Singapore Management University (SMU) gained international recognition at the Financial Times (FT) Responsible Business Education Awards 2025. Principal Lecturer of Statistics Rosie Ching from the SMU School of Economics receiving was awarded a "Highly Commended" honour in the category of “Academic research with impact” for leading a student project titled “Waterloo”.
This recognition underscored SMU’s reputation for world-class, innovative and socially impactful education, where statistics go beyond the classroom to shape policy, improve lives and drive positive change. Conducted between August and September 2024 by Ms Ching and her 222 undergraduates as an experiential Statistics project, Waterloo evaluated toilet cleanliness across Singapore’s public spaces. Waterloo was the only initiative from Southeast Asia to be recognised by FT.
Supported by project partners such as the World Toilet Organisation (WTO), Public Hygiene Council (PHC), Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) and Restroom Association Singapore (RAS), Ms Ching and her students conducted extensive surveys and rigorous analyses of public toilets across Singapore. Waterloo 2024 represented the fourth iteration of Ms Ching’s long-running initiative that started in 2016, where she and her students sought to address the thorny issue of public toilet cleanliness across Singapore through unique and experiential Statistics projects.
In 2024, Ms Ching and her students surveyed 1,430 public toilets, including 1,080 coffeeshops, 116 hawker centres, 90 shopping centres, and 144 train stations. The data collected included the voices of 22,594 customers and workers interviewed since 2023. Their findings contributed to a national conversation on hygiene, preceding the Singapore government's declaration of 2024 as the "Year of Public Cleanliness" and a government policy announcement of a new 30-minute cleaning mandate for coffeeshop toilets.
Connecting statistics learning to real-world challenges
This recognition by the FT Responsible Business Education Awards highlighted Waterloo’s transformative impact on education. Undergraduates participating in the project had the opportunity under Ms Ching’s guidance to apply their statistical training to uncover insights that drive societal impact in Singapore. Through the project, students saw firsthand how data informs action and accountability and learnt to apply classroom concepts to real-world challenges.
In the process of teaching and training her students in the science and art of statistics, Ms Ching undertook multiple roles. Affectionately nicknamed “Chief Sitting Plumber” by her students, she guided her undergraduates through the process of data collection and analysis. She also schooled them in the presentation of key findings to Waterloo project partners, which included representatives from government, industry and the community.
Ms Ching shares the findings of Waterloo surveys freely, providing transparency and easy public access to her research findings, enabling open scrutiny and continued community engagement. The ten-year-long and ongoing Waterloo owed its success to Ms Ching and her students.
Commented Ms. Ching, “To my incredible comrades in this mission, my students, I pay especial tribute. I struck numerous matches before Waterloo caught fire, nurtured those sparks and flames into a healthy bonfire, one that now roars with voices, numbers, and an unwavering resolve to change the world. This isn’t just survey results but a movement, powered by thousands of voices that matter - our people, our families, our elderly, our young, our cleaners, our workers. This is for Singapore.”
Ms Ching’s dedication to teaching goes beyond the classroom, empowering students to use data for real-world impact. Her commitment has earned her many accolades, including the inaugural SMU Teaching Excellence Hall of Fame Award (2024), QS Reimagine Education Gold Winner for Blended and Presence Learning (2023), World Toilet Organisation Hall of Fame Award (2023) and LOO Awards (Individual and Community) for Outstanding Contributions to Public Sanitation (2023, 2024).
Congratulations on this achievement, Ms Ching!
For more details on the FT Awards, visit Responsible Business Education Awards.
