The one-year ahead headline inflation expectations dipped to 4.2% in December 2023, from 4.5% in September 2023, according to the Singapore Index of Inflation Expectations (SInDEx) Survey published jointly by SMU’s Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics (SKBI) and DBS.
Commenting on Gen Zers leading the way in Singapore’s online shopping space, SMU Senior Lecturer of Communication Management Tracy Loh said that unlike the static shopping experience of e-commerce websites such as Lazada or China’s Taobao, TikTok’s livestreamers chat to their audience for three or four hours at a time. It’s like getting a recommendation from a friend, she said, helping the buyer gain more user trust than a brand would.
Commenting on all passengers surviving a plane crash with a coast guard plane at Haneda Airport, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said, “Passengers seemed to have followed instructions in a textbook manner. This is exactly what evacuation policies are designed for — the airframe itself is not designed to survive a blaze.”
Commenting on a Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft grounded in the United States over mid-flight fuselage blowout, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said that the door plug that flew off the Boeing 737 Max 9 is "not ordinarily offered" in the 737 Max 8. He explained how this incident highlights some potential concerns about Boeing 737 MAX 10s, which feature a longer fuselage than both the Boeing 737 MAX 9 and MAX 8.
Commenting on the Earn and Save Bonus, SMU Professor of Finance (Education) Benedict Koh said, “If we assume that the youngest qualifying senior receives $1,000 per year for 15 years until the CPF Life draw-down age of 65, the cumulative sum of this stream earning 4 per cent per annum in either the Special Account or Retirement Account would be $20,024.”
In an interview discussing the fluctuations in COE (Certificate of Entitlement) prices in Singapore, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan, pointed out a continuous decline in COE prices. This trend is primarily attributed to the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) release of expiring quotas. Asst Prof Fan anticipates occasional price fluctuations but expects an overall downward trajectory, especially in larger car categories.
Commenting on TikTok’s continued importance in the culture, SMU Assistant Professor of Marketing Shilpa Madan said TikTok's algorithm to organically introduce users to new, unexpected topics across geographical lines has helped users from around the world better understand and learn about other cultures and perspectives – a function that will continue to serve it well into 2024. “Through TikTok, people can explore traditions, cuisines, music and lifestyles from around the world, fostering a greater understanding and appreciation of global diversity,” she notes.
Commenting on the job market in 2024, SMU Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour & Human Resources Jared Nai, said that jobs related to artificial intelligence (AI) will be in high demand. “We are witnessing a huge leap in competence, comfort and accessibility in utilising AI for all sorts of decisions and work, so companies will be looking to improve their processes and increase employee efficiency by tapping AI tools,” he said.
SMU Professor of Organisational Behaviour & Human Resources Jochen Reb is the founding director of the Mindfulness Initiative @ SMU, which was started in 2013 to support research in educational and outreach projects on mindfulness, with programmes that are open to the public and corporate organisations.
SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship Simon Schillebeeckx, who attended the 28th Conference of the Parties, said that for Singapore, “our goal is to demonstrate that high development and high well-being are possible at a fraction of our current footprint”. “Our part to mitigate emissions should be significantly bigger than our footprint, simply because we are a much more affluent nation and benefit enormously from importing embedded carbon,” he said.
