Mr Tan Tong Hai, Chairman, Nanyang Polytechnic Board of Governors
Ms Jeanne Liew, Principal & CEO, Nanyang Polytechnic
Graduands
Ladies and Gentlemen
Introduction
1. Good afternoon. It is a pleasure for me to be here to commemorate this special occasion with our NYP staff, graduands and their families.
2. My heartiest congratulations to the graduands from:
- The Diploma in Aeronautical & Aerospace Technology,
- Biomedical Engineering,
- and the Specialist Diploma in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Engineering.
3. To the eight Distinguished Award recipients, well done! You can be very proud of how far all of you have come.
4. Your achievements today would not have been possible without the support of your family, friends and the team at NYP, who have journeyed with you. Let us put our hands together to thank them for their unwavering support.
Stepping Out from the Pandemic
5. The past two years have been trying for all of us. We have had to adjust to new ways of living, learning and staying in touch with one another during the pandemic. Many of you have also had to manage the impact of the pandemic on yourselves and your family. Despite these challenges, you continued to persevere and worked hard to complete your studies.
6. Take for instance the aerospace and biomedical engineering sector, which many of you were trained in.
7. While the aerospace sector was hit hard by the pandemic, things are looking up as borders reopen and travel resumes. With the Asia Pacific region projected to become the largest aviation market in the world, the long-term prospects of the aerospace sector in Singapore are bright.
8. As for biomedical engineering, it is an important sector for our economy. Singapore remains a choice location for pharmaceutical and medical technology firms to invest in. With increasing demand for better technology, diagnostics, treatment and patient care, the sector will continue to grow and provide opportunities to those who can bring fresh ideas and innovative solutions.
9. I am confident that your time in NYP has prepared you well to take on these new challenges that lie ahead. Since NYP was established in 1992, it has fostered strong linkages with our industry. Over the years, NYP has continued to evolve, keeping their curriculum industry relevant, and providing students opportunities to connect with industry through projects and internships.
10. As NYP celebrates 30th Anniversary this year, I congratulate NYP on your strong development over the years and look forward to your continued contributions to Singapore's growth.
11. Rapid industry transformation and technological advancements will continue to change the way we live and the nature of jobs. As you embark on new beginnings, let me share with you how we can better prepare ourselves for the future.
Staying Relevant
12. First, we must keep ourselves relevant. To do so, embrace lifelong learning. In the past, graduation was often seen as the end of one's education journey. In an era of frequent transformation and disruptions, education must continue beyond graduation, throughout our lives. We must acquire the relevant knowledge and skills to meet new demands and find new ways to transform the way we work and learn.
13. I encourage you to always stay curious and regularly upskill. Our education system will support you along this journey. Over the years, we have expanded the range of adult training courses in a diverse range of areas to make upskilling more accessible and flexible. The opportunities available to you today range from full qualifications to short modular courses, and even work-study programmes where classroom and workplace learning are interspersed and integrated.
14. Take the example of Anisah, a graduand from the Specialist Diploma in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Engineering. Anisah was keen to further her studies after graduating from NYP's Diploma of Biomedical Engineering. However, she also did not want to lose out on working experience. With the support of her employer, JMS Singapore Pte Ltd, she took up the Work-Study programme in Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Engineering, which allowed her to deepen her skills and accumulate work experience at the same time.
15. Anisah felt that the integration of classroom and workplace learning in her programme was valuable, as she could apply her classroom learning in a workplace setting. I am glad to know that Anisah will be taking on an expanded job scope in the company upon graduation. Congratulations Anisah!
Identifying and Seizing New Opportunities
16. Second, we need to be bold and innovative to identify and seize new opportunities.
17. The NYP School of Engineering showed us how we could create new opportunities amid the challenges and disruptions we face. Due to supply chain disruptions during the pandemic, the aerospace industry in Singapore faced a shortage of aircraft parts for maintenance and repair work. To overcome this shortage, NYP graduates from the Diploma of Aeronautical and Aerospace Technology in the Class of 2021 collaborated with ST Engineering Aerospace, to develop the technology required to print 3D metal parts for aircraft locally.
18. Thanks to this collaboration, NYP became the first institution in Singapore to be certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency to print specific 3D metal parts for aircraft such as fixtures for the aircraft cabin. This is a positive development for both NYP and the aerospace industry.
19. One of our aeronautical and aerospace technology graduands today, Shun Le, saw that additive manufacturing was a potential emerging area and decided to pursue his interest. Thanks to his effort and passion, Shun Le won a Gold award in Additive Manufacturing at WorldSkills Singapore 2021, and will be representing Singapore in the upcoming WorldSkills international competition in Shanghai later this year. I wish Shun Le all the best!
Giving Back to Society
20. Third, as we find success in our own domains, we should remain connected to our communities, and give back where we can. As the pandemic has shown us, a caring and inclusive community is our strongest source of support when times are tough.
21. Take the example of Jolin, who is a recipient of the Ngee Ann Kongsi Award for All-Round Achievement, and the Tay Eng Soon Award for Health and Social Sciences.
22. Despite her busy schedule with classes and serving as president of NYP's Chinese orchestra, Jolin continued to find time to give back to the community. Jolin has been volunteering with the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) weekly since 2015, where she tutors and mentors primary school students from less privileged backgrounds.
23. Jolin's commitment to helping her community is inspiring and commendable, and I hope all of you will adopt a similar spirit, so that we can overcome our challenges together and build a more inclusive society.
Conclusion
24. As you reflect on your learning journey with NYP, I am sure you have many fond memories of your schooling experience, and the friendships forged with your peers, lecturers and tutors. Do cherish these friendships, as they will be part of your support network in the next phase of your journey.
25. I am sure that there were also difficult times which you had to endure, and you will never forget them. Your journey may not always be smooth sailing, but what's important is to remain resilient and adaptable.
26. Remember, it's not the crisis that defines us, but how we respond to the crisis. Remember to continue to learn new things, be bold and innovative, and give back to society where you can.
27. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours, and congratulations once again to the Class of 2022!