In ST’s In Your Opinion podcast, SMU President Professor Lily Kong shared that SMU is emphasising experiential learning due to artificial intelligence (AI) to accentuate human qualities by doubling down on community work. Prof Kong added that internships and overseas exposure expose young people to life experiences that help them develop a sense of who they are, what their value systems are, and how they make ethical judgements. On first-year entry-level jobs being taken by AI, she mentioned that the first two years of learning on the job are not wasted, as it teaches processes and productive efficiency. Prof Kong noted that the University should expose students to skills learned in the first two years on the job. She mentioned that aside from internships, students could also work on real-life, bite-sized projects in groups with private organisations, the public sector, and the private sector through the SMU-X project. Prof Kong said that students are learning with professorial mentorship and a mentor from the industry.