SMU President engages the whole University community
“SMU Vision 2025 – Engage” was the key message of this year’s annual President’s State of the University Address (PSoUA).
The PSoUA started as it continued – with a difference. For the first time, it began with a hearty breakfast of local and international favourites, over which nearly 450 members of senior management, faculty, staff, students and alumni mingled and chatted about the past academic year and what SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer might say about what lies ahead.
The excited conversation continued as people started filling up the Mochtar Riady Auditorium and video-linked overspill areas nearby. The chatter was silenced only when three alumni and one undergraduate from the prize-winning 2014 SMU Eurythmix dance troupe took to the stage to perform to Dan Hartman’s “Relight My Fire”. It was the first time a PSoUA has featured a live act and the high-energy performance set the tone for the whole event. Professor De Meyer highlighted the relevance of the song to the occasion by quoting the lyrics: “If we all stand up for what we believe… the world would be wild for the dream”.
In a wide-ranging speech, Professor De Meyer outlined the University’s progress in the year since he revealed SMU Vision 2025 at PSoUA 2014. He engaged the audience with well-chosen examples to demonstrate how SMU has developed its undergraduate curriculum; expanded in postgraduate, professional and executive development; advanced in research and extended its areas of excellence; and honed its operational efficiency, quality and performance. The President showed how progress in all these areas contributes to realising Vision 2025 and he outlined how everyone can become engaged with the University’s development in the year ahead.
In a 15-minute question and answer session, members of the audience had the opportunity to ask Professor De Meyer to elaborate on topics that were of particular interest to them – including plans for increasing undergraduates’ opportunities for overseas exposures, areas in which the University can improve, and employee engagement.
At the end of the dialogue, SG50/SMU15 funpacks were distributed which contained a special-edition T-shirt, discount vouchers and, for the first time ever, a 40-page colour booklet with further coverage of the topics discussed. Everyone was inspired to spontaneously pull the T-shirt on and shout out “Vision 2025 – Engage” as they posed for what is becoming the traditional PSoUA group photo.
Read Professor Arnoud De Meyer’s President’s State of the University Address 2015.
Sound Bites – Faculty members
“The President provided a comprehensive and balanced review of our past achievements and provided a peek into the future of SMU. The tone was just right and the audience left better informed and with increased awareness of the vision of SMU.”
Prof Francis Koh Cher Chiew, Vice Provost (Special Projects), Office of Dean, Lee Kong Chian School of Business
“Professor De Meyer did a wonderful job. He presented a very balanced and comprehensive review of SMU’s achievements and what we need to do next year.”
Prof Cheng Qiang, Dean, School of Accountancy
“The audience were positive, energised and enthusiastic as they left the auditorium.”
Prof Gerard George, Dean, Lee Kong Chian School of Business
“I enjoyed the session very much and the key messages were clear.”
Assoc Prof of Accounting (Education), Gary Pan, School of Accountancy
Sound Bites – International Exchange Staff member
“I was really impressed by everything that the University has achieved in just 15 years. It was clear that SMU is committed to raising its international profile.”
Cécile Chevalier, Université Paris-Dauphine, on exchange at SMU Centre for Teaching Excellence
Sound Bites – Staff members
“The wide-ranging speech touched practically all areas of the University. Everyone left the auditorium knowing the areas that they can work on to help SMU realise Vision 2025.”
Goh Wee Sen, Associate Director (Web & Media Technologies), Integrated Information Technology Services
“I’m impressed by what we achieved last year and have a clearer more detailed understanding of Vision 2025. I’m very excited.”
Ada Chung Yee Lin, Head, Mrs Wong Kwok Leong Student Wellness Centre
“Great! It was like the [Singapore] National Day Rally.”
Ruth Chiang, Head, Corporate & Community Alignment, Centre for Management Practice
“It was a great opportunity to learn about different parts of the university we don’t interact with on a daily basis, and learn a number of new things about the institution. I thought Arnoud was inspiring, motivational, and authentic. I left the auditorium feeling energized and ready to help SMU become the best university in Asia!”
Alissa Lurie, Associate Director, Office of Advancement
Sound Bites – Students and Alumnus
“The PSoUA provided insights on how we can shape our student organisations to align with Vision 2025.”
Adeline Lim Jiayu, President, SMU Students Association; Undergraduate, Lee Kong Chian School of Business
“As a freshmen, I was very impressed by the diversity of SMU and excited to find out what’s in store as the University heads towards SMU vision 2025.”
Lee Kai Yang, Undergraduate, School of Accountancy; 2015 SEA Games Gold Medallist (Water Polo)
“This year's PSOUA felt like the biggest yet, with the greatest number of achievements. But the emphasis was for us to not rest on our laurels The President has high hopes for the entire SMU community.”
Samuel Yap Zong En, Alumnus, Graduating Class of 2015, School of Law
Performing at the start of the Address, members of the Eurythmix troupe which won first prize at the 2014 Europe Dance Grand Prix in Barcelona – 2014 business alumni Audrey Chua and Grace Aik, 2013 social science alumna Amy Lim and business undergraduate Stephanie Wee. The performance was choreographed by 2014 business and accountancy alumna Sherrie Loe.
More than 450 SMU leaders, faculty and staff members, students and other stakeholders filled the Mochtar Riady Auditorium to capacity and watched in overspill rooms via video link.
Among the audience were students who won prestigious awards, their staff mentors, SEA Games athletes and SEA Games volunteers from the SMU community.
Adina Wong Wanjun, Senior Case Writer, Centre for Management Practice, posing a question during the Q&A dialogue.
Taking a “wefie” in the “SMU 2015 – Engage” T-shirts, (left to right) Prof Francis Koh, Vice Provost (Special Projects); Prof Bryce Hool, Dean of the School of Economics; and Prof Gerard George, Dean of the Lee Kong Chian School of Business.