World-famous chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud inspired 37 new graduates of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Singapore who are preparing to embark on exciting careers in the restaurant and hospitality world. Boulud was the keynote speaker at baccalaureate commencement ceremonies at the college on Thursday, September 19. His international Dinex Group of 14 restaurants includes db Bistro Moderne in Singapore.

"The future is you. The future is what you do with your skills," Boulud told the recipients of degrees in culinary arts management. "It is up to you to find your mentors and learn from them and to believe in yourself. The future is for you to learn discipline, dedication, and commitment; to learn the fundamentals of cooking and of our business. Those are the foundation blocks on which you will build your success."

Boulud is a native of Lyon, France who is now based in New York City. His restaurant Daniel was ranked the 29th best restaurant this year on the annual World's 50 Best Restaurants list. In 2010, it earned the James Beard Foundation Award as Outstanding Restaurant in the United States. Daniel is one of seven Dinex restaurants around the world where CIA students can complete their required externship field experience.

This is the second graduation ceremony at The Culinary Institute of America's only international campus, which opened in 2010. These graduates began their CIA studies in 2011 after completing a three-year diploma program in partnership with the Singapore Institute of Technology. Credits from previous business management courses transferred, allowing the students to complete their four-year degree with two years of the CIA's unparalleled hands-on culinary training and certain required liberal arts courses.