SMU was bursting at the seams on 4 and 5 March for Open House 2017 – its biggest and busiest Open House, so far. Thousands of this year’s school-leavers interested in applying for SMU came along with their friends and family members to get a taste of what makes SMU a very different U.

Visitors at the information booths along the SMU concourse and enjoying one of the series of informative talks.

They listened with wrapt attention and quizzed the presenters at forty-four informative talks across both days. Faculty members, alumni and current students spoke about the six schools as well as Admissions and Financial Aid, Scholarships, SMU-X and the SMU-SUTD Dual Degree programme. For the first time, before each talk, members of SMU’s more-than 120 CCA clubs excited the audience with engaging performances.

SMU Windsurfing at Open House – one of over 120 CCA clubs in SMU.

Hourly open-top bus tours – most full to capacity – gave visitors a new perspective of the city campus with SMU Ambassadors sharing their stories and acting as friendly tour guides.

All aboard for the SMU open-top bus tour.

Taking a break to absorb all the information and talk about their experiences, visitors indulged themselves at alfresco food stalls run by SMU students. Culinary delicacies included everything from shaved ice to savoury crepes to fairy floss, and more.

Enjoying a quick bite at the line of food stalls put up outside the Lee Kong Chian School of Business.

Another innovative attraction was a multimedia showcase. Called “Your SMU Journey”, the immersive experience took participants on an experiential walk into the SMU world, with huge wall videos, interactive displays and friendly SMU Ambassadors.

Four friends at the event – Mark, Jessie, Nicole and Sammie – commented: “We loved the informative talks, especially those on SMU's internship programmes that better prepare students for the working world!". They were also impressed by SMU’s holistic education: “It gives us the impression of both working hard and playing hard!" they said.

SMU’s holistic education “gives us the impression of both working hard and playing hard!” said friends Sammie, Nicole, Jessie and Mark when visiting SMU Open House.

Banding together for a we-fie, SMU Samba Masala and fellow festival performers Sambiesta.

Viva O Samba – open to everyone

SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer raising energy levels at Viva O Samba.

On Saturday afternoon and evening during Open House, SMU held its second samba percussion festival, Viva O Samba, attracting over 1,500 visitors. The samba festival – cum food and fun-fair – was spearheaded by SMU’s resident Afro-Brazilian percussion group, SMU Samba Masala, with guest of honour Secretary Rodrigo Bovo Soares, Head of Political & Cultural Affairs from the Embassy of Brazil.

Viva O Samba were inspired to launch Singapore’s first-ever samba percussion festival in 2015, inspired by their well-received performances since 2010 in Germany at the annual Coburg International Samba Festival. The Coburg’s samba festival is the biggest in Europe and outside of Brazil and attracts more than 200,000 festival-goers.

During the afternoon, members of the public joined in workshops where they learned more about Singapore’s percussion scene, as well as Brazilian dance and martial arts.

Children demonstrating Brazilian martial capoeira during the festival.

Then party-goers picnicked on the newly re-modelled Campus Green before heart-pumping performances by SMU Samba Masala, as well as other pioneering and popular local samba and ethnic bands like Wicked Aura, Zingo and Nadi Singapura got everyone dancing. Emerging bands from other educational institutions were also given a rapturous welcome at the festival.

Festival-goers of all ages were dancing in the street.

Members of the SMU community and the general public enjoyed the free festival at SMU’s newly remodelled Campus Green, in the heart of the Bras Basah arts and cultural district.

Find more photos and videos on SMU’s Facebook and Instagram.

Re-live the best of SMU Open House 2017 here: