The Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) Commencement ceremony was held on 14 July 2013 at the University Cultural Centre, marking a momentous occasion for the graduating students from SSHSPH as they celebrated an important milestone in their lives.
Jointly hosted with Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, the ceremony saw a total of 37 Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science (MSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students receive their graduate degrees from NUS Pro-Chancellor Mr Po’ad Mattar.
This year also marked the inaugural batch of Master of Science (MSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students graduating from the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.
Prof Chia Kee Seng, Dean, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, delivered his congratulatory message to the graduating batch, along with Prof Ranga Krishnan, Dean, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School and A/Prof Yeoh Khay Guan, Dean, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
The Guest Speaker for the ceremony was Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, who encouraged the graduates to recognise their part in “a larger system that truly gives people security and preventive healthcare” and urged them to “continue to make a huge difference in the lives of everyone that you touch”.
SSHSPH Commencement High Tea 2013
The inaugural Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health Commencement High Tea 2013 was held on 13 July 2013, at the Della and Seng Gee Guild Hall, Kent Ridge Guild House. The 2-hour affair saw current and graduating MPH and PhD students, their families and faculty get together to celebrate the embarking of a new journey in Public Health for the graduates.
The welcome remarks were delivered by A/Prof Jeannette Lee, Vice-Dean (Education), who encouraged the graduating batch to keep in touch as SSHSPH alumni to “share and even work together as members on a similar mission.
Dean Prof Chia Kee Seng then addressed the graduates with a congratulatory message for them, followed by the introduction and initiation of the first Public Health pledge signing, a new yearly tradition which will see the graduating class pledge to fulfill a common goal in Public Health, fostering a shared bond between the graduates as each batch passes through. The graduating batch was then invited to the stage to sign the pledge, establishing a common Public Health vision among the graduates.
Lastly, there was an NUS alumni presentation from the NUS Office of Alumni Relations.
Finally, the attendees then tucked into a buffet high-tea spread of light bites and desserts while sitting back to enjoy the viewing of the commencement videos.