Senior staff at the graduation ceremony, from left: Professor Geoff Jameson, Associate Professor Kelvin Goh, Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas, Professor Ray Geor, Associate Professor Bee Gim Lim, Associate Professor Lim Kok Hwa, Mr Anthony Goh, Professor Richard Archer, Stuart Morriss, Celia Wu, Professor Julian Heyes and Associate Professor Marie Wong.
An international collaboration in food technology education between Singapore and New Zealand has seen its first students graduate.
Massey and the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) have been jointly running the honours degree programme in food technology since September 2016, at SIT’s Dover campus. Held at the MES Theatre at Mediacorp on October 16, 46 students graduated with a Bachelor of Food Technology (Honours).
Massey Vice-Chancellor Professor Jan Thomas told graduates and guests at the event it was an exciting time to be working in the Singapore food and nutrition sector.
“The Massey-SIT Bachelors honours course in Food Technology hybridises the best of Singapore and of New Zealand and we can see the fruits of that hybrid in the excellent graduands before us today,” Professor Thomas said. “As graduates you have a mission to fill. You must build a system for secure, sustainable, healthy food for Singapore that is the envy of the world. Massey University is incredibly proud of you. I would like to wish you all the best for your future.”
Attendees included SIT deputy president (academic) and provost Professor Chua Kee Chiang and programme director Associate Professor Kelvin Goh.
Representatives from Massey included Deputy Vice-Chancellor Operations and Global Engagement Stuart Morriss, College of Sciences Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Ray Geor and School of Food and Advanced Technology head, Professor Julian Heyes.
As well as members of the New Zealand and Singapore Chambers of Commerce, government and food industry representatives, Education New Zealand and New Zealand Deputy High Commissioner to Singapore Laura Grey.
Education New Zealand regional director (Asia) John Laxon said about half the graduates had been able to undertake their major project in New Zealand and experience the country first-hand. “I congratulate the whole class graduating from this pioneering SIT-Massey joint food technology degree and wish you well in your careers.”
A valedictorian speech was given by graduate Xin Hui.