Singapore Management University (SMU) has on Tuesday launched the Singapore Capital Markets Initiative (SCMI) to position Singapore at the forefront of a rapidly evolving global capital markets landscape.
The university said in a statement that the new research initiative under the Center for Commercial Law in Asia (CCLA) at the SMU Yong Pung How School of Law (YPHSL), will advance research, policy dialogue and talent development at the intersection of law and finance, with a particular focus on Singapore and Asia.
The SCMI’s research agenda will encompass equity and debt capital markets, venture capital and private equity, private credit and alternative finance, corporate governance and investor protection, financial regulation and market infrastructure, and the role of emerging technologies in shaping the future of capital markets.
SMU noted that global capital markets are at an inflection point, and initial public offering (IPO) activity has declined sharply across many economies, while private equity, venture capital and private credit are reshaping corporate financing.
It added that Asia sits at the center of this shift, and the region has emerged as the world’s dominant force in listed companies and has also become a major engine of global venture capital activity and a focal point for capital market development and reform.
“SCMI will serve as a platform for interdisciplinary research and policy engagement, positioning SMU as an international leader in capital markets research, and establishing Singapore as a hub for capital markets research, thought leadership and policy influence in law and finance,” said Professor Lee Pey Woan, Dean of SMU YPHSL.
“The initiative builds on the success of existing CCLA platforms at our law school, including the Singapore Global Restructuring Initiative (SGRI) and the Singapore Tax Academy Research Initiative (STARI) – which have demonstrated the value of focused research initiatives that combine academic excellence with meaningful engagement with policymakers, industry leaders and international organizations,” she added.
The new Initiative will be led by Professor Aurelio Gurrea-Martínez, together with law faculty Professor Dan Puchniak and Assistant Professor Nydia Remolina.
“Capital markets play an essential role in financing innovation and economic growth,
“As capital markets and corporate financing continue to evolve, the need for rigorous research at the intersection of law and finance has never been greater, particularly in Asia, which is now home to more than 55 percent of the world’s listed companies and more than half of global venture capital activity,” said Professor Gurrea-Martínez, Head of the SCMI.