Wharton-SMU Research Center
Encyclopedia
The Wharton-SMU Research Center (Abbreviation: WSRC) under Singapore Management University
's Office of Research (OR) was established in June 1999 as a center for research collaboration between SMU and the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
. It aims at establishing a strong Wharton-SMU presence in the international research arena, with specific focus on issues relevant to Singapore
and Asia
. Through this joint activity between Wharton and SMU, it helps inculcate a strong research culture at SMU.
At the signing ceremony, Dr. Tony Tan, then Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, said that "the establishment of the Center underlines the commitment of both institutions to the development of SMU. It is also a recognition of the potential of the university sector in Singapore to attain world-class standards in research and scholarship. The Wharton-SMU Research Center will provide SMU with a platform to attract high-quality academic staff who are strong in research. Staff members who conduct leading-edge research, are a critical hallmark of a world-class university. The Center will be instrumental in enhancing SMU's reputation from the outset and promote its development as a leading academic institution in the region and beyond."
Concurring with Dr. Tony Tan, Professor Janice Bellace, then President of SMU and Deputy Dean of The Wharton School, emphasized that "a university cannot be dynamic without having research at its core. A faculty cannot convey state of the art knowledge unless it is at the cutting edge of knowledge. Thus, by ensuring that, from SMU’s inception, the faculty of Singapore Management University will engage in both research and teaching, the government has laid the strongest possible foundation for a new university. The joint Wharton-SMU Research Center will foster the closest working relationship between the two faculties as they engage in research projects in areas such as technopreneurship, knowledge transfer within organizations, competition in emerging technology-based industries, and electronic commerce marketing strategies."
, economics
, finance
, legal studies, and management
. Diverse areas of application include e-market institutions, knowledge management in information-space, business-to-commerce markets in developing countries, pricing models for web-site shopping, high-tech product innovations, currency crises prediction, boom-bust cycles in real estate markets, capital market integration, legal systems for dispute resolution, science and technology parks in China, forecasting customer lifetime value
, conflict resolution in store versus brand choice, career paths in corporations, and recruitment practices and employee performance.
Under the Wharton-SMU collaboration scheme, the Wharton professors funded by WSRC visit SMU during the year - typically, during the summer months in Philadelphia - for research interaction with their SMU counterparts and for presentation of research findings at seminars they would give while visiting SMU.
Singapore Management University
The Singapore Management University was officially incorporated on January 12, 2000, and was Singapore's first private university funded by the government...
's Office of Research (OR) was established in June 1999 as a center for research collaboration between SMU and the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. It aims at establishing a strong Wharton-SMU presence in the international research arena, with specific focus on issues relevant to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Through this joint activity between Wharton and SMU, it helps inculcate a strong research culture at SMU.
At the signing ceremony, Dr. Tony Tan, then Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore, said that "the establishment of the Center underlines the commitment of both institutions to the development of SMU. It is also a recognition of the potential of the university sector in Singapore to attain world-class standards in research and scholarship. The Wharton-SMU Research Center will provide SMU with a platform to attract high-quality academic staff who are strong in research. Staff members who conduct leading-edge research, are a critical hallmark of a world-class university. The Center will be instrumental in enhancing SMU's reputation from the outset and promote its development as a leading academic institution in the region and beyond."
Concurring with Dr. Tony Tan, Professor Janice Bellace, then President of SMU and Deputy Dean of The Wharton School, emphasized that "a university cannot be dynamic without having research at its core. A faculty cannot convey state of the art knowledge unless it is at the cutting edge of knowledge. Thus, by ensuring that, from SMU’s inception, the faculty of Singapore Management University will engage in both research and teaching, the government has laid the strongest possible foundation for a new university. The joint Wharton-SMU Research Center will foster the closest working relationship between the two faculties as they engage in research projects in areas such as technopreneurship, knowledge transfer within organizations, competition in emerging technology-based industries, and electronic commerce marketing strategies."
Research projects
As of April 2006, fifty-nine projects have been undertaken by Wharton faculty associated with WSRC. Of these, fifty-three are in collaboration between Wharton and SMU faculty. These projects cover a wide range of topics in marketingMarketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
, economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
, legal studies, and management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
. Diverse areas of application include e-market institutions, knowledge management in information-space, business-to-commerce markets in developing countries, pricing models for web-site shopping, high-tech product innovations, currency crises prediction, boom-bust cycles in real estate markets, capital market integration, legal systems for dispute resolution, science and technology parks in China, forecasting customer lifetime value
Customer lifetime value
-Definition of Customer Lifetime Value:In marketing, customer lifetime value , lifetime customer value , or lifetime value is the net present value of the cash flows attributed to the relationship with a customer...
, conflict resolution in store versus brand choice, career paths in corporations, and recruitment practices and employee performance.
Under the Wharton-SMU collaboration scheme, the Wharton professors funded by WSRC visit SMU during the year - typically, during the summer months in Philadelphia - for research interaction with their SMU counterparts and for presentation of research findings at seminars they would give while visiting SMU.
Management team
- Professor Janice R. BellaceJanice R. BellaceJanice R. Bellace is the Director of the Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business. Her primary appointment is in the Wharton School of Business in the Legal Studies and Business Ethics department, of which she is currently Chairperson; she has a secondary appointment in the...
- Chairman, WSRC
- Vice-Chairperson, Board of Trustees, SMU
- Samuel A. Blank Professor of Legal Studies & Management; Associate Provost, University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
- Professor Howard O. Hunter
- Deputy Chairman, WSRC
- President, SMU
- Professor Tan Chin Tiong
- Director, WSRC
- Provost, SMU
- Professor Roberto S. Mariano
- Deputy Director, WSRC
- Vice Provost, Office of Research, SMU
- Dean, School of Economics and Social SciencesSchool of Economics and Social SciencesThe Singapore Management University School of Economics & Social Sciences was established in 2002 to launch SMU's Bachelor of Social Science undergraduate programme with principal disciplines in Sociology, Political Science and Psychology and a Bachelor of Science programme in Economics...
, SMU - Professor of Economics and Statistics, University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...