Andrew K Rose Distinguished Professor Dean NUS Business School
My congratulations to the Class of 2025! We are honoured to celebrate this special occasion with you today. I applaud you for reaching this milestone; well done!
Commencement signifies a major turning point in your life, where you will embark on a new journey to become a responsible individual who can contribute and make a difference in the corporate world and society.
This year is particularly meaningful, as we celebrate the university’s 120th anniversary and the School’s 60th. Over the decades, NUS Business School has gone from strength to strength. We are now Asia’s leader in business education and research. Our anniversary theme, “Shaping The Next”, is more than just a slogan; it reflects our commitment to shaping the future of business education and research.
Over the past years, we hope that the school has nurtured and equipped you with an entrepreneurial spirit, industry-relevant knowledge and the soft skills needed to navigate a volatile future. Today, the world is facing unprecedented times of uncertainty arising from global issues (climate change and geopolitical tension) and technological advancements like artificial intelligence. Businesses are racing to keep up with the changes and stay ahead of the competition. I am confident that you are work-ready and able to leverage the Business School experiences to meet the challenges and thrive. You’re in for quite the ride!
I encourage you to retain an appetite for knowledge and to make continuous learning your life-long goal. Consistent with our commitment to Shape The Next, lifelong learning lies is at our core. The world of work continues to evolve; so will the skills that you need to succeed. Stay abreast of the business landscape, see comes next and how to prepare yourself. Then, take advantage of the programmes that NUS offers and upskill yourself. This way, you can re-invent and stay relevant.
You are about to join our alumni network of more than 350,000. It’s a good time to take a moment to reflect on your achievements, and ask yourself how you can build on the network to collaborate and create solutions for the betterment of our businesses, our society and our living environment. As a business graduate, you are in a unique position to integrate different ideas and be a trailblazer. I look forward to your return to NUS Business School as an alumnus and give back, continuing the legacy of your predecessors.
Our 60th anniversary serves as both a celebration of our legacy and a reminder of the path from our humble beginnings. Leading from Asia, NUS Business School is committed to nurturing the next generation of business leaders who are also global citizens. You are an exemplar of our quality education; now is your time to go out to the world and be a game changer. We will be rooting for you!
You are now our alumni and our pride. Our faculty, staff and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
BSc Real Estate Ceremony 13
MSc in Management and CEMS MIM Ceremony 14
EMBA (English) Ceremony 15
BBA Ceremony 16
BBA (Accountancy) Ceremony 17
Executive Director Sinoda Shipping Agency Pte Ltd Ceremony 14
Chairman, Lien Foundation Chairman and Co-Founder, Asia Philanthropy Circle Ceremony 15
Chief Marketing Officer, Google Asia Pacific Ceremony 16
Country Head DBS Singapore Ceremony 17
Akanksha is the Executive Director of Sinoda Shipping Agency, the Strategy Head for Raks International and Director of Seamind Blue Ocean. In these roles, she is committed to digitizing the maritime services industry, building the talent pipeline and developing an inclusive and sustainable strategy for the companies.
She is the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) Goodwill Maritime Ambassador Emerita. She sits on the Council of the Singapore Shipping Association, is a Mission To Seafarers Global Ambassador and a Maritime SheEO Ambassador. She is also part of the Singapore committees of Nautical Institute, the Mission To Seafarers and leads the Women in Logistics community at the Singapore Logistics Association (SLA). She is a mentor at PIER71 – a maritime accelerator set up in collaboration with NUS Enterprise and Maritime and Port Authority (MPA). She also led Sinoda Shipping to be the first and only FONASBA Member in Singapore; FONASBA has consultative status at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD) and the World Customs Organisation (WCO). She consequently sits on FONASBA’s Education & Quality Committee as well. In these capacities she is passionate about contributing meaningfully to the advocacy of the industry, increasing the profile of maritime and drives visibility of women in maritime and logistics.
Beyond professional arenas, Akanksha serves as the Liaison Officer at Consulate-General of Malta to Singapore and facilities cultural and diplomatic bilateral relations. She also sits on the NUS Business School Alumni Association Board of Directors.
She holds a BBA Honors , an MSc (Management) and a CEMS MIM from the National University of Singapore (NUS). She’s also an alumna of the NUS University Scholars Programme (USP) and has recently received an Honorary Professional Doctorate from the European International University. She is currently pursuing a Post Graduate Diploma in Executive Maritime Management from the World Maritime University (WMU).
She has won various awards from her alma maters and the industry that validate her work. Ms. Batura Pai was awarded the CEMS Alumni of the Year 2021, NUS Outstanding Young Alumni 2023, MCC Woman Achiever of the Year 2023, Fame Times International Excellence Award (FTIEA) 2024, Maritime SheEO Leader of The Year 2024 and Shiptek’s Rising Star Award 2025. Most recently she was awarded the SeaTrade 20 Under 40 during UAE Maritime Week 2025 and was awarded with the 10 Women to Watch during NorShipping in Oslo 2025. She has been featured in the Marex Media’s “India Maritime Icons 2024” List. She also debuted on the acclaimed Top 100 Women in Shipping list as Number 11 in 2024. And this year in February 2025, she topped the link by being ranked #1 globally in the prestigious Top 100 Women in Shipping list conducted annually by AllAboutShipping.
Akanksha is the daughter of a seafarer and resides in Singapore with her family and has two young daughters who are 4 and 1. In her spare time, she enjoys crocheting, reading, making (and drinking) cocktails and traveling to new countries (she has already hit 71 countries).
Laurence Lien is Co-Founder and Chairman of the Asia Philanthropy Circle, a membership-based platform for philanthropists in Asia to exchange and collaborate. Laurence is also the Chairman of Lien Foundation, a family foundation established in 1980, which has become well-regarded for its forward-thinking and radical approach. He is also Co-Founder and a Board Member of the Asia Community Foundation.
Laurence was the CEO of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre in Singapore from 2008-2014. Prior to his work in the non-profit sector, Laurence served in the Singapore Administrative Service in the Singapore Government. Laurence holds degrees from Oxford University, the National University of Singapore, and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. In 2010, Laurence was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship. He was also a Nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore from 2012-2014.
As Chief Marketing Officer for Google Asia Pacific, Simon Kahn oversees marketing across sixteen markets. He has been instrumental in establishing APAC as one of Google’s fastest-growing regions, contributing to product launches, local innovation, digital literacy initiatives, in addition to championing women’s growth as executive sponsor of women@. Simon is a key voice for APAC, seeing its evolution from “Catch Up” to “Catch Us” as a window to the future. He has been recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice and Campaign Asia Power Profile.
Beyond Google, Simon dedicated over a decade to the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, including five years as Chairman, and serves on prominent boards. His career began with public service, co-founding a non-profit, followed by 13 years at American Express in key marketing and general management roles.
Lim Him Chuan is Country Head of DBS Singapore, where he is responsible for leading the franchise in the Group’s largest market.
Prior to this, he was Group Head of Strategy, Transformation, Analytics & Research (GSTAR), where he was responsible for driving the ongoing transformation agenda of DBS, including the institutionalisation of Artificial Intelligence and Gen AI. Additionally, DBS further entrenched the Managing through Journeys way of working under his leadership.
Before that, he was General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of DBS Bank Taiwan, a role he held from 2018 to 2023. Under his leadership, DBS Taiwan’s income increased at a compounded annual growth rate of 6%, while net profit before tax grew at a CAGR of 12%. DBS Taiwan also won multiple accolades including Best International Foreign Bank in Taiwan by Asiamoney.
Him Chuan’s other senior leadership roles at DBS include being Group Head of Product Management for Global Transaction Services, Group Chief Operating Officer for Institutional Banking Group and International Markets, Risk Management Group and Head of Group Audit.
Before joining DBS, he worked as a Vice President with the Risk Management Group at JP Morgan and held positions as Audit Manager and Management Consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Singapore and New York.
Him Chuan holds a bachelor’s degree in Accountancy (Honours) from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and completed the Accelerated Development Programme (business leadership) at the Chicago Booth School of Business. He was conferred the title of Singapore Institute of Banking and Finance Fellow in 2014 in recognition of his contributions to the Singapore financial services industry and his industry thought leadership.
Commencement ceremonies for the School of Business (BIZ) will be held on 14 – 15 July 2025 at the University Cultural Centre (UCC). Find out how to get there with this guide.
CONCURRENT DEGREE PROGRAMMEMaster of Urban Planning/Bachelor of Science with Honours (Real Estate)DOUBLE DEGREE PROGRAMMEBachelor of Science with Honours (Real Estate)
Ceremony C13Monday, 14 July 202502:30 PM
DOUBLE DEGREE PROGRAMMENUS CEMS Double Degree ProgrammeMaster of Science (Management)Master of Science (Marketing Analytics & Insights)
CONCURRENT DEGREE PROGRAMMEMaster of Science (Management)/Bachelor of Computing with HonoursMaster of Science (Management)/Bachelor of Business Administration with Honours
Master of Science (Accounting)Master of Science (Business)Master of Science (Finance)Master of Science (Human Capital Management and Analytics)Master of Science (Marketing Analytics and Insights)Master of Science (Management)Master of Science (Real Estate)Master of Science (Sustainable and Green Finance)Master of Science (Strategic Analysis and Innovation)
Ceremony C14Monday, 14 July 202507:00 PM
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy (Offered by Operations Research And Analytics)
Master of Business Administration – NUS Executive MBA (English)Master of Business Administration – NUS Executive MBA (Chinese)
NUS-HAUTES ETUDES COMMERCIALES (HEC) PARIS DOUBLE DEGREE PROGRAMMEMaster of Business Administration
NUS-UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES DOUBLE DEGREE PROGRAMMEMaster of Business Administration
NUS-YALE UNIVERSITY DOUBLE DEGREE PROGRAMMEMaster of Business Administration
DOUBLE DEGREE PROGRAMMEMaster of Business Administration/Master in Public Policy
Master of Business AdministrationMaster of Science (Operations Research and Analytics)
Ceremony C15Tuesday, 15 July 202510:00 AM
CONCURRENT DEGREE PROGRAMMEMaster of Science (Management)/Bachelor of Business Administration
DOUBLE DEGREE PROGRAMME
Bachelor of Business Administration with Honours**Note: Please refer to the email from NUS Commencement in end-June for your allocated ceremony.
Ceremony C16Tuesday, 15 July 202502:30 PM
Bachelor of Business Administration with Honours (Accountancy)Bachelor of Business Administration (Accountancy)
Bachelor of Business Administration
Ceremony C17Tuesday, 15 July 202507:00 PM
Can’t make it for the ceremony? Catch our graduates in their best moments live on Youtube.
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