It was a jubilant reunion for the more than 800 alumni who attended NUS Homecoming on 1 July 2023. Organised by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations and co-hosted by NUS Law and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP), the event held at the Bukit Timah Campus brought together multiple generations of NUS graduates for a day of celebration and connection.

Importantly, the event marked the first occasion where graduates from the Bukit Timah, Kent Ridge and Outram campuses came together for a combined Homecoming. Participation at the event also reflected the diversity of the alumni community, with overseas alumni from Hong Kong, the Philippines, and New Zealand flying to Singapore for the occasion, and alumni from the Class of 1953 to 2023 also in attendance.

“Homecoming is not only an opportunity to make new memories with old friends, but also an opportunity to make new friends from across campuses, faculties, countries, and cohorts,” said Ms Ovidia Lim-Rajaram, Chief Alumni Officer, NUS.

Morning activities centred on a variety of insightful seminars and workshops hosted by NUS staff and alumni, with highlights including a conversation between Professor Wang Gungwu (Arts-History ’53) and Ambassador Chan Heng Chee (Arts-Political Science ’64); a talk on “An Adventure in the Pursuit of Happiness” by Mr Jonathan Sim (Arts and Social Sciences-Philosophy ’13); a cocktail mixing session by Associate Professor Kevin SW Tan (Science ’94); as well as a line dancing lesson led by Mr Lim Chee Kiang (Engineering ’83).

Attendees were also able to visit College Green, which previously operated as Dunearn Road Hostels for the undergraduates of the then-University of Malaya, and which now serves as a hostel for LKYSPP students.

During lunch, attendees enjoyed performances from NUS musical groups Red Dot Baroque, Resonance and The Jazzlings, while engaging in stimulating conversation with fellow alumni. Recent news that NUS had climbed to 8th in the QS World University Rankings, marking the first time the University had placed amongst the world’s top ten, provided a frequent topic of conversation and point of pride amongst event attendees.

In his speech at the event, Guest-of-Honour NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye (Science ’85) gave credit to the NUS alumni for their role in this achievement, stating that, “this remarkable growth story of our University would not have been possible without the participation and support of our alumni community.”

Noting that the University was not “standing still,” Prof Tan encouraged alumni to remain actively involved in NUS’ next phase of growth and contribute to sustaining and nurturing the University’s extended network.

This was a message that resonated with first-time attendee Raimie Tang (Engineering and Business ’21). “I benefited a lot from [my] NUS education and had many opportunities [as a result].  So I just [wanted] to come back and see how to stay connected, give back if possible, and even reconnect with other alumni.”

The event ended on a sweet note, as guests enjoyed a dessert buffet and cake in celebration of four milestone anniversaries: the 65th anniversaries of Eusoff Hall and Raffles Hall, the 50th anniversary of the Class of 1973, and the 20th anniversary of the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music.

This story by the NUS Office of Alumni Relations first appeared in NUSnews on 13 July 2023.