Professor Emeritus of Finance (Practice) Annie Koh highlighted key factors for sustainable family enterprises and emphasised empowering the "rising generation" by understanding their passions and involving them meaningfully in leadership roles. She shared three case studeis where the successors helped their companies innovate and expand internationally.
In an interview of Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan noted that Singapore's limited land also constraints road space - an issue the Government can do little to change. However, he highlighted that the government heavily subsidies a world-class public transport system that meets most commuters' needs. Asst Prof Fan explained that high COE premiums are part of Singapore's trade-offs, where people either pay car ownership or face other costs like expensive parking.
Due to weak fiscal revenue and front-loaded spending efforts, China's fiscal deficit surged to 45% in H1 2025. Experts interviewed noted that although the Chinese authorities have ramped up spending, they have still left room to avoid indiscriminate, large-scale stimulus measures often referred to as "flood-like irrigation". SMU Associate Professor of Finance Fu Fangjian pointed out that the widening increase in China's deficit was not surprising.
The article noted a growing group of younger homeowners in Singapore who are buying most of their furniture from online platforms for their lower prices, greater convenience and wider selection. For homegrown brands, this signifies a challenge along with high rental costs, which could put immense pressure on Singapore companies. SMU Associate Professor of Marketing (Education) Seshan Ramaswami said retailers need to be "extremely service-oriented" and offer customers a one-stop solution for all their furnishing needs.
SMU Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour & Human Resources Ko Yea Hee said that workplace design plays a huge role in shaping employees' experiences and their performance outcomes. Asst. Prof Ko added that open-concept offices not only fall short in promoting collaborations but could also be disruptive to focused work. Activity-based workspaces, in contrast, are more ideal as employees could choose their spot depending on what they are working on.
Experts said that with many countries wavering on their climate goals, Singapore's consistent approach to tackling climate change would be attractive to firms which are serious about reducing their emissions. SMU Associate Professor of Finance Liang Hao shared that Singapore's higher carbon price and stricter environmental regulations could actually be a feature, not a bug, for leading global firms that are serious about sustainability.
SMU Senior Lecturer of Organisational Behaviour & Human Resources Paul Lim said that for job seekers, the key is staying up to date on industry trends in what employees - and their automated systems - are looking for. Dr Lim also does not recommend copying and pasting the job description into resumes, as they are unlikely to make the shortlist on a more sophisticated system. He added that some organisations now use technology to interview candidates before progressing to an interview with a human hiring manager.
SMU Associate Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) and Academic Director of SMU's Business Families Institute Kenneth Goh noted that heritage restaurants often operate with legacy cost structures, operating models and business models that are deeply tied to a past era, which serves as a constraint. Assoc Prof Goh added, "...
The Conference on FinTech Advances in Emerging Markets 2025 concluded successfully at The Chinese University of Hongkong-Shenzhen, drawing scholars and experts worldwide to explore fintech's role in emerging markets. Topics included BigTech lending. Buy Now, Pay Later regulation, and green credit. SMU was represented by Professor of Finance Zhang Hong.
Businesses at Leisure Park Kallang are grappling with declining foot traffic and dwindling sales following the March closure of its long-time anchor tenant, Cold Storage. SMU Associate Professor of Marketing (Education) Seshan Ramaswami said that mass marketers like supermarkets and cinemas often lead to destination retailing, where shoppers make that outlet the reason for visiting the mall, and the other smaller tenants then benefit from the foot traffic that is created.
