Last Sunday, 23 August 2026, the SMU Philippines alumni community gathered in Manila for an elegant afternoon tea reception to reconnect, exchange ideas and celebrate a special milestone together.
SMU Provost Professor Alan Chan opened the afternoon with a timely discussion on how higher education must evolve alongside rapid advances in artificial intelligence. Drawing from the strategic vision of SMU2030, Prof Chan emphasised that while AI is reshaping the future of work and learning, technology is at its best when anchored by human judgement, ethical responsibility and continuous, lifelong learning.
OAR Director Florence Neo also shared key University updates and highlighted the exclusive benefits, programmes and resources available to support our alumni at every stage of their professional journeys.
The gathering was particularly special as we marked a major milestone: 10 years of the SMU Philippines Alumni Chapter! Chapter Chairperson Rosanne Roxas unveiled the Chapter’s upcoming plans and invited the local community to play an active role in shaping its future. We also celebrated the contributions of Kevin Tang, who received a Commendation Award in recognition of his dedicated service as the Chapter’s founding chairperson from 2016 to 2024.
The conversations continued the following evening at the SMU–Ayala Industry Leaders Dialogue, as alumni joined Prof Alan and thought leaders from the Philippines and across Asia for a panel discussion on how businesses and policymakers can redesign jobs, develop future-ready talent and create sustainable value in an AI-enabled economy.
Themed “From Automation to Augmentation: Redesigning Jobs and Skills for an AI-Enabled Asian Workforce”, the dialogue featured Mr Karl Chua, Managing Director for Data Science and AI at Ayala Corporation; Mr Kevin Tan, President and CEO of Alliance Global Group Inc.; and Prof Venky Shankararaman, SMU Vice Provost (Education) and Professor of Information Systems (Education). The discussion was moderated by Assoc Prof Themin Suwardy.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us over the two days. Your energy, great conversations and shared memories keep the SMU spirit burning bright in the Philippines!
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