Tuesday, 8 July 2014

The Straits Times

In today’s edition of The Straits Times, there was a feature on NUS Commencement 2014. It was reported that 10,233 NUS students will graduate this year, including the first graduates from seven programmes such as the Bachelor of Music (Voice) degree from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music and the NUS-Yale University Double Degree Programme from the NUS Business School. President Tony Tan Keng Yam, who is Chancellor of NUS, presided over yesterday’s main commencement ceremony at the NUS University Cultural Centre. Education Minister Mr Heng Swee Keat was also in attendance.

In his address, NUS President Professor Tan Chorh Chuan encouraged students to find fulfilment by giving to others and having a genuine interest in their jobs. Prof Tan said that outside of work, one must not lose the ability to enjoy the small, charming things in life.

The report also featured Mr Faizal Abdul Aziz who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with First Class Honours and Mr Samuel Chong, who will graduate with a Bachelor of Engineering (Engineering Science) with Second Upper Honours. Mr Faizal, who attended a madrasah from Primary 1 and later decided to sit for the O-levels as a private candidate, graduated with a near-perfect grade point average of 4.89. Mr Chong, who lost his left arm to bone cancer when he was seven, will go on to do a Master’s in energy economics and engineering at Cornell University in the US under a National Environmental Agency scholarship.