SINGAPORE - It is the lucky number eight for Nanyang Technological University (NTU) - when it comes to the pairs of twins graduating during its 25th anniversary this year.

Among them are twin sisters Wong Jyun Yir and Wong Jyun Yao, who are 23, graduates of NTU's maritime studies programme and now working in the same company, Orica, a mining services company.

In their first year, younger sister Jyun Yao was hospitalised for two weeks due to a liver infection. During the same period, the sisters lost two close relatives. They found strength in each other's help and support.

Another pair of graduating twins Alphonsus and Alphonso Seng, both 24, were reunited in the NTU Nanyang Business School after going through different tracks during secondary school and junior college.

A pair of twins who were equally brilliant in their studies are Loh Yun Xuan and Yun Xian, both 25. They not only look similar but do almost everything together and share similar interests. Both attained first class honours for their double degrees in accountancy and business.

Meanwhile, twins Liu Zongli and Liu Zongsheng, both 24, were less alike. The former was more focused on academics and learning more about investments and finance, while the latter was active in student clubs such as the NTU Lifeguard Corps.

Zongsheng said the best thing about having a twin in the same course was that "two heads are better than one".

"We could consult each other at any instance.We also shared our academic books and saved quite a bit on book expenses."

The twins are among 9,000 graduands who will receive their bachelor's and higher degrees from NTU this year, in 18 convocation ceremonies that end on Tuesday (Aug 2).

They make up the 25th class of NTU graduates since the university was inaugurated in 1991, with the merger of Nanyang Technological Institute and the National Institute of Education.