Professor Lily Kong, President of Singapore Management University, has led the University since 2019 as its first Singaporean President. In this first of a series of stories marking the SMU's 25th anniversary, discover how Prof Kong is reimagining the university for the future by championing research with societal impact and nurturing changemakers through experiential learning.
SMU alumna Zhang Yimei and student Shen Xinyi are on a mission to improve mental wellness through creative arts and technology. Through their startup Artistry Heals, they conduct workshops that help participants express themselves in new ways. The team is also developing an emotional wellness app. Read about their journey of building Artistry Heals, including getting support from the SMU Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship’s Business Innovations Generator.
For a decade, SMU’s signature experiential learning programme, SMU-X, has redefined how education meets industry. By bringing together students, faculty and partners to tackle real-world challenges, SMU-X turns classroom learning into actionable business and social innovation.
From pandemic-driven problem-solving to global start-up stages, SMU graduate Pranav Krishna Prasad’s journey shows how purpose-led entrepreneurship can build communities and create impact. Through ventures spanning shared retail spaces, sustainable batteries, and youth-led sustainability storytelling, his story highlights how SMU’s innovation ecosystem empowers students to turn curiosity into action—and adversity into meaningful change.
