The Upskilling Imperative: Bold Moves to Transform Your Talent
Join us for an engaging half-day event where leaders from industry, academia, come together to discuss bold strategies for workforce transformation. Explore interactive booths, participate in hands-on workshops, and witness the signing of a landmark MoU with Singapore’s polytechnics and ITE.
Panel Discussion
Join leaders from industry, academia, as they explore how bold upskilling strategies can bridge skills with future industry needs.
MoU Signing
Witness a landmark moment as SMU Academy, The Institute of Technical Education and all 5 of Singapore’s polytechnics sign the first-ever inter-IHL agreement on credit exemptions for IPM and IGD programmes.
Exhibitions
Discover interactive booths hosted by our key pillars, showcasing SMU Academy’s expertise in Finance, Tech, Sustainability, Human Capital, and more.
Workshops
Get hands-on at our public workshops. Experience practical, engaging learning sessions designed to inspire immediate application.
Getting to SMU
The event will be held at SMU Yong Pung How School of Law Hall B1-2 & B1-3. Conveniently located in the heart of the city and easily accessible via public transport.
Programme Agenda
Panel Discussion
The panel discussion, themed “Bridging Skills and Industry Needs: Building Talent for the Future”, will convene leading voices from academia, industry, law, and human resources to examine how Singapore can better align skills with the evolving demands of the workplace.
The conversation will feature Dr Roh Sungjong, Assistant Professor of Communication Management (Education) at SMU, who will bring an academic perspective on communication and talent development. From industry, Celine Chew, Head of Learning & Development at Straits Interactive, will share insights on the corporate approach to building future-ready capabilities, while Alvin Tan, Counsel at Kith & Kin Law Corporation and Adjunct Faculty at SMU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Business, will contribute his expertise from both the legal profession and higher education.
Adding the human capital dimension, Angelina Chua, Human Resource Director, APAC at COFCO International, will provide a regional HR lens on workforce transformation.
The discussion will be moderated by Professor Lim Sun Sun, Vice President of Partnerships and Engagement at SMU, whose guidance will ensure a balanced, thought-provoking, and forward-looking exchange on how bold strategies in upskilling can transform Singapore’s talent landscape.
Speaker Bios
Professor Lim Sun Sun
Vice President (Partnerships and Engagement); Lee Kong Chian Professor of Communication & Technology, SMU
Professor Lim Sun Sun is Vice President, Partnerships & Engagement and Lee Kong Chian Professor of Communication and Technology at the Singapore Management University. She has extensively researched the social impact of technology, focusing on technology domestication by families, the future of work, and AI ethics.
She is a Fellow of the International Communication Association and serves on fourteen journal editorial boards. She also contributes her expertise to the Media Literacy Council, SkillsFuture Research Advisory Panel, and Singapore Environment Council. From 2018–2020, she was a Nominated Member of the 13th Parliament of Singapore, where she raised issues such as governance of big data, priorities in digital literacy education, and digital rights for children.
Her contributions have been widely recognised. She is an honoree of the inaugural 2024 Top 50 Asia Women Tech Leaders Award and was named to the 2020 Singapore 100 Women in Tech list. She is also a Fellow of the Singapore Computer Society, where she serves as Vice President of the Women in Tech Chapter and as an Executive Committee member of the AI Ethics and Governance Special Interest Group.
She frequently offers her expert commentary in international outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Guardian, Scientific American, and South China Morning Post. She also writes a monthly technology column in Singapore’s largest circulation broadsheet, The Straits Times.
Dr Roh Sungjong
Assistant Professor, SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business
Dr Roh received his Ph.D. at Cornell University and is currently an Assistant Professor at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business at Singapore Management University.
His research and teaching expertise span two closely related areas: (a) behavioural decision-making—examining the mechanisms by which consumers, managers, and investors make judgments and choices, and (b) computational data science (using Python and R) for business problem-solving.
Dr Roh has taught a wide range of courses across multiple disciplines, as well as workshops on computational data science and data-informed, evidence-based management practices. His teaching experience extends to undergraduate and postgraduate business students, working professionals, and executives.
He is also a recipient of multiple teaching awards, including the university-wide Most Promising Teacher Award and recognition as a Specialist Adult Educator (for Curriculum Development) by SkillsFuture Singapore/Institute for Adult Learning.
Celine Chew
Head of Learning and Development, Straits Interactive
Development of Straits Interactive, Celine provides insights into the behavioural change and learning required for teams to embrace change initiatives. She offers comprehensive training for Data Protection Officers (DPOs) and companies, propelling digital transformation in data protection and governance.
Celine also has extensive training experience internationally and specialises in the social, emotional and cognitive aspects of learning. She is also an executive coach to senior executives in multinational and regional companies.
Combining both her educator, musical and change management background, Celine crafted and trained a tailored curricula for educators on utilising ChatGPT for teaching and learning, training educators' adeptness with these tools.
Through her hands-on approach and strategic insights, she has significantly advanced the integration of cutting-edge AI technologies in these vital areas, as well as playing a crucial role in the launch of Straits’ first AI Data Protection Officer (DPO) Assistant toolkit.
Alvin Tan Yong Joon
Counsel, Kith & Kin Law Corporation
Adjunct Faculty of OB&HR, SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business
Alvin is a Corporate and Regulatory Compliance lawyer, whose key practice areas include Employment law, Competition and Consumer law, and Trade law. On Employment law, Alvin regularly advises on a broad range of employment issues including recruitment and fair hiring, flexible work arrangements, poor performance, misconduct, termination, redundancy, workplace safety and health, discrimination and harassment, grievance handling to whistleblowing, etc. He regularly advises clients on their full range of employment documentation, giving very practical input on best practices. His clients have ranged from SMEs, MNCs to listed companies.
Prior to embarking on his legal career, Alvin was Policy Analyst at the Public Service Division of the Prime Minister's Office managing Civil service-wide policies in manpower recruitment, termination and superannuation. As a lawyer, he was last Partner at Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP, one of the 'big-four' law firms in Singapore, before he went independent in 2024 and joined Kith & Kin Law Corporation as Counsel.
He is concurrently Adjunct Lecturer at the Singapore Management University for the course 'Employment Law for Business Professionals' at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business since 2022, where he has won highly competitive teaching excellence awards for knowledge transfer from the industry.
Angelina Chua
Human Resource Director, APAC, COFCO International
Angelina, with over 20 years of HR experience across Asia Pacific, the US, and Europe, advocates for talent development. She believes in nurturing and engaging individuals for their positive impact on organisations. Angelina emphasises the importance of leaders who genuinely care about their team's development.
Through her extensive experience, including eight years in Singapore and over ten years in China, she underscores the significance of understanding and connecting with the organisation's pulse. This fosters a powerful bond among people, aligning them towards a common goal.
Exhibitions
Finance & Tech
Discover cutting-edge skills in Fintech, digital transformation, and emerging technologies to drive business growth.
Sustainability
Explore programmes and initiatives that help organisations embed sustainability practices and strategies, aligning with ESG goals and future regulations.
Human Capital
Learn about our offerings in leadership, HR transformation, and people development, designed to build agile and resilient talent pipelines.
Innovation
Experience how innovation-driven learning can spark creativity, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial thinking across industries.
Industry Practice Master of Digital Economy (IPMDE) & Industry Graduate Diploma (IGD)
Find out how our advanced pathways empower professionals with specialised knowledge, supported by new inter-IHL credit exemption agreements.
SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme (SCTP)
See how SCTP supports mid-career individuals in upskilling and reskilling for new opportunities in Singapore’s evolving economy.
Internationalisation Series
Discover programmes that prepare professionals to thrive in global markets, with skills in cross-border business, culture, and partnerships.
Workshops
Abundance in the Age of AI: Culture, Innovation, and Change to the Tools that Matter
In this session, Derek Ariss will explore the human skills that matter most in the age of AI: mindset, adaptability, innovation, and creative thinking. Participants will be introduced to the core pillars of culture, innovation, and change, with practical tools and techniques to help navigate disruption. The workshop will challenge attendees to cultivate an innovation-driven mindset and embrace change with confidence.
Time: 12 – 1PM
Venue: SMU Yong Pung How School of Law, Classroom B1-09
Derek Ariss
Work Smarter, Think Sharper: Transforming Work in an AI Age
Dr Michael Netzley will lead this interactive session designed to equip participants with sharper thinking and practical insights for thriving in an AI-driven world. Drawing from research and case studies, the session will highlight how to strengthen brain health, maintain focus, and reimagine workplace practices. Participants will leave with actionable techniques to build resilience and adaptability for the future of work.
Time: 12 – 1PM
Venue: SMU Yong Pung How School of Law, Classroom B1-13
Dr Michael Netzley
Green AI: How Sustainable Data Centers Are Powering the Future of Artificial Intelligence
Camillus Yang will examine one of today’s most urgent sustainability challenges: the carbon footprint of data centres and the energy demands of AI workloads. This session will unpack sustainable data centre strategies, from cooling innovations to renewable energy integration, offering participants a forward-looking view of how the digital economy can be more sustainable.
Time: 1 – 2PM
Venue: SMU Yong Pung How School of Law, Classroom B1-09
Camillus Yang
From Funnels to Future: Upskilling for the Next Era of Digital Marketing
Adrian Chye will introduce participants to how businesses can sharpen their marketing impact by building stronger product and service branding at the top of the funnel. A strong brand not only captures attention but also improves engagement, boosts conversions, and nurtures long-term customer loyalty. Participants will experience practical demonstrations of how AI tools can enhance efficiency and effectiveness across the entire funnel, from content creation to customer engagement and retention strategies.
Time: 1 – 2PM
Venue: SMU Yong Pung How School of Law, Classroom B1-13
Adrian Chye
