SMU President Professor Lily Kong shared that the University is exploring the idea of getting a small number of committed students to define their life missions at the end of their first year, and with guidance from faculty members, build a résumé with the right mix of courses, research and internships that will enable them to fulfil their missions. She also said that SMU students can expect more global exposure opportunities with the setting up of global centres, starting with ASEAN cities. These centres will help to seek out opportunities, coordinate activities, be the base for SMU to offer executive education programmes and skills training to regional firms, facilitate research link-ups for SMU professors, and help SMU connect with its regional alumni. She said that the University will strengthen and deepen its partnerships with various industries through varied and bespoke models, with the possibility of even housing some companies on its city campus. As Singapore’s only university in the city, SMU wants to contribute to thought leadership, and be a place in the city where compelling and relevant ideas are being discussed and debated. With this in mind, SMU will launch city dialogues to engage the broader community in discourse on topics that matter to the city. She also announced the appointment of Professor Timothy Clark as SMU’s Provost-Designate, and Professor Chandran Kukathas as Dean-Designate of SMU School of Social Sciences.