Amidst an ongoing global pandemic, 86 students from 19 countries and 27 universities participated in the sixth run of the Singapore Management University (SMU) Global Summer Programme (GSP). Organised by the SMU International Office from 28 June to 23 July 2021, the programme was conducted virtually, offering an immersive and multi-faceted SMU and Singapore experience in the digital space for international and SMU GSP students.

Through its signature blend of SMU courses, experiential company visits and dialogues with industry leaders, the GSP continued to deliver on its mission of enabling participants to gain valuable insights and perspectives into Asia, as well as its trends, issues and development. In line with SMU Vision 2025’s strategic priority of "Growth in Asia", the GSP programme aimed to offer a deep understanding of Asia’s economy, polity and society.

Guest Lectures

GSP courses such ‘Innovations for Asia’s Smart Cities’, ‘Screening Asia – History, Society and Politics in Film’ and ‘Economic Globalisation and Asia’ gave participants the opportunity to hear first-hand from guest speakers, such as Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Senior Economist, Moses Soh, Public Utilities Board (of Singapore) Coastal Protection Department Assistant Director, Sarah Hiong and The University of Philippines Diliman Director of Film Institute, Associate Professor Patrick F. Campos. The insights shared by the guest speakers served as practical outside-of-classroom knowledge that reinforced students’ learnings from the courses.

Dialogues

Dialogue, a key programme feature of the annual GSP, had been well-received by prior participants due to its highly engaging nature. The virtual GSP 2021 continued to expand on this premise, offering two e-dialogues to delve into deeper “Asian Insights” with participants.

The first was “ASEAN community building and external relations”, where ASEAN Secretariat Director for Community Affairs Directorate, Lee Yoong Yoong, and Head of External Relations, Joanne Lin, engaged GSP participants in a meaningful dialogue on the importance of ASEAN and its community building and external relations. The second was “Cultural and Business Context in Asia”, where SMU Associate Professor Gordon Perchthold gave an overview of the similarities and differences in the way people think, their cultural tendencies, and the characteristics of market economies among a diversity of countries in Asia, as well as relative to European and other countries in the West.

Company visits and engagement with industry leaders

Another core component of the SMU GSP included company visits and engagement with industry leaders and practitioners. This typically comprised a site visit and tour of an organisation’s facility, as well as the opportunity to engage with senior leaders, to discuss and explore the opportunities and challenges of doing business in Asia and Singapore.

This year, participants enjoyed experiential virtual visits to the Singapore Airlines (SIA) Training Centre and the Sustainable Singapore Gallery. They heard from SIA Vice President of Public Affairs Siva Govindasamy, who spoke about SIA's strong fundamentals and resilience, its responses to the pandemic and how it was reinventing its business and strategies for the COVID era and beyond. At the Sustainable Singapore Gallery, GSP participants were introduced to Singapore’s unique water story and the Lion City’s sustainability initiatives.

Orientation and farewell

Although participants were unable to travel physically to Singapore for an in-country programme, the SMU International Office brought Asia and Singapore closer to their hearts through a line-up of cultural activities organised virtually. Participants got to view the SMU city campus, stroll along the iconic Singapore River and visit the bustling Geylang Serai market during the programme’s Orientation Day. On the closing night of GSP, SMU bid farewell to participants by organising a first-hand understanding of how COVID-19 was reshaping tourism, delivered by the Chairman of the Association of Singapore Attractions and SMU alumnus Dr Kevin Cheong, titled “Tourism in Asia and Singapore”.

Despite the limited in-person activities resulting from travel restrictions amidst the pandemic, participants enjoyed the GSP 2021 experience and were appreciative of the series of insightful and exclusive webinars and virtual tours. Here are some of their feedback:

Aliana Camyl Fernandez, Ateneo De Manila University, Philippines – “The programme theme of “Asian Insights” made me realise how alike and different we Asians are. It brought light to the complexities of cultures in Asia and the interconnection of our histories. "Asian Insights" is a unique theme that will always be relevant; it raised my social awareness and understanding of persisting global issues.”

Kelly Chan, University of Warwick, United Kingdom – “The programme opened my eyes to interactive online learning.”

Michele D Orazo, Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli, Italy – “I could now appreciate globalisation from a different point of view and what it means to study in an international class.”

Ng Wee Kim, SMU, Singapore – "I gained new perspectives from friends from different countries."

Finn Arthur Bunbury Maling, University of Western Australia – “The instructor’s use of games was a fantastic way of introducing course content and really helped my understanding.”

Praveen S/O Chandra Segar, SMU, Singapore – “The sharing by Singapore Airlines was great and the speaker provided us with deep insights into the airline industry.”

Camryn Alexa Bierria, Georgia State University, USA – “I really enjoyed the tours. Like being at SMU in Singapore, the tours allowed us to immerse ourselves in the country and showed us things we would not have seen otherwise. I honestly learned a lot from them.”

Should you have questions or are keen to sign up for GSP 2022, please contact SMU International Office.