SUSS, WiseNet Asia launch Success Academy in Malaysia to foster entrepreneurship, innovation & regional social impact

• Academy will foster collaboration and nurture future leaders
• Within 3 months, 4 more academies will open in Jakarta, Manila, and Mumbai

The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) and WiseNet Asia, a talent solutions and consultant company have launched the SUSS Success Academy in Kuala Lumpur, unlocking new learning and training opportunities for students in Singapore and Malaysia.

Grounded on SUSS’ commitment to learning for life and creating social impact, the Academy will serve as a key nexus for academic and industry partners from both countries, fostering partnerships and grooming well-rounded future leaders capable of excelling and making positive contributions to society.

Through the Academy’s two distinct tracks – Personal Success and Professional Success, SUSS will offer opportunities for students from SUSS and other Singapore pre-tertiary and tertiary to co-learn and co-innovate with students from Malaysia. This will include various comprehensive programmes such as interdisciplinary global learning courses and student exchanges. Additionally, SUSS students will have the chance to gain professional experience in the region through work attachments and internships.

Key initiatives include:

Student Leadership Development in Social Sustainability: In partnership Belum Eco Resort, SUSS will leverage the resort's facilities to develop a place-based education programme and experiential site, known as Camp R.A.I.S.E. This programme will help students learn about environmental stewardship and sustainable practices, eco-preneurship, and well-being and mindfulness strategies.

Overseas Sports Excellence Programme: To deepen sporting and cultural relationships with Malaysia, more than 80 SUSS student-athletes will conduct friendlies and training sessions with Malaysian athletes across different sporting groups. Beyond its student focus, the Academy, anchored on SUSS’ expertise in adult and workplace learning, will also serve its dual purpose of creating professional training and development solutions for industry partners, organisations, and institutions.

Impact Start-Up Challenge (ISC): The ISC is a credit-bearing course that offers a platform for students from Singapore and Malaysia to learn together and experience the startup ecosystem and work collaboratively to generate ideas, test and pivot their proposal in a real-world setting. The first of such partnerships is with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, enabling both Singapore and Malaysian students to learn and explore business ideas focused on sustainability.

Ecopreneur Innovation Programme (EIP): Participants of the SUSS Ecopreneur Innovation Programme (EIP) embarked on a study trip to Perak in July. The trip aimed to facilitate interactions between the ecopreneurs and local businesses, as well as key players in the startup ecosystem, to explore potential collaborations. 

To further advance its work and partnership in Perak, SUSS announced its MoU with Bonanza Educare and Perak Academy to promote knowledge exchange and innovation, internship opportunities, and co-design and co-delivery of experiential programmes.

According to the university, over the past two years, more than 60 SUSS students have engaged in collaborative learning with their Malaysian counterparts. This initiative, in partnership with Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman and Universiti Sains Malaysia, is designed to broaden intercultural competencies, equipping students to become responsible and effective global citizens in an inclusive and sustainable world.

SUSS has also developed specialised training programmes for union leaders in the transport sector by leveraging on research from SUSS’ Centre for Applied Research and working with the Transport Federation and Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute. These programmes focus on skills development and are being implemented in Kuala Lumpur, Manila, and India.

Professor Tan Tai Yong, president of SUSS, said: "The launch of the SUSS Success Academy in Kuala Lumpur embodies our collaborative spirit and dedication to creating meaningful opportunities for our students and enterprises. As part of our vision to be a university that inspires learning for life and impacts lives, our partnership with WiseNet Asia will offer a multitude of opportunities for students in both countries to further develop their mindsets and skill sets. We are excited about the positive impact this will bring to both nations."

Meanwhile, Wesley Hui, founder of WiseNet Asia Pte Ltd, said: “The collaboration with SUSS is a pivotal step towards shaping the future of young talents, providing them with opportunities for early-stage development. It will allow us to cultivate and mentor young executives, equipping them to thrive in a dynamic world driven by innovation, cutting-edge technologies, and groundbreaking discoveries.”

The launch of the Success Academy in Kuala Lumpur marks the latest in a series of academy openings as SUSS continues to expand its educational footprint across Asia. Last year, SUSS established three academies in Ho Chi Minh City, Beijing, and Shenzhen. Recently, SUSS launched an academy in Bangkok in collaboration with Orange Cap Innovative and other partners in establishing an experiential education site for student leadership development focused on Social Sustainability. In the next three months, the university will inaugurate four more academies in Jakarta, Manila, and Mumbai, bringing the total to eight regional academies.