The commencement ceremony for my MSc in Applied Economics was on 13 July 2016 and I was fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to share a few words on behalf of the postgraduate class to the School of Economics faculty members, graduating class and guests. Below is the transcript of my speech:

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1. Good Evening Dean, Professor Bryce Hool, Vice Provost, Professor Phang Sock Yong, Associate Deans, Professor Hoon Hian Teck, Professor Gea Lee, Professor Anthony Tay, esteemed faculty, distinguished guests, families, friends and my fellow graduates. I’m humbled and honoured by this opportunity to share a few words with you.
2. 2 years ago, before we embarked on the MAE journey, I had no idea what to expect; how much commitment it would take; and how many sleepless nights I had to go through. All I had in mind was that I wanted to continue pursuing my interests in Economics while working. While the faculty members and seniors pre-empted us on what was required, it was not until both my feet were in, did I truly appreciate the amount of time and effort that was required.
3. To my MAE classmates – over these 2 years, we have spent much of our time mulling over economic theories, concepts, their applications to the real world and wonder whether we would make it to this day. Today marks the end of our journey for this chapter of our lives and we are graduating as the class of 2016.
4. Earning this degree is no small feat. It has been challenging to take on 20 modules over a period of 2 years while being engaged in full-time work. I’m sure you can remember waking up at 7am for work, spending the day fire-fighting in the office, and then attending classes from 7 to 10.30pm, 3 times a week. And we repeated this for 2 years! Personally, I started questioning myself why I was putting myself through this 1 month into the programme. There were also these seemingly never-ending readings, projects and papers on our plate. Not forgetting the times we had to forego spending time with our loved ones on weeknights and weekends for our school commitments; and all those things that we had taken for granted, became a luxury. Despite all these, we prevailed. We did it.
5. We have learnt a lot from our instructors during these 2 years. In addition to the econometric models and mathematical equations, we had intriguing conversations on issues such as the effectiveness of Abenomics, consequences of the Greek debt crisis and even the political economy of the Singapore 2015 GE. This course gave us the opportunity to appreciate and understand current affairs in the eyes of economics. I’m sure if we are still in class, we’ll have exciting discourse over the implications of Brexit.
6. Even if what we’ve learnt were not directly applicable in our work, I’m sure you will appreciate that we are now able to really understand what those Bloomberg articles are talking about; and being able to sound smart among our friends and colleagues when we talk about global issues. And for all of that, on behalf of the MAE class, I would like to thank the professors and instructors that have taught us.
7. While our journey was tough, it would have been near impossible without the support and understanding of our loved ones. To all the family and friends here, thank you for your understand and support. Thank you for persevering with us in this journey; for without your support, the journey would not have been a meaningful one. Finally, thank you for being here to celebrate our achievements with us. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my family for your love and support, especially my wife – for listening to my complaints; doing my share of chores and being there for me every step of the way.
8. Our class comes from 6 different countries with diverse backgrounds – lawyers, bankers, engineers and civil servants. Each of us with different motivations – self-actualisation, career advancements, or even to pursue a PhD. Despite those differences, we are armed with the same genuine interests of economics and how those theories apply in the real world.
9. To my classmates, I thank you for all the lively debates, engaging discussions and not forgetting the precious friendship that we have forged. Despite being in different stages in life, we made time for one another. In a way, the numerous gatherings, dinners, house visits and even a wedding made this class feels like another family to me. In this short but tough 2 years, we have achieved a lot – apart from acquiring knowledge, some of us switched jobs, got married and even had a few babies!
10. I am sure in the years to come, we will continue to be successful in our own ways and continue to lead fulfilling lives. Even though this marks the end of our Masters programme, continue to develop and embark on lifelong learning. I hope the MAE family will continue to remain close for a very long time.
11. These were 2 important years for me and have been crucial in shaping my professional future. Apart from the knowledge acquired, I’ve switched to my ideal career by joining the civil service and subsequently being accepted into a PhD programme to further my training in Economics. All of these wouldn’t be possible if I had given up when I received my first rejection. What I want to emphasize here is that: Everything is impossible until you try it. We are all capable of more than what we credit ourselves for. To everyone here, whether you are a fresh graduate or a mid-career professional, don’t settle for something that is sub-optimal, be a rational economic agent and maximise your utility. Try that something that you’ve always wanted to do, be it a career switch or a new hobby, don’t regret when it is too late.
12. Never stop learning. Even as we leave SMU, learning doesn’t stop, it cannot stop. In this ever-changing environment we have to make sure we stay relevant and constantly reinvent ourselves to keep up in this age of robotisation and automation. Remember, one can never learn too much and there will always be something to learn. With that, I leave you with a quote from the philosopher, Socrates: “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
13. Once again, I wish everyone happiness, success and all the best in your future endeavours. Thank you.