SMU Assistant Professor Bhavani Shanker highlighted that private solar companies, over the past decade, have offered pay-as-you-go (PAYGo) solar panels to impoverished communities in Asia and Africa. This system allows flexible payments but has led to delays and defaults, threatening the financial viability of these companies. Bankruptcies result in poor families losing their access to electricity, which boosts job creation and education. Many customers are unaware that their payments are insufficient, leading to equipment repossessions.
China's securities regulatory agencies have issued new instructions to prevent economists and other practitioners from publishing information that contradicts central policies. SMU Associate Professor of Finance Fu Fangjian noted that some industry professionals publish false statements for interest groups, harming investors and the industry's credibility. Despite last year's penalties for non-compliant behaviour, further regulation is needed to prevent the entire industry from being demonised due to individual comments.
In an interview, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said that despite the rise in certificate of entitlement (COE) premiums in the last bidding exercise of 2024, there appears to be a general downward trend of COE prices, albeit the occasional wobbles. While up to 20,000 additional COEs will be put out gradually from February 2025, people are aware that the impact will not be a “big bang”. Instead, people assume that if they do need a car quick, they can take advantage of the year-end sales that are ongoing.
In a commentary, SMU Associate Professor of Communication Management (Practice) Tamas Makany discussed the distinct personalities of artificial intelligence (AI) assistants such as Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini, and how such distinct personalities are becoming the premium that shapes user choice and business success. He also explained how the surge in AI personality investments signals a fundamental shift in the market that raw computational power no longer guarantees success due to the human tendency to seek meaningful connections.
Commenting on the number of personal mobility device (PMD) accidents falling significantly in the years since the ban of these devices from footpaths, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said the data alone implies that the ban has been a success.
Commenting on bus companies seeking to transform their appeal to jobseekers as many of its current crop of drivers are nearing or have reached their retirement age, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan who does transportation research proposed that to attract and retain talent, bus operators may want to look at engaging substitute drivers to take over some employees’ duties and provide more paid holidays to the full-timers in order to appeal to “the overall lifestyle of these positions”.
Commenting on some people having to use cheques when they were moving out or into their units, SMU Assistant Professor of Finance (Education) Aurobindo Ghosh said, “Cheques can be used for down payments for houses, security deposit with letters of intent for tenancy agreement, et cetera.
In a commentary, SMU Associate Provost (Undergraduate Education) and Associate Professor of Marketing (Education) Michelle Lee discussed why people often purchase more than they need. She explained that the immediate gratification people expect from a product often leads to misguided purchase decisions. Assoc Prof Lee highlighted how businesses fuel consumerism and offered advice on mindful, intentional consumption to avoid creating clutter, regret, and environmental harm.
In an interview, SMU Associate Provost (Undergraduate Education) and Associate Professor of Marketing (Education) Michelle Lee, weighed in on how attitudes towards consumption are changing, and what consumers and businesses can do to play their part. She noted that attitudes of the past, albeit driven by scarcity, was much more sustainable as compared to today.
In an interview, SMU Assistant Professor of Finance (Educaiton) Aurobindo Ghosh discussed the phasing out of physical cheques in Singapore. He highlighted how the two new electronic payment methods set to replace them offer enhanced convenience and security.
