SMU Associate Professor Kenneth Goh, the new Singapore Aquatics President, has introduced a SwimSingapore national swimming framework to improve standards. He envisions every Singaporean becoming a proficient swimmer and making aquatic sports accessible, promoting a healthier and more active nation. After the Olympics, the team aims to retain dominance at the 2025 SEA Games, win more medals at the 2026 Asian Games, and perform better at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
SMU Associate Professor of Marketing (Education) Seshan Ramaswami clarified that oat milk is termed "milk" even though it's not from animals because the naming aims to “help consumers instantly grasp the main benefit of using it”. He noted that calling plant-based drinks “milk” instead of “juice” or “drink” indicates their primary role as a milk substitute. He further mentioned that this naming strategy by plant-based product producers has led to legal disputes with traditional dairy manufacturers.
In a commentary, SMU Associate Provost (Undergraduate Education) and Associate Professor of Marketing (Education) Michelle Lee, who teaches a course in sustainable consumption, discussed the need to curb consumerism and gave advice on how people can curb their consumption. She concluded that instead of waiting on companies to innovate and offer more sustainable alternatives, we should take matters into our own hands and simply curb our consumption.
SMU Assistant Professor of Finance (Education) Aurobindo Ghosh discussed the 2023 Singlife Financial Freedom Index. The survey of 3,000 Singaporeans and permanent residents aged 18 to 65 found that over 40% feel they might never achieve financial freedom. On average, respondents estimated needing $612,000 for financial freedom, an increase of 8% from last year, with a 30-year timeline to save this amount. Additionally, 80% aim to retire by 65, expecting to need over $2,800 monthly for a comfortable life.
Commenting on the TikTok trend known as “underconsumption core”, SMU Associate Professor of Marketing (Education) Seshan Ramaswami said that when making their lists, participants would be more conscious of why they are buying things. They may then realise that some purchases are to escape from deeper emotional issues, and find healthier ways to address these instead. Assoc Prof Ramaswami also said the underconsumption trend could be a bane for retailers, whose profits are closely tied to consumer spending, but it could also create other business opportunities.
In a commentary, SMU Associate Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Kenneth Goh, who is also Secretary-General of Singapore Aquatics and a former national record holder in swimming, discussed how Kallang Alive is a bold vision to transform Singapore's sporting landscape. He outlined how the Kallang Alive Masterplan will create a vibrant sporting ecosystem, centralise resources for talent development, and foster a sporting culture.
Commenting on the upcoming regulations to be implemented for personal mobility aid (PMA) users in 2025, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said the Government has to strike a balance between implementing rules and giving shops time to phase out their inventory. “Retailers who have bought PMAs with a speed limit above 6kmh would need time to sell their existing stock, as the regulator is clearly not offering any compensation to them should they not be able to sell these stocks before the full implementation of the speed limit,” he said.
Commenting on the “low-buy challenge”, SMU Associate Professor of Marketing (Education) Seshan Ramaswami said that when making their lists, participants would be more conscious of why they are buying things. They may then realise that some purchases are to escape from deeper emotional issues, and find healthier ways to address them instead. He also commented on the underconsumption trend, which he said could be a bane for retailers, whose profits are closely tied to consumer spending, but could also create other business opportunities.
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam continues to play an active role on the international stage. The latest is a new appointment to co-chair a global advisory council on jobs. In an interview, SMU Professor Emeritus of Finance (Practice) Annie Koh discussed the significance of President Tharman’s appointment as co-chair of the World Bank's High-Level Advisory Council on Jobs and what he will do in his new role. She also applauded President Tharman's appointment as one that will raise the stature of Singapore on the world stage.
In a commentary, SMU Professor Emeritus of Operations Management Arnoud De Meyer discussed the need to measure and reward learning for the effort put in and how students challenge themselves. He pointed out the need for a more multifaceted approach to measuring learning success, and shared that the University has invested in developing systems where students define their learning objectives and then measure the progress they make over the course of a term.
