional economy and community
- Position students well for the future
- Draw on a wealth of faculty expertise
- Align with SMU’s unique strengths
- Provide meaningful opportunities for staff contributions
- Capture the interest of external stakeholders as potential collaborators and benefactors
OUR STRATEGIES
Our cross-disciplinary strategies create impact in the three priorities through strengthening SMU’s reputation among students and employers, conducting leading research with direct societal impact, and building a green and digitally connected university.
NURTURING GLOBAL CITIZENS FOR TOMORROW THROUGH
TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATION
ADDRESSING SOCIETAL CHALLENGES THROUGH
CUTTING EDGE RESEARCH
ENGAGING WITH THE CITY AND WORLD TO MAKE
MEANINGFUL IMPACT
Our Provost outlines strategies from SMU 2025.
OUR ENABLERS
Implementing our strategies and initiatives will require the support of an enabling infrastructure.
SMU DIFFERENTIATORS
Our four distinctive enablers are critical to our success and set us apart.
UNIVERSITY FUNDAMENTALS
Our innovative people, robust resources and stable infrastructure form a strong foundation that enables and supports our growth towards Vision 2025.
FACULTY & STAFF
Retain, develop and attract world-class faculty, staff and researchers to steer us forward
STUDENTS
Attract high-quality students with strong potential to make meaningful impact
ALUMNI, DONORS & ADVISORS
Engage alumni, donors and advisory boards towards our vision
FINANCIAL RESOURCES
Establish a robust financial base as we continue to grow
PHYSICAL/DIGITAL
Ensure adequate physical space, facilities as well as digital infrastructure and services
RESEARCH SUPPORT
Build a strong research support infrastructure to support our endeavours
FACULTY & STAFF
Retain, develop and attract world-class faculty, staff and researchers to steer us forward
STUDENTS
Attract high-quality students with strong potential to make meaningful impact
ALUMNI, DONORS & ADVISORS
Engage alumni, donors and advisory boards towards our vision
FINANCIAL RESOURCES
Establish a robust financial base as we continue to grow
PHYSICAL/DIGITAL
Ensure adequate physical space, facilities as well as digital infrastructure and services
RESEARCH SUPPORT
Build a strong research support infrastructure to support our endeavours
SMU 2025: GROWING IMPACT, CULTIVATING CHANGE
Together, this constitutes our university strategic plan. It gives us focus, provided in the form of a framework of strategies and enablers,
with specific strategic and enabling initiatives to carry through the Vision, within which there is freedom to come up with new ideas and initiatives.
Download the SMU 2025 Compendium here
HEAR IT FROM OUR PEOPLE
get a glimpse into how our colleagues feel about the SMU 2025 strategic plan.
The distinctive advantage SMU can offer under the heading Digital Transformation is to maximise the value-add using data, logic and knowledge.
I wholeheartedly support this focusing. It plays to SMU’s strengths and is the right number of priorities, given SMU's size. I like the fact that staff are included as well.
Colleagues seemed genuinely excited by the plans. I too am excited about the plans and would love to be part of a university with the ambitions laid out and the resolve to meet them.
The flexibility to make adjustments to the strategic plan is important as change is the only constant. We are strategising for change rather than to last.
The strategic priorities are a timely and topical way to integrate and align the diverse research interests of the SMU faculty. I am excited to see the interdisciplinary potential of the strategic priorities be realised in years to come.
I like it that disciplinary research is valued but that, as a University, there are three strategic priority areas that have been identified after a careful process that goes back to the Ideation Tables.