Bangkok, 23 March 2018 (Friday) – Singapore Management University (SMU), a premier university in Asia internationally recognised for its world-class research and distinguished teaching, has launched its International Advisory Council in Thailand yesterday (i.e. 22 March 2018) to establish, strengthen and deepen SMU’s collaboration and engagement with the government, academic and business communities in Thailand.

The SMU International Advisory Council seeks to collaborate with and involve friends of SMU and its alumni to reach out to corporates and grow the friends of the SMU community in overseas countries. The Council will provide platforms for active engagements between SMU’s overseas alumni, international students, and the local business community and academia.

In conjunction with the launch, SMU in collaboration with Bangkok Bank organised the SMU-Bangkok Bank Industry Leaders Dialogue to discuss how governments in Southeast Asia can create frameworks to take advantage of business disruptions and foster innovation and economic growth in their country and the region, and how old and new companies alike ensure sustainable growth amidst these changes.

About 180 business, government and academic leaders from Thailand, SMU senior management and SMU alumni in Thailand, joined the event which was held at Park Hyatt Bangkok. Among the dignitaries present were Guest-of-Honour Mrs Chua Siew San, Ambassador of Singapore to Thailand who gave the Welcome Remarks; SMU Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping who gave the Welcome Address, and SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer who delivered the Introductory Address.

SMU’s International Advisory Council in Thailand

Professor De Meyer said, “SMU is stepping up our engagement with countries in the region through a series of initiatives, and we are keen to foster closer ties with Thailand. Both Singapore and Thailand are the founding members of ASEAN, and enjoy long-standing relations which continue to flourish. To guide and aid us in our effort, the SMU International Advisory Council comprising prominent and esteemed business leaders from Thailand and Singapore has been established to support SMU’s overall efforts to build its international reputation as a premier university in Asia. We look forward to having their advice and guidance on how SMU can be relevant to them and play our part for the region.

“The launch of the SMU International Advisory Council in Thailand comes on the heels of our successful efforts in Myanmar in July, the Philippines in October, and Vietnam in December last year, as well as in China in January this year. We plan to roll out similar initiatives to other countries in the region where we have a sizable alumni base and established relationships with local academia, businesses and governments.”

The SMU International Advisory Council in Thailand, chaired by Mr Chartsiri Sophonpanich, President of Bangkok Bank Public Company Ltd, comprises the following members:

1. Mr Timothy Chia, Chairman, Hup Soon Global Corporation Ltd.
2. Mr William Heinecke, Chairman, Minor International PCL.
3. Mr Ho Ren Hua, CEO, Thai Wah PCL.
4. Mr Aloke Lohia, Group Chief Executive Officer, Indorama Ventures PCL.
5. Mr Kirit Shah, Chairman, G.P. Group of Companies
6. Khunying Jada Wattanasiritham, Independent Director, The Siam Commercial Bank PCL.
7. *Mr Satta Chairasmisak [Juris Doctor programme, Class of 2017]
8. *Ms Jittida Haputpong, Head of Partnerships, Igloohome [BSc (Economics), Class of 2011]

* denotes SMU alumni

The members of the SMU International Advisory Council (Thailand), in their roles as ambassadors of the university, will lend support to SMU’s activities in Thailand. These activities will include dialogues and panel discussions to raise awareness of SMU’s thought leadership and our areas of excellence, as well as alumni showcase/gatherings and networking sessions. The members may be invited to be panelists, or nominate and help to invite suitable persons to participate in such dialogues and discussions or networking sessions.

Added Mr Chartsiri Sophonpanich, Chair of the SMU International Advisory Council in Thailand: “There are many synergies between SMU and Thailand which we can explore through the SMU International Advisory Council in Thailand. The collaboration between the two countries through the SMU International Advisory Council will assist Thailand’s drive to transform and modernise its economy under Thailand 4.0”.

SMU-Bangkok Bank Industry Leaders Dialogue

At the SMU-Bangkok Bank Industry Leaders Dialogue, Dr. Pichet Durongkaveroj, Minister of Digital Economy and Society at Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society gave the Keynote Address on “Disruptive Economy - Opportunities for Thailand and ASEAN”. Dr. Pichet said as part of its digital strategy the Thai government is collaborating with Singapore in protecting the critical information infrastructure of both countries as well as the ASEAN region as a whole.

The second Keynote Address was delivered by Dr Beh Swan Gin, Chairman of Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) who spoke on “Remaking the Singapore Economy”. Dr Beh shared about the drivers for change, EDB’s shift in its approach to economic development, and the greater emphasis on creating new businesses.

This was followed by a speech by Professor Gerard George, Dean of SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business who spoke on the topic “Design, Build and Adapt Business Ideas that Thrive”. In his speech, Professor George suggested ways in which Southeast Asian startups can scale-up using innovative, new business models. Drawing from research on his newly launched “The Business Model Book”, he identifies ways in which businesses can create and capture new sources of value.

The event ended with a panel discussion on “An Ecosystem Approach to Innovation, Digitisation and Transformation” which was moderated by Professor Annie Koh, Vice President, Office of Business Development; Academic Director, Business Families Institute and International Trading Institute@SMU; and Practice Professor of Finance, SMU. The panel members were Dr Pichet Durongkaveroj, Minister of Digital Economy and Society, Thailand; Dr Beh Swan Gin, Chairman, Singapore Economic Development Board; Mr Nicholas A. Nash, Group President, Sea Limited; and Mr Arthur Chua, Chief Executive Officer, Goldbell Group. The panel discussed several issues, including Thailand’s efforts to enhance the innovation quotient in the country, the importance of building an ecosystem which benefits both large and small companies, and the need to transform the culture of a company to embrace technology and bring about change.

Professor Arnoud De Meyer added, “The host of disruptive technologies sweeping across the world have brought about profound impact on the lives of people, businesses and economies. These disruptions can be disconcerting, but they also present opportunities to harness new technologies to achieve greater progress and development at the individual, corporate and societal levels. Countries in ASEAN are facing up to the challenges posed by these disruptive forces, and are in various stages of devising or implementing strategies to ride the wave of disruption.    

“This Industry Leaders Dialogue presents a platform for public officials and private enterprise owners from Thailand and Singapore to share their views and insights on innovation, digitisation and transformation. The Dialogue is an integral part of SMU’s overall efforts to demonstrate our faculty members’ thought leadership.”

[Please refer to Annex A for SMU’s recent engagements with Thailand.]

Photo caption: Launching SMU’s International Advisory Council in Thailand on 22 March 2018 were (from left to right): SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer; Mr Kirit Shah, Chairman, G.P. Group of Companies; Mr William Heinecke, Chairman, Minor International PCL; Mr Chartsiri Sophonpanich, President of Bangkok Bank Public Company Ltd; SMU Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping; Dr Tony Tan, seventh President of the Republic of Singapore, Honorary Patron and Distinguished Senior Fellow at SMU; Mrs Chua Siew San, Ambassador of Singapore to Thailand; Khunying Jada Wattanasiritham, Independent Director, The Siam Commercial Bank PCL; Mr Ho Ren Hua, CEO, Thai Wah PCL; and Professor Tan Chin Tiong, Senior Advisor to SMU President. Council members Mr Timothy Chia, Chairman, Hup Soon Global Corporation Ltd, Mr Aloke Lohia, Group Chief Executive Officer, Indorama Ventures PCL, Ms Jittida Haputpong, Head of Partnerships, Igloohome, and Mr Satta Chairasmisak were not able to join the launch event.

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