Chen Wenshu

How has SMU’s city location enriched your university experience?

Personally, I have always liked the atmosphere of a more traditional, self-contained university campus. However, one thing I really appreciate about SMU is how convenient its city location is. Being in the heart of Singapore means that places such as Orchard Road, ION Orchard and Marina Bay Sands are all easily accessible from campus. It makes it very convenient to meet friends, explore the city or simply go somewhere after class. Over time, I have come to appreciate how naturally SMU connects university life with the wider city.

Why did you choose your field of study / degree programme?

My family initially encouraged me to consider studying business because of the broad range of career opportunities it offers. When I entered SMU, however, I had not yet decided which area of business I wanted to specialise in. That changed after I took Finance 101. I really enjoyed the course and found the way financial concepts could be applied to real-world business and investment decisions particularly interesting. It was one of the subjects that I felt genuinely motivated to learn more about.

At the same time, I was also attracted by the strong career prospects and wide range of opportunities in the financial industry. The combination of my interest in the subject and its practical career potential ultimately led me to choose Finance as my major.

Please share with us your most recent or your favourite global experience

My most memorable global experience at SMU so far was an Overseas Community Service Project (OCSP) in Hebei, China, during the summer of 2026. I joined the project as a student leader and spent around two weeks working and living together with a diverse team of SMU students. Although China is my home country, experiencing it through an SMU overseas programme and alongside teammates from different cultural backgrounds gave me a very different perspective from simply returning home on my own.

I chose to join the OCSP because I wanted to take part in community service and contribute to something meaningful outside the classroom. I also saw it as an opportunity to step outside my usual university routine and work closely with other SMU students towards a shared purpose. Taking on the role of a student leader made the experience even more meaningful, as I was not only participating in the project but also taking responsibility for the team and helping to make the programme run smoothly.