SPEECH BY MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, AT THE FIRST SESSION OF THE 44TH GRADUATION CEREMONY OF THE SINGAPORE POLYTECHNIC, ON TUESDAY, 17 AUGUST 2004, 9.30 AM, AT THE SINGAPORE POLYTECHNIC CONVENTION CENTRE

Mr Leong Charn Huen
Deputy Chairman, Board of Governors

Mr Low Wong Fook
Principal, Singapore Polytechnic

Distinguished Guests

Parents and Graduands

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning.

        I am happy to join you at this 44th Graduation Ceremony of Singapore Polytechnic, especially as you commemorate your 50th anniversary this year.  I share the joy of all graduands and their parents who are here this morning.  Congratulations and well done!

BRIGHTER ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
AND OPPORTUNITIES IN NEW FIELDS
2      You are graduating at a better time than your counterparts in recent years.  GDP growth in Singapore is on track to achieve between 8 to 9% this year.  While there are growing uncertainties in the global economy, especially with regard to the US recovery and the impact of possibly higher oil prices, we are much better off in Singapore today than a year ago when SARS enveloped the region.  The signs of dynamism in the economy are unmistakeable.

3      The job market is gradually rebounding, with 24,000 new jobs created in the first half of the year.  For engineering graduates in particular, there is more reason for cheer.  Yearly employment surveys done by the polytechnics show that engineering graduates are the best paid among the graduates.  This year’s survey showed that fresh engineering diploma graduates earned about $1,750, on average, with those who have completed national service earning about $2,160.

4      Our polytechnic education is held in extremely high regard by educators worldwide as well as industrialists for its excellence and rigour in practice-oriented education.  Our polytechnics may in fact be the best in the field, internationally.  But we keep looking for ways to be better.  Our polytechnics are each seeking to break new ground in teaching, to encourage independent learning, and to expose their students to the latest innovations in industry.  They are also, in their own ways, seeking to renew and recreate a spirit of ‘can–do’, the willingness to try your hand at something new, which has long been the reputation of our polytechnic graduates. 

5      I am sure that your three years of education and training at Singapore Polytechnic has imbued you with some of these attributes.  It has made you ready for a world of opportunities.  Whether in the fast growing, high-value engineering industries, or in the life sciences, or in the new service industries that are sprouting up, opportunities are growing.  Take for example the creative media industry.  The Government has set aside $200 million over 5 years to develop Singapore into a hub for the creative design and media industries.  Lucasfilm decided two weeks ago to launch a digital animation studio in Singapore that would work in concert with the company's Northern California operation.  It intends to use Singapore as a base to blend Asian- and American-style animation to produce movies, television programs and games for global audiences.

6      Lucasfilm’s decision to locate in Singapore was a statement of many things  -  our reach to  thriving Asian markets, our openness to all cultures, and the pool of talent and skills that we are building up, through our polytechnics and other institutions, and by attracting people from across the region.  It was a statement of confidence in Singapore that is repeated in numerous other industries.

7      As graduands from the School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, you will find many applications for your skills, both in the engineering-related and other industries.  Your training will hold you well in a range of sectors.  What matters most in the job market will be your willingness to pick up new knowledge and skills, whichever the industry you are in.  And to keep looking for new applications and new ways of doing things.

8      There are many examples amongst your seniors who demonstrate these traits  -  the traits that make for success in the marketplace.  One that I will highlight is Assoc Prof Tony Yeoh, who graduated from your school.  He has, since graduation, ventured into the biomedical field, using his engineering skills to add value and make new techniques possible.  He designed a heart valve that is now used by cardiac surgeons when carrying out heart surgery.  He is currently working with medical equipment companies to design blood pressure and blood sugar measuring devices encased in wristwatches.

9      Another example from among your seniors is Mr Hillary Yeo, who made his mark in the film industry.  Behind every multi-million dollar blockbuster is a team of dedicated engineers, and, a tremendous amount of resources invested to make a creative idea a technical reality.  Hillary was part of the Weta Digital team, the company responsible for creating the special effects for the Lord of the Rings trilogy that took cinemas all over the world by storm.

10     Tony and Hillary may be outstanding examples, but they illustrate a spirit of versatility that all of us should possess, whichever the industry or activity we are in.  They dared to step beyond conventional job definitions, to venture into new areas.  You, too, can do the same.  I encourage you to be versatile.  Look beyond what you already know or what you have been trained in, and you will find a whole ocean of opportunities for the taking.

BUILDING ON OUR STRENGTHS
11     Singapore Polytechnic has come far in its 50 years.  It is now a world class polytechnic.  Amongst its 125,000 strong alumni, are many graduates who have become market leaders in their chosen fields.  I am sure many of you would know of people like Professor Shih Choon Fong, President of National University of Singapore, Bill Chang York Chye, Regional Managing Director South Asia of Cisco Systems, Ms Chong Phit Lian, President & CEO of Singapore Mint, and Edmund Tie, Executive Chairman & CEO of DTZ- Debenham Tie Leung. There are many other inspiring examples.  Some may not make it to newspaper headlines, but have achieved distinction in their own ways.

12     Polytechnic graduates continue to be known to employers for their perseverance and determination to succeed.  Today, one such graduate, Sri Kumaran Raman, is the proud recipient of the Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal, having achieved nine distinctions and 10 As out of 22 modules.  I understand that his self-discipline and hard work enabled him to emerge within the top five percent in the ITE cohort, and this time, his impressive results have earned him direct entry into the second year in the School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering in Nanyang Technological University.

13     Some of you will be entering the workforce now, and others will do so in a few years, after you graduate from university.  Either way, each of you will find that you have received an education that equips you with the skills and knowledge to succeed, but does not assure you of success.  To succeed, you have to take initiative and make an effort to excel in whatever you do.  Go with your instincts, and carve out opportunities for yourself.  Learn to deal with the fuzziness and ambiguity that is common in the knowledge-based industries, where there are few ready answers and few rules to follow.  Be willing to venture abroad, whether as an employee or to set up business.  But above all, do not forget your roots.

14     I am confident that you will each achieve the goals that you set for yourselves.  I wish you success in your new journey.