SUSS, TLE and INSPIRE Launch Success Academy in the Philippines

SUSS, TLE and Inspire Leadership Consultancy Launch Success Academy in the Philippines to Foster Entrepreneurship and Regional Social Impact

• The Academy will offer programmes with cross-cultural industry experiences to empower students and executives for success in the global business arena.

Manila, Philippines, 26 September 2024 - The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), The Little Entrepreneur Pte Ltd (TLE) and Inspire Leadership Consultancy, Inc. (INSPIRE) today launched the SUSS Success Academy in Manila, creating new learning experiences and real-world training opportunities for students, working professionals and executives in Singapore and the Philippines.

The occasion was marked by an opening ceremony at SMX Convention Center Aura in Manila and attended by over 100 guests from both countries, including representatives from institutions of higher learning, as well as industry and community partners. The ceremony was presided over by Ms. Constance See, Ambassador, Singapore Embassy in Manila and Ms Lisset Laus-Velasco, Chairman and CEO, LausGroup of Companies.

Grounded in SUSS’ commitment to lifelong learning 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.

TLE has been broadening perspectives on opportunities within Southeast Asia and China since 2002, leveraging deep insights into political and economic contexts to enhance market reach and product development. INSPIRE, a leading provider of training through conferences, workshops, and executive coaching, supports top executives, managers, and government agencies in the Philippines. Together, TLE and INSPIRE will contribute their extensive networks and expertise to bolster the Academy’s offerings.

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 institutions to co-learn and co-innovate with students from Philippines. This will include participation in 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:

• Interdisciplinary and Global Learning: The Academy will support SUSS in partnering with universities in the Philippines to co-design and co-deliver interdisciplinary and experiential global learning and service-learning programmes. This will build on the efforts over the past few years, where close to 100 SUSS students have learned alongside their Filipino counterparts, broadening their intercultural competencies and preparing them to become responsible and effective global citizens in an inclusive and sustainable world.

• Impact Start-Up Challenge (ISC) and Venture Builder (VB): The ISC is a credit-bearing course that provides a platform for students to experience the startup ecosystem, collaborate to generate ideas, and test and pivot their proposals in real-world settings. Since 2017, SUSS has impacted more than 1,000 students in over 10 cities through this programme. The 12-week VB programme allows budding entrepreneurs to validate their business ideas in Singapore and international markets. The Academy hopes to kick start both ISC and VB in the Philippines by 2025.

Beyond its student focus, the Academy will leverage SUSS’ expertise in adult and workplace learning to create professional training and development solutions for industry partners, organisations, and institutions. In collaboration with TLE and INSPIRE, the SUSS Academy will launch a new joint professional certificate programme, titled Level Up: The Executive Leadership Programme – Shaping the Future of Work. This 12-week programme, featuring modules conducted in both the Philippines and Singapore, will bring together industry experts to cover topics such as Leading the Company of the Future, Generative AI, Megatrends and Foresight, Marketing 5.0, and Market Dynamics in ASEAN, China, and India.

Professor Robbie Goh, Provost of SUSS, said: "Our collaboration with TLE and INSPIRE strengthens the ties between Singapore and the Philippines, while reflecting SUSS’ commitment to lifelong learning and creating real social impact. The Success Academy will provide valuable opportunities for future leaders, equipping them to drive meaningful change in their communities and industries. Together, we are building a future that offers growth and connection for students, professionals, and organisations."

Ms Kathleen Yao, Co-Founder of TLE, said: “I am still amazed whenever I am on a plane, crossing oceans and countries in a few hours. In some places, I can pass over millions of people in mere minutes. This is the speed of personal travel, barely enough time to register what is happening below. How, then, can we possibly cope with the speed of generative AI, infinitely faster than any plane? The simple answer is we cannot, not alone at least. The future of work is necessarily collaborative, changeable and global in scope. Our partnership with SUSS and INSPIRE is just that, a chance to shape the future together instead of being shaped by it alone.”

Mr Francis Kong, Co-Founder and Director of INSPIRE, said: “Our driving force is based on this: in a world where rapid change is the norm, the greatest obstacle to success is relying on outdated knowledge. The true illiterate of tomorrow will be those who resist learning, as lifelong learning is essential for staying ahead. Embrace constant learning to build the foundation for success in any endeavour.”

The launch of the Success Academy in the Philippines is 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. In the last two months, SUSS also launched two other academies in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Jakarta. In October, the University will inaugurate one more academy in Mumbai, bringing the total to eight regional academies.

For more information, visit www.suss.edu.sg/success-academy.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Ms. Melissa Ho
Public Relations Executive
Singapore University of Social Sciences
E: melissaho@suss.edu.sg
T: +65 6248 9138

Ms. Kathleen Yao
Co-Founder
The Little Entrepreneur Pte Ltd
E: kathleen.yao@gmail.com
T: +65 9066 7297

Ms. Florlynn Dela Peña
Director for Business Partnership
Inspire Leadership Consultancy, Inc.
E: fdelapena@inspireleaders.com.ph
T: +63 932-881-8981

About Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)

At SUSS, we have a singular vision to be a university that inspires learning for life and impacts lives, regardless of age, background or life path. Our university is a vibrant tapestry of ages and experiences. From recent JC and polytechnic graduates to seasoned professionals, parents seeking new horizons and individuals redefining their careers in their golden years—our diverse community comes together for one common goal: to empower themselves with an education that impacts lives and society.

We offer more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programmes, available in full- and part-time study modes which are flexible, modular and interdisciplinary, catering to both fresh school leavers and adult learners. SUSS also offers a broad range of continuing education and training modular courses for the professional skills upgrading of Singapore's workforce.

To date, over 47,000 graduates have experienced our unique brand of education. More than 21,000 students are currently pursuing their full- and part-time studies with us.

The Institute for Adult Learning (IAL), as part of SUSS, leads in the field of research on adult and workplace learning and training of adult educators to build capabilities of the training and adult education sector in Singapore and beyond.

For more information about SUSS, please visit www.suss.edu.sg.

About The Little Entrepreneur Pte Ltd

TLE Singapore has been designing workshops for students, educators & social entrepreneurs throughout Southeast Asia and China since 2002. Our wide-ranging programmes are original, customised, and exclusively run by TLE together with our long-term partners which include experts, companies and institutions. We believe that far from possessing only business skills, entrepreneurs succeed because they are observant, resilient, resourceful, and above all, able to see and work out what is invisible and impossible to others. Thus, both in our workshops and learning journeys, TLE seeks not just to cultivate the skills of entrepreneurship but also to open minds to the history & geography of our region so they can better put into context their plans and intentions. As of September 2024, TLE has helped over 18,800 people experience a spike in their creativity, critical thinking & problem-solving skills.

For more information on TLE, please visit www.tle.com.sg.

About Inspire Leadership Consultancy Inc. (INSPIRE)

We are a company filled with the passion to inspire personal, professional and social excellence through our learning interventions such as conferences, speaking engagements, workshops, executive coaching, consultancy services, and other channels that promote competency development. Inspire is a member of United Neon Media Group. UNMG is an out-of-home advertising company with more than 400 sites across the Philippines and more than 80 years of experience. It has always been intentional in positively influencing its stakeholders as it upholds its mission in Making Lives Meaningful. Thus, having Inspire Leadership Consultancy Inc. furthers its mission to proactively develop leaders of Character and Competence.

For more information on INSPIRE, please visit https://www.inspireleaders.com.ph.