Yale-NUS College bids adieu to the Class of 2024

On 17 May 2024, quiet murmurs and an air of excitement filled the Ho Bee Auditorium at the University Cultural Centre at the National University of Singapore (NUS), as guests and the Yale-NUS College community members attended the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2024.

Of the 230 graduands, 13 are graduating with a double degree in Law and Liberal Arts, jointly offered by Yale-NUS College and NUS Faculty of Law; two are graduating with the Concurrent Degree Programme in the Public Policy with the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and one is graduating from the Concurrent Degree Programme in Public Health with the Yale School of Public Health.

Each year, two awards – the Class of 2017 award and Emerging Young Leader Award – are given to graduating students. Anastasia Kurniadi received the Class of 2017 award, made possible through the generosity of Mrs Doris Sohmen-Pao. The award is selected by one’s peers from the senior class and recognises a student for outstanding contributions to the College. Anastasia contributed actively to a number of community events and projects, such as the biweekly open mic session SOFASOGOOD and Tape Days. She was also involved in an alumni musical production and a dance video production titled Your Nooks & Crannies, which paid a dance tribute to spaces within Yale-NUS that students hold dear.

“My experience at Yale-NUS College has been one of the most formative, enriching, and amazing times of my life. I feel really grateful and honoured to be receiving this award. I can’t take full credit for this because this award is a testament to the wonderful souls in the Yale-NUS community that have shaped my journey here, and I’m overwhelmed with gratitude as our college journey comes to a close,” she shared.

The Emerging Young Leader Award for 2024 went to Dhira Vidhea who initiated Tinlit, an online writing platform that connects authors, readers, and publishers in Indonesia. The award, made possible through the generosity of Mdm Kay Kuok, is given to a student who has made outstanding contributions in addressing a local or global challenge to enhance the quality of life in the community.

Dhira shared how the encouragement and guidance from the Yale-NUS community helped her with her start-up, particularly the mentorship of Adjunct Lecturer of Sustainability Law and Policy Preston Wong. She said, “Coming out of Yale-NUS College, I now have greater conviction in the work I love doing and the impact I wish to create in the long-term, be it through Tinlit or other professional endeavours. I’m grateful for the open conversations I’ve had with peers, faculty and CIPE. I’m also incredibly honoured to be trusted with the Emerging Young Leader Award—I believe this award can take Tinlit a very long way.”

In her opening address at the ceremony, Yale-NUS College President and Professor of Social Sciences (Economics) Joanne Roberts addressed the anxieties that many graduating students may have, “Before joining the College, some of you may have faced common questions such as what are the liberal arts? Will you learn any relevant skills?”

President Roberts likened the College’s liberal arts education and residential experience to a vibrant and dynamic rehearsal for life that had equipped them with the ability to live with “grace, integrity, curiosity and generosity”. She also reassured the graduating class that their varied experiences at Yale-NUS have taught them the most important thing, that with patience, perseverance and a strong community, they can take on anything.

Graduation Speaker, Dr Taimur Baig, who is the Chief Economist in Group Research and Managing Director, DBS Bank, encouraged students to remember the adage: “nothing lasts forever” and to find liberation in that concept. He advised them to try new things, and be more open to experiment, be it a scientific, social, public or personal one.

“Reach out to those from different religions, political persuasion, culture, or lifestyle, and see if their company and proximity make our lives richer and more joyous. If our mutual humanity can transcend our differences. These are experiments for the rest of your lives,” encouraged Dr Baig.

Associate Professor of Humanities (History) and Head of Studies, History Claudine Ang represented the College’s faculty in congratulating the students. In her speech, she reflected on her observations of the Class of 2024, many of whom she taught in the Common Curriculum classes. Assoc Prof Ang celebrated the students’ resilience and support for each other, and advocated for them to find delight in the world around them. She shared, “I hope that your education here at Yale-NUS has not only equipped you with the requisite tools to make your way in the so-called real world, to help you as you navigate through its sometimes turbulent waters. I hope that it has also left you with an enthusiasm for learning, for the joy of discovery, for the delight in creative invention. I hope that, even as you do not neglect the necessary, you cherish the superfluous.”

Student speaker Nageen Ayesha Rameez spoke about her experience with the Class of 2024, and the way they advocated for their beliefs while holding a deep care for the world around them. Nageen shared, “I stand here proud to be part of a family that will show up for the change we believe in, for the future our world deserves. After all, we are the freshest results from the experiment that is Yale-NUS. We are some of the final products of an intricate labour of love. As we prepare to leave the safe space of our campus, let us carry forward this legacy of showing up—not just for ourselves, but for a world that desperately needs it.”

In the past week leading up to the Graduation Ceremony, the Student Affairs Office held a series of activities during Seniors’ Week for the graduands to create meaningful memories on campus and prepare them for life after. Some events were aimed at relaxing, like yoga, palm reading and animal therapy. Others focused on imparting life and professional skills, like cooking while on a budget, renting accommodation in Singapore, and learning to leverage the full potential of LinkedIn. Seniors’ Week also culminated in Class Day, where the Class of 2024 gathered on campus for a barbecue, to say their final goodbye to the school, and celebrate their time at Yale-NUS.

This ceremony marked the end of a significant chapter in the academic lives of the graduating class. Congratulations to the Class of 2024, the penultimate batch of Yale-NUS College.

The full list of awards, medals and prizes won by the Class of 2024 graduands can be found here.