University holds graduation ceremonies in Asia

Friday, 11 April 2008

Approximately 180 students from 32 countries will graduate from the University of Adelaide at offshore ceremonies in Hong Kong and Singapore in the next week.

The Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Adelaide, Professor James McWha, and the Chancellor, the Hon. John von Doussa, will attend both ceremonies, accompanied by distinguished Asian alumni.

The Hong Kong graduation ceremony, to be held this Sunday 13 April at 2pm in the prestigious Grand Hyatt Hotel, will feature an address by prominent Hong Kong dentist and University of Adelaide alumnus Dr Eugene Chan.

Dr Chan graduated with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery from the University of Adelaide in 1988 and currently serves on a number of dentistry and health boards in Hong Kong.

About 70 graduands will receive their parchments at the ceremony, including mace-bearer Monica Cheung, an Adelaide-born businesswoman who will be presented with three of the nine prizes on offer to University of Adelaide students enrolled in the Hong Kong MBA program.

On Saturday 19 April, 110 students will graduate from the Ngee Ann-Adelaide Education Centre in Singapore at 2pm.

The Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry in the Republic of Singapore, Mr S. Iswaran, will give the graduation address.

Mr Iswaran holds a First Class Honours degree in Economics from the University of Adelaide and also a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard University.

The Singapore graduands will be led into the auditorium by mace-bearer Han Shen Ch'ng, a Malaysian-born business development manager who has just completed his MBA with the University of Adelaide.

Countries represented at both ceremonies include: India, Vietnam, Malaysia, China, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Brunei, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Canada, Taiwan, Egypt, Croatia, Libya, Macau, Oman, Pakistan, South Africa, Egypt, Norway, France, Great Britain, El Salvador, Switzerland, Andorra, The Philippines, Ecuador, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.

Professor McWha says the graduation ceremonies will highlight the achievements and potential of the University's students from Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore in particular.

"We are extremely privileged to have two speakers of Dr Chan's and Mr Iswaran's standing. I am sure the graduands will benefit from the wisdom and advice they will impart during their respective addresses in Hong Kong and Singapore.

"At the University of Adelaide we strive to produce graduates who make an impact in their country and around the world, and we hope there are many students graduating at these ceremonies who follow in their footsteps," Professor McWha says.

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