Economics and Society
Completed
Academic Lead
Bei Hong
Senior Lecturer in Economics, SOE
Industry
Simba (Singapore)
A telecommunications company and one of Singapore's licensed mobile network operators, offering 4G/5G mobile and fibre broadband services.
Motorist (Singapore)
An automotive technology platform helping drivers manage vehicle ownership, covering vehicle transactions, COE renewal, insurance, financing, and maintenance.
SkillsFuture (SSG) (Singapore)
A statutory board under Singapore's Ministry of Education, driving the national SkillsFuture movement for lifelong learning and workforce skills development.
Why this Collaboration
Students often experience economic concepts as classroom theory, disconnected from how they actually play out in industry. This collaboration brings in practitioners from three distinct sectors, telecommunications (Simba), automotive technology (Motorist), and workforce development (SkillsFuture), so students see how the same core concepts apply differently across industries, through the eyes of the people working in them.
Industry Involvement
CTE sourced and filmed interviews with practitioners from Simba, Motorist, and SkillsFuture, each speaking to how economic concepts show up in their own sector. Because the interviews are recorded, the same insights can be reused across multiple course offerings, without needing practitioners present in class each term.
Student Learning Experience
This is a blended learning experience built for undergraduate students.
Pre-class — Students first learn core concepts through short online videos prepared by the instructor.
In-class — Students go deeper into a particular industry by watching the practitioner interviews.
Post-class — Students reflect on what they've learned through a shared Padlet canvas, connecting theory to what they've just heard from industry.
In Their Own Words
Student
“The videos helped me understand how the concepts are actually used in the industry and not just in theory."
- Undergraduate student, 2025
“Hearing from professionals made the lessons more relatable and relevant to real-world situations."
- Undergraduate student, 2025
Faculty
“Through sharing sessions and discussions, students were able to connect economic theories with current industry practices and challenges — gaining a better understanding of market competition, career development, and the importance of continuous learning in a changing economy. The collaboration increased engagement during lessons and encouraged more thoughtful discussion, with many students showing greater interest in applying economic concepts to real-life situations.”
- Bei Hong
Get involved with i.Connect
Whether you teach at SMU or work in industry, tell us what you have in mind. CTE will explore what could fit and follow up with you.