From August this year, SMU will offer its undergraduates PLE - politics, law and economics. In an exclusive interview, SMU Provost Professor Lily Kong revealed that the PLE course is aimed at giving students a broad understanding of how the world works and will prepare them for a range of careers. The 45 students selected for the course will take all three subjects in the first year, before specialising in one of four areas - global studies, distribution and justice, public policy and governance, or choice and behaviour - from year two. Students will also be required to go on a 10-week internship where they will work on a project to find solutions to a real-world problem. Prof Kong said that SMU’s PLE degree aims to prepare future leaders and thinkers with a deep understanding of global political and economic transformations and the legal frameworks and contexts within which such changes take place. She also noted that several companies have already indicated their interest to offer internships to the students on the course. This includes the Economic Development Board as well as consultancies such as Bain and Company and Accenture.