Commenting on the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Life annuity scheme, SMU Associate Professor of Finance (Education) Mandy Tham, whose research interests are in finance and wealth management, said that although the Special Account can be thought of as an investment account that earns returns from a floor interest rate, CPF Life is not an investment account but serves the purpose of ensuring our "minimum lifelong financial sustainability".
Commenting on more e-hongbao given out in Singapore this Chinese New Year, SMU Lee Kong Chian Professor of Marketing Kapil Tuli said more people started using e-hongbao during the pandemic as they saw it as a safer way of gifting than physical red packets. They are also convenient, environment-friendly and reduce the problem of giving physical packets with the wrong denomination, he added.
According to latest figures from the Changi Airport Group, Changi Airport's passenger traffic is slowly making its way to pre-Covid levels. In the last quarter of 2023, more than 16 million passengers passed through Changi. SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan discussed how long-haul flights is expected to drive further growth. He also noted that in comparison between China and Singapore, flights are doing fine in terms of what the other regions like China and elsewhere in the world has been doing.
Commenting on the SimplyGo system for public transport users, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said that the move towards using apps for transport systems may be frustrating to users because of cybersecurity concerns and it would alienate users who may need better or newer smartphones that can load newer app updates. He also shared his views on how the planned change could have been communicated earlier to allow commuters to make more informed decisions on how to pay for public transport in the future.
Commenting on ComfortDelgro's pilot salary scheme with benefits for taxi drivers, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan said that the scheme is a way for ComfortDelGro to try and attract back drivers who may have shifted to the private-hire model due to the pandemic. Asst Prof Fan, who studies transport economics, added, “Business has been slow during the pandemic, and the taxi drivers bore the brunt of the decline.
Commenting on the higher e-wallet limits, Assistant Professor of Finance (Education) and Director of the Citi Foundation-SMU Financial Literacy Programme for Young Adults Aurobindo Ghosh said that multi-currency e-wallets and apps like YouTrip have flexibility and lower cost of operations compared with a multi-currency bank account, mainly due to the higher regulatory burden that traditional banks have to face. He added, “In general, consumers benefit more using these e-wallets as the exchange rates are more competitive and service charges are lower.
Remarking on the survival of all passengers and crew aboard a Japan Airlines (JAL) plane, which collided with a coast guard plane and caught fire, SMU Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Terence Fan, an airline industry expert, 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 meant to survive the blaze, ultimately."
Commenting on some members of generation Z preferring TikTok over Google, SMU Senior Lecturer of Communication Management Tracy Loh said TikTok is the app of choice for Gen Zs. All their friends are there and TikTok is almost synonymous with the word social media, said Dr Loh, adding that it is natural for youths to use its search function. She also noted that the visual nature of TikTok makes content “very easily consumable and digestible”.
SMU, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Copenhagen Business School are jointly offering a unique 18-month exchange programme spanning three continents for undergraduates. TREBLE (TRicontinental Exchange in Business and Leadership Education) will enable students to gain exposure to business environments and practices in the United States, Asia, and Europe.
In a commentary, SMU Associate Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education) Kenneth Goh discussed why early specialisation in sports poses a risk of burnout among young athletes. He also discussed how early specialisation reflects broader societal mindsets that are detrimental to talent development, and concluded there was a need for societal mindsets to shift towards longer-term and more holistic development to reduce talent attrition caused by burnout.
