In an interview with GovTech Singapore, SMU Vice Provost (Research) Professor Steven Miller shared his thoughts about the symbiotic relationship between academia and industry, synergies between IT and the social sciences, and how the forces of technology could shape Singapore’s future.
Responding to a question on how can students and recent graduates stay relevant in a constantly evolving tech industry, Prof Miller noted that a lot of it stems from attitude. “If students experience ‘learning-to-learn’ and see what they can do as a result, they will develop a positive attitude towards immersing themselves in new challenges, and figuring out how to figure it out. The answer to this question does not lie in studying a particular topic, but in the entire way in which educational institutions engage students in learning,” he said. He highlighted that SMU overall has been fantastic in this respect, and SMU School of Information Systems has been recognised as being especially proactive and innovative in this space — It is regarded as pioneers in experimenting with teaching methods that encourage learning-to-learn