The Singapore Management University (SMU) welcomed its 24th cohort of about 2,500 freshmen for the Academic Year 2023-24 on Monday, 14 August 2023.

SMU Freshmen Orientation ‘SMUniverse’ offered a valuable platform for incoming students to be immersed in the vibrant SMU culture. The in-person programme provided many interactive opportunities, as freshmen navigated campus grounds and played engaging games centered around the SMU CIRCLE values.  The orientation involved 43 passionate student organisers and more than 190 student facilitators, game masters and staff trainers.  A total of 1550 freshmen took part in the activities.

Watch highlights of Freshmen Orientation here.

Vivace, SMU’s annual CCA fair was held on 10 and 11 August and involved more than 150 student clubs that showcased the best of Student Life. These ranged from sports, performing and visual arts, community service, to entrepreneurial and international student organisations offering students invaluable opportunities to network and hone teambuilding, leadership and time-management skills.

On 11 August, the SMU Academic Year Opening was held in the evening at the SMU Hall. About 580 guests comprising SMU Board of Trustees, senior management, faculty, staff, donors, alumni, freshmen (undergraduates and post-graduates) and student leaders ushered in the new Academic Year with a Grand Procession, a gala dinner, and themed student performances.

In his speech, SMU Chairman Mr Piyush Gupta said, “the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence should not be seen as a threat, but rather as an opportunity for us to harness its potential. By embracing AI as a tool, we can amplify our human capabilities, augment our decision-making processes, and unlock new frontiers of knowledge.”  He urged new students to embrace the power of their intelligence and reminded them, “It is your unique human perspective that will enable you to create, innovate, and make a lasting impact in the world.”

In her speech, SMU President Professor Lily Kong encouraged students “to manifest the abiding value of human intelligence while embracing the possibilities that artificial intelligence presents.” She highlighted the transformative potential of a harmonious relationship between human and artificial intelligence, upon which we can “create a future that is driven by compassion, innovation, and a deep understanding of our shared humanity.”

Several student groups showcased their talents at the gala dinner, with performances curated in celebration of the remarkable capabilities and multi-faceted nature of human intelligence.

New curriculum and courses

In the Academic Year 2023-24, SMU undergraduates will have opportunities to take up new curriculum offerings. The College of Integrative Studies (CIS) will offer the Deferred Declaration of Degree (D3) programme and Singapore’s first Individualised Major (IM) programme to its first cohort this academic year. The D3 programme allows students to explore their intellectual interests in the first year of study before they customise their unique major via the IM programme.

In addition, the University continues to ramp up its offering of SMU-X courses in the new academic year, with at least 55 SMU-X courses that undergraduates across all years can choose from. Students will also have opportunities to travel and work on exciting projects with SMU’s overseas partner organisations in Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand. The University will be working with at least 100 local and overseas partners across the public, private and NGO sectors to roll out these courses throughout the academic year.