In this episode of Talking Transformation, Advance HE's Fiona Lennoxsmith speaks with Lay Yeo, Dean of Students at Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), about what genuinely inclusive lifelong learning looks like in practice.
SUSS serves students from age 18 to 80, with around 14,000 working adults pursuing undergraduate degrees part-time alongside roughly 20,000 continuing education learners taking short courses. Its model is built around flexible, modular study, evening and weekend timetabling, hybrid learning, micro-credentials and stackable qualifications that allow learners to progress from certificates through to postgraduate level.
Beyond curriculum design, the university has reimagined student services for adult learners, offering career guidance for those pivoting careers, a work-study programme that converts workplace experience into academic credits, and entrepreneurship support including a dedicated "silver track" for over-50s. Even practical details, such as childminding at orientation, reflect its commitment to removing barriers.
Lay also examines Singapore's SkillsFuture funding model, which subsidises approved courses and provides direct funding credits to citizens, and argues that universities must move beyond simply responding to employer demands, and anticipate labour market needs three to five years out in genuine partnership with industry and government.
Listen to the episode below, or search 'Advance HE' wherever you get your podcasts.