The STEAMunity programme, which stands for “STEAM community” is not just another exercise aimed at encouraging our youth to pick up STEAM or Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics, it is much more meaningful.

There are a few firsts happening today. The first is the conferment of University Professorship on Professor Chong Tow Chong, who stepped down as President of SUTD end of July this year after helming SUTD for 14 years. The next “first” is a personal one – I am participating in this important occasion as President of SUTD for the very first time. Lastly, today’s commencement ceremony is the first for our pioneer batch of postgraduates from our Masters of Science in Technology and Design in Cybersecurity and Sustainable Product Design.

We are thrilled to be a part of “Trees for a Better World” Plant a Tree with Mapletree at our SUTD campus – the planting of 250 trees – the highest number of trees ever donated to an Institution of Higher Learning in Singapore, and our largest Campus sustainability initiative yet. This is made possible only by Mapletree’s generosity. It not only aligns with the Singapore Green Plan, but also embodies a science-based approach to regenerative sustainability.

Our new Vision, "Trailblazing a Better World by Design”, resonates deeply with every SUTDian aspirations. We will continue to redefine design, education and research, working closely with industry partners throughout the educational journey to nurture technically grounded leaders who embrace risks to continuously innovate for a better tomorrow.