Commencement Dinner: A toast to the NUS Class of 2026 and the community behind them
After two weeks of cheers and jubilation, inspiring valedictory speeches and proud photos with friends and family, the celebrations honouring a bumper crop of nearly 18,000 NUS Class of 2026 graduates concluded with the annual Commencement Dinner on 24 July 2026, held at the dining halls of Tembusu College and Acacia College.
Gathering valedictorians and representatives from the Class of 2026, the event was attended by about 300 guests, including NUS Pro-Chancellors Mr Po'ad Mattar and Mrs Theresa Foo; NUS Chairman Mr Hsieh Fu Hua; NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye; and NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Professor Aaron Thean.
The 14-day season opened with graduates from the NUS School of Continuing and Lifelong Education taking the stage on 9 July and unfolded over 39 ceremonies, concluding with graduates from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. It also saw honorary degrees conferred upon two outstanding leaders, Dr Kay Kuok Oon Kwong and Professor Lim Pin.
Leading the night’s proceedings before an audience that included faculty, staff and alumni, were two student representatives from the Class of 2026. In their welcome remarks, Ms Lim Min Hui, a Life Sciences graduate from the Faculty of Science, and Mr Reddy Kannan Yugesh, a Political Science graduate from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, reminisced on the highlights of their university life and paid tribute to their peers and professors who made their time at NUS all the more memorable.
Passing the torch
This year’s Commencement Dinner departed from tradition, featuring back-to-back speeches by the preceding and current Presidents of the NUS Students’ Union (NUSSU) — both of whom are part of this year’s graduating cohort.
Mr Sean Pang, 46th NUSSU President and Bachelor of Business Administration graduate from NUS Business School, who juggled academic commitments with caregiving responsibilities after his mother’s illness, paid a heartfelt tribute to those who came before him. He cited his parents’ sacrifices that enabled him to be the first in his family to graduate from university, as well as prominent businessman Tan Jiak Kim’s efforts in galvanising the community to establish NUS’ medical school in 1905.
“Behind every degree scroll is a second, unwritten transcript, filled with the names of family, friends and community... Thank you for the sacrifices, both seen and unseen,” he said. Encouraging the graduating class to carry this legacy forward, he emphasised, “Gratitude cannot be where the story ends. What was given to us now becomes ours to carry forward.”
Taking over the stage from his predecessor was Mr Stephen Chen, a Life Sciences, Business Management and NUS College graduate. The 47th NUSSU President built on his fellow graduate’s reference to “standing on the shoulders of giants”, drawing on each of his disciplines and sharing key takeaways for the next phase of life.
“Know what you want, focus on the things that you can change, and then just do it... As we enter this next phase of life holding onto our hopes, dreams and worries, let us take heart that we leave NUS equipped not only with more knowledge and skills, but that we leave more connected with one another,” he concluded.
A values-first education
In his speech at the event, NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye built upon his first address to students at the inaugural Commencement ceremony, emphasising that the value of higher education lies not just in the accumulation of knowledge and wisdom, but, more importantly, in channelling them into a force of good to serve humanity.
Acknowledging the anxieties that confront the world today, from AI to geopolitical upheavals and climate change, Prof Tan exhorted the graduates not to give in to unease and apprehension.
“It would be easy to feel that the ground is shifting too quickly beneath us. But I want to be clear about where our footing comes from. The antidote to anxiety is not certainty. It is character and willpower. Because we are human and curious, we innovate; yet because we are human and fallible, we also make mistakes. This has been true of every generation before you, and it will be true of yours,” he said.
With a customary toast to the Class of 2026, he concluded: “Your time as students has ended, but your connection to this community has not... As we raise a glass tonight, we do so not only in celebration of what you all have achieved, but in anticipation of what you will do next.”
Many voices, one spirit
The dinner was interspersed with a pair of vocal performances by NUS student groups, who gave voice to the celebratory mood of the evening.
Taking the stage first was NUS Resonance, an a capella group that aims to connect with audiences across a variety of genres and styles to showcase the versatility and vibrancy of a capella music. The six-person ensemble delivered a selection of contemporary and timeless classics through rich harmonies and punchy vocal percussion, performing a “90s Dance Medley” and Tori Kelly’s rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing”.
NUS Voices, the University’s resident Mandopop interest group consisting of talented instrumentalists and vocalists, followed up with an act to remember, ending the night on a high note with a heartfelt cover of Jessie J’s “Flashlight” and an energetic medley of songs by hit K-pop group BLACKPINK, including “Kill This Love” and “Playing with Fire”.
This story concludes NUS News’ coverage of Commencement 2026, which celebrates the achievements of our graduates from the Class of 2026. For more on Commencement, read our stories and graduate profiles, check out the official Commencement website, or look up and tag #NUS2026 on our social media channels!
