Speeches
Speech by Mr S Iswaran, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Education at the Opening Session of Nanyang Polytechnic Graduation Ceremony 2009 at the Nanyang Polytechnic Auditorium on 25th May 2009 at 10.00am
Mr Tan Pheng Hock, Chairman, Nanyang Polytechnic Board of Governors
Mr Chan Lee Mun, Principal and CEO, Nanyang Polytechnic,
Members of the Board of Governors
Chairman and Members of the Business Management Advisory Committees,
Distinguished Guests,
Graduands and parents
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good morning.
I am very pleased to join you at the opening session of Nanyang Polytechnic’s Graduation Ceremony 2009. Today marks the start of a week that will see the graduation of over 4900 students from the polytechnic’s 7 Schools.
This morning alone we shall witness the graduation of 415 students from 4 courses in NYP’s School of Business Management - the Diploma in Accountancy & Finance, Diploma in Banking & Financial Services, Diploma in Marketing, and 88 students from the pioneer batch of Nanyang Polytechnic’s Diploma in Hospitality and Resort Management.
Graduands - this ceremony honours your hard work and achievements. As we celebrate your accomplishments, we also pay special tribute to your parents, lecturers and other polytechnic staff who have played an important role in your success.
The School of Business Management
You can be confident that your education at NYP’s School of Business Management has provided you with the necessary training and exposure to take on the challenges of the real world, helping to lay a solid foundation for your career ahead.
To prepare you for the working world, your polytechnic has established strong links with industry, both in the form of a curriculum tailored to the industry’s needs and through extensive collaboration with companies. Currently, students from your School go through a 6 month Teaching Enterprise Project in their second year. They are provided with opportunities to work on real life projects with client companies like SingTel, the Singapore Sports Council, Health Sciences Authority and DHL. In their final year, students are attached to companies for their Industrial Placement Programme or Overseas Industrial Placement Programme. Under the Industrial Placement Programme, NYP currently collaborates with more than 260 local companies and several multi-national companies.
The Overseas Industrial Placement Programme has given some of you the opportunity to intern at prominent companies overseas like the TATA Group of Companies in India, Song Be (pronounced “Song Bay”) Golf Resort in Vietnam and Page One in Hong Kong. Doors have also been opened for both graduates and current students to intern at Universal Studios, Orlando - where 9 School of Business Management students are currently undergoing a 4-month long internship.
The School of Business Management has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Accor Hospitality in January this year. The Accor Group is Europe’s leading hotel and tourism company, operating more than 4,000 hotels in 100 countries. Accor brands include well-known hotel chains such as Sofitel, M Gallery, Pullman, Novotel, Mercure, Suitehotel and Ibis. This collaboration will provide NYP students with excellent internship opportunities at these hotels - both locally and regionally. Currently, third-year students from the Diploma in Hospitality and Resort Management course undergo a 6-month internship programme, comprising 4 months of industrial attachment at one of three Accor hotel properties in Singapore, followed by 1 month of placement each at the other two Accor hotels in Singapore. This effectively allows students to experience three different Accor brands and gives them “3 internships for the price of one”.
I commend Nanyang Polytechnic for providing these exciting learning opportunities for its students. Many of you would have had the opportunity to contribute in a tangible way to companies locally or overseas and I trust that the invaluable knowledge and experience gleaned will give you an important headstart in the journey ahead. For those who have ventured overseas, I hope you have broadened your horizons and will learn to apply the perspectives and understanding of differences in culture you have gained to good effect.
The Spirit of Success
As you pursue the path of success, what are some important things to bear in mind? You may have heard of the analogy of the iceberg - typically, only 10 percent of an iceberg is visible above water, with the other 90 percent hidden below sea level. The upper part of the iceberg represents the skills and knowledge which you have acquired - while apparent to yourself and those around you, it is a small part of what is required to achieve success. Character is like the rest of the iceberg - although hidden beneath the surface, it exerts a huge influence on your thoughts and actions. While skills and knowledge help you to be competent in your job, your character- who you are, what you think and believe, how you react in unfamiliar or challenging situations - is most important in determining your ability to succeed.
Let me share with you two important values which I believe are critical for success. First, uphold a clear set of values in the decisions and choices you make. The recent financial crisis has revealed many examples of unscrupulous individuals who have betrayed the trust of their stakeholders. The consequences of your actions on society and country can be far-reaching especially when you are in a position of influence or leadership.
Second, be passionate about what you do. This will give you the energy to create new ideas and drive your endeavours - as well as enable you to overcome the challenges you will encounter along the way. Also, whatever you choose to do, take pleasure in serving and helping people around you - this will surely add to your sense of self and job satisfaction.
I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some graduates from your School who have made an impact by combining their knowledge and skills with passion and enterprise.
Eugene Soo graduated from NYP in 2001 with a Diploma in Banking & Finance and went on to complete a degree in Business Administration with NTU. With his strong passion for and background in Financial Management, Eugene became a licensed financial advisor after graduation. In his first year, he qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table - an international association of less than 1 percent of the world’s most successful life insurance and financial services professionals. I understand that he does this on top of running his motorcycle washing business which he had set up while at the polytechnic. Eugene is committed to his job as a financial advisor, as helping people grow their finances gives him satisfaction and drives him to do his best for them.
Tang Qing Qing, graduating today as the top student from the Diploma in Accountancy & Finance, is this year’s recipient of the SingTel Award. This distinguished award is given to the most outstanding student from the graduating classes of all 7 Diplomas from the School of Business Management at NYP. Not only is Qing Qing outstanding in her studies, she also has a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Motivated by the desire to make fashion affordable, Qing Qing has applied her business knowledge to establish an on-line female apparel and accessories business in collaboration with one of her classmates, Simon Haw. She is actively involved in sourcing for products from different suppliers, and this includes ordering products that cater to customers’ specific requests as she believes that good customer service is of utmost importance.
I hope that the examples of Qing Qing and Eugene will inspire you to similarly leverage on the training and opportunities that NYP has given you, to forge your path of success and to contribute as best as you can to Singapore’s continued development and growth.
Conclusion
In closing, I would like to say that it has truly been a privilege to share this happy occasion with you. My congratulations once again to all graduands and your families. I wish you all an enriching and successful journey ahead.
Thank you.