Sun Sun Lim, Vice President of Partnerships and Engagement at Singapore Management University (SMU), has dedicated her career to creating impactful social change through education, technology and diversity initiatives. As a professor for over 20 years and a leader in the higher education sector, Lim has witnessed firsthand the importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) in shaping organizational cultures and driving innovation.

In this interview with HCLTech Trends and Insights, she shared her insights on the future of DE&I in both education and the workplace.

DE&I remains important

In recent times, several high-profile companies have scaled back or eliminated their DE&I initiatives, often due to political pressures. However, Lim believes that the relevance of DE&I in organizations remains undeniable.

“While it was very disappointing, it was heartening to see the uproar and the protests that followed. People do feel that DE&I programs have made a difference in uplifting people of diverse genders within organizations,” she explained.

Lim highlighted the tangible benefits that DE&I programs bring to organizations, emphasizing that they go beyond being just “guidelines” or a “nice-to-have” concept.

“It's something that organizations see as empowering to their teams. It leads to stronger teams with more diverse perspectives that address the broader needs of humanity in policies, products and services, [rather than only serving one gender],” she said.

For Lim, these initiatives are essential for building a culture of respect and fairness, which ultimately strengthens organizations.

Women in tech: Tackling the gender gap

Despite the clear advantages of diverse teams, one area where DE&I remains a challenge is the technology sector, where women still make up only about 27% of the workforce, with even fewer in leadership positions. Lim underscores the importance of taking action at every stage of a woman’s journey in tech, starting with education.

She asked, “Are young women in schools taking enough tech-related courses? Are they shying away from STEM programs like engineering or computing because they haven’t seen enough role models?”

To address this, Lim suggests organizations can promote more internship programs or “bring your daughters to work” initiatives. These initiatives, she believes, could open young women’s eyes to the possibilities of a career within tech. She stresses the importance of mentorship once women enter the workforce: “Are they being sufficiently mentored within the workplace so that they remain competitive, [not just in terms of acquiring in-demand skills, but also in terms of showcasing their abilities for the best opportunities?”

The next challenge, she adds, is ensuring that women progress in their careers and don’t leave the workforce due to life stage changes such as marriage or motherhood. “Our society still places a disproportionate burden of caregiving on women, whether for children or the elderly, which leads to higher attrition rates for women in tech companies,” explained Lim. She advocates for support structures within organizations to help women balance both work and caregiving duties.

Finally, regarding the importance of nurturing women into leadership roles, Lim stated, “We need to make sure that there is a constant, sustained pipeline of women who will progress through the ranks and take on these leadership roles.”

SMU’s commitment to DE&I

At Singapore Management University, Lim’s colleagues have taken concrete steps to promote gender equity. The university has established a Gender Equity Task Force, which includes employee volunteers who diligently review policies to ensure gender equity is advanced. Some of the policies include tenure clock extensions for faculty with newborns and workload adjustments for new parents. Lim praises her colleagues’ efforts: “We have empowered our managers to champion equity, and we have upskilled everyone in terms of developing and conducting robust training programs on fair recruitment, interview and performance assessment processes.”

SMU regularly surveys staff to assess the effectiveness of these policies and ensure that employees with caregiving responsibilities are supported. “These are all measures that we have worked very hard to build up and create a very inclusive workspace where people feel that they’re not alone in their life stage changes,” said Lim.

The role of innovation in education

In discussing trends shaping the education sector, Lim highlights the rise of generative AI and its impact on personalized learning.

“Technology is enabling enhanced personalized learning, and we see many new innovations, [like GenAI], that help people craft interesting learning journeys tailored to their strengths,” she said.

Nurturing human skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration, were also identified as increasingly valuable in an automated world. Lim suggested that educational institutions must prepare students to use AI effectively, but also ensure they retain their creativity and critical faculties.

Championing diversity through the Asia Women Tech Leaders Awards

A 2024 winner of the Asia Women Tech Leaders Awards, where HCLTech is an event partner, Lim highlighted the event’s importance in fostering a supportive community of women in tech. She explained why such events are essential: “When young women see these role models, and they see how these women have been able to build very productive and rewarding careers in their respective realms, it gives them inspiration and motivation.”

These awards provide more than recognition; they create a community where women share best practices and support each other. “It’s created a wonderful community of practice. It’s created a lovely sisterhood, where we are there to support and encourage and motivate each other,” she said.

Embrace uncertainty

Finally, Lim offered advice to women who wish to enter the tech industry. She stressed the importance of curiosity, noting, “Technology is changing and transforming so very rapidly... if you’re someone who is averse to uncertainty, you may find the pace and the nature of work to be rather overwhelming.”

She added: “If you've got that natural curiosity, you're always quite eager to try out new things... then that will stand you in good stead for a career in a tech role or in the tech industry.”