Freshmore Inauguration Ceremony 2025 – Speech by SUTD Provost Professor Chee Yeow Meng

Good afternoon, Class of 2029.

Today is a milestone. By stepping into this auditorium, you have stepped into a community unlike any other.

And as your Provost, it is my privilege to welcome you — warmly and proudly — into the SUTD family.

I joined SUTD only a few months ago. In that way, I too am new — just like you.

But in this short time, I’ve already seen what makes this place special: the capability of our students, the dedication of our faculty, and the courage of a university willing to try bold things.

And though I’ve spent much of my career in a few universities, I can tell you this: SUTD feels different.

Two days ago, I told you this: your future will not be defined by transcripts, but by what you make happen: the projects you undertake, the risks you embrace, the impact you create.

Now, I want to step back, and talk about what makes that possible here at SUTD: it is the community you now belong to, and the values we hold together.

If you remember one thing from me today, let it be this:

Not about exams. Not about grades. At SUTD, your education is about designing a better world — with courage and values.

Here, design, technology, and humanity come together.

Because the world’s most critical problems cannot be solved in isolation. They demand imagination.

They demand courage. They demand collaboration.

At SUTD, education is not just about what you know. It is about what you can make happen.

Not just about preparing you for the future, but about shaping the world around you.

It means mastering technology to improve lives. It means daring to turn ideas into reality.

It means having the courage to face failure, and the character to stay true to your values.

Because without values, innovation does not advance the world; it endangers it.

And you will not walk this journey alone. Look around you.

Here, you join a community of peers, mentors, and friends who will challenge you, support you, and inspire you.

Together, you will shape an environment where bold ideas take flight, and where character matters as much as achievement.

In a moment, you will recite the SUTD Creed. It is more than words on a page.

It is a commitment — to yourselves, to each other, and to the world. A commitment to strive for mastery.

A commitment to have the courage to face failure. A commitment to act with integrity.

And a commitment to lead with purpose.

Class of 2029 — your journey begins here. And in some ways, so does mine.

I look forward to learning alongside you, cheering you on, and witnessing the impact you will make.

So as you begin, take one small step right away. Reach out to someone new.

Ask a bold question.

Try something that feels unfamiliar.

Let this week be the first page of the story you will write at SUTD.

And as you write that story, let it be one of courage, of values, and of designing a better world.

One day, when people ask what it means to be from SUTD, the answer will be you — who trailblazed a better world by design.

Thank you.