SMU Impact Stories: From Human Rights to the Finish Line
Trang Chu Minh (MCM 2015) has built a career around stories that shift perceptions — from human rights advocacy to disability inclusion.
Decoding the meaning of "resilient scholarship"
Ren Yuexuan's (PhD Econs 2025) academic journey began with a simple love for the mathematical logic behind economics. Unwilling to be bound by a predetermined stability, she firmly believes that interest enriches life more than stability.
Building a label for musicians across Southeast Asia
Dominic Yuan (BBM 2024) started the music label, Parka, at the end of his second year in university, using it as his official SMU internship placement.
Eldest son of Vietnam’s richest man steps up as VinFast chair
Pham Nhat Quan Anh (BBM 2016) has been appointed as chairman of VinFast Auto. The company said that the transition was aimed at supporting VinFast’s next phase of development and establishing a foundation for sustainable growth.
The Gift That Keeps Giving: Why Joanna Teo (BSc ISM 2007 & MITB 2024) Keeps Coming Back to SMU
For Joanna Teo (BSc ISM 2007 & MITB 2024), giving back means more than making a gift.
It means mentoring students, sharing industry expertise, teaching, and helping keep learning opportunities accessible for future generations.
S’porean woman appointed High Sheriff in Wales for community work, first Malay-Muslim in role
Shereen Aziz-Williams (BAcc 2005) was appointed High Sheriff of Gwent, Wales, for her years of community service. The first Malay-Muslim to serve in the role, she even produced a special kebaya for her court dress. She moved from Singapore to Wales in 2005.
How Singapore outdoor brand Goliath raised S$80,000 to make its affordable, Himalayas-tested hiking gear
Maribelle Su and Kenneth Wong (both BSc Econ 2024), founded Goliath, a Singapore-based online outdoor apparel brand built around high-performance gear at more accessible prices, in March 2025 and officially launched in August.
A young Singaporean shaping the future of the fragrance industry with psychology and data
Swarna Sathyavageeswaran (BBM 2025) rapidly progressed to the role of marketing analyst at International Flavours & Fragrances (IFF), where she works at the intersection of marketing, psychology and fragrance.
Former world No. 11 badminton athlete is the honcho behind 30-year-old A-roy Thai
Natthaporn Triyachart (BSc Econ 2019), one of the second-generation owners of A-roy Thai, said that the restaurant’s history stretches back some 30 years, first run by a relative who eventually returned to Thailand.
SMU Impact Stories: The Professor Who Came Home
Kenny Chng (LLB 2012) was the student who dreamed of returning to teach. As the first graduate of the Yong Pung How School of Law to be awarded tenure, he is now in the business of making sure his students believe in what they can become - before they do.
