SMU marked the 16th anniversary of its founding on its annual Patron’s Day last Friday, with SMU’s Patron, President Tony Tan Keng Yam gracing the event. The article noted that SMU was the first university in Singapore to make community service a requirement for students to graduate. To date, SMU students have contributed over 2.3 million hours of community service, and many students have gone above and beyond the requisite 80 hours of community service to serve in various causes – with averages reaching 140 hours among some cohorts. In his welcome remarks, Chairman of the SMU Board of Trustees Ho Kwon Ping said the University believes that students learn many invaluable lessons through community service. “They develop qualities such as purposefulness, empathy and humility; they acquire new skills, interests and knowledge; form habits of volunteerism and contributing to the community; and gain opportunities to be creative and collaborate to address society’s needs,” added Mr Ho.