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Dean's Message
To the good that marked the end of 2008, and to the start of a bright 2009, there is indeed, much to toast to at the Business School. Despite the economic gloom, we have continued to renew our solidarity and extend our influence in the business world and beyond over the past two months.
In the international arena, we are proud to have become Asia’s first full member of CEMS—a certain testament of our rigorous pursuit of excellence at the Business School. We also mark our newly launched NUS-HEC Paris Double Degree MBA as a further extension of our School’s growing, worldwide reach. In tandem with our pursuit of quality, I am also proud that our School has been ranked third Best Business School in the Far Eastern Asia, and has received the highest accredited “Five Palmes” award by Eduniversal.
On the business community front, we celebrated the launch of the Governance and Transparency Index (GTI) as an update to the existing, widely used Corporate Transparency Index. On the social community front, I am pleased to commend Assoc Prof Albert Teo as recipient of the National Healthcare Group Distinguished Contributor Award 2008.
We are also proud of our alumni for their continued contributions. November’s alumni-organised NUS Business School Golf Challenge 2008 raised a commendable $360,000 for our school and new Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy. Charity continues with two of our alumni, Mr Hsieh Fu Hua and Mr Chew Hua Seng having recently set up their own foundations for the needy.
Lastly, our students’ and faculty performances have not left us short of honour either. Research finesse has been once again exemplified with a host of international honours won, and at the first ever International Case Competition on Strategic Value of IT Management, our students beat competing top business schools to clinch an impressive First Runner Up.
Here is toasting to a better, brighter year ahead. Let’s keep the good news coming!
Prof Bernard Yeung
Dean and Stephen Riady Distinguished Professor of Finance
NUS Business School
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School News
| Our School has been ratified as a full academic member of the esteemed CEMS (previously known as Community of European Management Schools and International Companies). |
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CEMS picks the best school in each representative country for inclusion in its global initiative, making our School the first in Singapore and Asia to be awarded such honours.
A strategic alliance of leading business schools and multinational companies, CEMS is known for its stringent assessments for quality and rigour of a school’s Master's in Management programme. Furthermore, schools need to be associate members first, before a full CEMS Academic Membership can be considered.
As a full academic member of CEMS, we will be able to offer and conduct the highly prestigious CEMS Master in International Management (CEMS MIM) at our campus from August 2009. Graduating students from this programme will be awarded both a CEMS MIM and a Masters of Science in Management [MSc(Mgt)].
Previously a CEMS associate academic member, we are one of six schools in 2008 to be recognised as a full academic member. Spanning four continents, these schools are all top-rated institutions of business, economics and management.
The ratification coincided with the CEMS 20th anniversary celebrations from 27-29 December 2008 The event was attended by over 2,500 members of the CEMS community, comprising of international students, alumni, academic members and corporate partners. The deans of 25 top business schools and universities were also present. |
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Our School is proud to have been awarded the highest 5 Palmes Award from Eduniversal.
Every year, only the top 100 Universal Business Schools with major international influence are awarded this honour.
In regional rankings done by Eduniversal, we also came in third best for the Far Eastern Asia region.
The School of Business and Management at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology came in first, while Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management came in second.
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Eduniversal 2008 rankings are determined by a scientific committee with an established global mapping system that categorises academic institutions according to their universality and international reputation.
In esteeming an institution’s value, aspects such as accreditation, partnering networks and participation in international academic associations are evaluated. Along with such quantitative initiatives, Deans from Eduniversal’s list of top 1,000 business schools are also required to log in by vote, other academic institutions they deem worthy of recommendation.
By such criteria, universities are awarded 1 to 5 Eduniversal Palmes as indicative of each institution’s overall reputation. The award ceremony was held on 4-5 November 2008 in La Sorbonne, Paris.
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Nothing seemed to stand in the way of raising funds for their beloved alma mater.
Not even a financial tsunami. From months of careful
planning to sponsoring prizes and even buying golf
flights, the NUS Business School Alumni Association
rose to the challenge and made Golf Challenge 2008
a roaring success.
Held on 19 November
at the Laguna National Golf & Country
Club, the event cum dinner was graced by Dr Vivian
Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development,
Youth and Sports.
Spearheaded by
NUS Business School Alumni Association (NUSBSAA)
and co-organised by
the School’s Mandarin
Alumni and MBA Alumni, the annual event initiated
just last year demonstrated the tenacious support
of the School’s alumni, partners and associates.
As the good night
deepened with friendships renewed and new contacts
made, the event’s worthy cause
was not forgotten. A sum total of $360,000
was raised, with half from dollar-for-dollar Government
matching. All funds will support the NUS Business
School’s Building Excellence Campaign and Centre
for Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy
(CSEP).
Mr Simon Phua,
a long-time golf enthusiast and Chairman of the
Golf Challenge Fund-raising
Committee
said, “I am very encouraged by the increased
number of sponsors in cash and kind this
year... especially
since the economy has slid into a recession.” |
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NUS Business School and HEC Paris School of Management (HEC Paris) have introduced a new Double Degree Masters in Business Administration (MBA) Programme. This initiative builds on the schools’ 10-year collaboration in graduate student exchange and faculty cooperation.
Designed to provide solid business training and international exposure, the new NUS-HEC Paris Double Degree MBA builds on both institution’s excellence in management education. By offering students rigorous schooling in global business, the programme aims to produce business leaders with an in-depth knowledge and expertise in both European and Asian markets. The programme also seeks to propel students into the institutional and alumni networks of both schools, as well as the business communities in Singapore and Europe.
Prof Bernard Yeung, Dean of NUS Business School, stressed the importance of such intellectual and cultural assimilation. “The global business community is fast becoming more integrated. Because of this, there is a strong demand for individuals who are cross-culturally trained and who possess the necessary managerial skills and personalities needed to lead global businesses. With the NUS–HEC Paris Double Degree MBA, students will be given the best of education and experiences in Asia and Europe.”
Commencing in August 2009 at NUS Business School, the two-year double degree MBA programme requires students to undertake their first year core modules at NUS Business School, and continue with the second year optional modules at HEC Paris. The programme at HEC Paris commences in September 2009.
For more info
on the programme, click here to visit the programme’s
website. |
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The Corporate Governance and Financial Reporting Centre (CGFRC) launched the
Governance and Transparency Index (GTI) on 26 November,
in collaboration with The Business Times.
Replacing the earlier Corporate Transparency Index (CTI), the new CPA Australia-sponsored
GTI assesses companies on their corporate governance
disclosure and practices, as well as the timeliness,
accessibility and transparency of their financial results
announcements.
The earlier version of
the CTI, published annually by The Business Times since
2000, had only assessed the financial transparency
of companies based on their annual announcements.
While companies will be
awarded points for following the recommendations of
the Code of Corporate Governance, the GTI will go much
further than assessing whether companies are merely
“ticking the right boxes.” Under the new Index, companies
also stand to suffer significant point deduction for
poor or highly questionable corporate governance practices.
The first issue of the
GTI will be published in The Business Times in the
first quarter of 2009. It will cover all companies
which release their annual reports between January-December
2008. For subsequent issues, the index will be published
bi-annually and the time periods covered will be from
January to June and July to December.
Mr Alvin Tay, editor for
The Business Times, expressed delight in working with
CGFRC for GTI. “This new index will provide a more
holistic measure of the efforts of companies in improving
governance and transparency in order to enhance long-term
shareholder value.” |
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Industry experts are urging Singapore’s Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to focus on their core businesses to pull through the economic downturn. This advice was reiterated on 12 December as panel experts addressed the topic “Global Financial Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities for SMEs” to a full house of about 200 alumni, academics, students and members of the public.
“The direct impact on SMEs is the disappearance of working capital, and we are facing an economic winter Singapore is unfamiliar with” explained Dean Prof Bernard Yeung. Vice Dean Assoc Prof Ho Yew Kee advised companies that the best way of riding out the liquidity crisis was to “go back to the three golden rules of business: cash is King; live today to be a millionaire tomorrow; and, follow the 80/20 principle.”
Panellists laid out 8 crucial issues necessary to emerge successfully from these difficult times. This discussion was followed by a lively Q&A session where participants raised queries on the level of Government support available, the need for bankers to support SMEs and share risks with the Government to release credit lines, and the opportunities available for intellectual capital-based firms.
Other panel members included Mr Wilson Chia, Regional Head of Consumer Banking, South East Asia, Standard Chartered Bank; and Mr S Sivanesan, Partner, Corporate Practice, Rodyk & Davidson LLP.
Jointly hosted by NUS Business School and TiE Singapore, the event was part of a larger initiative by both parties to sustain entrepreneurship and contribute back to community. The School’s recent 12 essay collaboration with the Straits Times on the financial crisis was also distributed to all present.
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Islamic Finance looks set to grow further as investors search for alternative structures after the recent collapse of colossal financial institutions of the West, observed Ms Hari Bhambra, Senior Partner of Praesidium LLP, a leading regulatory and client advisory firm based in Dubai.
On 11 December, at a lecture titled “Potential growth in Islamic Finance amidst the current economic crisis”, Ms Bhambra addressed a packed house of more than 200 finance professionals, enthusiasts and academics at the NUS Shaw Foundation Alumni House Auditorium.
Ms Bhambra noted that many financial institutions in Singapore already support Syariah-compliant funds around the world as custodians.
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With an existing sound infrastructure, Singapore could further capitalise on this wave of renewed interest in Islamic Finance by making its operating environment for such funds more conducive. This way, Singapore would be well-poised to further attract more of such funds, said Ms Bhambra.
When asked by a member of the audience if Islamic Finance could have lessened or even prevented the current financial crisis, Ms Bhambra replied this would have depended on how the principles of Islamic Finance were applied. “Islamic finance is not going to rescue us totally from what has happened,” she stressed, “but if you are unhappy with the conventional system, you might be inclined to now consider an alternative that seems more secure.”
The event was co-hosted by Saw Centre for Financial Studies and Securities & Investment Institute. |
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On 20 November, a full house packed the “Entrepreneurship with a Social Lens”
forum held at the Hon Sui Sen Auditorium at NUS Business
School.
Co-organised by the NUS Business School Alumni Association and the Centre for
Social Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy (CSEP), the
forum was held in conjunction with Global Entrepreneurship
Week. It was held specifically for junior college students
who filled close to half the audience.
“We targeted them specifically,
because we wanted to show them how profit oriented
businesses can also have a social slant. At the same
time, we also wanted to introduce our BBA course, in
the hope it would interest them,” said Mr Eddy Chong,
Senior Manager at the CSEP.
As Prof Bernard Yeung,
Dean of the NUS Business School, welcomed all in his
opening address, he elaborated on the motivations of
CSEP. “CSEP aims to further research in social entrepreneurship
and address social problems in an innovative manner.
It also provides our students with the opportunity
to raise awareness on behalf of marginalised communities
in society.”
Similarly, guest-of-honour
Mr Stanley Tan, Chairman of National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre emphasised the importance of the social enterprise, stressing
that such initiative “levels the playing field” in
a world that needs care.
Needless to say, many
students walked away inspired by the forum. This included
first year Victoria Junior College student Choi Siew
Fong. “It’s given me another choice in my career. Especially
after finding out more about CSEP, I do feel motivated
to work for a social enterprise.”
Immanuel Tan, a third
year student at the NUS Business School similarly shared
that the forum gave him “a great opportunity to meet
members of the alumni with similar dreams and visions.”
As someone who dreamed to work in the sector, Immanuel
called the value systems imparted by the speakers “very
inspiring.” |
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Celebrating the mark of its 80th General Management Programme (Chinese) intake,
the NUS Business School Office of Executive Education
co-organised a Mandarin public forum entitled “The
Impact of the Global Financial Crisis on Asia” with
Saw Centre for Financial Studies on 3 November at Orchard
Hotel.
Attended by more than 150 students, alumni, faculty members and members of the
public, speakers touched on the genesis of the financial
crisis, considered its impact on Asia and discussed
how Asian markets and enterprises should respond.
Panel speakers included
Prof Duan Jin-chuan, Cycle and Carriage Professor of
Finance, NUS Business School and Director of Risk Management
Institute; Assoc Prof Chen Renbao, Department of Finance
and Academic Director, Asia-Pacific Executive MBA (Chinese)
Programme NUS Business School; and Mr Lai Ah Keow,
President of Yokogawa Electric Asia Pte Ltd.
Four days later on 7 November,
31 participants graduated from the Chinese programme’s
80th intake.
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On
9 November the Office of Executive Education hosted
delegates from Vietnam’s Leading Business Club (LBC)
for a forum titled “Enterprise Risk Management”.
An
organisation for preeminent Vietnamese enterprises,
many of LBC’s delegates were CEOs and Presidents
of major investment banks and other large local
companies—such as Kinh Do Corporation (a multi-business
conglomerate)
and Pho-24 (a famous franchise chain of Vietnamese
noodles with 65 restaurants in the region).
In previous meetings, representatives of LBC had
expressed interest in learning how Singapore rode
out economic downturns. Delegates desired to evaluate
and possibly assimilate similar strategies for
their own companies.
“Companies in Vietnam
face more competition now with globalisation. To
combat this, we need to
improve
our quality and capacity. But monitoring this quality
of growth is a problem…we need to learn about risk
management in these fast-changing times,” explained
Mdm Pham Chi Lan, Former Executive Vice President
of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
At the
“Enterprise Risk Management” forum, speaker Dr
Er Jwee Ping focused on how risk could be managed
holistically. Dr Er is Adjunct Assoc Prof at Department
of Accounting of NUS Business School and Programme
Director of Asian Risk Management Institute. |
Over the span of ten weeks, Corporate Governance and Financial Reporting Centre
(CGFRC) conducted training sessions for business
journalists of the Business Times, Straits Times
and Lianhe Zaobao. An initiative jump-started by
The Business Times, the programme saw Assoc Profs
Mak Yuen Teen, Lan Luh Luh and Ho Yew Kee covering
topics such as corporate governance, accounting,
finance, corporate securities and corporate law.
The weekly three-hour sessions were conducted from
25 September to 27 November.
From September to December, the CGFRC also collaborated with Institute of Certified
Public Accountants (ICPAS) on a research project
entitled “Quality of Audit Committees in Singapore.”
Initiated by the Institute’s Corporate Governance
Committee, findings of the project will be released
to the media and shared with regulatory bodies
like Singapore Exchange and Monetary Authority
of Singapore (MAS). |
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A new module aimed to impart skills necessary to manage Small and Medium Enterprises
(SMEs) has been developed exclusively for Executive
MBA candidates.
Titled “Integrated Small Business Module” (ISBM), this progressive module will
position and encourage students to face and solve
a wide range of problems from a managerial perspective.
This module aims to stay relevant to today’s fast-changing,
competitive, knowledge-based global economy, as companies
are forced to deal with uncertainty on a regular
basis.
Students will be encouraged
to develop and apply a method and framework to solving
problems across a wide range of situations—including
change management, product and service innovation,
opening new markets, management decisions, investment
decisions, risk analysis, leadership, communication,
group problem solving, estimation and calculation,
allocation of scarce resources, marketing and operations
management.
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To secure an internship and subsequently a good job offer, it is crucial that
students are well-informed of job market trends and
able to differentiate themselves with qualities that
recruiters are looking for.
BSF1001 aims to equip students with essential career skills for a smooth transition
from classroom to the boardroom. They will learn
strategies critical to job success, such as resume
writing, interviewing skills, networking techniques
and business etiquette. Students will get to understand
their strengths and motivations towards work; prepare
a resume; work on their positioning statement and
participate in mock interviews through assignment-based
assessments.
Since its inception by BIZ Career Services in 2007,
almost 2,000 students have benefitted from this
class. By showing how various career skills can
be applied in a corporate setting, this course
aims to motivate students to actively manage their
career. This module will be initiated for all freshmen
starting Semester 1 of AY08/09.
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Assoc Prof Albert Teo, director of Centre for Social Entrepreneurship & Philanthropy (CSEP) and Deputy Director of University Scholars Programme (USP),
has received the NHG Distinguished Contributor
Award 2008.
This award recognises his contributions and efforts in providing exceptional
goodwill to the National Healthcare Group as
a volunteer with the Patient Care Centre (PCC)
at the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC), under
Tan Tock Seng Hospital. |
To date, Assoc Prof
Teo has volunteered with CDC for eight years as a
therapy masseuse and befriender to HIV/AIDS patients.
Dean, Prof Bernard
Yeung commended Assoc Prof Teo. Prof Yeung stated
he was glad to know that faculty members contributed
back to community beyond academia. “I know this will
inspire more individuals to follow suit.”
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We are honoured to have Prof Zhang Hanqin—prominent scientist and Vice-President
of the Chinese Society of Operations Research—join
the Business School as a visiting fellow with the
Department of Decision Sciences.
Having received his PhD in operations research from Chinese Academy of Science,
Beijing, China, Prof Zhang was the Director of
Operations Research Division at the Institute of
Applied Mathematics in Chinese Academy of Science.
He also received the Academic Excellence Award
from the Year 2003’s 100-Talents Programme.
He also has been
on the editorial board of a series of international
journals such as European Journal of Operational
Research and IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control.
We are also honoured
to have had Prof Kannan Srinivasan, H.J. Heinz
II Professor of Management, Marketing and Information
Systems at Carnegie Mellon University, as the NUS
Dean’s Visiting Professor to the Business School’s
Department of Marketing.
Prof Kannan received his PhD from UCLA in 1986.
His teaching and research interests are entry deterrence,
marketing/manufacturing interface, asymmetric information
models of strategic behaviour, dynamic brand choice
models, purchase incidence models, and structural
models.
A prolific scholar
and recognised researcher, he has contributed numerous
articles to leading
academic
journals. Prof Kannan visited from 21 November
to 16 December. |
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20th Asian Pacific Conference on International Accounting Issues
Our faculty members – Assoc Prof Ho Yew Kee and Assoc Prof Lam Swee Sum – took home the Vernon Zimmerman Best Paper Award at the 20th Asian Pacific Conference on International Accounting Issues. Held in Paris from 9-12 November 2008, their winning paper titled "Are Earnings Surprises Related to Earnings Restatements?" was co-authored with their undergraduate student Low Kek Seng.
Initiated in 1989, the Asian Pacific Conference on International Accounting Issues is one of the most recognised and respected accounting conferences in the world. Specialising in international accounting issues in Asian Pacific countries, the annual conference provides a pivotal platform for both academics and practitioners to trade, update and enhance their understanding of regional accounting issues.
ANZAM Conference 2008
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Assoc Prof Jane Lu has won the ANZAM Strategic Management Stream Award at the recent Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) Conference 2008. Held on 4 December at the University of Auckland Business School, she took top prize with her paper titled "When is Fast Good? – Speed of Foreign Expansion and Firm Performance." Her co-authors were Ruihua Jiang (Oakland University) and Gracy Yang (University of Sydney).
ANZAM is the primary professional body for management educators, researchers and practitioners in Australia and New Zealand. The body boasts about 500 individual members and 50 institutional members representing most Australian and New Zealand universities, and also members from other countries. |
2008 FMA Annual Meeting
Our PhD Finance student Li Yan came in tops, winning the Best Disseratation Proposal Award at the recent 2008 Management Association International (FMA) Annual Meeting. With guidance from her supervisor, Assoc Prof Anand Srinivasan, she topped the Best Dissertation Proposal in Financial Markets category with her winning paper titled "Lending Relationships During Borrower Distress and Bankruptcy." The event was sponsored by Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.
Established in 1970, FMA is the recognised global leader in developing and disseminating knowledge in financial decision making among academics and practitioners. With 2008 marking a record number of outstanding conference submissions, Li Yan's win is indeed but testimony of her exceptionally stellar research.
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Asia Academy of Management Conference
Assoc Prof Nitin Pangarkar from Department of Business Policy clinched the Best Paper Award for Doctoral Student at the 6th Asia Academy of Management Conference. The paper was co-authored with graduate student, Wu Jie. Their research was titled "Competition, Collaboration, and Innovation: An Integrative View.” |
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Asst Prof Wu Pei Chuan from the Department of Management & Organisation won the Best Paper Award for her paper titled "The Impact of Technological Positioning on Multinational Corporations’ Implementation of High-Involvement Human Resource Practices” at the 6th Asia Academy of Management Conference. The paper was co-authored with Ang Siah Hwee, PhD alumni and current senior lecturer at the University of Auckland.
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Held from 14-16 December 2008 by the Taiwan Academy of Management , this year’s conference in Taipei was themed 'The New Faces of Asian Management'. Discussion pivoted around management phenomena and practices evolving from diversified countries. Useful insights to the field of management studies and the development of management theories were also discussed. |
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Our Faculty Teaching Excellence Committee has announced 2008’s winners of the Outstanding Educator Award.
In addition to impressive teaching ratings, the following winners have demonstrated sustained excellence and dedication in pedagogical developments.
Faculty Winners:
Department
Winners:
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Student News
At the first ever CA International Case Competition on Strategic Value of IT
Management, our MBA students Richard Rubnan Pact
Que and Neha Gupta, together with a School of Computing
(SoC) student did the NUS Business School proud
by coming in first runner up.
Held in Las Vegas on the 16 and 17 November and organised by the Association
for Information Systems (AIS) and Oakland University's
School of Business Administration, the thrilling
two day competition saw the best brains from top
MBA and MIS programmes locked head to head with
excellent presentations all round.
Connie Smallwood,
senior director of University Relations at CA emphasised
the significance of the winning team’s contributions
in an official press release saying, “We were incredibly
pleased with the quality of work and dedication
demonstrated by the winning students from Indiana
University and by all of the participants. As the
need for skilled IT professionals continues to
rise and IT systems become increasingly more complex,
the outstanding efforts exhibited by the students
will be well received in today’s business environment.”
Indeed, the NUS
MBA team won admiration from both judges and audience
after delivering an excellent, painstakingly-thorough
presentation. Team members themselves were no strangers
to competition, particularly Neha Gupta, who was
also part of the champion team at the IIMPact Business
Plan Challenge 2008.
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Kong Qinxia (PhD student, Decision Sciences) and Lee Wendong (PhD student, Management & Organisation) both received the NUS President's Graduate Fellowship (PGF) on
10 November. Kong’s Fellowship will be tenable
from 12 January 2009 to 7 January 2011, while Lee’s
Fellowship will be tenable from 12 January 2009
to 3 August 2012.
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On 2 November, the NUS MBA Badminton Tournament saw more than 40 full-time and
part-time MBA students sweating it out amid great
fun and laughter. Held at NUS Multi-Purpose Sports
Hall 5, the inaugural event was a success filled
with banter and good sportsmanship. The organising
committee hopes to open up the tournament to other
local varsity students next year.
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MBA Club Investiture night, held on 19 Nov at CR-A Dining Room, was a time to
thank the outgoing office and appoint a new mantle
of leadership for the NUS MBA Club.
The new cabinet
of the MBA Club Student Council 2009 is as follows:
President : K.
Srininvasa Vardhan
Director, Program
Development : Saurabh Kaushik
Director,
Student Activities (Semester 2: 2008-09) : Jeeranan Wongwanich
Director,
Career Services : Claire Tan Shu Juan
Director,
Media, Communication & PR : Denitsa Ivanova
Director,
Finance & Administration
(Semester 2: 2008-09) : Hnin Phyu Phyu Aung
Director,
Finance & Administration
(Semester 1: 2009-10) : Kirti Chopra
President,
KM Club : Rahul Venuraj
President,
Sports Club : Bilal Salim |
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On 20 November, MBA exchange students from around the world said their goodbyes
to their Singaporean counterparts at a farewell luncheon
held at the SUN Bistro Café, NUS Staff Club. Spanning
countries across the world like Australia, Canada,
China, Denmark, France, India, Hong Kong, Indonesia,
Japan, Korea, Norway, Spain and USA, they marked the
third batch to have completed the NUS MBA student exchange
programme.
Needless to say, the event
was occasion for many to reminisce their time in Singapore.
Underlying these shared experiences was the welcome
and warmth many experienced from staff and students
at NUS Business School. Many students expressed appreciation
for the helping hands, the events organised by the
Student Development Unit, and even the catered snacks
for evening classes.
As the afternoon wore
on with students sharing laughter and travelling experiences,
it was evident that the NUS MBA exchange programme
meant more than just the school, the stint or the honourable
association. For many, it also meant taking home a
little bit of Singapore in their hearts.
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It was an especially busy month of November for MBA students and alumni, with
NUS Business School Career Services organising a
series of events to facilitate networking and interaction
between alumni and current students.
On 5 November, 17 alumni and 27 students networked in snug settings at the Pump
Room in Clarke Quay. A week later, on 13 November,
20 alumni members and 20 students bonded over drinks
and finger food at the St James Power Station Gallery
Bar. Shortly after on 18 November, 35 alumni members
and 17 students chilled and exchanged contacts at
the Loof.
“This was something
that was necessary,” remarked Mr Foo Yuk Meng, Senior
Associate Director, Career Services, NUS Business
School. “Our alumni are a very important part of
the school. We want to recognise members of the alumni
who want to share with the current students.”
This sentiment was
equally shared by Mr Goh Koon Eng (MBA 1994), Managing
Director and General Manager of Manufacturing at
Chevron Ornite Pte Ltd. Calling such occasions “meaningful
interactions”, he lauded the NUS Business School
for creating such platforms of connection between
students and alumni.
Canadian national
Ms Alexandra Rutherford (MBA 2008), a consultant
with Hewitt Associates Pte Ltd, also enjoyed the
engaging conversations with fellow alumni members
she met at the Loof.
Current MBA students
also welcomed the series of events with open arms
Reuben Tirtawidjaja
who will be graduating from the MBA Programme this
December, explained over drinks at St James, “This
is a great chance for me to extend my network while
relaxing and getting to know new friends.”
Lie Lina Violita,
another MBA student also shared how she enjoys such
events. “It gives us an opportunity to network with
people we don’t usually get to interact with in school
every day.”
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Alumni News
On 13 December, the Business School held the inaugural investiture of the Taiwan Alumni Chapter at the Shangri-la Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei.
Dean, Prof Bernard Yeung recalled how the idea of forming a Taiwan Alumni Chapter had originated back in 2004. For its initiation to date, Prof Yeung commended all office bearing alumni for their dedication, emphasizing how such alumni were “our front line” and “best resource for our School.”
Guest-of-Honour His Excellency Mr Vincent Siew, Vice-President of Taiwan, emphasised how education was central in boosting any economy. He highlighted that educating citizens was a common thread in all thriving economies, as it addressed four economic fundamentals. These four tenets were developing and attracting local and foreign intellectual capital, instilling integrity, encouraging innovation, and lastly tapping on the integrative synergy of multiple talents.
Mr Siew also used this opportunity to recount his own personal memories of Singapore, recalling his visits to the city state both in the 1960s, and more recently as a visiting Taiwanese academic to the NUS Business School.
The newly-launched Taiwan Alumni Chapter aims to bring interaction between alumni from Singapore and Taiwan to greater heights. Such possibilities include increasing academic exchange initiatives and joint community service projects. Business alumni in Taiwan are encouraged to participate in such drives, such the EMBA Summit Forum held earlier that afternoon led by Prof Duan Jinchuan and Prof Chen Songnan of National Chengchi University.
During the launch, office-bearers of the Chapter took an oath of service allegiance to the alumni community and received certificates from Dean, Prof Yeung.
Click here to view video.
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The Robert Walter-NUS Business School CEO Breakfast Talk on 24 October saw Mr
Andrew Chan (MBA 1981), Managing Director and Chief
Administrative Officer of Merrill Lynch’s Global Wealth
Management, Pacific Rim, speaking on “Hiring & Retaining Talent: The Best of The Next Generation.”
Organised by NUS Business School Alumni and Robert Walters, the talk held at
the Swissotel Stamford was one instalment of a year-round
series. It was attended by over 80 alumni, faculty,
students and members of the public.
Mr Chan, who has 27 years
of experience in the finance and banking sector, shared
three main myths about Gen-Y (people born in the ‘80s
and ‘90s).
“’It is not true that
they are needy and do not respect authority,” clarified
the alumnus. “Contrary to popular belief, high performing
Gen-Ys demonstrate tremendous respect for leaders,
but every ounce of this loyalty and respect must be
earned.”
“Gen-Y’s have more choices,
are more vocal and pay higher attention to work-life
balance and the cost of living,” added Mr Chan.
When asked what strategies
employers could adopt to hire and retain talent, Mr
Chan advised that companies “be as transparent as possible.”
He ended the session sharing that leadership was one
that could “embrace change and add value.”
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The spirit of Mexican joy was in the air as alumni of classes 1998 to 2008 walked
into Margarita’s @ Dempsey Hill on 14 November.
As a soft launch for the NUSBSA Youth Wing—an initiative by recent BBA graduates
aiming to engage younger alumni—Assoc Prof Quek Ser
Aik, Vice-Dean of Undergraduate Studies at NUS Business
School, opened the event with a short speech encouraging
alumni to maintain strong connections with one another
and their alma mater.
Amidst catching up
with old friends and making new ones, alumni were
entertained with games like treasure hunt and super
bingo. During the lucky draw, several alumni even
struck it rich with spanking new iPod Touch devices.
“This is a wonderful
platform for alumni to connect with one another,”
said Don Chen Jia Qing (BBA Hons 2008), Chairman
of the event’s organising committee.
Other than members
of the alumni, current students were also invited
to the event.
One of them was Shao
Hong Chang, a BBA student whose interest in the event
came from the chance “to interact with people who
are experienced in their fields of specialisation.
It is a great chance for me to learn.”
The event ended in
three toasts: first to NUS, secondly to the NUS Business
School and lastly to the BBA Alumni.
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The 16th installment of CEO Unplugged saw a large turnout of about 300 industry
members, aspiring entrepreneurs, alumni, students
and members of the public at Toa Payoh HDB Hub Auditorium
on 18 November 2008.
Organised by NUS Entrepreneurship Society and supported by NUS Enterprise and
NUS Business School Alumni Association (NUSBSA),
the event was held in conjunction with the Global
Entrepreneurship Week, and became for the first time,
part of Start-Up@Singapore 2009.
For this installment,
two prominent speakers, Ms Claire Chiang, Senior
Vice President of Banyan Tree Holdings, and Mr William
Lim, CEO of Old Chang Kee, were invited to share
their wealth of knowledge and personal experiences.
During the forum,
both speakers talked about their growing up days
and how their companies grew to each its current
status. Ms Chiang shared it was simple time spent
with her husband in Hong Kong’s Lamma Island that
“gave us the inspiration to start our company, Banyan
Tree Holdings.”
For Mr Lim, his journey
with Old Chang Kee began after he returned from Perth,
Australia. Expressing his love for his company’s
top product, his cheeky confession “I eat a curry
puff every day!” brought laughs from the audience.
The evening ended
with a networking dinner that saw both CEOs interacting
with the audience.
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Singapore Exchange (SGX) Chief Executive Officer Mr Hsieh Fu Hua and Raffles Education Corporation’s founder Mr Chew Hua Seng have recently set up charitable foundations to help the needy and disadvantaged.
In late 2008, Mr Hsieh registered Binjai Tree, a privately run charitable foundation focusing on disadvantaged communities in Singapore. While little is known about the low-key philanthropist, Mr Hsieh has always actively supported charitable causes—notably spear-heading the SGX's annual fund-raiser, Bull Charge, which has raised over $12 million to date.
Mr Chew has similarly committed himself to the needy, pledging an astonishing $100 million to the Chew Hua Seng Foundation, a charity that provides for underprivileged youths to unlock their potential in school and beyond. This initiative marks a far cry from Mr Chew’s own insurance-selling days, a step he had to take to support himself through university. A son of a Teochew speaking fisherman, Mr Chew is today best known as the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Raffles Education Corp – the largest private education provider in Asia. The Chew Hua Seng Foundation aims to be a philanthropic channel for Raffles Education Corp and its CEO, Mr Chew himself. The Foundation was incorporated in November 2007 and was officially launched in September 2008.
The Business School is proud of both alumnus for carrying on the School’s ethos of contributing back to community. We commend Mr Hsieh and Mr Chew for their efforts, and wish them all the best in their philanthropic endeavours.
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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.
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