SMU hosted the first episode of Perspectives Season 7 “The New Social Compact: What Is The New Norm?” on 8 March 2018 which featured an esteemed panel of thought leaders including SMU Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping and Professor of Sociology and Dean of Students, Paulin Straughan. The discussion centred on the topic of "Who has the responsibility of building a social compact?", while bringing up other elements of the equation that are crucial in upholding the new social compact today. No longer just between the government and the governed, the definition of a social compact has expanded to include all the different players in our community – the government, the people, civic society and even the private sector. With a more diverse population and new challenges faced today, the social compact has evolved from a binary to a multifaceted view.