Address by Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment and Senior Minister of State for Education, Singapore Polytechnic 2026 Graduation Ceremony

Ms Janet Ang, Chairman, Singapore Polytechnic Board of Governors
Mr Soh Wai Wah, Principal and CEO, Singapore Polytechnic
Members of Singapore Polytechnic Board of Governors
Graduands, Parents, and Distinguished guests,

1. Good morning. I am very happy to join you on this very special occasion. Congratulations to all the graduates from the Diploma in Architecture, the Diploma in Facilities Management, and the Diploma in Landscape Architecture, and congratulations to all the nine institutional medallists and three SkillsFuture Lifelong Learning Award recipients!

2. This is a celebration of your achievements throughout your polytechnic journey. It is also a time for you to reflect, to remember those who have supported you throughout this journey – your family, friends, educators, your mentors, your peers, and everybody who helped you get to where you are today and get you ready for the next important stage in your life journey.

3. You are graduating at an interesting time. Things are changing very rapidly. We have technological advances, AI automation – what are they doing to how we think about work? What will be the impact on your jobs? What will be the impact on your career pathways? In this rapidly evolving landscape, you should have some reassurance and some confidence because our Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and Singapore Polytechnic have a track record of preparing our students well, not just for the jobs of today, but to equip them with the hard and soft skills to thrive in the economy of the future. Indeed, that is the benefit and the privilege that you have had, having been through this education journey. I will give two examples of areas in which SP and its partners have risen to the challenge and prepared you, the graduates, for future careers: sustainability and AI.

Sustainability as a Shared Responsibility

4. All of us have a part to play in sustainability. We have to ensure that our country remains liveable for generations to come. Sustainability is deeply embedded within SP's academic programmes. Students are equipped with the knowledge and perspectives to advance sustainability in your future careers and in your communities.

5. Our graduates from the Diploma in Architecture have learned sustainable design practices, including the use of industry-current simulation software, such as Autodesk Forma Site Design. This has enabled you to make sustainable design decisions based on actual site conditions.

1. I'm going to give you an example of one of our graduates, Yu Shan. Yu Shan was involved in a research project that involved computational design, digital fabrication, and sustainability. This research inspired her to explore how to harness advanced computational workflow, designing sunshades in her Final Year Studio Project, which could potentially shade buildings from the varied angles of the incoming sun, providing optimal daylighting while mitigating heat – a real practical solution for a challenge that many parts of our economy, businesses and buildings will face.

6. Our graduates from the Diploma in Facilities Management would have observed that both the Green Mark Associate (GMA) framework and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) have been integrated into their curriculum. This cohort will be the first batch to be eligible to register as Green Mark Associates without the need to attend external courses. What you are getting is training that is industry standard and industry certified, while you are still a student.

1. Let me share about another example, Darren. Darren is one of our graduates who played an active role in proposing the Green Mark Certification process for the SP Graduates Guild. For his Final Year Project, he went beyond what was covered in the syllabus and conducted research on the BCA Green Mark 2021 framework. He then used this knowledge to evaluate facility performance, identifying critical sustainability and resilience. This demonstrated Darren's strong practical application of sustainability principles, and provided SP with a clear roadmap for future environmental and operational improvements.

7. Similarly, we have graduates from the Diploma in Landscape Architecture, and for them, the curriculum has integrated landscape design with the UNSDGs. From day one, our graduates have collaborated with industry professionals such as NParks, JTC, and URA to design immersive landscapes. These immersive landscapes tap on nature-based solutions to improve our well-being, such as using tree-lined cityscapes to cool urban areas, improve air quality and they have also tackled real-world projects that connect people with nature while addressing climate change.

1. One more example is Jasmine. As part of her Final Year Project, Jasmine reimagined the Ulu Pandan Park Connector as a living link between residents and Singapore's native ecosystem, while Jing Ying proposed to revitalise Jurong Town Hall through an urban forestry-centred design concept. These are real improvements to our lives, making a difference to us as citizens.

8. This graduating cohort also includes the second batch of 21 students who have completed SP's Minor in Sustainability, eight of whom are present today. Through sustainability modules, our students have applied sustainability principles to real world challenges, in collaboration with industry and community partners. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our industry and community partners for giving SP and SP students these types of opportunities.

9. The academic curriculum has empowered our graduates to champion sustainability in their careers. To our graduates: It is in your hands to build on the good work of your predecessors, and continue to create a resilient and vibrant City in Nature.

10. Sustainability is not about a single grand gesture, but it is achieved through consistent decisions, innovation, and a willingness to act—whether at the organisational level or as an individual.

Learning Beyond AI

11. Let me move on now to Artificial Intelligence. We are living in a digital age, but that pace of change is accelerating as a result of the new technologies that are brought about by the developments in AI. As this technology changes work, changes society, changes businesses, it's important for workers to be equipped with capabilities to understand and deal with AI.

12. Our SP graduates have been prepared for a world where AI will be pervasive. You have learnt how to use AI tools, and also developed soft skills. Increasingly these are critical skills for success, and these skills remain essential even with the use of AI, such as sound judgement effective collaboration, and teamwork.

1. Your school has been experimenting with the AI coaching system. This provides personalised learning prompts, allowing you to build confidence in navigating unfamiliar situations.
2. Others from your school have tried the pilot ChatGPT group chat feature to help groups align perspectives and reflect on strengths and areas for improvement. These are skills that will matter in every workplace.

13. Collaboration and teamwork are very important skills that will help us thrive in the age of AI. To better prepare graduates for the workplace, SP has introduced the Teamwork Development Framework that spans the entire polytechnic journey.

1. Through modules requiring teamwork across every year of study, our graduates have mastered a common set of teamwork dimensions and applied them directly to group projects.
2. You have also gained clear insights for continuous improvement by receiving structured feedback from peers and lecturers in every project.
3. This initiative then culminates in a formal Certificate of Achievement in Teamwork – a validation of peer-assessed proficiency and readiness for the collaborative professional world. Why is this important? Because it is taking what looked like a soft skill, to having a skillset which you can point to as an achievement in teamwork. This increases your readiness to be recognised in the workplace as you go forward.
4. This cohort is the inaugural batch to receive this certificate. I am happy to announce that this certificate will be awarded to 1,890 of our graduating students, of whom 100 are present at this session.

14. In our increasingly AI-driven world, these soft skills you have developed, demonstrated and certified throughout your polytechnic journey will be important and will take you far.

Conclusion

15. To conclude, as our graduates step into the next phase of their lives, I encourage everyone to carry forward this ethos: to apply your skills with purpose, to weigh progress alongside responsibility, and to contribute actively to building a more sustainable future for Singapore and beyond.

16. As you go through your career, think about Singapore Polytechnic. Find opportunities to come back, connect with your alumni, your friends, your faculty, your mentors, your juniors, and give back to this institution that has set you up for success in your future life. Once again, congratulations to all our graduates. I am confident that you will make an impact in all of your respective paths.