July 2008  |  Archive  |  Email to Friend
Corporate Development & Communications Office


Standing On The Global Stage

In this edition of Business Leads, one recurring theme stands out – shining brightly on the global platform.

As Asia's Global Business School, we have top faculty who are close to practice and have strong research reputation. As you read on, you'll find a summary of our faculty's achievements and the recognition that they received such as Prof Duan's election as a fellow in Academia Sinica. This clearly reflects our strength and the high calibre of our faculty members.

Our students have also done us proud. Our undergrads were in the top three places in L'Oreal Brandstorm and were winners in the FutureTalent competition where they impressed the judges with their branding strategies to promote soccer on a digital platform.

I am filled with great pride and expectations of the School’s future and am sure that more good news will come our way.

Prof Bernard Yeung
Dean and Stephen Riady Distinguished Professor of Finance
NUS Business School



Outstanding Research Recognised

Heartiest congratulations goes out to Prof Duan Jin-Chuan who was elected as a fellow in Academia Sinica. Academia Sinica supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from mathematical and physical sciences, to life sciences, and to humanities and social sciences. Its research affiliation contains 25 institutes (including preparatory offices) and six research centers.

Prof Duan is also the Director for Risk Management Institute and Cycle & Carriage Professor of Finance.



a

Assoc Prof Anand Srinivasan from the Department of Finance has been recognised in the Journal of Financial Economics for his outstanding paper.

Titled "Does industry-wide distress affect defaulted firms? Evidence from creditor recoveries", Anand's paper was voted first runner-up for the FAMA-DFA Prize for the best papers in the areas of capital markets and asset pricing for 2007. His co-authors were Prof Viral Acharya (London Business School) and Asst Prof Sreedhar Bharath (University of Michigan).

 


a

Prof Allaudeen Hameed and Asst Prof Kang Wenjin from the Department of Finance won the CICF Best Paper Award in this year's China International Conference In Finance. Their paper is titled "Stock price synchronicity and liquidity".

Held in Dalian, China, the conference took place from 2 - 5 July 2008 and provides an open platform to bring together scholars worldwide to present research and to stimulate discussions on new developments in finance.

Prof Kalok Chan from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology co-authored the paper.

a

 

 

 

 


 

 

 


a

Assoc Prof Chung Chi-Nien from the Department of Management & Organisation won the Best Conference Macro Paper Award at the 2008 International Association for Chinese Management Research's Annual Conference held in Guangzhou. His paper was "Institutional logics or agency costs: the influence of corporate governance models on business group restructuring in emerging economies".

Assoc Prof Chung co-authored this with Asst Prof Luo Xiaowei (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign). This is his second time in receiving this award.

Assoc Prof Chung Chi-Nien was recently promoted to Associate Professor with effect from 1 July.


Associate Professor Ishtiaq Mahmood from the Department of Business Policy and one of our PhD students, Zhu Hongjin won the Temple/AIB Best Paper Award at the Academy of International Business 2008 Annual Conference. They co-authored the paper titled "The contingent role of network hierarchy in firm performance" with Prof Aks Zaheer from University of Minnesota.

Our PhD graduates have also done us proud at the same conference. Ajai S Gaur took home the Richard N. Farmer Dissertation Award for the best dissertation in international business with his dissertation titled 'Essays on strategic adaptation and firm performance during institutional transition'. Ma Xufei was a finalist with his dissertation titled "MNEs’ within-host-country strategy and structure in an emerging market".

 

Back To Top


Warm Welcome For Faculty

We warmly welcome the following faculty into the NUS Business School family:

  • Dr David Wesley Lehman who joined the Department of Management & Organisation on 10 June.
  • Dr Qian Wenlan and Dr Duong Truong who joined the Department of Finance on 23 June and 1 July respectively.
  • Dr Sandy Lim Geok Peng who joined the Department of Management & Organisation on 1 July.

We also warmly welcome the following faculty who are visiting us:

  • Dr Adrian Choo from Lally School of Management & Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He will be with the Department of Decision Sciences till 4 August.
  • Assoc Prof Lena Booth from Thunderbird School of Global Management. She is visiting the Department of Finance till 26 June.
  • Prof Ho Teck Hua who is from Haas School of Business. He is visiting the Dept of Marketing till 11 August.
  • Prof Thomas Noe who is an A. B. Freeman Professor of Finance in Tulane University. He is visiting both the Department of Finance & Saw Centre for Financial Studies till 14 August.
  • Prof B.B Chakrabarti who is from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, India. He is visiting the Department of Finance till 2 August.
  • Dr Gurmeet Singh Bhabra who is a Senior Lecturer in University of Otago, New Zealand. He is visiting the Department of Finance til 30 June 2009.

Back To Top


The Passing Of A Friend

One of our faculty members, Assoc Prof Jothidas Ayadurai passed away on 14 June at the Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

Assoc Prof Jothidas was a significant member of the Department of Accounting and was instrumental in helping our School to obtain the accounting accreditation with ACRA. He joined our School in January 2003 as an adjunct associate professor, having significant experience as senior management in various multinational corporations. He was a well-loved faculty by both students and colleagues. He never failed to lend a helping hand whenever any student or staff needed words of encouragement or help.

We will miss him as his life had been a source of support with his smile, encouragement and kindness. His death is a great loss to our School.

Back To Top


BBA Students Create A Storm

'Team Pinnacle' - Lydia Tan, Jenalyn Liu and Avril Tan clinched the Second Runner-up place in the international finals of L’Oréal Brandstorm held in Paris on 10 June. They are the only Asian team to be in the top three, ahead of over 4,600 students from 469 schools in 38 countries.

"It was enriching and very exciting to be able to compete with some of the best students from around the world. We owe our success to many people who have offered their help on our journey to the finals," said Lydia Tan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


'The Pinnacle' proved themselves with their international marketing approach for Vichy’s Capital Soleil and won a trip to the city of their choice worth €2,500 (S$5,315).

The team from Brigham Young University (USA) was first while Cambridge University (UK) was second.

This is the second consecutive year that our students have done well in this competition. Our team was global champion last year.

Back To Top


Spotting Future Talent

Our BBA Honours students have done us proud! Lee Cheng Wei took home the first prize while Oh Shu Wen & Jack Kong Wei Tuck came in first runners-up. After months of preparation, our undergrads claimed the top two positions after beating 40 teams from five schools.

“I enjoy thinking about brands because it challenges me to consider all attributes of a product or service and express its key essence,” says Cheng Wei.

The brief for FutureTalent this year was to build a digital brand that could create a sense of community around soccer. Cheng Wei added, “I am a soccer idiot but I think the brief was challenging and opened opportunities for me to be exposed to branding and marketing,”

 

An award ceremony was held on 20 June at the Football Association of Singapore VIP Lounge. As part of the prize package, Cheng Wei not only received $1,000 in cash, she also gets to spend two months in FutureBrand Singapore and FutureBrand Beijing.

Back To Top


Running With The Stars

NUS Business School is proud to be one of Nike Singapore’s selected partners as part of their publicity campaign to launch the inaugural Nike+ Human Race. Held on 21 June, the event was held at NUS Kent Ridge campus and was part of this year’s NUS Business School Freshman Orientation Camp, also known as Retrospectif 2008.

The Nike+ Human Race aims to get individuals from 25 cities all over the world to run together on the same day, all in the name of charity. It is an event that will give everyone an opportunity to not only give back to society but at the same time, enjoy great music along the running route. Live music by popular local and overseas bands with a grand finale live concert at the finishing line makes this a different run from the usual marathons.

Over 200 students ran about 2km alongside stars like Mediacorp celebrities Joanne Peh and Ben Pulham, professional triathletes and members of the New Zealand National Team. The event ended off with games and a lucky draw that certainly proved to be a huge crowd pleaser!

Click here for more photos!

Back To Top



Going Up To Down Under

One of our MBA students, Ramasubramaniam Suraj had the opportunity of fulfilling his dream to travel to different parts of the world. His first stop? Melbourne, Australia. Through the NUS Business School exchange programme.

"My 3 months’ exchange programme with Melbourne Business School (MBS) was a great learning experience. I interacted with people from across the world and across a diverse range of age groups. From Latin Americans to Europeans to Australians and Asians, it was definitely an eye-opener to listen to diverse views on a plethora of issues," said Suraj.

He discovered that lessons were both hands-on and thought-provoking and lectures became a platform for him to share and discuss ideas with his classmates. Out of the classroom, there were opportunities like barbecue nights to relax and simply know more about the people that he goes to school with. Suraj also had the chance to attend pre-placement talks by MBS’ Career Services Office where he met recruiters from well-known organisations like McKinsey, Bain and Blackstone.

Of course, sight-seeing is a ‘must-do’ on any exchange programme. Suraj added, "During my time in Australia, I travelled extensively from Melbourne to Sydney to the Gold Coast. The sights of famous spots like Opera House and Great Ocean Road were breath-taking."

All in all, the trip was unforgettable. Sights and sounds aside, this exchange programme showed Suraj just how global the world truly is. If you’ve yet to go for any, what are you waiting for?

Back To Top


A Neighbourly Visit

One of the largest groups of visitors, numbering around 100, from Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) were wowed by the NUS campus on their visit here on 2 June.

The visitors were given a guided drive-through tour around the NUS campus by our student ambassadors, and made a stop-over at the Prince George’s Park Residences where they were given an insight to the residential facilities by a staff-in-charge. The last stop of the tour was the Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library where the visitors were brought through the history of setting up of the library and the facilities available there.

Refreshments followed shortly after, and the visitors were treated to a lively presentation about NUS Business School by Assoc Prof Quek Ser Aik, Vice-Dean (Undergraduate Studies). Having lectured in UPH previously, Prof Quek warmly welcomed all the visiting UPH students to NUS Business School as exchange students, or to further their studies here. Assoc Prof Lan Luh Luh was also present to answer queries from these students. The session continued with a UPH student leader sharing about UPH and the UPH Business School to all present. “I’ll come to experience the NUS student life next year”, one of the UPH students enthused before bidding goodbye.

Back To Top

 

Alumni In Jakarta Reunites

Mr Darryl Hoo from the Global Alumni Network Office visited Jakarta, Indonesia from 30 May to 1 June and met up with NUS Business School alumni who are based there.  Besides updating them on the latest School developments, Mr Hoo also introduced and explained to the Indonesians the various courses that were offered.

Arting Widjaya, Finance and Accounting Manager of PT Diebold Indonesia, who will be starting on the APEX MBA Programme, was happy that he had decided to study at NUS Business School.

Expressing his satisfaction, he remarked, "I'm glad that the School is actively connecting with alumni, not just those in Singapore but also those from overseas.
I believe I have made the right choice in selecting the APEX MBA course." Mr Hoo also discussed with the group about co-organising a series of upcoming activities in October. These include seminars for the English and Mandarin-speaking alumni, as well as the Dean's Evening where Prof Bernard Yeung will meet the alumni for the first time as the newly appointed Dean of NUS Business School.

Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH), an esteemed private university in Jakarta set up by Lippo Group, will lend its involvement in the organisation of these events. Junius Rumindei (MSc (Mgt) 2002), President Director of Jobs & Careers International shared, "I certainly look forward to the Dean's Evening. It would be a good chance where all Indonesian alumni get to meet one another, and for individuals to reconnect with the school."

Back To Top


Begin With The End In Mind

“What is the end you have in mind for your professional career?”

This was the question posed by Mr Leonard Yeow, Founder and Chief Executive of The Eximius Group, in his speech at the career seminar organised by NUS Business School Alumni Association. Held on 17 June at NUSS Suntec City Guild House, Mr Yeow took the opportunity to share some of his personal advice on career planning to the alumni gathered.

Referring to the second habit in Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Mr Yeow emphasised that it was important to begin with the end in mind - knowing the end-goal and working out the path of progression.

When asked for advice on career planning, Mr Yeow suggested, “For those who have just started your careers, try and find out quickly what you don’t like and as you proceed into your mid-career, identify what you are good at and focus on it.”

At the end of the seminar, Mr Fredrick Chen (MBA 2000), Marketing Programme Manager, Cisco Systems (USA) Pte Ltd, Asia Pacific, reflected, “It gave me a framework of how to plan for my next 10 to 20 years of my career”.

Mr Henry Lie (MSc (MOT) 1999), Director, Getronics Solution Singapore Pte Ltd, said: “This seminar was informative and useful. I like it. It brought me back to the time when I was studying in NUS.”

Back To Top

Dean's Message
Standing On The Global Stage
School News
Outstanding Research Recognised
Warm Welcome For Faculty
The Passing Of A Friend
Student News

BBA Students Create A Storm

Spotting Future Talent
Running With The Stars
Going Up To Down Under
A Neighbourly Visit
Alumni News

Alumni In Jakarta Reunites

Begin With The End In Mind

Oral Defense – A Study of Stochastic Network with Concurrent Resources Occupancy
Date:24 July 2008
Time: 2pm - 3.30pm
Venue: Staff Lounge Meeting Room
Contact Lee Chwee Ming for more information.

Eminent Business Alumni Award
Date:25 July 2008
Time: 7pm
Venue: St Regis, Singapore
For more information, click here.

PhD Oral Defense – Property Rights as Investment Incentives: The Constractual Structure of R&D Activities in Biopharmaceutical Industry
Date:25 July 2008
Time: 2.30pm - 4pm
Venue: Conference Room C
Contact Jothi S. for more information.

PhD Oral Defense - The Impact of Online Searches on Consideration Set Formation and Consumer Choice
Date:28 July 2008
Time: 2pm - 4pm
Venue: Staff Lounge Meeting Room
Contact Teo Woo Kim for more information.

MBA and IMBA Programme Orientation
Date: 29 July 2008 Venue: LT 16
Contact Caleb Chew for more details.

Lifting the Lid on Critiques of CEO compensation
Date: 6 August
Time:3.30pm - 5pm
Venue: Hon Sui Sen Auditorium
Contact Wendy Lim for more details.


For a comprehensive list of events, please refer to the Calendar of Events.

 

Commencement Class Giving 2008



Students of Class of 2008 will make a difference by giving back to the School . To make your gift, please click here.
 


Our Programmes

BBA/BBA(Accountancy)

MBA

Double Degree With
Peking University


Double Degree With Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

S3 Asia MBA

APEX-MBA(English)


APEX-MBA(Chinese)

UCLA – NUS EMBA

PhD

Executive Education

Contact Us

 

Subscribe to Business Leads
If you wish to subscribe to Business Leads, please email askbiz@nus.edu.sg

To unsubscribe, please click here.