[7 July 2006]
SMU celebrates third batch of 628 graduates

Singapore, 7 July 2006 - Singapore Management University (SMU) celebrated the graduation of 628 students at the university's third Commencement Ceremony held this afternoon. The students are the third batch of graduates to complete their university education at SMU and are now embarking on a new journey into working life.

Admitted mostly in 2002, 430 students have successfully graduated with Bachelor of Business Management, 85 graduated with Bachelor of Accountancy, 43 graduated with Bachelor of Science (Economics) and five graduated with Bachelor of Science (Information Systems Management). Of these, 25 obtained double degrees in business management and accountancy; business management and economics; or business management and information systems management. The university also conferred postgraduate degrees on its largest group of master's students ever. Twenty-two graduated with Master of Science in Applied Finance, 40 graduated with Master of Science in Wealth Management and three graduated with Master of Science in Applied Economics. All 628 students graduated between the months of September 2005 and June 2006.

SMU graduates are in high demand by both local and regional employers. They have been hired in a wide spectrum of professions, including financial, accounting, consulting and services sectors, with more than 40% in banking, finance, auditing and accounting. The latest Graduate Employment Survey revealed that the top 20% earners of SMU business management graduates are getting a high average monthly salary of S$4,100. Also, for the second straight year, 100% of SMU graduates found jobs either before graduation or within six months of their graduation. More than half (65%) received job offers even before they graduated. About 75% (or three-quarters) found jobs within one month of graduation. 75% received two to more than ten job offers.

Valedictorian Darren Lim

Awarded annually to the most outstanding student of each graduating cohort, this year's Valedictorian is Darren Lim Wenbin who graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy (Summa Cum Laude) with a second major in law. Darren won the Blu Inc Valedictorian Award for his all-rounded achievements: outstanding academic track record, active contributions to SMU as a student leader and deep passion for community service. Consistently on the Dean's List for three years of his studies, he is also a recipient of the Ernst & Young Outstanding Student Leader Award and the Deloitte & Touche Gold Medal Award. Darren's compassion for the underprivileged shone through his Youth Expedition Project in 2004 to Myanmar to impart IT literacy skills to teachers in a small village. While in SMU, he is the founding President of the SMU Accounting Society as well as a Brown Belt in Aikido. He is currently with HSBC in investment banking.

The Ee Seng and Claire Lim Accountancy Scholarship

Valedictorian Darren Lim made history amongst SMU alumni by pledging a gift to SMU in the form of the Ee Seng and Claire Lim Accountancy Scholarship, named after his parents. This makes him the first graduate in Singapore, fresh out of university, to commit an annual donation of S$4,000 towards funding a scholarship programme for needy students. Every year starting from 2006, one full-time student pursuing the Bachelor of Accountancy at SMU will be awarded this new scholarship. Priority will be given to students with financial hardship.

Salutatorian Zhang Kaixiang

This year for the first time, SMU has identified a Salutatorian who is the second highest ranking graduate of the cohort to address the Commencement audience. Salutatorian Zhang Kaixiang graduated with a Bachelor of Business Management (Summa Cum Laude) majoring in Finance. He is also named the NOL Best Final Year Business Student. As President of Cognitare, an elite student club that trains the top case presenters in SMU, Kaixiang has represented the university in many prestigious international business case competitions in Ontario, Paris and Bangkok and brought home the world championship for the Trust-Danone business case competition after beating eleven top overseas business schools. Like Darren Lim, he also spent a term at the prestigious Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania as an exchange student. With two summer internship experience in the investment banking departments of Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase, Kaixiang is currently employed in the banking sector.

SMU Alumni Association-OCBC Scholarship

The SMU Alumni Association, a network of graduates who come together to maintain strong ties with their alma mater, has secured sponsorship from OCBC Bank for a new scholarship to help outstanding SMU students. Every year starting from 2006, the SMU Alumni Association-OCBC Scholarship will provide two full-time SMU undergraduates with a one-year scholarship each worth S$10,000. The scholarship comes with no bond and preference will be given to students with financial hardship. Scholars will be offered internship and career opportunities with OCBC. This initiative of our alumni reflects their efforts and commitment to give back to SMU and help future generations of needy students.

Senior Class Gift 2006

Graduates from the Class of 2006 have put together a Senior Class Gift as a contribution to their alma mater. This is a tradition started in 2004 by the pioneer batch of SMU graduates to encourage each graduating cohort to give back in support of future generations of SMU students. The contributions will go towards the Alumni Scholarship Fund which aims to provide one scholarship every year to an SMU student who has demonstrated strong leadership skills and active involvement in community service. Preference will be given to those with financial difficulties. To date, the fund has received more than S$70,000 in pledges from students, alumni, parents, faculty and staff.

"Our graduates are the university's source of pride. Each and every one of them has been through four years of rigorous intellectual pursuit, industry experience and character development. Along with that, we have imbued in them values of social responsibility and philanthropy. We are delighted that not only have all our graduates land jobs with salaries that are above the median in the marketplace but many of them have decided to give back to their alma mater to help needy students with their education in SMU," said Professor Howard Hunter, President, Singapore Management University.

In recognition of our graduates, SMU has made it a tradition to produce Class Plaques for each graduating class. In June this year, a series of beautifully designed gold plaques made of cast iron was laid on the lush Campus Green of the city campus to remember the accomplishments of the three cohorts of our graduates and mark the strong ties between university and alumni.