SUSS Confers Degrees on Record Cohort as Class of 2025 Steps into Changing Job Market

• Themed “Shaping Our Tomorrow”, SUSS Convocation 2025 celebrates 3,400 graduates.
• New SUSS study finds youths prioritise stability and growth; more details on 10 Oct.
  

Singapore, 7 October 2025 – More than 3,400 students graduated from the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) at its 2025 Convocation, the largest cohort in the university’s history. Beyond celebrating academic milestones, the three-day event at the Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre also offered a glimpse into the world these graduates are stepping into, as SUSS previewed findings from a study on youth and employability.

SUSS Chancellor Mdm Halimah Yacob presided over Session 1 of the Convocation, where she conferred degrees on the graduands.

Presided over by SUSS Chancellor Mdm Halimah Yacob and graced by Guest-of-Honour Dr Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, the ceremony highlighted both the achievements of graduates and the wider journey Singapore is taking in its 60th year of independence. The theme “Shaping Our Tomorrow” echoed this national milestone and recognised the support systems – families, employers, peers and the wider community – behind each graduate.

From Study to Purpose: Preparing Graduates for Tomorrow

In his address, SUSS President Professor Tan Tai Yong shared preliminary insights from the university’s latest study on youth and employability, which surveyed over 1,000 young Singaporeans and 250 employers. The findings reveal a generation eager to grow, learn, and adapt: six in 10 youths are seeking new job opportunities, with financial security and job stability emerging as top priorities. The study also points to a mismatch in learning preferences: while employers favour in-house training and mentoring, youths lean towards external courses and independent learning. More details from the study will be unveiled at the SUSS Youth Forum on 10 October 2025.

SUSS President Professor Tan Tai Yong gave the welcome remarks at the ceremony.

Professor Tan emphasised that success for graduates would not be defined by qualifications alone but also by their sense of purpose. He urged the Class of 2025 to carry forward the university’s ethos of “Dream, Dare, Do” with integrity and compassion.

“What makes this year’s convocation meaningful is not just its scale, but the spirit with which our graduates are stepping forward,” he said. “They are entering a world that demands adaptability, courage, empathy and responsibility. Strengthened by the support of their families, peers and communities, our graduates are ready to succeed in their careers and to make lasting contributions to society.”

Class of 2025 graduates taking a selfie at Convocation 2025.

Honouring Excellence and Collaboration

Convocation 2025 also spotlighted the breadth of SUSS’ academic offerings and its commitment to lifelong learning:

• Expanding business education: 73 students from the pioneer batch of the Master of Science in Management programme under the School of Business received their degrees. Taught and assessed in Chinese, the programme equips professionals with skills to navigate complex business challenges in Singapore and the ASEAN region.

   

• Strengthening social impact: 264 students graduated under the School of Social Work & Social Development (SWSD), which was officially launched in September 2025. The SWSD’s mission is to prepare practitioners and leaders to address evolving social challenges in Singapore and beyond.

   

• Executive leadership development: 2025 marks the 10th year of the Executive Management Programme (EMP), designed for C-suite leaders and managing directors of small and medium enterprises to strengthen their businesses with contemporary management insights.

   

• Honouring values: The inaugural Dr Lillyn Teh–SUSS RAISE Excellence Award was presented to Cassia Leong, a Bachelor of Arts in Translation and Interpretation graduate. Returning to university more than two decades after her first degree in civil engineering, Cassia balanced studies, work, and family while contributing to Chinese cultural education. The award recognises a graduating student who exemplifies the university’s core values of Respect, Adaptability, Integrity, Service, and Empathy (RAISE), with a cumulative GPA above 4.0.
  

Industry collaboration was also spotlighted through a S$14,000 donation from the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (AmChamSG). The donation will support two convocation awards over the next four years:

• AmChamSG Achievement Award – for the top graduating student of the part-time Bachelor of Science in Business programme (Global Acumen specialisation).
• AmChamSG Awards – Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards for the top three graduating students of the part-time Bachelor of Science in Business programme.

SUSS Convocation 2025 By the Numbers:

• Total graduates: 3,443
• Bachelor’s degree graduates: 2,976, including:
  • The first 264 graduates from the new School of Social Work & Social Development
• Postgraduate degree graduates: 472
• Master’s degree graduates: 430, including:
  • The pioneer cohort of 73 graduates from the Master of Science in Management
• Doctorate degree graduates: 6
  • 4 Doctor of Business Administration graduates
  • 2 Doctor of Philosophy (Gerontology) graduates
• Juris Doctor graduates: 37
• Executive Management Programme certificate recipients: 5