Partnerships with SkillsFuture Singapore and Equinix anchor research on AI’s impact on jobs, skills and lifelong learning

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 21 January 2026– Singapore Management University (SMU) today announced the launch of the Resilient Workforces Institute (ResWORK), a new university-level research institute advancing workforce resilience and lifelong learning amid accelerating technological change. It is among the first institutes in Singapore and the region to jointly study adult-learning and the future of work through an integrated, interdisciplinary lens spanning economics, management, behavioural science and technology. Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, graced the launch as Guest-of-Honour. In his remarks, Dr Janil highlighted the importance of partnerships with industry, enabled by research, in overcoming workforce disruptions brought about by artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies. Professor Lily Kong, President, Singapore Management University, said: "The launch of the Resilient Workforces Institute reflects SMU's commitment to research that matters – research that shapes public policy, informs organisational practice and ultimately strengthens the resilience of Singapore's workforce. By bringing together insights across disciplines, ResWORK will help Singapore and the region navigate the profound changes reshaping work and learning in the age of AI." ResWORK will serve as a focal point for trans-disciplinary research across SMU, organised around three core pillars:

• Optimising Human-Machine Collaboration: enabling workers to learn and perform effectively alongside AI, machines and robotics
• Transforming Organisations: redesigning business processes, leadership and work practices for AI-enabled workplaces
• Maximising Societal Human Capital: analysing labour-market transitions and shaping policies that promote inclusive, gainful employment

Research momentum has already begun ahead of the formal launch, with ResWORK having secured the participation of several globally renowned visiting scholars and over 20 faculty members across SMU's six schools. ResWORK faculty has recently initiated nine internally seed-funded research projects, as well as multiple externally funded research programs, collectively worth over S$1.5 million in funding. These early projects reflect the Institute's emphasis on applied, policy-relevant research developed in collaboration with public agencies and industry partners. (Note: See Annex A for a list of research projects that were awarded seed grants.)SMU has committed S$5 million over five years to anchor the Institute, with a goal of securing an additional S$8 million in external research funding within three years, enabling ResWORK to scale its partnerships and research programmes over time. Professor Archan Misra, Vice Provost (Research) and Interim Director of ResWORK, said: "ResWORK is built on the belief that AI-led change will reshape opportunity rather than displace it. Our research agenda is designed to move beyond diagnosis to solutioning—working with government agencies, employers and other partners to generate evidence that informs policy, organisational practice and lifelong learning systems. I'm enthused to see how colleagues across the spectrum of Management, Economics and Computing disciplines have already come together to collectively frame a positive research agenda that formulates AI-led workplace transformations as an economic opportunity, as well as a driver of innovations in adult learning practices. The launch builds on momentum that is already underway and marks the start of SMU's sustained efforts to help shape a resilient, future-ready workforce." Anchoring National Workforce Priorities through Collaboration with SkillsFuture Singapore At the launch, SMU and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) also signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to mutually identify and drive strategic research on how Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital technologies, and generational changes in work preferences are transforming job tasks, skills demand and career and learning pathways, and translate these insights into policies that sustain employability and inclusive growth. In addition, it will look into how adult learning systems can be redesigned for higher participation, retention and impact, and how organisations can combine human and machine capabilities to raise...