Highest Asian ranking to-date underscores growing employer recognition and academic strength
SMU Master of Science in Applied Finance also ranks 3rd in Asia
SINGAPORE, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Singapore Management University's (SMU) Master of Business Administration (MBA) has reached a new high in the 2027 QS Global MBA Rankings, rising to 3rd in Asia, its highest regional position to date, and ranking 41st globally.
The result marks the third consecutive year that the SMU MBA has risen in Asia, climbing from 6th in 2024 to 5th in 2025, 4th in 2026 and now 3rd in 2027. It is the second highest ranked MBA programme in Singapore and remains within the top 10 per cent of more than 400 MBA programmes assessed worldwide. The strong showing is underpinned by gains in employer recognition and graduate employment, alongside a 4th-place ranking in Asia for Thought Leadership, highlighting the combination of strong career outcomes and academic excellence that defines the SMU MBA experience.
SMU Master of Science in Applied Finance also ranks 3rd in Asia
SMU's strong performance also extends to the 2027 QS Master's in Finance Rankings, where its Master of Science in Applied Finance (MAF) ranks 3rd in Asia and 39th globally. It remains the only finance master's programme in Singapore included in the rankings, as the field expanded significantly from 248 programmes last year to 319 this year.
Academic strength with impact
Thought Leadership was another area of strength, with both programmes ranking among the world's Top 40, with the MBA at 33rd and the MAF at 19th. These results underscore SMU's Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB)'s growing standing as a source of influential research and ideas that contribute to business and management thinking.
Almost all teaching faculty at SMU's LKCSB hold doctorates, bringing deep academic expertise and research insights into the classroom. The growing influence of their research is also reflected in this year's rankings, with research impact improving for both the MBA and MAF. Students across the MBA and MAF learn from well-qualified faculty in their areas of expertise, giving them access to current thinking and research that can be applied to real-world business challenges.
Professor Shantanu Bhattacharya, Deputy Dean (Education) at SMU's Lee Kong Chian School of Business, said: "Our MBA and MAF both ranking 3rd in Asia is a strong affirmation of the quality of an SMU business education and the progress we have made over several years. This recognition reflects the calibre of our faculty, the relevance and impact of their research, and the value employers place on our graduates. We are particularly encouraged by the growing recognition from employers, which speaks to the capabilities and perspectives our graduates bring to the workplace. In the latest graduate employment survey, 86% and 78% of our MBA and MAF postgraduate students secured employment within six months of graduation respectively. Our focus remains on delivering an education that equips our students to advance their careers, seize new opportunities and lead with confidence in a dynamic and rapidly evolving Asia."
Both the MBA and the MAF are offered by the University's Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB).
The 2027 QS Global MBA and Master's in Finance rankings assessed more than 400 MBA programmes and 319 Master's in Finance programmes globally, respectively. Both rankings draw on extensive feedback from employers and academics worldwide and assess programmes across five areas: Employability, Alumni Outcomes, Thought Leadership, Value for Money and Diversity.
About Singapore Management University (SMU)
Established in 2000, Singapore Management University (SMU) is recognised for its high-impact, multi-disciplinary research that addresses Asian issues of global relevance, and for its interactive, collaborative and project-based approach to learning. Home to over 13,000 students across six schools and two colleges, SMU offers bachelors, masters and PhD programmes across Accountancy, Business, Economics, Information Systems, Integrative Studies, Law and Social Sciences, as well as executive development and continuing education programmes. SMU graduates are consistently ranked among the most employable in Singapore, and command one of the highest mean starting salaries. Through its city campus, SMU enjoys strategic linkages with business, government and the wider community in Singapore and beyond. www.smu.edu.sg
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SMU MBA rises to 3rd in Asia in 2027 QS Global MBA Rankings
The three-day learning event brings together soy industry professionals from across Asia for practical learning spanning processing technology, product development and consumer insights.
BANGKOK, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Tetra Pak, in collaboration with the Soy Excellence Center Asia, a U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) initiative, hosted the Soy Food & Beverage Intermediate learning track from 15-17 September 2026 at Tetra Pak's Product Development Centre (PDC) in Rayong and Customer Innovation Centre (CIC) in Bangkok. The learning track brought together soy industry professionals from across Asia to strengthen their knowledge of soy beverage processing, formulation and consumer-led product development.
Asia Pacific accounts for 75% of the global plant-based beverage volume.[1] In many Western markets, plant-based beverages are commonly positioned as alternatives to dairy. Across many Asian markets, however soy has long been an established part of the beverage category alongside other plant-based drinks.
As consumer preferences evolve and the range of plant-based products expands, the challenge for soy beverage manufacturers is to bring new value to a familiar category. This can mean exploring and developing new taste and texture profiles, addressing different nutritional needs and creating products for new consumption occasions and formats.
Over three days, the learning track explored opportunities across the soy beverage value chain, from soybean variety and supplier selection to formulation, processing technology, sensory evaluation and consumer understanding. Technical sessions were combined with hands-on learning and an ideation workshop, where participants developed soy beverage concepts tailored to specific consumer groups.
Sherry Chen, Center Lead, Soy Excellence Center Asia, said: "Growing the soy food and beverage category starts with understanding how decisions across the value chain, from soybean selection to processing and formulation, shape product quality and the consumer experience. The Soy Excellence Center Asia gives participants a practical learning environment to strengthen their technical skills and apply that knowledge directly to product development. Our collaboration with Tetra Pak brings this learning to life with hands-on experience, giving learners deeper insights into processing, formulation and consumer needs. By combining technical expertise with real-world application, we are equipping participants with practical insights they can use to innovate, improve products, and drive growth in their markets."
Across Tetra Pak's innovation ecosystem, participants worked across both the Customer Innovation Centre (CIC) in Bangkok and the Product Development Centre (PDC) in Rayong to gain end-to-end insights into soy beverage innovation and production.
At the CIC, sessions focused on product and consumer-led innovation, exploring plant-based trends across Asia Pacific, Tetra Pak's customer innovation ecosystem, functional ingredients, fermentation technologies and the utilisation of okara.
At the PDC, participants took part in hands-on demonstrations across key stages of aseptic soy beverage production, including extraction, blending and UHT processing, aseptic filling, and food development. Tetra Pak specialists also shared expertise in production technologies, operational efficiency, troubleshooting, soy waste management and beverage formulation.
Sutthinun Taechathayanon, Customer Experience Manager APAC, Tetra Pak, said: "Soy is already familiar to consumers across many Asian markets, creating a strong foundation for further innovation. By combining consumer insights with formulation and processing expertise, producers can identify opportunities to enhance taste, texture, nutrition, and convenience while developing products that respond to changing consumer needs and consumption occasions. Through Tetra Pak's CIC Bangkok and PDC Rayong, soy manufacturers can explore new product ideas, conduct trials, and accelerate the journey from concept to commercialization with greater confidence and reduced risk. Our continued collaboration with USSEC helps translate knowledge from across the soy value chain into practical product development opportunities for the industry."
The Soy Food & Beverage Intermediate learning track course builds on the long-standing partnership between Tetra Pak and USSEC, combining USSEC's expertise across the soy value chain with Tetra Pak's expertise in processing and product development to support continued innovation across Asia Pacific's soy food and beverage industry. To learn more about Tetra Pak's soy beverage processing solutions, visit our website here.
ABOUT TETRA PAK
We're here to make food safe and available. It's why we provide advanced food production systems. In collaboration with our customers and suppliers, driven by more than 24,000 dedicated employees worldwide, we protect food sustainably every day for hundreds of millions of people in more than 160 countries. Because we're here to fulfil a purpose:
We commit to making food safe and available, everywhere, and we promise to protect what's good: food, people and the planet.
More information about Tetra Pak is available at tetrapak.com.
ABOUT SOY EXCELLENCE CENTER
The Soy Excellence Centers (SEC), an initiative by the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), focuses on skills-building for early- to mid-career protein professionals in growing markets through world-class workforce training and professional development to meet local nutrition and food security needs and support sustainable economic growth. USSEC is collaborating with diverse partners, including local food and agriculture universities and organizations, to deliver training in five core subject areas – aquaculture, feed, food, poultry, and swine. USSEC operates Soy Excellence Centers in four regional hubs – Americas, Asia, Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa.
| [1] Tetra Pak Compass, Dairy Alternatives, 2025. |
[1] Tetra Pak Compass, Dairy Alternatives, 2025.
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Tetra Pak and Soy Excellence Center Asia Host Regional Soy Food and Beverage Programme in Thailand
