In this instalment of a series on university education, The Straits Times’ Senior Education Correspondent Sandra Davie finds out how SMU turns its students into confident speakers able to engage with people from diverse backgrounds. SMU Vice Provost of Education and Professor of Information Systems (Education) Venky Shankararaman said, "At SMU, we normalise asking questions and group interactions as this is consistently encouraged in every module, which presents the opportunity for students to think on the spot and to process and reflect critically on new information as they receive it. By the time our students graduate, they are more confident about public speaking and will be able to add value to their work environment through meaningful engagement." However, Prof Venky stressed that presentation and communication skills are but one set of skills that are listed in the graduate learning outcomes that SMU dons seek to nurture in their students.