Education

TAKING HEART

Grab boosts GrabForGood Fund with US$3.2 million for giving-back programmes in S-E Asia

In 2026, the company will continue supporting education, community care and disaster relief

Technological innovation and real operational capability are not the same thing, the writer notes.

The invisible bottleneck in Singapore’s maritime ambitions

Industry and regulatory bodies need to make a deliberate shift in their talent development approach

While HSBC’s salaries and bonuses lag behind its Wall Street rivals, it’s dangled generous benefits, including club memberships and cheap mortgages, to attract recruits.

HSBC reviews HK$300,000-per-kid school fee perk for Hong Kong bankers to cut costs

International school fees are a major expense for families in the city and costs have been increasing after the pandemic

About 140,000 Vietnamese students are said to be pursuing higher education overseas, making them one of the largest international student communities worldwide.
INSIDE ASEAN

‘Long-term investment’: More Vietnamese students enrol in Singapore’s higher learning institutes 

Factors such as the quality of education and employment opportunities are a huge draw, but cost of living can weigh on decisions 

MBS chief operating officer Paul Town (fourth from left) and Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling (fifth from left) at the Sands Future Talent Ceremony. The second iteration of the Sands Hospitality Scholarship programme will be seeded with S$2 million.
TAKING HEART

Marina Bay Sands commits over S$2 million to scholarships for hospitality students

It is also partnering charity TomoWork to provide support to undergrads with disabilities

COO Pooja Patodia says the pre-school wants to “nurture the children’s self-expression, confidence and emotional quotient to get them used to the big world”.

Little Paddington eyes Spark certification for all 10 branches within the next three years

Private pre-school operator’s revenue up 20% in 2025 thanks to higher enrolment numbers, says its chief operating officer

As AI is expected to take over more routine, repetitive and rules-based work, capability will become more important than pedigree alone.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Singapore must distinguish capability from credentials and competency

In the AI era, developing human capability must become a national priority

The concern is that graduates will lack the judgement to know when AI has supplied knowledge badly.

AI may reshape the labour market, but the deeper disruption is in education

We must relook how students are being formed, not just how workers are being retrained

KKR outbid other investment firms for the stake held by TPG, in a deal valuing XCL  Education at about US$1.3 billion.

KKR seeks US$500 million loan for Singapore-based XCL Education stake buy: sources

The proposed five-year loan carries a 300 basis point margin over the benchmark SOFR rate