28 March 2018
Singapore Management University president Arnoud De Meyer has said that the debate in varsity education should not be about “degrees versus skills”, but about “both” degrees “and” skills.
In his opinion, a good university education adds not just knowledge, but also hard skills as well as work and life skills, including the inculcation of traits such as flexibility, cultural literacy, and the ability to innovate.
Singapore Management University has made at least one overseas stint compulsory as part of its graduation requirements.
SMU students are also expected to put in at least 80 hours of community service during their course of study.
According to Prof De Meyer, many SMU undergraduates continue to serve even after meeting the minimum requirement.
Prof De Meyer, 63, is the fourth president of Singapore Management University. He was previously director of Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge.
More universities are giving their students full flexibility to mix and match their courses and co-curricular activities, as well as work and study opportunities. SMU offers more than 300 combinations of 44 majors and specialisation tracks across six disciplines. It also offers 15 double-degree combinations.