People

Groundbreaking for the Evans Road Building
Examining a three-dimensional model of Singapore Management University’s city campus, left to right, Provost Tan Chin Tiong, architect Ted Cullinan, President Ronald Frank, Chairman Ho Kwon Ping and Minister of Education Teo Chee Hean. Photo taken at the groundbreaking ceremony in Bras Basah on 27 March 2002.
    Collection: People


    Professor Tharindra Ranasinghe engaging with students during lecture
    Professor Tharindra Ranasinghe engaging with students during lecture. Small class sizes in seminar rooms is a paedagogy used in SMU since its inception, enabling faculty to interact closely with students during lecture.
      Collection: People


      SMU President's Farewell and Handover Ceremony 2018
      SMU Chancellor Mr J Y Pillay presented the SMU University Professorship certificate to SMU President Professor De Meyer at the SMU President's Farewell and Handover Ceremony 2018 at SMU Hall, on the right is SMU Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping.
        Collection: People


        A talented student doing a solo guitar performance
        A talented student doing a solo guitar performance in a 2015 concert.
          Collection: People


          Students celebrating the end of term with cheers and fun
          Students donning colurful outfits, painted faces, cheering and having fun in a day performance.
            Collection: People


            SMU-X student associates enjoying Peranakan food at the SMU 2023 INDEX Symposium's Gala dinner
            Mr Derek Chiang , Senior Development Partner of SMU-X (Standing) is pictured with the student associates who supported the inaugural SMU 2023 INDEX Symposium at its closing Gala dinner. SMU-X hires its first batch of student associates in 2018. They are the unsung contributors who work quietly behind the scenes to support the experiential learning engine. From managing databases and designing resources to facilitating industry engagements and running events, they ensure the smooth delivery of projects while balancing their own studies. With creativity, precision, and a deep sense of ownership, these student associates gain invaluable real-world skills while shaping the SMU-X experience for others. Their efforts may unfold backstage, but their impact is both lasting and essential.
              Collection: People


              The Centre for Case Learning Excellence team at a luncheon with SMU President Professor Lily Kong to commemorate a set of milestones
              The Centre for Case Learning Excellence (CCX) held a celebratory luncheon on March 2026 to mark a major milestone—the publication of its 500th case. In addition, Singapore Management University is ranked sixth globally and first in Asia for case impact in the 2025 Financial Times Research Insights Ranking. Two CCX cases were also featured among the Financial Times Top 15 global cases by reach. SMU remains the only Singapore institution to be consistently placed in the global top 20 since the launch of The Case Centre Impact Index in 2023, ranking 18th in 2025. (From left back row) Ms Tan Suh Wen ; Professor Tamas Makany, Lee Kong Chian School of Business ; Mr Chan Chi Wei ; Mr Alvin Lee ; Ms Sheila Wan ; Ms Mahima Rao-Kachroo ; Dr Havovi Joshi, Director, CCX ; Professor Venky Shankararaman, Vice Provost (Education) ; Dr Cheah Sin Mei. (Front row) Ms Irene Soh ; Professor Lily Kong, SMU President ; Ms Lipika Bhattacharya.
                Collection: People


                A profile picture of Professor Ronald Frank, second president of Singapore Management University
                Professor Ronald E. Frank, SMU’s second President, captured in an undated profile photograph. Professor Frank, or Ron as he affectionately known, joined SMU’s board of trustees in 2000 and assumed his role as SMU’s second president in September 2001. His presidency was a time of rapid growth for the young university. SMU had just admitted its second cohort of undergraduate students in August 2001. During his time as president two schools were added, the School of Economics and Social Sciences, and the School of Information Systems. New hiring and admissions resulted in nearly a tripling of the number of faculty and students at the university, and the first class of students graduated during his tenure. Professor Frank was involved in planning the university’s new city campus which opened in 2005. During his presidency, SMU received two significant gifts. The donation by the global entrepreneur and philanthropist, Dr Li Ka Shing, endowed the new library at the city campus and provided scholarships for students from Hong Kong and China. The Lee Foundation’s gift of $50 million, matched threefold by the Singapore Government, was then the largest contribution ever made to a Singaporean tertiary institution and led to the naming of the business school in honour of the late Dr Lee Kong Chian. After stepping down from the presidency, Professor Frank served on an advisory panel for SMU’s senior leadership for several years. Professor Frank has taught at Northwestern, Harvard, and Stanford Universities, and at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the US. During his two decades at Wharton he served as director of research and PhD programmes and vice dean. In 1984 he became dean of Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management, and then served as dean of the business school at Emory University from 1989 to 1998. While at Emory he focused on increasing the ranking of the business school and building the school’s endowment. Prof Frank is dean emeritus and Asa Griggs Candler professor of marketing emeritus of Emory University's Roberto C Goizueta Business School. He has been a prolific writer of marketing articles, books and journals, and for over a decade was the fourth most-cited author in marketing. He earned his master’s degree in business at Northwestern University (USA) and his PhD in marketing from the University of Chicago (USA).
                  Collection: People


                  Farewell Tribute to SMU Chairman Mr. Ho Kwon Ping
                  On 10 February 2023, SMU paid tribute to its longest-serving Trustee and Chairman, Mr Ho Kwon Ping who had stepped down from the position.
                    Collection: People


                    Pioneers of SMU
                    A corporate photograph of the original pioneer team who were involved in the conceptualization and start up of the Singapore Management University.
                      Collection: People


                      Financial Education Programme
                      Sunil Sreenivasan, SMU trustee and Citibank's country corporate officer, speaking to Singapore Management University undergraduates on 9 October 2000. His lecture was the first in a financial education programme which is supplementary to the SMU core curriculum. It provides practical lessons in finance, banking and economics.
                        Collection: People


                        Book launch of “The Art of Leadership: Perspectives from Distinguished Thought Leaders”
                        SMU Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping, Singapore’s 7th President and SMU Honorary Patron Dr Tony Tan, SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer at the launch of the book “The Art of Leadership: Perspectives from Distinguished Thought Leaders” on 16 January 2018 at the SMU Hall in the School of Law.
                          Collection: People


                          Groundbreaking for the Evans Road Building
                          Left to right: Associate Professor Low Kee Yang, Deputy Dean of the School of Business, and Associate Professor Tsui Kai Chong, Dean of the School of Business, at the Evans Road building groundbreaking ceremony on 12 January 2000. Singapore Management University operated out of the Evans Road building for the first academic year.
                            Collection: People


                            Talk by Chairman of the Board of Trustees
                            Faculty and the pioneer class of Singapore Management University undergraduates at talk by Ho Kwon Ping, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. He gave students an account of his personal life and corporate experiences. The talk was held at the Singapore Art Museum on 19 July 2000. Front row, left to right: President Janice Bellace, Deputy President Tan Teck Meng, Provost Tan Chin Tiong and Professor Augustine Tan.
                              Collection: People


                              Conference with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
                              Singapore Management University Provost Tan Chin Tiong speaking to the audience at the conference on “Managing Change in the New Millennium”. This conference was held jointly with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania on 28 July 2000.
                                Collection: People


                                Celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year with Lo Hei on 12 February 2010
                                Celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year with Lo Hei on 12 February 2010, from L-R Ruth Pagell, Bernie Toh, Susan Hunter, Howard Hunter, Low Aik Meng, David Chan, Pang Yang Hoong
                                  Collection: People


                                  A National Day Observance Ceremony that celebrates both Singapore's diamond jubilee and SMU's 25th anniversary
                                  Singapore Management University (SMU) commemorated Singapore’s 60th National Day at its National Day Observance Ceremony on 7 August 2025 at the Campus Green, a milestone celebration that coincided with both the nation’s SG60 diamond jubilee and SMU’s 25th anniversary. Bringing together staff and faculty, dressed in red and white, the event featured spirited performances, heartfelt community singing, festive refreshments, and a vibrant display of SMU pride, culminating in a memorable group photo that captured the community united in celebration of Singapore.
                                    Collection: National Day Observance Ceremony


                                    Staff posing before the Bodhi Tree in Campus Green on 2019 National Day Observance Ceremony
                                    This photograph captures a group of Singapore Management University staff members during the National Day Observance Ceremony on 8 August 2019. Wearing National Day T-shirts and holding miniature Singapore flags, the group commemorates the occasion in a display of national pride, unity, and belonging within the SMU community. Prominently featured in the background is SMU’s historic Bodhi Tree (Ficus religiosa), believed to have been planted in the 19th century on the grounds of the former prison complex that once occupied the site. Uprooted in 2005 during the construction of the SMU campus, the tree was carefully preserved, replanted, and integrated into the Campus Green landscape. As a symbol of wisdom, compassion, and hope, the Bodhi Tree serves as a living link between the site’s historical past and SMU’s continuing journey as a modern university.
                                      Collection: National Day Observance Ceremony


                                      A celebration of home, belonging, and shared purpose at SMU’s National Day Observance Ceremony 2026
                                      When asked what makes Singapore special to her at the 2026 National Day Observance Ceremony, Professor Lily Kong, President of SMU, shared that it is the presence of family and friends that truly makes Singapore feel like home. The National Day Observance Ceremony is an annual occasion that brings together SMU staff, faculty, and students in a shared celebration of national identity and community spirit. Held at Campus Green in 2026, the event provided an opportunity for the university community to reflect on its collective journey of learning, growth, and contribution, while reaffirming that the enduring strength of an institution lies not only in its achievements, but also in the people who give it purpose and meaning.
                                        Collection: National Day Observance Ceremony


                                        Students engaged in discussion at a roof top garden
                                        Students engaged in discussion at a roof top garden. SMU has multiple conducive spaces in campus that faciliates group work and learning.
                                          Collection: People


                                          Groundbreaking for the Evans Road Building
                                          Left to right: Director of Facilities Management Ho Thim Seng, Deputy Dean of the School of Business Low Kee Yang, Deputy President Tan Teck Meng, Associate Professor Leong Kwong Sin and Ministry of Education Deputy Director for Higher Education Tan Hang Cheong at the Evans Road building groundbreaking ceremony on 12 January 2000. Singapore Management University operated out of the Evans Road building for the first academic year.
                                            Collection: People


                                            Groundbreaking for the Evans Road Building
                                            Left to right: Associate Professor Leong Kwong Sin, Deputy President Tan Teck Meng and Associate Professor Low Aik Meng at the Evans Road building groundbreaking ceremony on 12 January 2000. Singapore Management University operated out of the Evans Road building for the first academic year.
                                              Collection: People


                                              Seminar-Style Classroom
                                              Associate Professor Tsui Kai Chong, Dean of the Business School, teaching in a seminar-style classroom at Singapore Management University’s Bukit Timah campus in 2001.
                                                Collection: People


                                                Students at Evans Road Building
                                                Students in front of Singapore Management University's Evans Road building. The photo was taken on 28 August 2001, the start of SMU’s second academic year.
                                                  Collection: People


                                                  Professor Lawrence R Klein
                                                  Professor Lawrence R. Klein, 1980 Nobel Laureate in Economics, delivers a lecture entitled, Short-Term Forecasting: Fact or Fiction?, at the Singapore Management University Distinguished Lecture Series on 12 March 2002.
                                                    Collection: People


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