This year’s graduation was marked by a series of “firsts”, noted Professor Arnoud De Meyer during his speech at the Opening Ceremony of Commencement 2011.

It was Professor De Meyer’s first Commencement since becoming President of SMU and the graduation of the first cohort of students from the university’s School of Law. This was also the first occasion on which the university was bestowing the new SMU CIRCLE Awards which honour students who have best upheld the university’s “CIRCLE” values and demonstrated all-round excellence in student life, student leadership, community service and in their academic studies.