Singapore, July 15, 2015 (Wednesday) – The Singapore Management University (SMU) kicked off the celebration of its 12^th Commencement this afternoon, sending 2,348 graduates into the world. Among them is 45-year old Eugene Low, who serves as a Military Expert with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Mr Low will be awarded his first degree, making SMU history as the oldest person to do so.

This is SMU's largest batch of graduates since its inception in 2000 as Singapore’s first public-funded autonomous university. 

Jubilant friends and family filled the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre to capacity, to witness a ceremony filled with colourful pomp and pageantry.

The Commencement ceremony was officially opened by SMU Chancellor, Mr Yong Pung How. The event’s Guest-of-Honour, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean gave the keynote speech to the over 6000-strong crowd.

The ceremony celebrated the graduation of 1,643 Bachelor's degree students, 27 Juris Doctor degree students, 666 Master's degree students and 12 Doctoral degree students.  This year's Commencement also featured pioneer graduands of four new programmes, namely PhD in Psychology, PhD in Business (General Management), Master of Science in Management and Master of Tri-Sector Collaboration.

Welcoming the new graduates to a family of close to 17,000 SMU alumni, SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer said, “As the name of this ceremony (Commencement) suggests, this is really about looking at the future, starting something totally new. For that future I have (as President of this University) two wishes for you: that you will have learned to learn and that you will become active alumni. “

Professor De Meyer told the Class of 2015 that the professional world they will step into is a very different one from what it used to be. Organisations they will work in may look flatter and more networked and therefore career progressions may look very different than what you expect today.

To that end, he said “My strongest advice I can give you is to be flexible in the development of your professional career and continue to learn: continue to be curious, continue to absorb new knowledge and insights, and continue to be critical of whatever information you receive.”

“As you begin your careers, I urge all of you to keep the spirit of SMU alive and to espouse the principles that we consider so important. Carry our CIRCLE values of Commitment, Integrity, Responsibility, Collegiality, Leadership and Excellence with you wherever you go. These values are an integral part of SMU’s holistic approach to education. We have always emphasised not only the training of graduates intellectually, but also the nurturing of graduates with the heart,” he added.

Each year at the Commencement Ceremony, SMU recognises students from each School who have embraced these values with CIRCLE Awards.  Winners of the CIRCLE Award are also distinguished by their all-round excellence in Student Life, Student Leadership, Community Service and Academic Studies. They have been actively involved in serving and giving back to SMU and the community at large.  In addition, they have demonstrated leadership abilities, are upright in character, and well-respected by peers, staff, and faculty.

This year, double-degree graduate Jasper Wong Chun Yin from the School of Law and Lee Kong Chian School of Business has been selected as Valedictorian of SMU’s Class of 2015. Darren Ong Wei Sheng who also graduated with a double degree from the School of Accountancy and Lee Kong Chian School of Business has been named Salutatorian.  Both stood out for their outstanding leadership skills, significant contributions to co-curricular activities and the community at large, good character records, excellent oratorical skills and excellent academic results (both achieved Summa Cum Laude).

Summing up his remarks for this year’s commencement ceremony, Professor De Meyer concluded, “To the entire Class of 2015, my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all of you. I am confident you will step out to become leaders in your chosen fields and help to shape a better world!”

Senior Class Gift 2015

Each year, the graduating class raises funds collectively for the Senior Class Gift as a celebration of their journey and achievements at SMU. This tradition of giving back began when SMU’s pioneering class decided that the best legacy they could leave behind was one that could sustain for many generations to come. They decided that the most meaningful gift was to pool their funds together to form a scholarship that would ensure future generations of students – especially those who are financially stretched – would not find doors to an education at SMU closed to them. And hence the tradition of the Senior Class Gift at SMU was born. Gifts to the Senior Class Gift 2015 are pooled together towards the “Graduating Class of 2015 Scholarship”. The award will help cover tuition fees of the less fortunate undergraduates for one year of study at SMU. The scholarship will be awarded next year for AY2016/2017. This year’s collection continues till December 2015. This initiative is managed by the SMU Office of Alumni Relations.

SMU Warriors Scholarship (SWS) programme

The inaugural batch of 10 graduates under the first-of-its-kind SMU Warriors Scholarship (SWS) programme completed various postgraduate degrees with flying colours this year. Four of them celebrate their 50^th birthday along with the nation and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) this year. This marks a new milestone for the SMU-SAF collaboration launched last year, with the SAF personnel prepared for their second careers. It also demonstrates the strong value of excellent industry partnerships in driving talent development for the nation.

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