SINGAPORE - 3 March 2026 - AgileAsia has recently entered into a lifelong learning partnership with SMU Academy to deliver practitioner-led sustainability and ESG programmes, hosted by SMU Academy.

As part of this partnership, AgileAsia will contribute its deep industry expertise in ESG strategy, sustainability transformation, and organisational change. At the same time, SMU Academy will bring its applied learning framework and established professional training infrastructure. By combining industry-grounded insight with academic rigour, the collaboration will deliver sustainability-focused programmes that equip organisations and working professionals with structured, credible pathways 

to develop real-world sustainability capabilities.

Delivering Sustainability Education Through SMU Academy

AgileAsia’s industry specialists and the academic leadership of SMU Academy co-develop certified sustainability courses. AgileAsia provides sustainability professionals with hands-on industry experience as trainers, while SMU Academy serves as the academic host and programme platform. This integrated model allows participants to gain applied industry insight within a recognised university-backed learning environment.

The collaboration is structured to help organisations move beyond sustainability intent towards practical execution. Programme content emphasises equipping professionals with practical skills that respond to climate risk, ESG reporting requirements, regulatory awareness, and the operational realities of cross-functional organisational change.

This approach responds to growing demand from organisations seeking structured, SkillsFuture-supported sustainability training that is both implementation-focused and academically grounded.

Responding to Industry and Regulatory Needs

The partnership was shaped by a convergence of industry demand, evolving regulatory expectations, and increasing client need for formal ESG upskilling. Organisations across sectors are navigating sustainability disclosure requirements, decarbonisation targets, and stakeholder scrutiny, while often lacking the internal capability to translatestrategy into action.

“SMU Academy was a natural academic partner for us due to its strong emphasis on applied learning, sustainability thought leadership, and close engagement with industry and government stakeholders,” said Sharan Mangalore, CEO of AgileAsia. “Its focus on professional education aligns closely with our delivery philosophy, making this lifelong learning partnership a strong strategic fit for advancing practical sustainability capability-building.”

Programmes Hosted Under the Partnership

The collaboration has launched two certification programmes hosted by SMU Academy: the Sustainability Project Management and the Certified Climate Resilient Officer (CRO) programme. Both of these sustainability management courses are SkillsFuture-supported and aligned with SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) frameworks.

The Sustainability Project Management course addresses common execution gaps faced by organisations, equipping professionals with structured project governance, stakeholder management, and delivery approaches tailored to ESG initiatives. The CRO programme, on the other hand, focuses on building practical capability in climate risk assessment, resilience planning, and organisational adaptation to climate-related disruption.

Across both programmes, participants engage with applied case studies, practical tools, and methodologies that can be directly contextualised to their organisations.

Audience and Organisational Impact

This partnership builds on AgileAsia’s experience in enterprise transformation and leadership development, translating sustainability principles into structured execution frameworks that address real organisational challenges.

What’s Next for the Partnership

As a long-term collaboration, it reflects a shared commitment to developing future-ready sustainability professionals through applied, university-hosted education pathways.

Organisations and professionals seeking to strengthen sustainability and ESG execution capabilities can explore AgileAsia’s upcoming programmes or browse SMU Academy’s professional course offerings.

 

 

 Editor : Sanny