Speech by Mr Yeo Li Pheow, Principal/CEO, RP, at the First session of the Fourth Graduation Ceremony of Republic Polytechnic at the Republic Cultural Centre on 7 April 2009 at 9.15 am

Good Morning,

Guest-of-Honour, RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Acting Minister of Information, Communications and the Arts

Mr Lee Hsien Yang
Chairman, Republic Polytechnic Board of Governors,

Members of the Board of Governors,

Distinguished Guests,

Parents and Graduands,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to Republic Polytechnic’s 2009 graduation ceremony.

1. Today is a very special day. For you, the RP graduating cohort of 2009, this is neither the beginning nor the end of your education, yet it is an important milestone nonetheless. Three years ago, at RP’s orientation programme, you were welcomed by the Principal and staff, told of the opportunities awaiting you, and challenged to make the most of your time here. Now, three years on, you have proven to us—and more importantly, you have proven to yourself—what you can achieve when you do your best. Therefore, today is a special day because it is a chance for all of us—RP staff, facilitators, mentors, parents, family members and peers—to acknowledge your hard work over the past three years and to congratulate you on your achievements.

2. This is also a special occasion for me, as it is my first Republic Polytechnic graduation ceremony since assuming the role of Principal on July 1st last year. Over the past nearly one year I have watched you and your juniors progress through the academic year with determination, camaraderie and passion, and this has left me duly impressed. I have had the pleasure of interacting with many of you in person at different events and functions, and on these occasions I was always struck by the diversity and individuality of our students. I believe that this is an important aspect of the education that we offer at RP.

3. Although we have, for example, 100 Diploma New Media graduates and 124 Diploma in Biomedical Electronics graduates, each one of you has your own unique set of dreams, plans and aspirations. While RP has guided you in your pursuit of knowledge and has equipped you with skills and experience, each of you will set your own course going forward. One of the key functions that RP fulfils is to provide an environment that fosters not only academic development, but also personal development.

4. When our students join RP fresh from secondary school or ITE, many of them have only a vague idea of what they envision doing later in life and what they are capable of. But throughout their three years at RP, our students are exposed to myriad activities both inside and outside the classroom, from academics to the arts and service leadership to sports. They are presented with opportunities to participate in overseas learning excursions and gain industry experience. This diversity of opportunities helps our students to discover what they are passionate about and where they can excel; it helps them recognise their own strengths and weaknesses, allowing them to gain maturity; and it helps to give them a clearer picture of where they would like to go in life. This is the bigger picture of the education that our students gain at RP.

5. Irish poet William Butler Yeats once said: “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” This succinct, insightful quote really sums up our approach to education at RP. We believe that acquiring knowledge—or filling the pail—is only the first step of education. The next step is to learn how to apply this knowledge. This is why we have embraced problem-based learning. By challenging our students with open-ended questions and creative discourse, we are teaching them to look beyond the textbook answer and to assess and analyse the true root of the problem. This approach nurtures innovation and provides opportunities for real-world learning—experience that gives our graduates a head start when they enter the workforce.

6. By taking learning beyond the classroom, we are guiding our students along the path to self-discovery and encouraging them to never stop asking questions. This is the “lighting of a fire” that Yeats was talking about. Our students develop greater curiosity and a desire to answer difficult questions, and this is the spark that drives them to realise their full potential.

7. So I encourage you, the RP graduating cohort of 2009, to keep this fire burning brightly. You have all accomplished great things during your years here, and in doing so you have strengthened the RP spirit and contributed to our pursuit of excellence in learning. I now ask you to take that spirit with you as you go forth—whether it is to pursue further studies, embark upon a career, or start a new venture—and to make an impact in the world wherever your dreams should take you.

8. As we’ll see later in today’s ceremony, many of our graduates have performed at exceptional levels and have garnered awards for their accomplishments. I would like to briefly highlight a few of our top achievers.

9. The first of these is Lam Zhao Yang. Coming from School of Information and Communications Technology, Zhao Yang graduates today with a Diploma in IT Service Management. A winner of the Lee Kuan Yew Award for Mathematics and Science, he has the honour of being RP’s top scorer this year, with a grade point average (GPA) of 4.0. Zhao Yang cites the vibrant student life at RP and the mentorship of his facilitators and programme chair as key factors that contributed to his success. His academic performance is nothing short of remarkable, and his achievement stands out as a source of inspiration for his peers and juniors.

10.  Another of our top achievers in the 2009 graduating cohort is Eugene Ang Jing Long. From the School of Sports, Health and Leisure, Eugene graduates today with a Diploma in Sports & Exercise Sciences. He achieved a highly impressive GPA of 3.98, which helped him to become one of this year’s three winners of the Lee Kuan Yew Award for Mathematics and Science. Eugene will now pursue a degree in Sport Science and Management at Nanyang Technological University, where he hopes to become the first-ever graduate in his family.

11. Two other award winners that I would like to note are Caryn Lim May Ching and Joni, both of whom will today graduate with Diplomas in Integrated Events Management and both winners of the Board of Governors Award. Not only have these graduates achieved excellent academic results—Caryn with a GPA of 3.98 and Joni with a GPA of 3.96—but they are also part of the pioneer batch of graduates from the School of Hospitality.

12. To the four outstanding individuals that I’ve just mentioned, and to each and every one of the graduates here today, I would like to say once again: congratulations! Take pride in your accomplishments, remain true to yourself, and be the best that you can be. I wish you great success in the future.

Thank you.