Speech by SUSS Deputy Provost, Associate Professor Allan Chia at the inaugural Re:Define Success Conference 2025

Date: 8 Sep 2025

Professor Roger Slee, Joint Director, Centre for Disability Studies, University of Leeds, United Kingdom

Our valued partner, SkillsFuture Singapore

Distinguished guests, speakers, partners and friends of SUSS

 

  1. Good morning and a warm welcome to the inaugural Re:Define Success Conference 2025. We are joined by 150 delegates from Singapore and overseas, including participants from Canada, Indonesia, China, and the United Kingdom from a wide range of fields, including education, healthcare, social work, arts and culture, assistive technology, disability advocacy, research, and lifelong learning.

     

  2. Over the next three days, more than 60 presenters will share their ideas and experiences in different formats. Together, their diverse perspectives show us the many ways inclusion can create opportunities, and how listening to different voices helps us see success in new ways.

     

    SUSS’ Role as a University  

  3. At the SUSS, we believe that our role goes beyond teaching knowledge and skills. We also carry the responsibility to question and reshape long-held ideas of what success means.

     

  4. Education should not confine individuals to narrow measures of achievement. It should empower each person to discover their own purpose, meaning, and unique way of contributing. This vision resonates with the national Forward Singapore roadmap, which encourages us to embrace broader definitions of success and progress.  

     

    Re:Define Success Conference 2025

  5. It is in this spirit that we convene the Re:Define Success Conference, to celebrate diverse aspirations and pathways, nurture lifelong learning as a foundation for growth, and foster inclusivity so that every talent and voice is valued.

     

  6. In doing so, we support the broader goals of strengthening Singapore’s social compact and contributing to a vibrant, globally relevant economy. This year’s theme, ‘Empowering Change, Shaping Inclusive Futures’, reflects these aspirations and guides the conversations we will have together.

     

    SUSS’ Partnership with the University of Leeds

  7. This conference is jointly organised by SUSS’ Student Success Centre and the Node for Inclusive Lifelong Education (NILE), in collaboration with the Centre for Disability Studies from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, and supported by SkillsFuture Singapore.

     

  8. Our partnership with the University of Leeds began with an MOU in 2022, followed by our participation in their 2023 International Conference on Challenges, Innovations, and Opportunities. That exchange sparked a shared commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, a collaboration that has led directly to today’s conference.

     

    SUSS’ Commitment to Inclusivity

  9. At SUSS, we are committed to inclusivity, and we translate these global conversations into action. Our students range from 19 to 80 years old, reflecting our belief that education should be accessible to all. Beyond campus, initiatives like the Prison School Project offer individuals serving time the opportunity to pursue degrees, supporting reintegration and restoring dignity. We also invest in building inclusive capacity: NILE drives research and applied projects to advance inclusive practices, while our Special Education Minor prepares students to create inclusive learning environments.

     

  10. In 2024, we piloted inclusive hiring by bringing 33 persons with disabilities into part-time roles, providing insights that continue to shape our programmes. With support from SkillsFuture’s Capability Development Grant, our Inclusive Roadmap ensures learning is accessible across courses and systems. And our upcoming campus in Rochor will reflect universal design principles – a reminder that true accessibility isn’t just about physical spaces. It extends to our systems, our digital platforms, our teaching, and most importantly, our shared mindset.

     

  11. Looking ahead, future conferences will continue to adopt evolving themes, reflecting our commitment to redefining success as an ongoing journey. Next year’s edition, for instance, will focus on ‘Well-Being,’ a pivotal dimension of success, and we hope for your continued engagement and support.

     

  12. But before we look too far ahead, today is an important milestone. I invite you to engage fully in the discussions and connections over the coming days, and to reflect on what success and inclusion mean in your own contexts. Together, let us challenge assumptions, inspire fresh ideas, and shape new possibilities for a more inclusive future.

     

  13. In closing, I would like to extend our sincere appreciation to our sponsor, SkillsFuture Singapore, our partners, Professor Roger Slee, University of Leeds, and all our keynote speakers, panelists, presenters and exhibitors for their invaluable support at this inaugural conference.

     

  14. Thank you very much.