Closing Remarks by Minister for Education, Mr Desmond Lee at the Pre-University Seminar 2026 Closing Ceremony

Good morning.

1. I am delighted to be here at Pre-University Seminar.

1. Let me thank Mr Liu Earnler, Principal of Temasek Junior College, and his team for organising this Seminar.

2. This year, Pre-U Seminar turns 57. For generations, young Singaporeans have come here to ask a simple but important question: what kind of Singapore do we want to build, and what part can each of us play?

1. Since the early years of Singapore's independence, young people have come together and ask these questions.
2. Many Pre-U Seminar alumni have gone on to contribute in a wide range of sectors.
3. And now, it is your turn.

3. This year's theme, 'WE: With Everyone', is a call to make a difference together. It begins with the same word that students across Singapore say every morning in our National Pledge – "We, the citizens of Singapore". That was not chosen lightly.

1. For Singapore, the concept of 'We' matters because our strength comes from standing together. Out of many races, languages and religions, we are one people. It is a core part of our national DNA.
2. This is especially meaningful as we mark the 60th anniversary of our National Pledge this year.
3. So as we round-off the Pre-U Seminar, let's ask ourselves: What kind of society do we want Singapore to be? What is our DNA, our Operating System or OS?
4. Are we simply a collection of individuals, each pursuing our own interests or our own tribe's interests?
5. Or are we something more — a society that works together across differences, makes common cause, and draws strength from our diversity?

Why 'WE' Matters

4. A 'We-First' Singapore matters because we are entering a world that is a lot more uncertain, more divided, and less trusting. In many places, people are drawn more strongly to those who are like themselves — their own tribe, whether by race, language, religion, social class, or viewpoints. They mix less across differences. And over time, trust weakens, politics become more polarised, and people start to see interests as zero-sum.

5. We can already see this in societies where every issue becomes a fight between opposing camps. People stop listening and start shouting. Compromise is treated as weakness. Even basic facts are disputed. Once that happens, it becomes much harder to act for the common good, much harder to bring society together.

6. We should never assume Singapore is somehow immune despite all our efforts. No society is. So we must keep choosing inclusion, keep building trust, and keep creating common ground. It must be intentional, purposeful, and dedicated.

1. That is why I find this year's theme so meaningful. As young leaders, you will eventually decide what kind of society we become. The work you have done during the Pre-U Seminar is a good start.
2. It reflects your desire to make a real difference — to the People you journey with, in the Places you care about, guided by the sense of Purpose that binds us together as Singaporeans.
3. I am very happy to see the 24 projects. I hope that you will pursue them as they are all very good projects.

Practising 'We' with others

7. Now, let me unpack the three themes.

8. First, People. Over the years, we have seen again and again that real change begins with people, with you and me — when we step beyond our own circles, work with others, and recognise the strengths that each person brings. That is how stronger communities are built.

1. Some of you met Mr Narasimman Mani or Naresh. He and his co-founder Mr Joshua Tay were at different life stages – Naresh had served almost a decade in the Navy, while Joshua was taking a gap year before starting university.
   1. They teamed up to build Impart, an organisation that supports youths facing adversity, and one of their early beneficiaries later came back to Impart as a full-time team member.
2. I am glad to see this same spirit of coming together in service of others during this Pre-U Seminar.

9. One example is group 8's proposal, The Bridge Initiative, which does exactly this. It brings people together across institutions and communities. The group observed that JC, Polytechnic and ITE students often have too few chances to interact beyond their own pathways. Over time, there may be stereotypes and these can harden. This proposal pushes in the opposite direction.

1. 'The Bridge Initiative' proposes to bring students from JC, Poly and ITE together for genuine interaction, to do fun things that young people like to do, to break down preconceived labels, and build mutual respect and a more cohesive society.
2. There is real promise in this idea, and I hope this group will take this further. Well done group 8!

Practising 'We' where we are

10. The next theme is Places. The spaces we move through every day shape how we live together. So we should ask: how can we make them more inclusive, more meaningful, and more connected? Sometimes, change begins simply by noticing what others may find difficult or may have overlooked, and then deciding to do something about it.

1. Some of you met Mr Yasser Amin. He is passionate about the environment and empowers us to play a part in keeping our surroundings clean.
2. Such spaces need not exist physically, they can be online too: some of you met Mr Sanjay Muthukumaran, who co-founded Eduville, a learning platform that taps technology to preserve language and culture, strengthening cultural spaces and connections.

11. Not to be outdone, Group 14's project, Smart Mobility Kiosks for Seniors, is a good example of making places more inclusive. The kiosks that they proposed help seniors navigate MRT stations and bus interchanges with greater confidence and independence. Such infrastructure is particularly important for our super-aged society. Group 14 is thinking about spaces not only from their perspective, but also from the perspectives of senior Singaporeans.

Practising 'We' in what we do

12. Finally, Purpose. Purpose is the 'why' behind what we do. It is what keeps people going when the work gets difficult, slow, or uncertain.

1. Purpose is not just about what we want to achieve, but also about who we are achieving it for.
2. So choose a purpose larger than yourself. It will stretch you, steady you, and remind you who your efforts are for.
3. Some of you met Ms Dawn Lim, Executive Director of DesignSingapore Council. She translated her experience of design-related pain points into a conviction that good design should be inclusive, accessible, and serve everyone.
4. Another group met Mr Palvindran Jayram, Co-founder of the Empowered Families Initiative, which helps less-resourced families empower themselves – from skills upgrading to building savings.
5. The two of them show how we can reach beyond ourselves when we set our hearts on our purpose.

13. Group 23 looked beyond Singapore to explore how they could contribute to Southeast Asia. They noticed that ASEAN youths often know little about each other.

1. Therefore, they proposed an ASEAN Youth Collaborative Network, which pairs students with counterparts across the region, so that young people can build deeper friendships across ASEAN.

14. Building deeper understanding and trust with our regional neighbours matters. So I am happy to share that, as part of next year's Pre-U Seminar, we will include a special interaction segment with ASEAN youth representatives — We will invite them to participate in Pre-University Seminar to engage with you. This is especially meaningful as Singapore chairs ASEAN next year. It is not just good enough for leaders to meet, but also young people as future leaders. I hope this will be one of many efforts that bring our nations closer and strengthen ASEAN.

15. Bringing People together, in different Places, with a common Purpose — that is how we put 'We-First' into practice. And that is what I see your groups have done in this Pre-U Seminar.

16. I hope you will keep doing this long after the Seminar ends — working with others, building trust, and making change happen.

1. Last year, there was an elderly woman living alone in her flat. Let's call her Mdm Chua – not her real name.
2. Her home was filled with bags, containers, items collected over the years. As a result, there was barely any space to move about. But to her, these were all valuable items.
3. A neighbour had complained about the clutter. But whenever agencies approached Mdm Chua, she refused to let anyone in.
4. As time passed, the clutter worsened. There was an unpleasant smell and stagnant water collected. Water eventually began dripping into the unit below.
5. After much convincing, Mdm Chua finally agreed to let people into her home.

17. What happened next was remarkable that embodies the "We first" spirit that is in each and every one of you.

1. Within days, representatives from many agencies including HDB, NEA, PA and AIC, worked with the Town Council, and a charity run by volunteers, Ang Mo Kio Secondary School Social Move Ltd (AMKSS Social Move) came together under the umbrella of an Alliance for Action – the New Environment Action Team (NEAT).
2. After six backbreaking hours, they decluttered and cleaned Mdm Chua's flat, filling 12 large rubbish bins.
3. AMKSS Social Move funded the refurbishment of the flat.
4. The local MP also contributed to the renovation.
5. Afterwards, AMKSS Social Move engaged Mdm Chua to explore additional income sources, and she agreed to their suggestion to rent out rooms in her flat. This also had the added benefit of incentivising her to keep her flat clean and tidy for her tenant and herself.
6. The Family Service Centre and AIC also visit her regularly to ensure her well-being. And now, she has a community of friends in the neighbourhood too.

18. Stories like Mdm Chua's remind us that no single person, agency, or institution can do this work alone. But when people come together with trust, humility and resolve, lives can change.

1. The power of this approach lies behind new initiatives we have launched in recent years. Each organisation on the list has been working to help people suffering from hoarding all these years, particularly the volunteer groups.
2. A couple of years ago, a group of young volunteers came to see me, and they suggested bringing likeminded people together. We decided that as the Government, let us take the lead to facilitate and enable. My colleagues in MSF and MND launched NEAT in January last year, bringing together social service agencies, community groups, trade associations, corporate partners, and government agencies to deal with hoarding issues.
3. Many amazing things happening in Singapore are often led by ordinary people doing extraordinary things. You can do this too.

Conclusion

19. In the end, a society is shaped by the choices that we make every day: to care for people, to build inclusive places, and to act with a sense of purpose and conviction.

20. As you return to your institutions and move into the next stage of life, ask yourselves: what kind of Singapore do I want to help build? And how can I get ready to do so?

1. Let me offer a few suggestions.
2. First, while classroom learning and knowledge building are important, embrace learning in the fullest sense of the word. Beyond classroom knowledge, develop a holistic set of important skills – critical thinking, adaptability, resilience, curiosity, and more. Ask questions, discover answers that may lie off the beaten track, and adopt multiple viewpoints and perspectives.
3. Second, invest yourselves fully in your projects — not just as assigned work, but as practice working with others in solving real problems. I know many of you are active in your CCAs, as volunteers beyond your school. Be intentional in asking: in doing this, am I learning how to lead? Am I learning how to be a team leader? Am I questioning myself hard enough? Am I able to take the perspective of others?
4. Build habits of collaboration, teamwork and leadership, even when it feels uncomfortable. Seek out opportunities to meet people from very different walks of life. Better still, understand them and work with them. In doing so, you develop not just intelligence, but wisdom.
5. These qualities matter even more in a world where technology is advancing rapidly, and where human value lies not in routine tasks, but in wisdom, judgement and empathy.

21. To conclude, I hope you will help build a better and more inclusive Singapore — with the courage to act, the compassion to care, and the confidence to lead. Singapore's next chapter is yours and will be shaped by your choices. Thank you.