[29 January 2008]
SMU-ISE brings Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) to Singapore

Singapore, 29 January 2008 – Singapore Management University Initiatives for Social Enterprise (SMU-ISE), a student group that works with social organizations in Singapore on social entrepreneurship projects, launched a programme today to encourage students in junior colleges to embark on such projects. Called Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship or SAGE, the programme aims to advance youth business and social entrepreneurship in an ethical and socially-responsible manner.

A non-profit international organization, SAGE was founded in 2002 by Dr Curtis L. DeBerg, Professor of Business at California State University, Chico (Chico State) in the USA, and a team of Chico State Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) students. SAGE links young people with mentors from local universities and businesses to carry out their business projects and adopt strategies that strike a balance between achieving economic success and environmental sustainability and restoration. Besides giving SAGE student members the opportunity and resources to start their own business, students are also able to acquire greater awareness of social and business environments, develop sound business, entrepreneurship and problem-solving skills, and develop a stronger sense of civic duty through the social enterprises they implement. SAGE enjoys a growing presence, with some 180 educational institutions in over ten countries already involved today.

With SAGESG, students in junior colleges in Singapore are presented with an excellent opportunity to apply classroom theories and translate them in the real world through new business venture projects. Six junior college teams have joined SAGESG as founding members: Hwa Chong Institution, Raffles Junior College, Innova Junior College, Catholic Junior College, Victoria Junior College and Jurong Junior College. They are already implementing their projects and receiving mentorship from local business and community leaders. The launch of SAGESG also marks the start of preparations for the annual SAGE World Cup competition, an important international tournament that recognizes the most effective and creative social business ideas implemented to support the sustainability of various communities. Participating junior college teams will present their projects and compete in the SAGE Singapore National in May 2008 for the chance to represent Singapore at the SAGE World Cup held in Nigeria from 22-27 August 2008.

Mr Teo Ser Luck, Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, is the guest-of-honour for the launch of SAGESG at SMU. Dr DeBerg, as SAGE Global Founder and Executive Director, delivers the keynote address at the launch ceremony on Commercial Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship, and SAGE: ATSMO for Youth Education and Development. He will cover how young people can create ventures that are both commercial and social, the contributions of SAGE to the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals, the benefits of social business ventures for young people and what SAGE and SAGESG will mean to people.

“SAGE Singapore will spark the spirit of entrepreneurship in our youth and create a deep awareness of the less fortunate among us. I hope that one day some of our participants will be inspired to take what they have learnt to the next stage in social entrepreneurship, whereby they build new enterprises to make the world a better place," says Professor Tan Teck Meng, SAGESG Country Coordinator and Professor of Accounting at SMU.

“Singapore now joins China, South Korea and the Philippines in our growing network of SAGE countries in Southeast Asia. I congratulate the Singapore Management University Initiatives for Social Enterprise for championing the vision of SAGE: to unleash the power of youth to shape their own futures through social enterprise. My objective for SAGE in Singapore is to challenge Singapore universities, businesses, and government officials to work together for the benefit of youth. SAGE is becoming a beacon for youth empowerment, youth employment and youth education around the world. I challenge Singapore to lead the SAGE movement in Southeast Asia. And why stop there? I challenge Singapore to become the benchmark for a new form of capitalism for the rest of the world,” says Dr DeBerg, SAGE Global Founder and Executive Director, and Professor of Business at California State University, Chico, USA.

About SMU Initiatives for Social Enterprise (SMU-ISE)

SMU Initiatives for Social Enterprise (SMU-ISE) is a student-run social entrepreneurship club. Since 2003, SMU-ISE has been working with social organisations and initiating projects that allow members to put their classroom learning into practice while benefiting these social organizations and their beneficiaries. SMU-ISE aims to empower segments of the society, by teaching them success skills so they can be economically independent.

SMU-ISE comprises of about 70 active student members, and they are divided into groups of about five to carry out various social entrepreneurship projects, which leads to the execution of business plans to help various groups in our community. Past projects include partnerships with the Society of Physically Disabled and the YWCA.

SMU-ISE takes part in competitions to showcase projects that our members have embarked on, for example the Citibank-YMCA Youth for Causes and Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). SMU-ISE has been National Champions at the SIFE National Competition for the past four consecutive years, representing Singapore at the SIFE World Cup in Barcelona, Toronto, Paris and, most recently in New York in 2007.

About SAGE

Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship—SAGE—is an international non-profit organization that links high school student organizations to mentors from local universities and businesses. Its purpose is to advance youth business and social entrepreneurship in an ethical and socially-responsible manner. The SAGE programme has been adopted by over 10 countries around the world, including China, South Korea, Philippines, Ukraine and the United States. Over 20 countries are expected to join the SAGE programme this year.