Inaugural Global Immersion Competition@SMU
As SMU pursues its vision as Asia’s premier global city university, it aims to nurture a community of independent lifelong learners and change agents while harnessing partnerships to serve as a gateway between Asia and the world.
Partnering Student Services Consultancy (SSC) Tours & Travel, SMU School of Accountancy (SOA) Professional Hub co-organised the inaugural Global Immersion Competition@SMU from 28 June to 5 July this year. The programme hosted international students from around Asia, where they attended programmes and workshops designed to impart entrepreneurial, accounting, and strategic business competencies that foster innovation, and a readiness to develop and present viable business solutions.
“The Global Immersion Competition brought together participants from diverse backgrounds and created a meaningful platform for participants to iterate on ideas and tackle real-world entrepreneurial challenges.
Through our partnership with the SCC, SOA Professional Hub can contribute to developing global-minded and innovative leaders by leveraging SMU’s strengths in experiential learning, interdisciplinary education, and industry engagement. Our partnership presents a valuable opportunity for industry collaboration and reflects a shared commitment to cultivating the next generation of thoughtful, entrepreneurial leaders.” – Dr Clarence Goh, Associate Professor of Accounting (Practice) and Assistant Dean for Lifelong Learning, SMU School of Accountancy.
Participants of the programme attended three interactive sessions on entrepreneurship and accounting, where they gained practical insights on business fundamentals. Thereafter, they were assigned into teams and tasked to apply the concepts and skills learned during the sessions, to develop an innovative business idea for a final business pitch presentation to a panel of judges.
“Joining the Global Immersion Programme at SMU was such an amazing experience. I had so much fun while learning many new things that I had never been taught at my school before. My favourite part was learning about accounting and financial management. Although my school introduced me to these subjects, the lessons at SMU went much deeper, which made me even more interested and excited to learn.” - Maneemala Neo (Thailand), participant of the Global Immersion Competition 2026.
The Global Immersion Competition also brought participants beyond the SMU campus. From a guided tour of PUB Marina Barrage and a workshop at Google Singapore, to an admissions talk and campus tour in NTU, as well as business and finance workshops conducted by PSB Academy and Kaplan Singapore, participants gained deeper industry insights through these real-world learning experiences, while exploring the higher education pathways in Singapore.
These immersive experiences were designed to aid participants in developing the knowledge and concepts to prepare for their final business pitch presentation, where they would showcase their proposed venture, outline their business strategy, and address financial considerations. As part of their business pitch, participants were assessed based on their knowledge of Entrepreneurship & Business Model Canvas (BMC), Go-To-Market (GTM) Strategy & Functional Integration, Performance Optimization and mastery of presentation skills. The presentations also tested participants' creativity, teamwork, and ability to translate classroom learning into practical solutions.
The team with the most compelling business pitch was awarded a Letter of Commendation, while all other participants received a Letter of Participation in recognition of their successful completion of the Immersion Programme.
“The SMU Global Immersion Programme was an unforgettable experience. Winning the business pitch competition made it even more special, but what I value most is everything I learned along the way, from working with my teammates to meeting new people and gaining new perspectives. I'm truly grateful for the opportunity and will always remember this experience.” - Marco Richie Wenas (Indonesia), a member of the winning team.
The Global Immersion Competition@SMU presented an opportunity for the SOA Professional Hub to collaborate closely with industry partners on a programme that nurtures adaptability, innovation, and leadership across Asia. This inaugural collaboration highlights SOA’s hallmark of building impact in the accounting industry as we celebrate our 25th Anniversary milestone this year.
Bridging the academia, industry, and the international community, SOA is committed to building innovate educational programmes that develop leaders ready to drive transformation in tomorrow's business landscape and make a positive impact on the global stage.