On 13 September 2025, the world commemorates the World First Aid Day to highlight how first aid skills are saving lives every single day. In partnership with the Singapore Red Cross (SRC), the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), through its e-learning initiative for the community, SUSS UniLEARN, is committed to this mission in building a more resilient and safer community.

A Strong and Trusted Partnership as Foundation

At its Awards Ceremony on 3 September, the Singapore Red Cross conferred SUSS its Friend of SRC Award in recognition of their long-standing strategic partnership. Presented by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Patron of the Singapore Red Cross and Guest-of-Honour at the ceremony, the award celebrates individuals and organisations who have meaningfully contributed their time and efforts to furthering the humanitarian mission of the SRC.

“At SUSS, we are committed to achieving social good through inspiring lifelong learning with real-world impact,” said Associate Professor Lee Wee Leong, Vice-President of Learning Services. “This recognition by the Singapore Red Cross is an honour and a testament to our shared mission of equipping communities with the knowledge and skills to impact lives and make a difference.”

Making a Difference through Empowering Responders

Together with SRC, SUSS has co-developed a series of online, self-paced courses to empower the public with lifesaving knowledge and practical response skills. So far, the Basic First Aid and the CPR + AED courses have impacted over 1,200 learners and it is expected that the recently-launched First Responder on Water Safety course will be as popular. These courses are delivered in a blended learning approach, each comprising of an e-learning portion and a hands-on workshop with the SRC Academy.

As Singaporeans increasingly engage in water-based activities, SRC has identified the critical need to educate the public on water safety. The First Responder on Water Safety programme, which covers 1 hour of e-learning and 4 hours of physical class, is designed to equip individuals with essential water safety awareness and foundational knowledge to respond effectively to water-related hazards and emergencies. The six-module interactive online micro-learning course dives into pivotal areas such as the identification of water risks and hazards, basic water safety and rescue rules, emergency response actions and support items for water safety.

You Don’t Need a Uniform to Save a Life

As the world observes World First Aid Day, SUSS encourages everyone to take proactive steps in personal and community safety, starting with acquiring first aid and emergency response knowledge and skills.

Interested individuals can sign up for the First Responder on Water Safety course via https://www.unilearn.edu.sg/course-detail/first-responder-on-water-safety/.

With the Temasek Foundation Grant, learners can now sign up and enjoy a 90% discount on the course fee, at an exclusive rate of only $2.18 (inclusive of GST, U.P. $20).

For more information, please contact unilearn@suss.edu.sg