Singapore Management University Research Articles

Transportation-Enabled Services: Concept, Framework, and Research Opportunities

As a result of rapid advancements in urban infrastructure and technology, transportation is transforming a variety of innovative and emerging services. This paper introduces the concept of transportation-enabled services (TRENS), which is a service model that uses transportation systems to enable and enhance the delivery, accessibility, and effectiveness of nontransportation services. We establish a general framework in which the transportation-enabled services involve four key stakeholders: customers, suppliers, TRENS providers, and transportation carriers. Within this general framework, we present five specific service models: a one-sided market, three variants of two-sided markets, and a three-sided market, each characterized by the interactions among suppliers, TRENS providers, and transportation carriers. Taking different models of transportation-enabled services into consideration, we highlight crucial research opportunities to enhance understanding of the planning, operations, evaluation, and regulation of transportation-enabled services. These research opportunities include demand and supply management, transportation system management and operations, coordination among stakeholders, and the evaluation and regulation of transportation-enabled services. We believe that the emergence, widespread adoption, and popularity of transportation-enabled services will significantly enhance and reshape many services and thus contribute to the overall improvement of future mobility in the broader context of smart cities. History: This paper has been accepted for the Service Science Special Issue on Innovation in Transportation-Enabled Urban Services. Funding: The work of Hai Wang was supported by the Lee Kong Chian Fellowship awarded by Singapore Management University. The work of Hao Sun was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 72301179].

Mapping U.S.–China Technology Decoupling: Policies, Innovation, and Firm Performance

We develop measures of technology decoupling and dependence between the United States and China based on combined patent data. The first two decades of the century witnessed a steady increase in technology integration (or less decoupling), but China’s dependence on the United States increased (decreased) during the first (second) decade. Firms covered by China’s Strategic Emerging Industries policies became less decoupled with the United States, gained cash flows, and gained valuation, but they saw no improvement in either innovation output/quality or productivity. Post-U.S. sanctions, firms in sanctioned sectors and their downstream suffered in performance but also became less decoupled with the United States. However, firms in the upstream of the sanctioned sectors improved productivity and produced more high-quality innovations. This paper was accepted by William Cong, finance. Funding: P. Han acknowledges financial support from China’s Natural Science Foundation [Grant 72103003]. W. Jiang acknowledges financial support from the Chazen Institute of Global Business at Columbia Business School. D. Mei acknowledges financial support from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Business Research Initiative [grant with Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business and Singapore Management University]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.02057 .

Inventory-Responsive Donor-Management Policy: A Tandem Queueing Network Model

Problem definition: In the blood-donor-management problem, the blood bank incentivizes donors to donate, given blood inventory levels. We propose a model to optimize such incentivization schemes under the context of random demand, blood perishability, observation period between donations, and variability in donor arrivals and dropouts. Methodology/results: We propose an optimization model that simultaneously accounts for the dynamics in the blood inventory and the donor’s donation process, as a coupled queueing network. We adopt the Pipeline Queue paradigm, which leads us to a tractable convex reformulation. The coupled setting requires new methodologies to be developed upon the existing Pipeline Queue framework. Numerical results demonstrate the advantages of the optimal policy by comparing it with the commonly adopted and studied threshold policy. Our optimal policy can effectively reduce both shortages and wastage. Managerial implications: Our model is the first to operationalize a dynamic donor-incentivization scheme, by determining the optimal number of donors of different donation responsiveness to receive each type of incentive. It can serve as a decision-support tool that incorporates practical features of blood supply-chain management not addressed thus far, to the best of our knowledge. Simulations on existing policies indicate the dangers of myopic approaches and justify the need for smoother and forward-looking donor-incentivization schedules that can hedge against future demand variation. Our model also has potential wider applications in supply chains with perishable inventory.Funding: This study was funded by the Singapore Management University through a research [Grant 20-C207-SMU-015] from the Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 1.Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2023.1228 .

Assessing the effectiveness of a chatbot workshop as experiential teaching and learning tool to engage undergraduate students.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10639-023-11795-5.

The Other Invisible Hand: How Markets—as Institutions—Propagate Conformity and Valuation Errors

The institutionalized status of markets is undoubtedly due to their presumed ability to aggregate individual bids into a single unbiased estimate of value. While not denying this emergent property of market processes, we propose and test an alternative perspective that explains how market processes can also generate the propagation of individual valuation errors that aggregate into price bubbles. Theoretically, we advance a microinstitutional perspective that draws from social and evolutionary psychology linking market processes to a more general process of institutionalization, whereby individuals seeking the adaptive benefits of conformity may—due to bounded and socially biased rationality—instead generate maladaptive individual and collective outcomes. Empirically, we craft an efficient experimental market and find three sets of evidence consistent with our microinstitutionalization perspective. We first show—at the individual level—that market participants exhibit a social bias toward conformity with the market’s collective valuation, even when the emergent market valuation is demonstrably incorrect. We then show—at the market level—that the range of valuations over time also decreases in a conforming direction, again independent of valuation accuracy. Last, we provide the first experimental test of the long-assumed effect of social ambiguity on institutionalization, finding that market participants’ over-attention to the collective valuation is indeed sensitive to variation in social ambiguity. We conclude by highlighting the relevance of our theoretical perspective, method, and findings for future research on institutions and institutionalization processes, as well as future studies on social influence and conformity-based errors.Funding: S. S. Levine acknowledges research grants from Singapore Management University; the University of Texas at Dallas; and the European Research Council (agreement 695256).Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/stsc.2022.0173 .

Vehicle Rebalancing in a Shared Micromobility System with Rider Crowdsourcing

Problem definition: Shared micromobility vehicles provide an eco-friendly form of short-distance travel within an urban area. Because customers pick up and drop off vehicles in any service region at any time, such convenience often leads to a severe imbalance between vehicle supply and demand in different service regions. To overcome this, a micromobility operator can crowdsource individual riders with reward incentives in addition to engaging a third-party logistics provider (3PL) to relocate the vehicles. Methodology/results: We construct a time-space network with multiple service regions and formulate a two-stage stochastic mixed-integer program considering uncertain customer demands. In the first stage, the operator decides the initial vehicle allocation for the regions, whereas in the second stage, the operator determines subsequent vehicle relocation across the regions over an operational horizon. We develop an efficient solution approach that incorporates scenario-based and time-based decomposition techniques. Our approach outperforms a commercial solver in solution quality and computational time for solving large-scale problem instances based on real data. Managerial implications: The budgets for acquiring vehicles and for rider crowdsourcing significantly impact the vehicle initial allocation and subsequent relocation. Introducing rider crowdsourcing in addition to the 3PL can significantly increase profit, reduce demand loss, and improve the vehicle utilization rate of the system without affecting any existing commitment with the 3PL. The 3PL is more efficient for mass relocation than rider crowdsourcing, whereas the latter is more efficient in handling sporadic relocation needs. To serve a region, the 3PL often relocates vehicles in batches from faraway, low-demand regions around peak hours of a day, whereas rider crowdsourcing relocates a few vehicles each time from neighboring regions throughout the day. Furthermore, rider crowdsourcing relocates more vehicles under a unimodal customer arrival pattern than a bimodal pattern, whereas the reverse holds for the 3PL. Funding: This work was supported by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong [Grants 15501319 and 15505318] and the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 71931009]. Z. Jin was supported by the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme. Y. F. Lim was supported by the Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University [Maritime and Port Authority Research Fellowship]. Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2023.1199 .

Asymmetric Information of Product Authenticity on C2C E-Commerce Platforms: How Can Inspection Services Help?

Problem definition: We consider a customer-to-customer (C2C) platform that provides an inspection service. Uncertain about product authenticity, a seller sells a product through the platform. Before purchasing, a buyer obtains a signal of the product authenticity from the product’s price set by the seller. The platform’s inspection service can detect a counterfeit with a probability. If the product passes the inspection, the platform sends it to the buyer and charges the seller a commission fee. Otherwise, the platform returns it to the seller and charges the seller a penalty fee. Methodology/results: We develop a two-stage game-theoretical model. In the first stage, the platform designs a contract specifying the commission and penalty fees. In the second stage, the seller signals the product authenticity by setting a price and the buyer decides whether to purchase it. This results in a contract design problem that governs a signaling game. We find that the effect of inspection is beyond merely detecting counterfeits. The inspection, even an imperfect one, changes the signaling game’s structure and incentivizes the seller whose product is likely authentic to sell through the platform. This can only be achieved by carefully choosing the commission and penalty fees. Moreover, a larger platform’s expected profit does not imply a larger commission fee or price in equilibrium. Under some mild conditions, the optimal commission increases but the optimal penalty decreases as the platform’s inspection capability improves. Managerial implications: The inspection service is not widely available among leading C2C platforms as it is considered imperfect and costly. Our study suggests that its benefit may be underestimated in practice. Moreover, the inspection can eliminate the seller’s information rent and generate more revenue for the platform. This paper provides guidance on how to set commission and penalty fees when the inspection service is provided. Funding: L. Li is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 72071198] and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme [Grant 1-YWC7]. X. Fang and Y. F. Lim are grateful for the support from the Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University [Maritime and Port Authority Research Fellowship and Retail Centre of Excellence Research Grant]. Y. F. Lim is supported by the Association of South-East Asian Nations Business Research Initiative Grant [Grant G17C20421], the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong [Grants 15501920 and 15501221], and the Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 71931009]. Supplemental Material: The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2023.1186 .

The Economic Value of Blockchain Applications: Early Evidence from Asset-Backed Securities

In this paper, we evaluate the economic value of a blockchain application. In the context of asset-backed securities (ABS) issuance in China, where some ABS are issued with blockchain technology and others are not, we find that the use of blockchain significantly reduces the coupon yield at issuance. Compared with other ABS, those issued using blockchain technology experience a decrease of 31.4 basis points in the yield spread, which corresponds to a relative decrease of 13%. We further document that the effect of blockchain is more pronounced for ABS deals rated by less reputable credit rating agencies and agencies that rely more on issuers for their rating business, for revolving ABS, and for ABS with a larger number of underlying assets. We also find that the use of blockchain can reduce the level of retained interest and number of credit enhancement mechanisms. This paper contributes to the literature by providing a small-sample analysis of the economic value of a blockchain application in financial markets. This paper was accepted by Brian Bushee, accounting. Funding: X. Chen and Q. Cheng acknowledge funding provided by the Lee Kong Chian Professorship at Singapore Management University. This work was supported by Singapore Ministry of Education [Grant MOE-T2EP40120-0005]. Supplemental Material: Data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4671 .

The Singapore Mall Generation: History, Imagination, Community ed. by Liew Kai Khiun

Reviewed by: The Singapore Mall Generation: History, Imagination, Community ed. by Liew Kai Khiun Linda Lim and Pang Eng Fong The Singapore Mall Generation: History, Imagination, Community, edited by Liew Kai Khiun. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2022, 304pp. ISBN: 978-981-5009-39-2 This collection of 10 essays and a foreword by 12 academics, arts and cultural studies researchers and practitioners, traces ethnographically the evolution of Singapore malls and their place in shaping memories and communities. It focuses on ‘older’ malls of the 1980s and 1990s, whose strata-title ownership—where different entrepreneurs own particular spaces in the mall—enabled and encouraged what might be termed a ‘bottom-up’ evolution of shop types and ancillary mall activities according to the eclectic interests of individual shop-owners, local customers and other mall participants. Most interestingly, the book peels back the veneer of shopping malls as primarily icons of the materialist consumption which dominates Singapore’s proudly pragmatic society, to reveal a more complex reality. Mall merchandising both facilitated and was shaped by community and artistic ‘fringe activities’ that spontaneously emerged to eventually define both the character and the commercial appeal of particular malls. Unintended and unplanned, art installations, indie music, dancing, and various youth and migrant worker subcultures sprung up to occupy the interstices and sometimes the main thoroughfares of certain malls. Lodging themselves in the collective memory of both locals and transients, many downtown malls like Far East Plaza, Peninsula Plaza, Takashimaya, Lucky Plaza, Tanglin Shopping Centre, and Orchard Towers can claim to be part of the national heritage. The book mentions, but does not explore in depth, the more recent transformation of Singapore’s malls as strata-title ownership gives way to S-REITS (real estate investment trusts) owned and operated by GLCs (government-linked corporations) and large global or foreign conglomerates. These employ a ‘top-down’ model of planned use, thematic unity and price-point conformity aimed at maximizing rental revenues. This usually means modernist architecture housing the luxury transnational chains found in other expensive global cities catering to a target market of high-end and international customers. Rising rental costs, together with competition from online shopping preferred by young people who also increasingly socialize and find recreation online, exacerbated by the remote working trend which reduces downtown and even suburban ‘foot traffic’, are already eroding the commercial fortunes of heritage malls and erasing their evocative past. The redevelopment of Funan Centre from a hub selling computers and component parts into a gleaming glass palace (with dedicated space for community-oriented activities), and a wide selection of eateries, provides an example of corporate ambition in line with new values, but not with people with fond memories of the old Funan. This reflects the ambivalence in [End Page 141] many Singaporeans’ hearts — we are captivated by the new while longing for an imagined simpler communal past. As economists who personally experienced the entire trajectory of Singapore’s malls, and as members of what the authors call ‘the mall generation’, we would have liked to see more analysis of the reasons for, impact, and implications of this transformation in the context of Singapore’s entire socio-economic development. What has been the relative role of ‘top-down’ public policy and corporate globalization versus ‘bottom up’ market forces and local entrepreneurs in mall evolution? Looking to the future, what are the commercial as well as cultural implications for national identity, heritage and the ‘Uniquely Singapore’ branding once purveyed by the Singapore Tourism Board? Perhaps the lack of thematic unity, beyond nostalgia, among the book’s chapters is an unconscious reflection of respect for the messy yet vibrant, spontaneous ‘co-creation’ of ‘authentic’ localized spaces and voices that inhabited Singapore’s malls in our recent past. Linda Lim University of Michigan Pang Eng Fong Singapore Management University Copyright © 2022 Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society

Strategic financial management part III: Debt maturity and priority and corporate liquidity

Journal of Applied Corporate FinanceEarly View ORIGINAL ARTICLE Strategic financial management part III: Debt maturity and priority and corporate liquidity Fangjian Fu, Corresponding Author Fangjian Fu [email protected] Singapore Management University, Singapore, Singapore Correspondence Fangjian Fu, Singapore Management University, Singapore, Singapore. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorClifford W. Smith, Clifford W. Smith University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USASearch for more papers by this author Fangjian Fu, Corresponding Author Fangjian Fu [email protected] Singapore Management University, Singapore, Singapore Correspondence Fangjian Fu, Singapore Management University, Singapore, Singapore. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorClifford W. Smith, Clifford W. Smith University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 14 February 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/jacf.12533Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Early ViewOnline Version of Record before inclusion in an issue RelatedInformation

Future-proofing students in higher education with unmanned aerial vehicles technology: A knowledge management case study

In this paper we report experiences in implementing a new course ‘Understanding Drone & Robotics Technology – History, Usage, Ethics & Legal Issues’ at the Singapore Management University framed as a strategic knowledge management (KM) initiative in an institution of higher learning aimed at capturing, sharing and creating new knowledge about disruptive technologies such as unmanned aerial vehicles. We posit the new course as a knowledge innovation initiative (similar to a KM-enabled business case in a corporate setting) in support of the university’s mission and vision so as to deliver new value to students and to stay ahead of the latest technological developments. In line with a ‘normal’ KM initiative, we examine how the new learning and teaching initiative was conceived, pushed forward and eventually launched, creating a new multi-disciplinary learning experience for students, instructors and other stakeholders. We explain the knowledge strategy of the course and use I. Nonaka’s SECI framework to shed light on selected aspects of the pedagogical approach towards achieving the desired learning outcomes. Overall, the paper intends to make a case for more collaborative knowledge leadership as a strategic enabler of multi-disciplinary knowledge innovation in a rapidly changing higher education landscape.

A trial study of using DSST to evaluate cognitive impairment in older adults.

Non-invasive means of monitoring mild cognitive impairments (MCI) is recently gaining popularity. With the advent of easy to use physiological sensors, there have been an outburst of studies from the last decade which aim at detecting a target's mental health condition. However, not many studies present the experience or insights gained from carrying out such in-situ research work, particularly when working with older adults. Such insights could not only assist researchers in related areas when designing their study but also avoid potential pitfalls. Clinical trials were conducted by our organization in collaboration with the Geriatric Educational Research Institute, Singapore (GERI) and Singapore Management University (SMU) for detecting mild cognitive impairments in a geriatric population. Digitized versions of the standard pen & paper psychological tests were used along with gaze tracking technologies for MCI detection. Details of our user study and it's outcomes are discussed as well as a generic approach of digitizing any given psychological test battery is highlighted.

Getting Undergraduates Ready for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Through an Overseas Experiential Learning Project

In this paper, we explain how an experiential learning course and study tour to Gansu Province (People’s Republic of China) enabled undergraduates at the Singapore Management University (SMU) to acquire 21st-century competencies and higher-order thinking skills by analyzing and evaluating specific aspects of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China–Singapore (Chongqing) Connectivity Initiative — New International Land–Sea Trade Corridor (CCI-ILSTC) with emphasis on developing viable Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies aimed at selling Gansu produce in four Southeast Asian markets. We share how the course was designed to support the attainment of key learning goals and discuss how we turned pedagogical aspirations into concrete learning outcomes. We introduce key aspects of the so-called “SMU-XO” project that the students conducted in partnership with an industry partner, Pacific International Lines (PIL), and discuss how the project work helped learners to gain global competency by (i) examining critical issues related to BRI such as multi-modal infrastructure connectivity, (ii) appreciating the local perspectives of project stakeholders in Lanzhou and Shanghai and (iii) successfully interacting with people from different cultures, namely China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand.

Introduction of the special issue on Analytics and Operations of Online Retailing

Naval Research Logistics (NRL)Volume 68, Issue 6 p. 681-682 EDITORIAL Introduction of the special issue on Analytics and Operations of Online Retailing Yun Fong Lim, Corresponding Author Yun Fong Lim [email protected] Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University, Singapore Correspondence Yun Fong Lim, Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University, Singapore 178899, Singapore. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorStefanus Jasin, Stefanus Jasin Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USASearch for more papers by this author Yun Fong Lim, Corresponding Author Yun Fong Lim [email protected] Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University, Singapore Correspondence Yun Fong Lim, Lee Kong Chian School of Business, Singapore Management University, Singapore 178899, Singapore. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorStefanus Jasin, Stefanus Jasin Stephen M. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 22 July 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/nav.22015Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Volume68, Issue6Special Issue: Special Issue: Analytics and Operations of Online RetailingSeptember 2021Pages 681-682 RelatedInformation

LEAST SQUARES AND IVX LIMIT THEORY IN SYSTEMS OF PREDICTIVE REGRESSIONS WITH GARCH INNOVATIONS

The paper examines the effect of conditional heteroskedasticity on least squares inference in stochastic regression models of unknown integration order and proposes an inference procedure that is robust to models within the (near) I(0)–(near) I(1) range with GARCH innovations. We show that a regressor signal of exact order$O_{p}\left ( n\kappa _{n}\right ) $for arbitrary$\,\kappa _{n}\rightarrow \infty $is sufficient to eliminate stationary GARCH effects from the limit distributions of least squares based estimators and self-normalized test statistics. The above order dominates the$O_{p}\left ( n\right ) $signal of stationary regressors but may be dominated by the$O_{p}\left ( n^{2}\right ) $signal of I(1) regressors, thereby showing that least squares invariance to GARCH effects is not an exclusively I(1) phenomenon but extends to processes with persistence degree arbitrarily close to stationarity. The theory validates standard inference for self normalized test statistics based on the ordinary least squares estimator when$\kappa _{n}\rightarrow \infty $and$\kappa _{n}/n\rightarrow 0$and the IVX estimator (Phillips and Magdalinos (2009a), Econometric Inference in the Vicinity of Unity. Working paper, Singapore Management University; Kostakis, Magdalinos, and Stamatogiannis, 2015a,Review of Financial Studies28(5), 1506–1553.) when$\kappa _{n}\rightarrow \infty $and the innovation sequence of the system is a covariance stationary vec-GARCH process. An adjusted version of the IVX–Wald test is shown to also accommodate GARCH effects in purely stationary regressors, thereby extending the procedure’s validity over the entire (near) I(0)–(near) I(1) range of regressors under conditional heteroskedasticity in the innovations. It is hoped that the wide range of applicability of this adjusted IVX–Wald test, established in Theorem 4.4, presents an advantage for the procedure’s suitability as a tool for applied research.

Private Markets, Infrastructure and Venture Capital in the Post-COVID Era: The Pension Perspective

This second of a series of seven papers co-authored by M. Nicolas J. Firzli and David Weeks looks at the notions of private markets – PE, VC, private debt and infrastructure – and the "quest for yields" in a low interest rates environment, which where discussed at two recent global conferences organised by the G7 Pensions Summit (G7 P7) and the Singapore Economic Forum (SEF). ESG, impact investing, renewable energy and the notion of green growth are also discussed by the co-authors and other experts, including the Hon. Nick Sherry, fmr. AUS minister of Superannuation & Corporate Law, Nick Silver, chairman, Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI), Michael Dennis, Head, APAC, Alternatives & Cap. Markets, BlackRock, Dr Guan Seng Khoo, Singapore Management University (SMU) and Ingrid Edmund, Columbia Threadneedle Investments (CTI)The notion of financial long-term-ism is considered from the perspective of institutional asset owners, notably in the US, Britain and the European Union (EU), where "pension fund regulation and the structure of the industry [often] puts a premium on liquidity and causes short-termism, at the expense of long-term investment and patient capital.”Australia has seen much interest in privatisation of public functions/assets. This has increased opportunities for private investment in infrastructure. It has, however, raised political discussion about the correct pricing of “monopoly assets”, such as large regional airports and water utilities.The authors also look at some of the recent developments in Canada, China, India and various ASEAN jurisdictions, including Singapore and assess the role played by the city-state in a complex period: "the COVID crisis has accelerated the mutually reinforcing effects of the Age of Empowerment (ESG, Equity and Entrepreneurship/the Venture Capitalist Ethos), the Age of Geoeconomics (intensifying Sino-American coopetition) and Datafied World Economy (Digitalization, Ai, Cybernetics), and Singapore is positioned precisely at the crossroads where these three powerful currents meet.”Some of the financial and geo-economic aspects of the "Post Brexit" era are also analysed. The authors note that HM Government has invited four key maritime powers to join the 47th G7 summit held in Carbis Bay, Cornwall later in the year: Australia, South Korea, India and South Africa, thus "bringing the blue economy to the fore of the global policy agenda".

A case study of Singapore Management University Libraries: Adopting a mixed methods approach towards collection evaluation

With rising costs and limited resources, it has become increasingly important for academic libraries to make acquisition decisions prudently to build a collection that meets its users' learning, teaching, and research needs. As such, Singapore Management University's (“SMU”) Libraries use a patron-driven acquisitions process, whereby acquisition decisions are guided by users' needs and requests. This article seeks to investigate if the current patron-driven acquisitions approach adequately meets the research needs of SMU's users through a mixed methods approach. A collection analysis was first conducted on the SMU Libraries' publications' references from the years 2017 to 2018 using the Scopus database. To ensure that the results of the study were valid and reliable, this study also analysed the Library Service Quality Survey for 2018, in addition to interviews with selected undergraduate and postgraduate students. This resulted in the triangulation of these results enabling comparison and analysis across a range of dimensions. The findings show that the library collection was largely able to meet users' needs. Most of the cited publications could be found in the library collection, and users were satisfied with the collection. However, there was a lack of awareness of library resources and how to use them effectively.

Law and COVID-19

This book is a collection of essays from scholars at Singapore Management University School of Law analysing the challenges and implications of COVID-19 from the perspective of different areas of law, including private law, corporate law, insolvency law, data protection, financial laws, public law, privacy law, commercial law, constitutional law, law and technology, and dispute resolution. It also analyses how the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the judicial system, the study of law, and the future of the legal profession. Beyond considerations of the pandemic’s influence on law and legal service delivery the authors consider how law can help facilitate the orderly transition to a sustainable future – the new normal.

The Vulnerability Project: The Impact of COVID-19 on Vulnerable Groups

Governments in Singapore, India, and UK have activated surveillance, restrictive pandemic control policies, and predictive technologies to tackle the spread of COVID-19. Although some of these measures have proven efficacious, many bring with them adverse effects on fundamental rights and liberties which necessitate regulatory and policy monitoring. This project was initiated to evaluate the discriminatory consequences of COVID-19 control measures on vulnerable groups in society, so as to advocate for anti-discrimination policy outcomes and resilience-building across communities. In it, we offer six use-cases: 1) migrant workers in Singapore; 2) migrant workers in India; 3) migrant workers in the UK; 4) elderly in Singapore; 5) institutional aged care in the UK; and 6) vulnerable groups in India based on caste and race. These six cases discuss the control policies and containment strategies that too often negatively influenced the pandemic experiences of these communities across three countries. By scrutinizing control measures employed within these various jurisdictions of interest, the project aims to shed light on the interplay between discriminatory state responses and the exacerbation of pre-existing vulnerability forces. Through this exercise, this project offers early intervention approaches that promote and sustain more appropriate, ethical and equitable pandemic and crisis interventions particularly those relying on AI-assisted surveillance and data sharing. The flattening of identified pandemic healthcare inequalities will have positive ramifications for human dignity, autonomy, and rights-recognition across numerous vulnerable communities including migrant workers, the elderly, and racial minorities. Additionally, the economic benefits in maintaining productivity and reducing intervention costs can be significant. The amelioration of discriminatory outcomes will also enhance and restore confidence within these communities and trust in their respective State authorities leading to more effective pandemic containment.Note: The Centre for AI & Data Governance (CAIDG) is a research institute situated in the Singapore Management University School of Law. The Centre conducts independent research on policy, regulation, governance, ethics, and other issues relating to AI and data use. As part of our COVID data regulation and policy research, the CAIDG has been researching on COVID control strategies (employing AI-assisted technologies and big data) and its relation to cycles of vulnerability and discrimination. This project is part of our much wider commentary on the efficacy and legitimacy of COVID control measures through data, and is complementary for our upcoming TUM/BIICL collaboration on the Rule of Law, Legitimacy and Effective COVID-19 control policy.

Rapid Transition of a Technical Course from Face-to-Face to Online

Just like most universities around the world, due to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, senior management at Singapore Management University decided to move all courses to a virtual, online, synchronous mode and gave instructors a short notice period—one week—to make this transition. In this paper, we describe the challenges we faced, the practical solutions we adopted, and the lessons we learnt in rapidly transitioning a face-to-face master’s degree course in text analytics and applications into a virtual, online, course format that could deliver a quality learning experience.