SMU-Fudan DBA (Tech) | Message from the Dean 院长寄语

On behalf of the School of Computing and Information Systems (SCIS) at Singapore Management University (SMU), I extend my warmest welcome to our inaugural batch of students of the SMU-Fudan Doctor of Business Administration (Technology) — DBA (Tech) Programme. This momentous joint initiative between SMU’s School of Computing and Information Systems and Fudan University's School of Economics brings together two world-class institutions united by a shared conviction: that the interplay of technology, business, and society demands a new generation of thinkers and leaders.

At SMU, our faculty bring deep expertise in AI, data science, Web3, cybersecurity, and data governance, while Fudan University contributes its distinguished tradition in management scholarship and economics research, widely recognised as among the finest in China. Together, we have curated a programme that transcends disciplinary boundaries — one that challenges senior executives and business leaders to think rigorously, act responsibly, and lead with vision.

Students enrolled in the SMU-Fudan DBA (Tech) programme will engage with cutting-edge technological knowledge alongside applied research methods, enriched by a cross-cultural learning environment that bridges Singapore and China. The goal is not simply to understand how technology reshapes business and society, but to empower leaders to shape that future with confidence and integrity.

I look forward to your active participation and to the valuable ideas, perspectives, and impact that each of you will bring to the SMU-Fudan DBA (Tech) Programme community, as we embark on this shared journey ahead.
 

In the history of human civilization, only a handful of moments can truly be described as “singularities.”

At the end of the eighteenth century, the Industrial Revolution dawned in the United Kingdom. Through technological breakthroughs, it brought an end to the Malthusian trap that had constrained humanity for thousands of years and ushered in a modern growth paradigm in which productivity was decoupled from population growth. Its consequences continue to shape the global landscape to this day.

Today, we stand at the threshold of a second civilizational singularity. The transformative impact of artificial intelligence on human society may rival-or even surpass-that of the Industrial Revolution, reshaping the global competitive order for centuries to come. If, in the age of the steam engine, China was largely a passive observer, then in this profound transformation ignited by artificial intelligence, China is emerging with unprecedented momentum as one of the most important participants-and potentially a leading force.

This epochal shift is far more than a competition of algorithms. It represents a systemic reconfiguration of economic logic, organizational structures, and governance paradigms. In such a context, what is truly scarce is no longer isolated technical expertise, but leaders who can apply economic reasoning to penetrate the fog of technology and navigate uncertainty to redefine the direction of business civilization.

The SMU-Fudan Doctor of Business Administration (Technology)；DBA (Tech) Programme is established precisely for this kind of cross-century thinking. Drawing on Singapore Management University’s global strengths in frontier technologies and digital governance, together with the deep foundations of the School of Economics at Fudan University in Chinese economic theory and policy research, the programme is dedicated to cultivating thinker-leaders who can master technological variables, decipher the mechanisms of our time, and translate rigorous research into meaningful practice.

We seek not followers of technology, but definers of the next era of growth. Let us, within the coordinates of history, transform technology into thought, research into action, and together write the economic epic of our age.