Over the last three years, young pioneers have traveled from points around the world to attend arts school in Singapore. New York University Tisch School of the Arts Asia held its first commencement ceremony on Friday, 7 May 2010.  The school’s graduates were the first ever to earn the prestigious New York University Master of Fine Arts degree from a campus outside New York.

Degrees in Animation and Digital Arts, Dramatic Writing, and Film were awarded in the ceremony that followed traditional elements of the graduation activities held in New York with added elements from the school’s home in Southeast Asia.

Allyson Briggs, a 2010 graduate from the Tisch Drama Department danced "Funga Alafia," a traditional African welcome dance. Remarks were given by Diane C. Yu, Chief of Staff and Deputy to NYU President John Sexton. Dr. Pari Sara Shirazi, president, Tisch School of the Arts Asia, addressed the graduating class with a special focus on the achievements of these pioneering artists. And, Doug Wright, the Pulitizer Prize winner, Tony Award winner and Academy Award nominee, was the featured speaker. In 1987, Mr. Wright earned a Master of Fine Arts in Dramatic Writing from the Kanbar Institute at Tisch School of the Arts. Pearl Sun, a 1999 Tisch alumna, closed the ceremony with "Whenever You Remember."