November 26, 2025
“新加坡会庆祝 SG100 吗？”
“不会！”
全场瞬间沉寂。
这段令人难忘的开场，发生在 2025 年 10 月 7 日举行的首届 SMU–SMC 全球化人才峰会上。当时，新加坡导师协会（Singapore Mentorship Committee, SMC）汇聚了外交大使、商业领袖、政府官员、行业导
师与青年学生，共同探讨一个核心问题——如何打造“全球化人才”（global-ready）？
在开场致辞中，SMC 联合创始人兼主席 David Ong 博士抛出的不是庆祝，而是挑战。
这并非悲观，而是深思熟虑的提醒。
他指出：尽管过去六十年里，新加坡取得了令人瞩目的成就，但这种成功绝非可以被视为理所当然。
数字传递给我们的，是另一种清醒
新加坡本土企业目前仅占《财富》全球 500 强中的 3 个席位；但创始人都不在新加坡出生。
近 70% 的 GDP 来自外资企业。
曾几何时，新加坡在多个全球财富指标上稳稳领先迪拜；而今，迪拜在诸多财富与投资领域迅速逼近，甚至在若干方面实现了反超。
这些数据并不意味着失败，而是提供了一个重要的提醒——新加坡正处在需要系统性反思的关键节点。在全球经济版图快速重组的背景下，增长动能正明显向美国、中国与印度三大经济体集中；与此同时，东盟、东北亚与欧洲等区域经济体的内部联动与跨区域协作也在加速深化。
在这样的结构性变迁中，新加坡未来的比较优势，不是国土规模或自然资源，而是更深层地依赖于国民的整体素质、社会韧性以及对全球变化的适应能力。这些能力将决定新加坡在不断演进的国际体系中能否保持持续竞争力与战略自主性。
SMC 的起源：从家族教育到全球化人才
SMC 诞生于 2020 年，由一群来自新加坡及国际商业精英人士共同点燃。起初，它只是一个围绕“家族传承教育”的小小社区，宛如一粒不起眼的种子；但随着岁月沉淀，这颗种子萌发成一个跨代同学、跨界共建的生命体——一个汇聚温度与智慧的蓬勃人才生态系统。
在众多项目中，最独特、也最富诗意的，莫过于 “青年徒步图书馆”（Youth Hiking Library）。它缘起一个朴素却深远的念头——让人与人的交流，从静止的会议室，回到行走的节奏里。不再是方桌与投影的正式研讨，而是导师与青年走入户外，在新加坡的自然绿意间并肩同行：
从福康宁公园层叠的林荫步道，到滨海湾天际线映照下的宽阔水岸。在这些开阔、呼吸自在的环境下，每一步都在悄然编织新的连结，孕育信任，也唤起共同的使命感——仿佛知识和经验不是被“讲授”的，而是在行走中自然“流淌”出来的。
自那一次小小的徒步启程，这项活动便从未停步。115 期，风雨无阻。
一步一步，成为连接导师与青年、连接过去与未来的一条温暖长路。
Dr. David 常常回想起自己的童年——
旧机场路上一栋老式三层组屋，70 平方米的狭小空间里，18 位家人朝夕相处，楼下便是热气蒸腾、声声不息的熟食中心。在那逼仄却充满人情味的环境中，他学会了坚韧，学会了体谅，也在拥挤的生活缝隙里，悄悄种下了感恩的种子。
正是这样的成长滋味，锤炼出他后来迎难而上的勇气；也在心底深处，点燃了那份想要回馈社会的炽热愿望。如今，作为一位行走世界的商业领袖，他始终坚信：
真正的成功，不以财富度量，而以使命为尺。
古训有言：
“修身、齐家、治国、平天下”——
修身是根本，齐家是起点；
治国是担当，平天下是胸怀。
这一份千年智慧，也深深浸入了 SMC 的愿景之中——
以温度承载传承，以使命培育下一代真正具有全球视野的人才。
对 Dr. David 而言，“全球化”并非只从青年时代启程，而是更早地在家庭中生根发芽。
他常说：
“我们所培育的，是面向世界的新一代人才；
但若要真正做到这一点，我们首先需要拥有具备全球视野的父母。”
正是在这种跨代的洞见与信念推动下，SMC 构筑起独特的导师生态系统——
将优秀的青年与来自世界各地的领袖相连，
让跨文化的生命经验化为彼此的灵感，
让家庭、导师与社区，一同成为支撑“全球准备度新加坡”的深厚基石。
《Becoming Global Ready》的发布
峰会的另一大亮点，是 《Becoming Global Ready》 的正式面世——
一本由来自 八个国家、八种文化背景的十位领袖 共同撰写的思想合集。
他们从不同的生命轨迹与职业疆域出发，带来了对领导力、导师制与终身学习的独特洞见。
参与撰稿的作者包括：
安德烈·安多尼安（André Andonian） —— 麦肯锡公司北亚区名誉主席
孙洁（Jane Sun） —— 携程集团首席执行官
李亦贤（Lee Yi Shyan） —— 前新加坡贸工部高级政务部长和通商中国 (Business China) 主席
Scott Beaumont —— 谷歌亚太区前总裁
以及来自外交、金融、教育、可持续发展等领域的众多重量级声音。
每一章都呈现了“全球准备度”的一个切面：
在逆境里淬炼韧性；
在跨文化的领导中学会同理；
也在探问如何搭建跨边界、跨年代的导师生态系统。
当你翻开这本红色封面的书，仿佛能触摸到 SMC 的脉搏与愿景。
那是一种汇聚而成的能量——
源自亲历者的智慧，来自跨代之间的呼应，
更来自一个共同而深沉的信念：
走向世界的第一步，不是掌握多少知识，而是愿意敞开心去理解世界。
本书的电子版与中文版预计将在年末发布，将走向全球，触达数以亿计的潜在读者。
超越 SG100
在新加坡，非营利机构、协会与导师计划不计其数；
但 SMC 有着独一无二的气质与灵魂。
它吸引而来的是一群真正卓越的精英——
资深领袖、创业者、行业专家、跨国企业高管……
而最难能可贵的是：
他们全部以志愿者的身份投入其中。
如此高水准、跨行业、跨世代的主动奉献，
本身就是新加坡精神最鲜活的注脚：
它所展现的，不仅是这座城市多元文化的特质，
更是新加坡作为一个国家始终坚持的全球胸怀与开放取向。
在 SMC 的生态中，来自不同年龄、不同背景、不同国籍的人们汇聚一处，
怀着同一个目标：
去给予，
去引导，
去点亮下一代的未来。
正是这种开放的气度与共享的责任感，
让这座袖珍城市国家能够在世界舞台上屹立不倒。
同样重要的，是新加坡许多领袖身上那股静水深流的品质——
在繁荣中保持清醒，在顺境中仍不忘回馈。
他们从未忽视未来的挑战，
主动将自己的时间、经验与影响力继续投入这个社会，
只为确保那个曾经托举他们的生态，
今后仍能持续而坚定地向上生长。
《Becoming Global Ready》不仅是一部书；
它是一种由每个人的故事、身边的引路人、和面对世界的心态一起汇聚出的温暖力量。
它不是静止的文本，而是一股正在发生的力量——
一场跨越文化、跨越世代、跨越经验的精神运动。
在这个充满不确定性的时代，它提醒我们：
最恒久、最强大的力量，始终是人与人之间的连接。
正如 Dr. David 在演讲的尾声所言：
“新加坡之所以能够庆祝 SG100——并终将庆祝 SG200，
不是因为国土的大小，而是因为人才的力量。”
SMC 的故事仍在书写。
它不仅见证着新加坡向世界伸出的雄心，
也承载着这个国家最深处、最温暖的那一颗心：
是那些无私给予的人，
是那些带着使命去建设的人，
也是那些以温度与勇气引领未来、
一代又一代走上前台的新加坡人。
作者简介｜Tracy Chen（陈濛）
SMC 导师｜可持续与品牌创新实践者
Tracy Chen 是新加坡导师协会（SMC）的核心导师之一，拥有二十多年在亚太地区的品牌管理、数字化与跨文化团队领导经验。
她曾在多家上市公司担任高管，负责区域市场战略与品牌增长；近年来，她将重心转向可持续品牌管理与跨文化创新领域，并致力于培养青年与女性的领导力。
English copy:
“Will Singapore celebrate SG100?”
“No!”
The entire hall fell silent.
This memorable exchange took place at the first SMU–SMC Leadership Symposium on October 7, 2025, where the Singapore Mentorship Committee (SMC) brought together ambassadors, business leaders, policy makers, mentors, and students to reflect on what it truly means to be “global-ready.”
Dr. David Ong, Chairman and Co-Founder of SMC, opened the morning not with celebration but with a challenge. It was not pessimism, but purpose. He reminded the audience that while Singapore has achieved extraordinary growth over the past six decades, its continued success cannot be taken for granted.
Numbers, he said, tell a sobering story: Singapore’s homegrown companies occupy just three spots on the Fortune Global 500 list, and nearly 70% of its GDP is tied to foreign-affiliated firms — yet none of their founders originate from Singapore. Once far ahead of Dubai in measures of affluence, Singapore has in recent years seen Dubai catch up and even surpass it in certain wealth and investment indicators.
These are not statistics of failure, but signals for reflection. As global growth clusters around the US, China, and India—and as regional blocs like ASEAN, North Asia, and Europe become increasingly interconnected—Singapore’s future advantage will rest not in its size or resources, but in the quality and adaptability of its people.
The Story Behind SMC: From Family Education to Global Readiness
Founded in 2020 by a small group of individuals from Singaporean and international business families, SMC began as legacy family education and soon evolved into a thriving ecosystem of intergenerational mentorship.
One of SMC’s most distinctive initiatives is the “Youth Hiking Library” — born from a simple yet
profound idea: to replace formal seminars with meaningful conversations in motion.Instead of gathering in meeting rooms, participants meet outdoors, walking side by side through Singapore’s green spaces — from the lush trails of Fort Canning to the iconic skyline of Marina Bay. In these open-air settings, learning becomes natural and dynamic; every step builds connection, trust, and a shared sense of purpose.
Dr. David often recalls his childhood at Old Airport Road - a three-storey block where 18 family members shared a 70-square-metre apartment rented above a bustling hawker centre. In that crowded space, he learned endurance and hope. That upbringing forged not only resilience and courage but also a deep determination to give back.
Today, as a global business leader, he believes that true success is measured not by wealth, but by purpose. As ancient wisdom reminds us, ‘修身齐家治国平天下’ — cultivate self, manage family, build career, and bring peace to the world.
That philosophy has profoundly shaped SMC’s mission: to enrich legacy education and nurture globally ready generations. For Dr. David, this readiness begins not only with youth, but also with the family itself.
“We build global-ready talent,” he often says, “but to truly do so, we need global-ready parents.”
By fostering this intergenerational mindset, SMC’s mentorship ecosystem connects talented youths with international leaders from all walks of life—turning shared experiences into shared inspiration, and transforming families, mentors, and communities into the foundation of a truly global-ready Singapore.
The SMC Model: A Global Integrated Talent Ecosystem
SMC’s approach is built upon a three-tier intergenerational model — encompassing current, emerging, and future leaders — within a Global Integrated Talent Ecosystem. This framework is designed to include talents and youths from all backgrounds, connect families and mentors, and transform diversity into shared inspiration.
Through its mentorship network, SMC brings together aspiring youths and established leaders from across industries and cultures.
According to official statistics, Singapore today hosts over 1.57 million foreign professionals and
workers (MOM, 2024). In many major firms, foreign professionals account for 30% or more of highskilled PMET roles (The Straits Times). These figures highlight that Singapore is not only a financial hub, but also a magnet for world-class talent across sectors.
In this context, SMC plays a distinct and strategic role. In a city that attracts so many global
professionals, SMC provides an open platform where top leaders, emerging leaders, and future leaders converge — meeting beyond borders, exchanging ideas across industries, and connecting beyond nationality.
Beyond mentorship, SMC actively invests in the next generation. It partners with universities and industry leaders to host summits, supports youth entrepreneurship, and builds bridges between education, enterprise, and innovation — preparing young talents to step confidently into a global future.
From awareness to action, SMC’s roadmap emphasizes “TOC”:
• Treasure what works,
• Optimize capabilities, and
• Capitalize on global talent growth.
The message is clear: in an AI-driven world, competitiveness is a continuously evolving capacity. The edge belongs to those who anticipate the future and innovate for value — what SMC calls being “AI-wt”: adaptive and innovative with the times — because global readiness is not a destination, but an ongoing journey of becoming.
With more than 5,000 alumni across 35 countries, SMC represents a powerful start.
The launch of Becoming Global Ready
The symposium also marked the launch of Becoming Global Ready — a collective volume authored by ten leaders across eight cultures and countries, each offering a unique lens on leadership, mentorship, and lifelong learning.
Among its contributors are André Andonian, Chairman Emeritus North Asia and McKinsey &
Company; Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com Group; Lee Yi Shyan, former member of Parliament and
Chairman of Business China; Scott Beaumont, former President of Google Asia Pacific; and other distinguished voices spanning diplomacy, finance, education, and sustainability.
Each chapter reveals a different dimension of what it means to be global-ready — from learning
resilience through adversity, to leading with empathy across cultures, to building mentorship ecosystems that transcend borders and generations. Holding the red-covered volume in hand, one can almost feel SMC’s vision and energy infused into every page — a culmination of lived wisdom, cross-generational insight, and a shared belief that true global readiness begins with the human heart.
The e-book and Chinese edition are scheduled to launch by the end of the year, to reach hundreds of millions of readers worldwide.
Beyond SG100
Across Singapore, there are many organisations, associations, and mentorship initiatives — yet SMC stands apart. It has drawn an exceptional community of senior leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals from diverse industries — all of whom serve entirely as volunteers.
This rare level of commitment reflects what SMC truly stands for — the essence of Singapore’s
multicultural and globally minded spirit. It is a living embodiment of a nation that values inclusiveness over individualism, diversity over dominance, and collaboration over competition. Within SMC, people from all walks of life — across generations, industries, and nationalities — come together with a shared purpose: to give, to guide, and to grow the next generation.
It is this openness and sense of shared responsibility that enable a small city-state to stand tall on the global stage.
Equally vital is a quiet but powerful trait shared by many of Singapore’s leaders — a sense of vigilance even in times of prosperity. These are individuals who remain mindful of future challenges and choose to give back, ensuring that the ecosystem they benefited from continues to thrive.
Becoming Global Ready is not just a book; it is a movement of stories, mentors, and mindsets that remind us that in an uncertain world, the most powerful currency is connection.
As Dr. David concludes in his speech:
“Singapore will continue to celebrate SG100 and one day SG200 - not because of its size, but because of its people.”
The SMC story continues — not only as a testament to Singapore’s global ambition, but also to its heart: the warmth of people who give selflessly, build purposefully, and lead with compassion.
Editorial Writer: Tracy Chen