By Emma Pang (Chemical Engineering + NUSC ‘28)
On 19 September 2026, Saga and Elm Dining Halls were transformed to host alumni returning to campus for NUS College’s Homecoming 2026. As alumni arrived and reconnected with familiar faces, a shared sentiment emerged: the spaces may have changed, but the community spirit endures. Soon, the dining halls were filled with the chatter and laughter of close to 200 alumni, faculty, family and friends.
Conversations kick off at NUSC Homecoming 2026!
For the first time, Homecoming welcomed alumni of both the University Scholars Programme (USP) and Yale-NUS College (Yale-NUS). For these alumni, Homecoming carries a particular significance, offering them an opportunity to reconnect with the communities and experiences that shaped their university years, while discovering the new connections taking shape through NUS College (NUSC).
Fittingly, this year’s theme was “A New Home” — an invitation to reflect on how a sense of belonging can endure, even as places and communities evolve. In line with this theme, alumni were encouraged to pen their reflections on what it meant to “come home” on a chalkboard displayed in Elm Dining Hall.
Goh Zhengqin (Psychology + USP ’08) shared, “Being on the organising committee for Homecoming felt like a full-circle moment for me. As a USP alum and former Yale-NUS staff member, my connections to both programmes run deep. It was a joy to see familiar faces while also forming new connections through the conversations I had that day. I am thankful that NUSC has become a new home that carries within it the DNA and heritage of its predecessors, while looking ahead to a bright future.”
Alumni connecting with faculty at Homecoming 2026.
The afternoon began with a welcome address by Associate Professor Quek Su Ying, the Vice Dean of Outreach at NUSC, followed by the tradition of celebrating graduation milestones with a cake-cutting ceremony. This year, alumni from the Classes of 2021, 2016, 2011 and 2006, marked their 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th graduation anniversaries.
Celebrating her 5th anniversary was Michelle Chan (History + USP ’21) who shared, “Stepping back on campus, seeing familiar faces in a different setting was a surreal experience. I enjoyed walking around and remembering the stories and idiosyncrasies of living on campus.” On what she enjoyed most at the reunion, she added, “The trivia quiz! It was fun working together in teams and activated a part of me not often used these days.”
Celebrating the milestone years. Congratulations to the Class of 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021!
From there, the afternoon belonged to the alumni. Some queued for ice cream, while others settled in with a drink from Brewhouse, a student-led initiative with its roots in Yale-NUS. On stage, performances ranged from barbershop harmonies to Mandopop duets to solo alumni acts. Alumni also opted to go on a tour of the campus.
The Barbershop group consisting of alumni and current students serenade the alumni at Homecoming 2026.
Don Shiau (Sociology + USP ’05) delivers a solo act with a full rock band sound.
Ryan Foo (Mathematics, Computational & Statistical Science + Yale-NUS ’20) shares a set of acoustic songs at Homecoming.
Throughout the afternoon, alumni caught up over food and drinks, sharing stories of their time on campus and updates about life after graduation. Trivia soon turned casual mingling into friendly rivalry, as alumni tested their memories and challenged one another on everything from food facts to international ghost stories.
Friendly rivalry in full swing as alumni put their knowledge to the test during Homecoming trivia.
Professor Aaron Maniam leads an engaging workshop for alumni at Homecoming.
Homecoming for some alumni meant returning to the classroom. The Back-to-School segment of the afternoon offered alumni a chance to sit in a classroom again, this time by choice. The sessions offered something for everyone: Professor Aaron Maniam, an adjunct lecturer with NUSC and a familiar face to alumni of both USP and Yale-NUS, led “Navigating an Even More Complex World”; Dr. Bart Van Wassenhove, Senior Lecturer at NUS College and former USP faculty member, explored judgement, rules and working life in “The War on Wisdom”, while Dr. Carissa Foo, senior lecturer at NUSC and former Yale-NUS faculty, invited them into “An Ordinary Class”.
It takes a village: NUSC Homecoming 2026 made possible with the help of the organising committee and student associates.
For organising committee member Amirul Hakim Bin Abdul Hamid (Philosophy + Yale-NUS ’22), he shared, “I really enjoyed being in the organising committee, sharing ideas and memories with alumni from the different programmes. I wanted to serve in the committee to continue sharing the good impressions of Yale-NUS College, especially with people who may have never met a Yale-NUS alum. My favourite moment was certainly hosting trivia.”
For current students, Homecoming also created opportunities to meet those who had come before them. Student helper Loo Sin Rou (Psychology + NUSC ’27) shared, “It was really fun meeting the alumni and hearing them share stories [about their time] in school and the cool stuff they are doing now!”
Professor Simon Chesterman, Dean of NUSC, shared in his welcome message, “This Homecoming celebrates our alumni. Whether you returned to a familiar sight or were able to explore how your legacy has evolved, you are the heartbeat of the College.”
As the afternoon wound down, heartwarming conversations continued over drinks, pastries and the last of the afternoon’s treats, with some alumni reluctant to leave as the formal programme came to an end.
Homecoming is not simply about returning to a familiar campus, seeing how spaces have changed, or even walking away with bragging rights as a trivia champion. It is an opportunity to renew old connections, form new ones, and remember the experiences and people that continue to bind a community together.
A New Home: What does coming home mean to you?
By the end of the afternoon, the chalkboard was filled with different reflections on what it meant to “come home”. Alumni penned “the village was here”, “heartwarming”, “remembering we are young”, “home sweet home” and “remembering Yale-NUS”. Homecoming 2026 offered an answer of its own: home is not only a place we return to, but also the relationships, memories and communities we continue to carry with us.
The spaces may have changed, but there will always be a place to come home to.
We look forward to welcoming you home again next year.
