It is with great sadness that we share the unexpected passing of our colleague and friend, Aurobindo Ghosh.
This news comes as a great shock to all of us. Aurobindo had been a member of the SMU community for more than two decades, joining the University in 2003. Over the years, he became a deeply committed member of our School and University, contributing generously through his teaching, research, service, and engagement with students and the wider community.
Aurobindo was particularly dedicated to service. He served on the SMU Faculty Senate for many years, including as Senate Secretary and as a member of the Senate Executive Committee, and was an active and thoughtful participant in matters concerning the wider University community. He also chaired the Senate Benefits (BeWell) Committee and contributed to the School through the Assurance of Learning Committee and as a long-standing faculty adviser to our students.
Beyond these roles, Aurobindo made important contributions to financial education and public engagement. He was closely involved with the Citi-SMU Financial Literacy Programme for Young Adults, serving as Principal Investigator, trainer, and Programme Director for its symposium. He also contributed to the MyMoney@Campus initiatives with MAS MoneySense and the Association of Banks in Singapore, reflecting his longstanding commitment to improving financial literacy among young people.
Aurobindo was also instrumental in SMU's work on Singapore inflation expectations, leading and contributing to the Singapore Index of Inflation Expectations over many years and subsequently to the SMU-DBS inflation expectations initiative. This work became an important and highly visible contribution by SMU to improving the public understanding of the Singapore economy.
Those of us who worked with Aurobindo will also remember his willingness to contribute, his enthusiasm when taking on initiatives, and his deep commitment to the University. His presence and contributions to our School and to SMU will be greatly missed.
At this difficult time, our thoughts are with Aurobindo's family and loved ones. We extend our deepest condolences to them, and to all who knew and worked with Aurobindo.
Melvyn Teo
Acting Dean
Lee Kong Chian School of Business
