Going to school, learning in the real world

SMU will extend the SMU-X programme to 2,000 students a year, which means every SMU undergraduate will be able to take up at least one SMU-X course over the four years of study. SMU Provost Professor Lily Kong noted that SMU-X suits the millennial student who wants the university to keep up with his learning on the go. She said: "The hands-on nature of the projects, the interface with the real world, the solving of actual problems in the public, private or people sectors, the flexibility of learning, the opportunity to work and learn at all hours of the day and night in 24/7 facilities - all these make SMU-X responsive to the learning styles and motivations of the millennial student." Some 100 companies will also be roped in as industry partners. One of them is Skyscanner, a leading global travel search site. Mr Ravish Doctor, manager, growth strategy at Skyscanner, said the four teams that worked on different projects at his company came up with some interesting business ideas. He added that he was very impressed with the quality of thinking and maturity in grasping the case study and applying classroom learning to real-life business challenges.