SMU marks Silver Jubilee with 25 trees to honour donor contributions

Twenty-five young Tembusu trees found their new home in the heart of SMU campus recently. These trees – large and distinctive to Singapore – were planted to honour contributions from donors as part of the University’s Silver Jubilee celebration. The trees were unveiled during a special tree unveiling ceremony held in conjunction with the annual Donor Appreciation Event, each bearing a personalised plaque honouring the contributing donors.

The Tembusu, renowned for its resilience and famously featured on Singapore’s five-dollar note, carries special significance for the University. These are the first Tembusu trees to grace SMU’s campus, symbolising the University’s spirit of resilience, sustainability, and transformation. Beyond enhancing campus greenery, the trees also represent the close relationship between donors and the University, and their importance in shaping the University’s journey.

“The past 25 years of SMU would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our donors. It is therefore with great pleasure that we dedicate the first 25 Tembusu trees on our campus to this important group, as a lasting symbol of our gratitude. As we look ahead to the next 25 years, we hope that all who believe in our vision will continue to walk alongside us in nurturing the next generation of changemakers,” said SMU President Professor Lily Kong in her opening remarks at the tree dedication ceremony.

A community coming of age with alumni giving back

Five of the 25 donors are alumni, whose contributions will help to nurture the same environment that once supported them, giving future generations the chance to grow and pay it forward in the years ahead. As a young university of 25 years, alumni participation in this milestone reflects how philanthropy at SMU is blossoming into a full circle for this community.

Former water polo captain Darrell Ee (BAcc 2007) and his wife Frances Yeap have established The Ee Family Study Award to help students pursue their studies without financial worry, as well as The Ee family International Exchange Grant, which they hope will enable students to access life-changing global experiences.

“From our own journeys – one as an international sportsman, the other as an international student – we know how much there is to gain from time abroad,” the couple shared.

Willy Wee (BAcc 2013), who benefited from scholarships that helped open doors which he himself might otherwise have missed, founded the Mdm Leow Poh Fong Endowed Scholarship in 2024. He hopes the award will encourage students who simply need someone to believe in them, creating what he calls “a lasting cycle of opportunity and gratitude”.

Randy Cheung (BBM 2014), raised in a modest household, credits SMU with equipping him not only with knowledge but also the confidence and empathy that shaped his career. His gift – the Cheung Family Endowed Scholarship – is his way of paying it forward. The scholarship supports students from financially challenged backgrounds, which he sees as continuing the same support and belief others once placed in him.

For Keeve Tan (MBA 2018 and MWM 2022), whose career in finance has taken him across markets, SMU provided the foundation for both professional and ethical growth. With the newly established Keeve Tan Wealth Management Scholarship, he aims to empower Southeast Asia’s brightest minds to thrive in Singapore’s wealth management sector and elevate the region’s financial landscape. 

Meanwhile, entrepreneur Dr Sun Xiushun (CKGSB-SMU DBA, 2022), founder of Winning International Group, established the Winning International Group Study Award for Accountancy students. He hopes the award will enable recipients to focus on honing their talents and fulfilling their potential, an opportunity he believes education uniquely provides.

Reflecting on his journey and his motivation to give back, Dr Sun said: “SMU has demonstrated that it is both distinctive and world-class.”

“In the same way that Winning International Group strives for excellence in all that we do, I hope this Study Award will inspire students to pursue their aspirations with courage and conviction. By easing their financial burdens, my wish is to give them the freedom to focus on honing their talents, realising their potential, and ultimately shaping a better future for society.”

A living and growing legacy

The tree dedication ceremony also echoed SMU’s history of symbolic plantings: in 2017, then-Chairman Ho Kwon Ping planted a Banyan tree to signify strong roots and expansive growth. The Tembusu grove now expands this tradition, representing enduring strength and the flourishing spirit of the SMU community.

The dedication ceremony also unveiled the SMU25 Bench and the sealing of a time capsule, capturing reflections and aspirations from today’s community; for those who will walk the same paths many years from now.

As SMU looks beyond its Silver Jubilee, the spirit of partnership between the University and its donors continues to grow stronger. These 25 trees stand not only as symbols of gratitude, but also as living testaments to a shared vision – one rooted in the belief that education can transform lives and uplift communities. Just as the Tembusu will take root and flourish over time, so too will the enduring bonds between SMU and its partners, as together they nurture new generations of changemakers and shape a more resilient, purposeful future.