SIT Celebrates the Graduation of its Largest Cohort to-date

A record number of over 2,200 graduates for Class of 2022, including the pioneer cohort of Air Transport Management graduates and SIT’s first Honorary Graduate.

More than 2,200 graduates received their degree scrolls this year. (SIT Photo: Keng Photography/Wang Zhixiang)

The Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) is celebrating the achievements of the Class of 2022 with its Graduation Ceremonies from 12 to 14 October 2022. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Mr Lawrence Wong, graced the main graduation session held at The Theatre at MediaCorp today.

This year, over 2,200 graduates from 47 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes will be conferred their degree scrolls. The Class of 2022 is made up of 960 graduates from SIT-conferred programmes, 958 graduates from SIT-overseas university (OU) joint programmes¹, and 323 graduates from degrees conferred by SIT OU partners².

Mr Lawrence Wong, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, graced the event as Guest-of-Honour. (SIT photo: Keng Photography/Tan Eng Keng)

Pioneer Cohort of Air Transport Management Graduates

The occasion marks the graduation of the inaugural cohort of 52 students from the Air Transport Management (ATM) degree programme. The first of its kind by an autonomous university in Singapore, the three-year Bachelor’s Degree with Honours programme is developed in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and other key members of the aviation industry.

The ATM programme aims to produce future-ready professionals for the Singapore air transport sector. Under SIT’s flagship Integrated Work Study Programme³ (IWSP), ATM students undergo an eight-month work attachment at airlines, airports, ground handlers, freight agencies and travel technology firms, where they gain practical knowledge and skills in the analytical, business, management, operations and strategic aspects of the air transport industry. 

The pioneer cohort of ATM graduates will further strengthen the pipeline of skilled aviation professionals and address manpower needs within the industry, especially with the upcoming Changi Airport’s Terminal 5 project. According to the University’s preliminary employment survey⁴, 63% of ATM graduates secured employment within one month of completing their studies in companies including SATS, Changi Airport Group, Singapore Airlines and Jetstar Asia Airways. 90% of them received an advance offer from SIT’s industry partners following their IWSP.

“The air transport sector was decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the difficult period, the Industry Advisory Committee of SIT’s ATM programme worked alongside industry partners in the air transport ecosystem to provide work attachment places for SIT students. With borders reopening, the demand for air travel is soaring back. The future of the air transport sector remains bright and will continue to grow. My heartiest congratulations to the inaugural batch of ATM graduates, who have soldiered on during the pandemic and are now ready to pursue their dreams,” said Mr Ho Yuen Sang, Industry Advisory Committee Member, ATM degree programme.

Pioneer Graduates from MSc Civil Engineering and SIT-UofG Joint Degree Programmes

SIT is also celebrating its first batch of 17 graduates from the Master of Science in Civil Engineering programme conferred by SIT, as well as 226 graduates from the SIT-University of Glasgow (UofG) joint degree programmes in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Computing Science.

Customised to suit working professionals’ needs, the MSc Civil Engineering programme is designed to equip engineers with specialised and advanced technical and practical skills to support the industry in addressing complex civil engineering problems in creative and sustainable ways. The three SIT-UofG joint programmes, co-developed and co-taught by both universities, focus on emerging technologies that reshape business models and strategies in the Engineering and ICT sectors.

Mr Bill Chang, Chairman, Board of Trustees, SIT, presented the Honorary Degree to Dr Ng Yat Chung. (SIT Photo: Keng Photography/Tan Eng Keng)

SIT Confers First Honorary Graduate

This year’s graduation ceremony also saw the conferment of the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters for the first time. The recipient is Mr. Ng Yat Chung, founding Chairman of SIT’s Board of Trustees. During his tenure from September 2009 to March 2022, Mr. Ng steered the growth and development of SIT as the first university of applied learning in Singapore. He was a strong proponent of the University’s applied learning pedagogy, placing strong emphasis on practice-oriented learning, industry partnerships and the integration of work and study in the curriculum.

Furthermore, Mr. Ng cemented SIT’s forward-looking vision by guiding several initiatives. These included the provision of upskilling opportunities for industry practitioners through the University’s Continuing Education and Training programmes and advocating for SIT’s consolidated campus that is being built in the Punggol Digital District.

More details on Mr Ng's contributions are available here.

SIT President Professor Chua Kee Chaing said, “We thank Mr. Ng for his remarkable contributions and the strong foundations he has laid to support SIT’s development as a pioneer of Singapore’s applied learning pathway in university education. At the heart of the holistic education that our students receive is our applied learning pedagogy that pushes them to learn off real-world problems. Through our industry-relevant programmes and the IWSP, we hope to continue nurturing the talent pipeline needed by the various economic sectors in Singapore. It has been encouraging to see employment outcomes surpassing pre-pandemic levels.”