“Every year, after each Convocation, I always challenge the management to do the next Convocation differently: to make it more exciting for every student, to give them a bigger and stronger vision of what SMU can be,” said SMU Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping, beaming with delight at the beginning of a very different Convocation 2013.

Taking the Harry Potter books and movies as the theme, speakers magically appeared and disappeared on stage, their voices sometimes resounded with blood-curdling echoes, while lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the background, all thanks to skilfully handled, bewitching special effects. Everyone – from the Pro-Chancellor, Chairman and President, to the massed chorus at the close – at some point sportingly donned thick-rimmed round spectacles, as worn by the fictional boy wizard.

SMU’s Convocation 2013 was held on 16 August to welcome the 14^th cohort of nearly 2,000 freshmen to SMU’s six schools. The students, their family members and friends formed a crowd of some 4,000 people who thronged four combined halls of Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Mr Ho went on to give the freshman an outline of SMU’s unique transformational education, stressing the emphasis on global exposure. “As an SMU student, you are encouraged to expand your horizons by going overseas and immersing yourselves in different environments – on student exchange programmes, business study missions, overseas internships and overseas community service,” he said, adding, “Some 84% of students who graduated this year had gone for at least one such programme and we hope to make it 100%”. He also reassured parents that despite the playful mood of the evening, SMU was a sound choice of university that produced outstanding graduates with an exemplary employment record and robust starting salaries.

SMU Chairman Mr Ho Kwon Ping gamely donning a pair of Harry Potter-style glasses at the end of his Welcome Address.

The Guest-of-Honour was Mr Bilahari Kausikan, Singapore’s former Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs, who is currently Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In his address, he advised that, “The purpose of a university education, indeed all education, is to enrich our stock of … mental frameworks, the better to navigate the treacherous waters of life”. However, he warned the freshmen, “Your generation will have to endure a world of greater than usual political and intellectual fluidity” and that therefore these mental frameworks might not be adequate. His advice was to keep an open mind: “Life is a series of improvisations in response to unforeseen and unforeseeable events. We can only improvise wisely if we accept the world as it is and not as we hope or fear it to be. This is harder than you think”.

Guest-of-Honour Mr Bilahari Kausikan, Singapore’s former Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs, who is currently Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Mr Bilahari Kausikan also suggested that leadership skills cannot be taught through a course. SMU President, Professor Arnoud De Meyer picked up on this point and advised freshmen that SMU offered them countless opportunities to challenge themselves and learn new skills in their co-curricular activities, and to take on leadership roles in a safe environment.

“Step out of your comfort zone and push yourself forward for a leadership role, take on responsibilities, especially if this is something that you don’t think you’re cut out for … it is by practising leadership that you become better leaders,” he said.

Between the thought-provoking speeches and ceremonial activities, there was a series of entertaining videos and lively stage acts. The videos included coverage of the Freshmen Team Building camps, which was the cause of a lot of laughter amongst the audience. There were also upbeat interviews with senior students about the realities of campus life.

The Student Life Showcase included dazzling performances by some of SMU’s internationally acclaimed and award-winning co-curricular activity clubs, such as the musical groups SMU Symphonia, Chamber Choir, Voix and Samba Masala, and dance and gymnastic troupes Flare, Eurhythmix, Caderas Latinas and Indancity.

The freshmen left the hall inspired and excited about the years ahead of them at SMU, as the CCA groups huddled and then cheered their success, elated to have conjured up a magical evening that the audience would never forget.

Featured photo: The grand finale of the evening, with all the CCA group performers wearing “Harry Potter” glasses.

For the freshmen, Convocation 2013 will be a night to remember for the rest of their lives.

The emcees dressed the uniform of the Singapore Magical University.

SMU InDanCity giving an encore of their award-winning performance which was first showcased in Italy.

Watch and revisit the highlights as we officially welcomed our incoming freshmen at our SMU Convocation 2013, "A Truly Magical Convocation!", our annual extravaganza specially for our freshmen and their families!