Woon Kae

Share with us more about the research you did after IB when deciding which university to choose?

I was deciding between studying overseas in the UK, enrolling in NUS or joining SMU. While all three paths offered strong academic reputations, SMU stood out to me for its forward-thinking curriculum, experiential learning model, and the freedom to chart my own journey.

The UK route, while prestigious, felt more rigid and theoretical in its design. I was seeking something more applied and adaptive — a university experience that prepared me not just to understand the world but to actively shape it. Compared to NUS, I was drawn to SMU's pedagogy of seminar-style classes where dialogue, debate, and participation are core to learning, rather than passive note-taking in large lecture halls.

Another key factor was flexibility. I appreciated that I could design a double degree or double major across schools, rather than being siloed into a single discipline. SMU’s strong emphasis on interdisciplinary learning, client-facing SMU-X projects, global exposure and internship integration also signalled to me that it was a university that understood how education must evolve with the world. 

Please share about any community service projects/trips that you have taken part in in SMU, and why those are meaningful to you.

One of the most meaningful initiatives I’ve been part of is Thrive Social Consulting, a student-led consulting club that partners with nonprofit organisations to solve real-world challenges. I served as both an Associate Consultant and later a Project Leader, working with mission-driven clients in areas such as youth development, elderly support, and sustainability.

What made this experience so meaningful was that it allowed me to marry my passion for strategic problem-solving with a genuine desire to give back. Each project involved weeks of research, interviews, solution design, and implementation planning — all tailored to help social sector organisations improve their impact and long-term sustainability. It taught me that consulting can be more than a corporate service — it can also be a force for community empowerment.

While Thrive projects are no longer formally counted toward SMU’s 80-hour community service requirement, the spirit of service and contribution remains central to why I participated. For me, the experience was about using what I’ve learned in the classroom — whether in business strategy or analytics — to contribute meaningfully to causes I care about. It reinforced my belief that social impact and professional growth don’t have to be mutually exclusive. 

Please share one highlight of your academic experience in SMU.

Technology and World Change (TWC) with Professor Neo Kok Beng:

This was one of the first modules I took in Year 1 Semester 1, and it laid a powerful foundation for both my Business and Information Systems journey. Professor Neo brought incredible energy to every session, and the content connected theory to real-world innovation trends in a way that was both accessible and thought-provoking. We explored frameworks like the Hype Cycle, creative disruption, design thinking, and systems of innovation — concepts that helped me understand how technology evolves and reshapes industries. It was a module that truly grounded me at the intersection of business and tech, and made me excited about the future I was stepping into.