At an event on the future economy last October, SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer spoke at length about the responsibility of the institution in preparing its students for a world with inherently higher stress levels. “Innovation, creativity, social intelligence, productivity pursuit… it will all require more resilience,” he said. “We need to mentally prepare and groom our students for such a world.”

SMU promises a well-rounded education for its students, with opportunities to take part in the University’s international exposure initiatives. It boasts exchange agreements with over 240 overseas universities, in locations as varied as London, Sydney, Beijing and Istanbul, as well as short-term summer partnerships with Hong King University of Science and technology and the University of St. Gallen. SMU also offers its students flexibility in exploring different fields. Its students have also regularly performed well in business and case competitions. SMU has a variety of special interest groups to cater to different needs and offers a range of internships to expose students to the real world. Every undergraduate needs to complete at least one 10-week internship before graduation. Over half of them complete between two to six internships.