As the Singapore Management University (SMU) celebrated its tenth and largest batch of graduates on Thursday, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat lauded the university on the progress it has made since its founding in 2000.

"We had serious concerns," Mr Heng said. "Would the new university, with no track record, be able to attract high-calibre candidates?" The risk paid off, he said, noting that last year's batch of graduates registered a robust employment rate of 91.7 per cent.

Mr Heng was speaking at Resorts World Sentosa to over 2,000 graduates including 500 postgraduate students.

SMU also conferred honorary degrees to former Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong and former Xerox Corporation chief John Seely Brown.