On 4 July 2024, a delegation from SMU and the SMU Overseas Centre in Ho Chi Minh City visited the British University in Vietnam (BUV) in Hanoi. This visit marked a significant milestone in the comprehensive partnership signed between the two institutions, focusing on a Postgraduate Programme Pathway (Direct Admission) in various disciplines, including Accounting, Business, and Computing and Information Systems. Through this agreement, BUV aims to provide its students with the opportunity to continue their studies in Singapore after completing their bachelor’s degrees.

During the meeting, Associate Prof Themin Suwardy, Associate Provost (Postgraduate Professional Education) and Associate Professor of Accounting (Practice), and Mr Vu Viet Anh, Director of SMU Overseas Centre Ho Chi Minh City met with representatives from BUV - Mr Chris Jeffery, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International Strategy and Engagement), and Dr Jason MacVaugh, Dean (Higher Education). They discussed potential future collaborations, including exchange programmes, study missions, and global summer programmes.

Sustainable Practices Masterclass Empowers Business Leaders

Reflecting its commitment to sustainability, SMU Overseas Centre in Ho Chi Minh City hosted an insightful masterclass titled "Sustainable Sustainability: Why ESG is Not Enough" on 10 July 2024. The event attracted board directors, C-suite executives, and senior business leaders. The session was moderated by Mr Eddie Tritton, Executive Director of SMU Executive Development and Mr Victor Burrill, Chairman and Chief Connecting Officer of Business Executive Network. Keynote speaker Mr Rajeev Peshawaria, CEO of Stewardship Asia Centre, challenged the overreliance on incentives and regulations, emphasising the dangers of greenwashing and superficial compliance.

Mr Peshawaria emphasised the need for values-driven innovation to address today's sustainability challenges and highlighted the overuse of conventional ESG frameworks and argued in favour of long-term planning and internal motivation. Drawing insights from his new book, "Sustainable Sustainability," Mr Peshawaria provided attendees with actionable strategies to foster a culture of stewardship.

The event included interactive discussions, where attendees shared their experiences and explored how to integrate sustainable practices effectively within their organisations. The diverse audience is keen to align corporate governance as well as innovative strategies with sustainability goals and embed sustainability into their corporate culture.

Key takeaways from the masterclass included the importance of innovation over regulation, the necessity of a long-term perspective, and the value of actionable strategies for driving sustainable change. Mr Peshawaria underlined that sustainable practices require innovative thinking and values-driven leadership, not just regulatory compliance. He also highlighted the need to focus on long-term benefits and societal good over short-term profits.