Date: March 14, 2012
Singapore, March 14, 2012 – The Securities Investors Association Singapore (SIAS) has appointed Singapore Management University (SMU), represented by its Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics (SKBI) – The Centre for Corporate and Investor Responsibility (CCIR), as part of a three-year collaboration, to provide research support for the Singapore Corporate Governance Award (SCGA) and the Most Transparent Company Award (MTCA), which are part of SIAS Investors’ Choice Awards (ICA). For the SCGA and MTCA, SIAS will base its selection and evaluation in part on research data which will be assembled using the Singapore Corporate Governance Index (SCGI), a comprehensive and unbiased corporate governance index for companies listed on the Singapore Exchange, which SKBI-CCIR has developed specifically for SIAS.
The Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA) was signed by Mr David Gerald, President & CEO of SIAS and Professor Arnoud De Meyer, President of SMU.
Speaking at the MOA signing ceremony which was part of the CCIR Symposium – Corporate Governance and Valuation in Asia held at SMU on March 14, 2012, Mr Gerald shared how SIAS promotes good Corporate Governance amongst listed companies through various market initiatives.
“The appointment of SMU as a research partner for SCGA and MTCA will enhance the score card and research findings with emphasis on investor rights and incorporating the latest revision on the Singapore Code. We are pleased to work with SMU on this important market initiative,” said Mr David Gerald.
Professor Arnoud De Meyer remarked that universities have a key role to play in promoting corporate governance. “Being the test bed and incubator of our future business leaders, Universities must develop young minds with a strong sense of business ethics, and an appreciation that not all deals should be about maximising profit. Students must be inspired to look towards their personal moral compass in ethically challenging situations,” said Professor De Meyer.
“SMU is known for generating research with a strong relevance to the industry. In that respect, the partnership being established today is an excellent example of the meeting of minds and exchange of ideas between industry and academia,” he added.
SMU Associate Professor of Finance Jeremy Goh, who is also co-Director of SKBI-CCIR, discussed the SCGI.
The scorecards, selection methodology and criteria for the Awards will be formulated by SKBI-CCIR incorporating SIAS’ criteria relating to investor rights, the Corporate Governance Code and the relevant Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) standards. The winners of the Investors’ Choice Awards (ICA) will be announced at the SIAS 13th ICA presentation dinner ceremony in October 2012. The SCGA key findings will be published by SIAS at the ICA ceremony.
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About SIAS
SIAS is a non-profit organisation that is the largest organised investor lobby group in Asia promoting investor education, corporate transparency, corporate governance and shareholder rights. SIAS also organises the Investors’ Choice Awards, which is an event at which awards are presented to deserving listed companies in Singapore annually for their excellence in governance and transparency.
www.sias.org.sg
About SMU SKBI
The Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics at SMU promotes the study of Financial Economics and Financial Econometrics in areas of strategic relevance to Singapore’s economy and the economies of the region. A significant addition to Singapore’s efforts to be a financial hub in Asia, SKBI is a leading institute for academic research with strong industry application and practical dimension in the area of Financial Economics.
The Institute has four major research centres for quantitative financial analysis and offers training programmes for professionals in the financial industry. Its work is conducted in close collaboration with leading scholars in financial economics and financial econometrics from around the world as well as leading international organisations and experts from industry.
www.smu.edu.sg/institutes/skbife
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SIAS
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Tel: (65) 6227 2683
Email: pauline@sias.org.sg
SMU
Ms Huang Peiling, Assistant Director, Corporate Communications
Tel: 6828 0964
Email: plhuang@smu.edu.sg
