More than ever, creativity, innovation, collaboration and excellence are called for in the economy of tomorrow. Just ask LASALLE College of the Arts graduate Jerome Lim, who decided to transfer out of the National University of Singapore’s Industrial Design programme in order to pursue his dreams of becoming a thought leader of fashion.
“I wanted to be stimulated creatively by pursuing a degree that marries design and business. At LASALLE, I was able to engage both my left and right brain in a dynamic discipline,” said Jerome.
Such an attitude has seen him immersing himself in the myriad opportunities available to young creatives at LASALLE. Besides representing the College on the national and international stage at events such as the LVMH Challenge 2016 and the Global Design Initiative 2017, Jerome also spent every semester break interning with prestigious names including Dior, Prada, Harper’s Bazaar, and L’Officiel.
Today, Jerome graduated top of his cohort with a BA(Hons) Fashion Media and Industries degree. At LASALLE’s 31st Convocation Ceremony, held in Singapore Expo Hall 2, Guest-of-Honour Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Speaker of Parliament, presented him the College’s most prestigious honour – the McNally Award for Excellence in the Arts. Jerome joins the ranks of illustrious McNally Award recipients from LASALLE such as award-winning filmmaker Boo Junfeng (Class of 2008), Forbidden City actress Millicent Wong (Class of 2015), and soul singer Nick Zavior (Class of 2016), who performed at the Singapore International Jazz Festival 2017 alongside music legends David Foster, Brian McKnight, and Chaka Khan.
Other top LASALLE graduates who received their degrees today include designer Lee Jing Lin, BA(Hons) Design Communication, who counted the Singapore International Foundation and AWARE Singapore among her clients during her time at LASALLE and whose work has been recognised at the regional Crowbar Awards; and Nur Shireen Marican, BA(Hons) Arts Management, who managed projects such as ARTWALK Little India 2016 with the Singapore Tourism Board, and presented a proposal on the heritage conservation of Waterloo Street to the Urban Redevelopment Authority.
Jing Lin is currently a Graphic Designer at renowned advertising firm Bartle Bogle Hegarty Singapore, while Shireen is furthering her interest in the cultural sector at the Malay Heritage Foundation, where she leads on the implementation of a multi-partner initiative to install heritage markers in Kampong Glam. “As a College, we do more than just impart skills and job preparedness to students. We prepare critical thinkers who can not only respond to the challenges of the existing cultural industries, but can foster their own creative environments. This is a long-term strategy of our education to develop enterprising and resilient cultural influencers and leaders who can shape the creative industries of the future,” said Venka Purushothaman, Vice-President (Academic) and Provost of LASALLE.
With inter-disciplinarity at the core of LASALLE’s curriculum, the 852 graduates from LASALLE’s eight schools — McNally School of Fine Arts, Puttnam School of Film & Animation, School of Creative Industries, School of Design Communication, School of Fashion, School of Spatial & Product Design, School of Contemporary Music, and School of Dance & Theatre — who received their Diplomas, BA(Hons), and MA degrees today are well-equipped to enter an economy that demands adaptability, internationalism, and a collaborative approach.
A 2017 survey of more than 700 LASALLE alumni who graduated between 1999 and 2014, conducted by Nielsen, found that nine out of 10 LASALLE graduates are presently employed, happy in their jobs, and find the skills they developed at LASALLE relevant to their work.
“LASALLE has provided me with an all-rounded education. There are plenty of opportunities, and I’m able to grow into my own as a mature thinker. I am therefore better equipped to make wise decisions in both my personal and professional life,” said Jerome.
Jerome is one who is already utilising his acquired skill-set to enrich the cultural sector. As the marketing coordinator of SerpentiForm, Bulgari’s first in Asia exhibition on brand heritage and Italian motifs, Jerome hopes that his accomplishments will prove that the study of fashion goes beyond material clothes and superficial stereotypes.
Richard Lee, President of The Ngee Ann Kongsi, which funded Jerome’s studies with The Ngee Ann Kongsi Scholarship 2016/17, said, “As Singapore’s most active foundation in cultural, welfare and educational activities, we are very happy to support talented young people who are poised to become future leaders in the arts. We believe it is important for our vibrant, diverse society that aspiring artists and creative minds have the space and support to flourish as they seek to make an impact on a changing world.”
