In a commentary, SMU Professor of Organisational Behaviour & Human Resources Michael Schaerer opined that while headphones help block distractions, they may also lead to negative perceptions. He noted that colleagues often rely on visible cues to judge engagement, especially when performance is not directly observable.
Commenting on homegrown brands shifting its production overseas, SMU Associate Professor of Marketing (Education) Seshan Ramaswami believes that despite the announcement that Tiger Beer’s production would be offshored to Malaysia and Vietnam, the beverage will likely continue to be seen as a Singapore brand for the foreseeable future. He added that for almost a century, Tiger has been connected to Singapore and that connection will mean more than the outsourcing of production to other countries.
Commenting on the 13% fare revenue support scheme, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said that the 13% fare subsidy is a way to partially offset the sudden price increases and to soften the unexpected impact from the situation in the Middle East. Asst Prof Fan added that it is unlikely that the Government could fully compensate for all of the changes and negative impacts that the Middle East crisis will have on businesses, individuals, and households.
Commenting on how Singapore and Malaysia will handle accidents on the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) link, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said that a similar arrangement between the US and Canada – where foreign officers operate under the host country laws and cannot act independently – offers a useful reference. He stressed the need for clear frameworks to enable swift incident management, including ensuring at least one side is empowered to act.
Commenting on China’s high-level national service industry conference, SMU Associate Professor of Finance Fu Fangjian said China must expand domestic demand to sustain around 5% annual growth. He noted that while goods trade has long run a surplus with limited room for further expansion, services trade remains in significant deficit—reaching RMB 828.72 billion (S$153.76 billion) last year. Developing high-quality domestic services could narrow this gap and serve as a new growth engine.
Commenting on how Singapore and Malaysia will handle accidents on the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) link, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said that a similar arrangement between the US and Canada – where foreign officers operate under the host country laws and cannot act independently – offers a useful reference. He stressed the need for clear frameworks to enable swift incident management, including ensuring at least one side is empowered to act.
In an interview with CNA938, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said that the issue with inward-facing cameras is protection. However, he noted that protection goes both ways: some people want to keep information confidential, while others want everything recorded. Asst Prof Fan said that an inward-facing camera is something that PHV drivers specifically have to apply for, and that the footage would only be accessed by authorised personnel.
SMU Associate Professor Jared Nai says Gartner predicts job interviews will feature both AI and non-AI tests by 2027, impacting job seekers. He notes assessing AI proficiency is complex due to varied tools and data privacy, as companies often use internal systems candidates may not know. Assoc Prof Nai advises experimenting with basic and advanced AI tasks and recommends enrolling in selected AI training courses – offering free premium tool access – as announced in Budget 2026.
Commenting on whether the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could affect Singapore’s carbon tax policy, SMU Professor of Finance Liang Hao said that the recent escalation in the Middle East has pushed oil prices sharply higher and intensified concerns about supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, which typically carries about one-fifth of the world’s gas and crude supply.
In a commentary, SMU Associate Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship Chen Liang argues that the clash over Anthropic reveals a deeper reality: frontier artificial intelligence (AI) is inseparable from state power. Assoc Prof Chen noted that while Washington reacts and Beijing plans, both are tightening control, driving a split into rival AI ecosystems.
