Singapore – 18 November 2022 (Friday) – The Singapore Management University (SMU) is pleased to announce the appointment of  Professor Lim Sun Sun (林珊珊 教授) as Vice President, Partnerships and Engagement with effect from 1 December 2022.

As Vice President, Partnerships & Engagement (合作与交流总监), Prof Lim will lead teams to deliver SMU’s strategy to be an Engaged City University, primarily in the areas of industry partnership; innovation and entrepreneurship; and international partnerships, within the University’s larger strategic plans. Her team will also support the University’s ambition to distinguish its education and research by enabling strong external partnerships with the private and public sectors, and with academic and research institutions. Additionally, she will lead in developing opportunities for the University to make meaningful impact on Singapore, the region and the world through external partnerships whilst leveraging SMU’s identity as an engaged city university.

Elaborating on the new role of Vice President, Partnerships and Engagement, SMU President Professor Lily Kong said, “As part of SMU 2025 and its strategic priority areas of Digital Transformation, Sustainable Living and Growth in Asia, we seek to further build our international footprint and reputation, grow our industry partnerships, and engage with the city, industry and entrepreneurial ecosystem. We are pleased to have Sun Sun join our senior management team, and we will benefit from her wealth of experience and leadership for the strategic enabling initiatives of industry, innovation, internationalisation, and integration across them. I look forward to the plans and projects by Sun Sun and her team in expanding SMU’s outreach and contributing to an enhanced international reputation.”

Prof Lim will oversee teams from the Office of Industry Engagement; Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship; International Office and Office of Overseas Centres at SMU.

Prof Lim, who will concurrently be appointed as Professor of Communication and Technology (传播与科技学教授), with tenure in SMU’s College of Integrative Studies, said, “I feel privileged for this opportunity to work with an innovative and ambitious university that aspires to make direct societal impact in Singapore and beyond. I look forward to leading my teams to cultivate and engage a broad swathe of partners to fulfil the aspirations of SMU and boost its international standing among universities, industry and government sectors.”

Prof Lim, who has more than 20 years of experience in higher education, is currently Professor of Communication & Technology and Head of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).  She holds a PhD and an MSc (Distinction) in Media and Communications from the London School of Economics, for which she was awarded the Raffles Rothschilds Chevening Scholarship. A prolific scholar, she has conducted extensive research on the social impact of technology including household technology domestication, digital transformations in the workplace and public perceptions of smart city technologies.

Prof Lim is a member of the Social Science Research Council, Singapore Environment Council and Media Literacy Council. From 2018-2020, she served as Nominated Member of Parliament in the 13th Parliament of Singapore. She has drawn on her involvement in various committees and in parliament to raise issues such as governance of the use of big data, priorities in digital inclusion and media literacy education, support for gender diversity in the technology sector, and digital rights for children. Most recently, she co-led the Research Workstream of the Alliance for Action to Tackle Online Harms against Women and Girls. She was named in the inaugural Singapore 100 Women in Tech list in 2020 for her pioneering research on technology and society. She is also Vice President of the Women in Technology chapter of the Singapore Computer Society where she drives initiatives for gender diversity and inclusion in the technology industry and STEM education. A recognised thought leader, she writes a monthly tech column for The Straits Times and frequently offers her expert commentary in local and international media outlets including Wall Street Journal, Guardian, Scientific American and South China Morning Post. An award-winning educator, Prof Lim has developed curricular innovations in interdisciplinary education to forge closer connections between the humanities and social sciences and STEM disciplines. She is married to a law professor and they have two teenaged children.