To develop a pipeline of real estate investment talent to fuel the growing sector, SMU began offering the Real Estate Track in 2018 to all SMU undergraduates who are majoring (first or second major) in Finance or Economics.  The unique and pioneering specialisation, which focuses on real estate investment and finance, serves to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to navigate the growing real estate sector in Singapore and globally.

Owing to a generous endowed gift of $3 million from Mapletree Investments to SMU in 2018 as part of a multi-faceted initiative named the Mapletree Real Estate Programme, students taking the Track stand to benefit from overseas study trips, speaker events and internships.  In particular, Mapletree gives out up to five Mapletree Awards, valued at S$8,000 each, to outstanding undergraduates each year.

Three inaugural award recipients were recently announced.  All three have been studying the Real Estate Track and have achieved excellent academic results; they also demonstrated a strong interest and aptitude in real estate investments and finance.  The awardees are:

• Ms Michelle Ong Li Ya, economics graduate in the Class of 2019, who participated in the real estate study trip to China’s Shanghai and Hangzhou in October 2018.
• Ms Shane Phung Li Ling, economics graduate in the Class of 2019, who participated in the real estate study trip to Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City in May 2019.
• Mr Lau Chun Kit, third-year economics undergraduate who participated in study trips to both China and Vietnam.

[Photo: (L-R) Prof Francis Koh, Mapletree Professor of Real Estate and SMU Professor of Finance; Prof Hoon Hian Teck, Interim Dean, SMU School of Economics; Ms Shane Phung Li Ling; Ms Michelle Ong Li Ya; Mr Lau Chun Kit; and Mr Wan Kwong Weng, Group Chief Corporate Officer, Mapletree Investments.]

Shane shared, “I started the Real Estate Track only in my final year, thus receiving the first Mapletree Award is an acknowledgement of my hard work.  I feel excited for the future batches of students in this Track as it has been very comprehensive and enriching for me.  It will definitely open doors to career options in real estate investments, asset management and valuation, among others.”

Michelle is grateful for the Award and more importantly for the exposure that the Track has provided her.  “Despite being a relatively new Track, it offers a rigorous curriculum with a wide range of modules.  Together with the study trips and internships, it created a rewarding experience.  With the real estate industry experiencing strong growth and expansion especially in Asia, I feel well-equipped to take on the challenges and opportunities ahead,” she said.

Mr Hiew Yoon Khong, Mapletree Group Chief Executive Officer, said, "Education is one of the four key pillars of Mapletree’s corporate social responsibility programme. We hope that the Mapletree Awards will encourage more students to join the Real Estate Track, including to participate in local and overseas Study Trips as they strive for academic excellence and learning outside the classroom.”

About the SMU Real Estate Track
The Track is open to all SMU undergraduates who are majoring (first or second major) in Finance or Economics.  Designed with industrial inputs, the course content leverages their firm foundation in finance and economics, and further equips undergraduates with specialised knowledge and multi-disciplinary expertise which are essential to tap the real estate market for investments in the region and beyond.

The curriculum is cross-disciplinary, comprising compulsory modules such as real estate economics, real estate investments & finance and real estate law; and other modules such as valuation and taxation, project financing, infrastructure finance, urban economics and policy, and real estate development.  Academic courses are complemented with exposure to real-world business practices, case studies and experiential learning opportunities, such as speaker events, local and overseas internships, as well as local and overseas study trips, giving students the opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge in real life corporate case studies and access to mentors and resources.