SMU leads, actively participates and contributes to university and higher education alliances, networks and associations – global and regional – that focus on societal challenges, and innovation and excellence in higher education and research.
SMU became a member of this network of 30 leading universities from ASEAN countries in 2010.
“The AUN was formed to address the need for the region to quickly develop a regional identity and solidarity while promoting the fostering of ASEAN talents by creating a platform to allow the region’s leading higher education institutions to collaborate. Today, the AUN is a network widely recognised as a vital mechanism for the build-up of an active and renowned ASEAN community in higher education. Given such importance, the AUN was highly commended by the Meeting of Ministers for Education in ASEAN Countries for its achievements in upgrading the capacity of ASEAN human resources and enhancing the quality of education of the AUN member universities. With the strengths and expertise of our members, the AUN can play a major role in broadening the integration of the ten ASEAN countries, into one cohesive ASEAN Community and narrowing the development gap among them, which are ultimate goals of ASEAN.”
— AUN website
- The SMU Centre for Teaching Excellence chairs the AUN Technology Enhanced Personalised Learning (AUN-TEPL) thematic network for building capacity, as well as promoting and enabling the sharing of resources and collaborations on TEPL between universities. SMU co-leads the AUN-TEPL with Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Universiti Malaya and Mahidol University.
- SMU Libraries, together with its NUS and NTU counterparts, serve as the secretariat for the Libraries of ASEAN University Network (AUNILO). The AUNILO helps member universities develop world-class libraries and information services through building capacity and competencies, sharing of information and resources, as well as promoting and supporting cooperation between universities in ASEAN countries.
- The SMU Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship actively contributes to the Chulalongkorn University-led AUN University Innovation and Enterprise (AUN-UIE) thematic network which seeks to promote and enhance innovation and entrepreneurship in the ASEAN region by offering universities a platform, and creating opportunities, for academic, research and capacity-building collaborations and programmes.
SMU became a member of the Reach Alliance of leading universities in 2022. The Alliance seeks to accelerate the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals through a commitment to translate actionable research insights to impact communities and societies positively.
Founded by the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, in partnership with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, the Reach Alliance is a student-driven, faculty-mentored global research and leadership initiative investigating how critical interventions and innovations reach those who are the hardest to reach. Its current members also include Ashesi University, Oxford University, Tecnológico de Monterrey, University College London and University of Melbourne. The SMU College of Integrative Studies leads our participation in the Reach Alliance.
Read Webstory: SMU joins Alliance of Global Universities to Engage and Impact Communities
SMU is a founding member of SIGMA and assumed the Presidency in 2023.
Established in 2015, SIGMA is a global network of universities which seeks to address current and future societal challenges through cooperation in research, teaching innovation and knowledge dissemination in management and social sciences. The network comprises nine leading universities: Copenhagen Business School, ESADE Business and Law School, Fundação Getulio Vargas, Hitotsubashi University, Renmin University of China, SMU, Université Paris Dauphine-PSL , University of St. Gallen and Vienna University of Economics and Business.
Read Webstory: Sharing perspectives at the SIGMA Global Virtual Course
SMU is a member and co-chair of the UKSAEI.
Established in 2021, the UKSAEI facilitates engagement and collaboration between UK and Singapore universities on entrepreneurship and innovation. The Alliance comprises 19 members – all six Singapore autonomous universities and 13 UK universities, namely University of Bath, University of Cambridge, Coventry University, Cranfield University, University of Dundee, University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, King's College London, University of Manchester, Newcastle University, University of Nottingham, University of Strathclyde and University of Surrey.
SMU also leads the student exchange sub-working group, which developed an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Student Exchange Programme as one of UKSAEI’s pilot initiatives.
Learn more: Press release on the launch of UKSAEI
