At the 27th Future of Asia conference in Tokyo in May 2022, conversations emerged about Southeast Asia’s role and capacity to contribute to global crises.

In 2021, the top ten most expensive environmental disasters cost over US$1.5 billion each. Hurricane Ida in the United States tops the list at US$65 billion in damages (Christian Aid Report, 2021). With climate change being a key driver behind such frightening figures, it is no surprise that the principle of accountability is being widely incorporated across industries, including the finance sector.

Back in 2016, Professor of Sociology Paulin Tay Straughan examined the barriers and facilitators to part-time work for married women with childcare responsibilities (mothers) and older adults entering retirement (retirees). Her thesis then was that “it is imperative in ageing societies with declining fertility rates that flexibility be mainstreamed to encourage optimum labour force participation” (Straughan, 2016).

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What does the future hold for cities? On 2 August 2022, SMU President Professor Lily Kong, was joined by a diverse group of leaders to discuss how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the evolving role of cities. Each speaker shared examples from their home country, with a special focus on Asia. 

How does closing the gender gap within organisations in Asian countries impact overall company performance? Are employees more productive, or less, with a sense of belonging to the workplace? In this podcast, Professor Smith discusses the key findings of his research conducted in collaboration with consultancy group Great Place to Work Institute Singapore.