SMU President giving a welcome address at SMU Jubilee Arts Festival in 2025

Professor Lily Kong, President of Singapore Management University (SMU), delivered the welcome address at the opening of the SMU Arts Festival 2025, a rare occasion graced by the gathering of senior leaders from Singapore’s universities, alongside the Chief Executive Officer of the National Heritage Board and a former Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. Behind Professor Kong stood the festival banner bearing the theme 2560, which commemorates two significant milestones in Singapore’s history: the 25th anniversary of SMU and the nation’s 60th year of independence. The theme 2560 carries a rich symbolism. “25” marks SMU’s remarkable 25-year journey, reflecting the university’s youthful spirit, achievements, and forward-looking aspirations. “60” pays tribute to Singapore’s resilience, growth, and evolving identity as a vibrant global city. Together, the theme weaves tradition and innovation, bridging past achievements with future aspirations.

The festival also represents an unprecedented historic moment, bringing together all eight universities in Singapore—NUS, NTU, SIM, SIT, SMU, SUTD, SUSS, and UAS—in a collective artistic collaboration. United by creativity and shared purpose, this collaboration powerfully expresses solidarity and inclusivity through the arts, underscoring the unifying role of culture within the nation’s higher education landscape.