Festive Graduation Ceremony at TUM Asia's Singapore Campus
The Class of 2026 Ready to Take Responsibility in the World
In brief
- Bright Career Prospects for TUM Asia Graduates
- More than 3,200 people from 45 countries have already graduated from TUM Asia
- A Call to Advocate for the Common Good
Perhaps the most heartwarming sight of the day was the joy on the parents' faces. Some of them had traveled a long way – from India, the Philippines, China, Indonesia, and other countries – to celebrate their children's graduation from the TUM Campus in Singapore. Many watched with tears of pride in their eyes.
Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann, the President of the Technical University of Munich (TUM), flew more than 10,000 kilometers to take part in the ceremony. "Today is your day!" he told the graduates in his address. "We celebrate your hard work, dedication, and achievements. You can be proud of yourself, of your academic accomplishments and your personal journeys: the challenges you faced, the determination you showed, and the growth you experienced along the way. This is your success!"
In his address as Guest of Honor, Heng Swee Keat, Singapore's former Deputy Prime Minister and current Inaugural Chancellor of the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), paid special tribute to the graduates' families and friends. Without their support, advice, and encouragement, he said, the students probably would not have made it to graduation from one of the world's leading universities.
TUM alumna Dr. Ong Lay Hwa gave the graduates a bright outlook on their careers ahead. She belonged to the very first cohort at the TUM Campus in Singapore back in 2002, graduating in industrial chemistry, and today serves as Head of Energy Transition at Shell, the British multinational energy company. Drawing on her own path, she encouraged the new graduates to believe in themselves and aim high, telling them that their studies at TUM had given them the values, the skills, and the mindset they need to succeed.
President Hofmann, in turn, offered the Class of 2026 some parting advice: "Speak up when something needs to change. Make your voice heard. Help create solutions. Get involved. Embrace change – not as something to fear, but as an opportunity to discover new ideas and make a real difference. And never lose your sense of empathy and responsibility. The world does not only need brilliant minds. It needs people who listen, collaborate, lift each other up, and work together for the common good."
The graduation ceremony ended the way such celebrations should: with a joyous party, happy faces, and plenty of hugging and cheering. For these promising young people, it marks the start of a new chapter in their lives – with the confidence that TUM, their alma mater, will always stand by their alumni’s side.
Established in 2002, TUM Asia, the teaching arm of the TUM Campus in Singapore, has successfully brought German academic excellence beyond its borders, becoming the most successful overseas campus of any German university. Located in Singapore, it serves as a launchpad for global opportunities, providing strategic access to the dynamic Asian market and fostering international collaboration.
Lead by TUM Vice President Dr. Markus Wächter, TUM Asia offers a diverse range of bachelor's and master's programs in cutting-edge fields such as Sustainable Food, Urban Transport, Logistics, Aerospace, Chemistry, and Electronics. Delivered in collaboration with the prestigious Singaporean universities NTU, a flagship partner of TUM, NUS and SIT, these programs equip students with the skills and knowledge to make a global impact.
TUM Asia also offers lifelong learning courses in areas such as sustainable food, rail and urban transport, and logistics engineering. These courses are available as stackable certificates, allowing learners to progress at their own pace, earn professional certifications, and eventually count their achievements toward a graduate diploma or even a master's degree.
To date, more than 3,200 people from 45 countries have graduated from TUM Asia, making waves in industries and taking on responsibility worldwide. Together, they form the Alumni Chapter Singapore – the first TUM Alumni Chapter to be established anywhere in the world.
The second arm of TUM Campus Singapore is the multidisciplinary research platform TUMCREATE, directed by Prof. Ulf Schlichtmann. Founded in 2010, it fosters bilateral research exchanges between the TUM and other world leading universities, local institutions, and public agencies as well as industry partners from the region to contribute to the sustainable transformation of societies through science and technology.
Funded by the National Research Foundation of Singapore, TUMCREATE's multi-faceted research projects span topics from urban mobility, food science and technology, biomedical technology and preventive care to solutions for a carbon-neutral megacity.
Over the last years, the research teams presented more than 1,000 publications, with more than 150 doctoral students and postdocs qualified for a career in research and industry. These achievements and the strong rapport established with its international partners reflect the institution's high-quality research output and scientific impact.
Technical University of Munich
Corporate Communications Center
- Ulrich Meyer
- presse@tum.de
- Teamwebsite
