Modern analytics can increase the efficiency of business learning through systematic experimentation. When SMU undergraduates started their academic year in August, they could select a new subject – analytics – as their second major, which would prepare them for widely sought-after jobs and professional roles. The subject would enable them to pick up skills in processing, managing, analysing and making sense of large amounts of data, in addition to pursuing their bachelors in one of the core SMU disciplines. Companies have been keen on hiring SMU graduates in analytics as the university is widely regarded for its cutting-edge research efforts in the area of analytics for business, consumer and social insights.

Very few places in the world can bring together strong academic research capability with industry projects, application-oriented research, and government funding for analytics at this scale, this depth, and this speed in the way that Singapore is doing. Our ability to coordinate across the private sector, government, university and national research institutes has enabled us to move quickly in this rapidly evolving area, and is also helping to get more people trained through their participation in joint industry-university projects.

Professor Steven MILLER
Dean of the SMU School of Information Systems
SMU Vice Provost (Research)