The future of work, universities and the economy was discussed on Saturday (March 25) at The Straits Times Education Forum 2017, which was organised in partnership with SMU. It saw spirited exchange over issues in higher education, including how universities should evolve to ride the disruption wave, and which skills they need to impart to students to keep them employable. In his keynote address, SMU Board of Trustees Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping said that one big impediment to disruptive change is the glaring contradiction between Singapore’s numerous scholastic achievements on one hand and its lack of innovative capabilities on the other.