• MOU signed for multi-faceted partnerships between the Universities
• University-wide collaborations in the areas of teaching, research and student programmes
• Deepening Asia Pacific insights and multi-disciplinary capabilities

The Singapore Management University (SMU) entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The Australian National University (ANU) on 18 October 2016 to explore a broader and deeper spectrum of university-wide collaborations. These include joint academic and research programmes to exchange best practices and leverage diverse expertise. The partnership will enable both institutions to contribute to academic developments in Singapore and Australia. The partnership builds on the existing university-wide student exchange agreement established since June 2014.

Under the terms of the MOU, both institutions will work together in several areas. They include reciprocal exchange of students, research and teaching staff; research collaborations among schools, departments and staff; the organisation of joint academic and scientific activities; and the exchange and sharing of teaching and academic materials.

These will contribute towards mutually beneficial knowledge with reference to cultural, economic, ethical, political and social implications of contemporary research in the global context.

The MOU was concluded on the occasion of a visit to SMU by an ANU delegation led by Professor Brian P. Schmidt, Vice-Chancellor and President of ANU, which includes Professor Shirley Leitch, Pro Vice Chancellor (Education & Global Engagement) and Professor Steve Bottomley, Dean, College of Law.

Speaking about the collaboration, Professor Arnoud De Meyer, SMU President, said, “We are pleased to forge a strong and comprehensive partnership with ANU. As two universities that have excellence and innovation at our core, SMU and ANU have great potential in jointly developing robust research and academic programmes. These will deepen our multi-disciplinary capabilities, provide our students and faculty with a great opportunity to gain relevant global insights and exposure, while generating significant impact to our community.”

Elaborating on the partnership, Professor Brian P. Schmidt, Vice-Chancellor and President of ANU said: “ANU is delighted to be working with SMU on greater collaboration and cooperation. Both universities have a strong commitment to excellence in research and education.
As such, SMU is a natural fit for ANU. Our new agreement should open the way for more collaboration and exchanges between academic staff and students, and I look forward to seeing the results over the coming years.”

ANU is amongst the top universities in the world – it is ranked 1^st in Australia and 22^nd in the world by the QS World University Rankings 2016/17. It is also highly-ranked for graduate employability, research and international outlook, among other achievements. With 22,500 students, more than half of its students undertake postgraduate programmes. The Canberra-based University counts six Nobel Laureates among its staff and alumni, including Prof Schmidt, who was appointed as Vice-Chancellor of ANU in January 2016 after serving 20 years at the University. He is a renowned astrophysicist and winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize for Physics.

SMU was established with a vision to be a different university in Singapore in 2000 – being innovative has always been in its DNA. It is Singapore’s only local autonomous university that has a campus in the heart of the city. SMU has the distinction of being one of the youngest institutions in the world to receive both the AACSB and EQUIS accreditations. With an emphasis on generating relevant multi-disciplinary research that addresses Asian issues of global relevance, it is also highly ranked for research, such as positioning 5^th in the world for Financial Archival Research in the Brigham Young University’s Accounting Research Rankings for 2015. SMU’s postgraduate programmes ranked well in the Financial Times (FT) Rankings 2016 – for example, it was 1^st in Asia and 3^rd in the world for its Master of Science in Wealth Management programme (Post-experience Ranking) in the FT Global Masters in Finance Rankings.

Both SMU and ANU share the conviction that a broad-based curriculum delivered through interactive and experiential learning, along with strong research and academic collaborations, will prepare students well for the world beyond the university.

Both universities are keen to leverage the MoU to broaden and deepen collaborations through undergraduate programmes and faculty engagements as well as increase engagements between individual ANU Colleges and SMU Schools.

[Featured Photo (left to right): Professor Brian P. Schmidt, Vice-Chancellor and President of ANU and Professor Arnoud De Meyer, President of SMU signed an MOU for multi-faceted partnerships between both universities on 18 October 2016.]