SUSS program in PH: Let’s ‘Level Up’
For organizations to thrive amid the backdrop of technological disruption, business leaders must embrace continuous learning to forge new ways of thinking and effectively deal with changes led by artificial intelligence (AI)-driven innovations.
Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) says that business leaders can create “conditions for success” despite the presence of the AI wild card through networking and regional collaboration.
Moreover, SUSS is keen on paving new pathways for learning experiences and real-world training opportunities for students, working professionals and executives in the Philippines and Singapore through its graduate and professional certificate programs.
Through Success Academy Manila, SUSS wants to build bridges for academic and industry partners from both countries to enhance education and foster cross-border opportunities.
Success Academy Manila is part of a series of academy openings by SUSS across Asia. Last year, the university established three academies: in Ho Chi Minh City, Beijing and Shenzhen. In the coming months, SUSS will also launch hubs in Mumbai, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.
“SUSS is an autonomous university and a state university charged with the mission of doing social good [and] delivering social impact. But few people know that we are actually a leading institution in continuing and adult education,” explains Yap Meen Sheng, assistant provost at SUSS.
The SUSS Success Academy also launched a new joint professional certificate program in collaboration with The Little Entrepreneur Pte Ltd (TLE) and Inspire Leadership Consultancy Inc. (Inspire).
The Level Up Executive Leadership Program is a 12-week executive certificate program designed to equip senior business leaders with advanced leadership strategies and practical tools to navigate the challenging business environment.
TLE Singapore has been designing workshops for students, educators and social entrepreneurs throughout Southeast Asia and China since 2002.
Job losses loom, but new ones opening up
Kathleen Yao, a Filipina who is the founder and director of TLE Singapore, says in a media roundtable discussion that AI now underpins all the changes that are happening in the industry.
“There’s a lot of people who fear that with this efficiency, we may lose jobs indefinitely,” she adds.
The Institute for Management Development World Competitiveness Center says in a report that economies will experience job displacements when AI systems learn to handle more tasks performed by humans, such as data analysis and customer service.
Although job losses due to AI-led automation are becoming more certain, Yao says that there is still room to create new jobs in the process.
“But what are these new jobs? This is what we’re asking the C-suite level people to think about. You’re not just thinking about saving money; you’re thinking about growing your company. You still need people, but your people would just be doing different things,” she explains.
Learning program
Set to begin in March 2025, the program will feature 10 in-person sessions at SMX Convention Center Aura, followed by four immersive days in Singapore, where participants will engage with Singaporean companies and industry leaders.
It features modules conducted in both countries. It also combines best practices and cross-cultural insights from industry experts on topics such as: leading the company of the future, generative AI, megatrends and foresight, marketing 5.0 and market dynamics in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, China and India.
Participants are seen to benefit from personalized support, including one-on-one virtual mentorship with key facilitators such as Francis Kong, cofounder of Inspire Leadership Consultancy, which is a training provider for the country’s top 1,000 companies.
Yao shares that young blood will be circulating in the workplace by 2025 as the millennials and Gen Zs assume leadership of several companies. The next-gen leaders will bring to the table their progressive beliefs and a deep desire to create a more equitable society.
However, she says that even in the age of AI, the well-being of young leaders must be prioritized because they do not share the same level of emotional resilience and intelligence as their predecessors. “As we move [toward] artificial intelligence using technology, leaders have to continuously develop genuine care,” adds Yao.
There is now a need to recalibrate the workplace with a unique set of hard and soft skills, as well as address key issues such as mental health. “More companies now have intervention mechanisms that can deal with mental health issues. We’re getting to the point where bosses now are learning to respect a little bit more of the private space of their people without imposing too much,” Kong says.
He asks leaders not to take it against them when team members seek help. “Asking for help now is not a sign of weakness, but it’s a sign of honesty. We just need to train them and to let them know how to do it better.”
“Level up” also includes company immersions to expose C-suite leaders to how Singaporean companies operate, noting that this is an opportunity for Filipino leaders to foster international collaborations through joint ventures.
“There’s an ongoing hunger for other organizations to enter the Philippine market but they just don’t know whom to talk to. However, when two business people meet, that’s when the magic happens. Hopefully, [the program] will be a venue for them to have that kind of trust,” says Jeff Manhilot, president of Inspire.
