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From the Dean's Desk
Engaging the region via our alumni
In
my interaction with many parties, I've often been asked about NUS
Business School's value-add to corporations, businesses, and its
alumni.
To me, it's our global connectivity. Singapore is in an excellent
position, being right in the centre of a triangle comprising two of
the fastest-growing economies in the world, China and India, and one
of the most stable economies, Australia.
We're also nestled in the Asean region which has some 700 milllion
people. We are in the perfect place to act as a launch pad and to
provide the interface for anyone coming from anywhere in the world.
While the School has forged alliances worldwide, with US and
European partners, as well as regional ones, we want to continue
doing so, especially with our Asean partners. One very good starting
point is to engage and support our alumni based in these countries.
I was in Jakarta end September to witness the renaming of our
400-strong Indonesian alumni chapter. Early October, the School will
be meeting our alumni in China with two dinners--one in Beijing and
another in Shenzhen. More trips to engage alumni overseas are in the
pipeline.
At the same time, we will continue to engage and support local
alumni. Together with the School, our alumni bodies are co-organising
the School's 40th anniversary dinner. More effort and resources will
be poured into alumni relations.
The School will in fact provide one full-time secretariat toprovide
enhanced service to the alumni who are members of our alumni
bodies--the NUS Business School Alumni Association and the NUS MBA
Alumni. We're already funding partially the secretariat of our
Mandarin alumni. We want to make sure that the needs of our alumni
are well taken care of.
Chris Earley
Dean
Lead Story
Deep in history and enterprise: the
Business School Jakarta Alumni Chapter

The grand old 400-year old Galangan VOC, a
historical Dutch-style building located in the Sunda Kelapa port
area of Old Jakarta, was the venue for NUS Business School Jakarta
alumni gathering. It formed an appropriate backdrop, given that it
functioned as a wharf in the old town area of Jakarta, which was an
important trading hub in Asia in the 17th century run by the Dutch
East India Company, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC).
The deep historical and commerce links of Galangan VOC were
particularly symbolic for the one hundred or more alumni and friends
present at the launch of the NUS Business School Mandarin Alumni
Jakarta Chapter on 25 September 2005. Afterall, NUS is a century
old, though not quite the vintage that Old Jakarta is.
And NUS Business School, at 40, looks like a young lad in the
setting. Still, with four decades and as a school dedicated to
business education, the comparison seems inevitable. Likewise for
our Jakarta alumni, most of whom are businesspeople and whose
association with the School dates back to the 1980s.
At
the ceremony to celebrate the School’s 40th anniversary and to
witness the name change of the Indonesia alumni chapter to NUS
Business School Mandarin Alumni Association Jakarta chapter
was a full team from the School including Dean Professor Christopher Earley, Vice Dean Associate Professor Quek Ser Aik and Assistant
Professor Hsiao Rueylin, who gave a talk on leveraging IT for business.
The President of the NUS Business School Alumni Association,
Mr Peter Tay, and his Mandarin counterpart, Mr Sebastian Teo, were
also present, together with three other Singaporean alumni.
Formation
The establishment of an NUS alumni presence on Indonesian soil dates
back to the formation of the 7th Alumni Association of the Executive
Education Programme in 1987 with 37 members, 26 of whom were from
Indonesia.
As Mandarin was forbidden in Indonesia, forming a
Mandarin-speaking alumni association in Indonesia posed a challenge.
This did not deter the pioneers, and they went on to form the Indonesian
alumni branch of the NUS Executive Education Programme, on 29 November
1987, led by its first honorary president Mr Zeng Qingzhen.
In order to facilitate its activities, 50 alumni in
Indonesia set up a fund “Yayasan Nusantara Sejahtera”
(Indonesia National Welfare Fund) in May 1992. This became the front
for the Indonesian alumni, which set up a branch in Jakarta and
another in Surabaya. The Fund was used to hold a series of cultural
and academic activities as well as provide help to victims of disasters.
Moving forward
Moving forward, the Jakarta Chapter’s immediate goal is to
bring into its fold other alumni in Indonesia. One paramount task
is leadership renewal. This means attracting younger members who
graduated from the various programmes offered by the School.
School Notes
Dean meets CEOs over lunch
In spite of their hectic schedules,
as many as 10 CEOs from the highly popular CEO Unplugged series
gathered over lunch at NUSS Suntec City Guild House on 9 September.
This was the first time a luncheon was organised to reunite all
Unplugged speakers since the inaugural session of the talk show
series kicked off in 2001.
Dean Professor Christopher Earley, together with the
School’s Advisory Board members, other members of the deanery
and directors from various departments, were present to share with
the CEOs on the future developments of the School. The CEO Unplugged
organising team comprising alumni and students also took the opportunity
to network with the CEOs present.
Here is a sampling of the lunch happenings:
CEO Unplugged is jointly organised by
NUS Business School and the NUS Business School Alumni (NUSBSA)
Association, with the aim of inspiring alumni and students with
the success stories of our distinguished speakers. NUS Business
School students who are keen to be part of the organising team can
contact Mr Lee Keng Leong (BBA Honours 2004) at lkl79@singnet.com.sg or
Celeste Chong (BBA Honours student) at 97628441.
Beijing alumni
forum explores cultural issues in M&As
Turning
around a company requires a paradigm shift, with its accompanying
new mindset and culture. It’s more difficult to achieve this
using the same team. A new team is often necessary to effect change.
This is the prognosis of Dr Aaron Tong, Vice President
(Emerging Market Profit Centre) at TTE, a Hongkong-listed company
arising from the merger of TCL and Thomson Electronics with annual
sales exceeding US$300 million.
Dr Tong was speaking at a forum “Challenges
of Overseas Acquisitions: Cross-cultural Conflict in Multi-national
Teams” in Beijing organised by NUS Business School on 7 October.
The 140 participants were mainly alumni of the School and executives
from various corporations.
Other speakers included Associate Professor Tan Hwee
Hoon, Head of the Management & Organisation Department at NUS
Business School, who shared at the forum about cultural intelligence,
and Dr Li Min, Deputy Director (HR) of Macro Link Group.
NUS Business School
granted EFMD "Non-European" membership
NUS
Business School was granted the European Foundation for Management
Development (EMFD) "Non-European" Membership on 13 June
2005.
Based in Brussels, the EMFD is a global, membership-driven
organization whose mission is to achieve excellence in the management
development profession.
By exploiting its networking strengths, promoting worldwide cooperation
and setting quality standards and values, EMFD is the recognised
centre of excellence for management education
and development in Europe.
EMFD also runs the European Quality Improvement
System (EQUIS), which is the leading international system of quality
assessment, improvement, and accreditation of higher education institutions
in management and business administration.
Visitors from abroad
From
China
Close to 50 EMBA participants from Fudan University visited NUS
Business School on the morning of 3 October. They were in Singapore
for four days before heading to Hong Kong for their class segment
on “Business Environment and Entrepreneur Forum - Asia Pacific
Focus”.
The visitors were given a warm welcome by Vice-Dean
Associate Professor Quek Ser Aik, before being brought on a campus
tour.
There were lots of networking opportunities as visitors
got to know local alumni over tea and lunch. All participanted in
an insightful presentation on China's booming market by Fudan Professor
Yu Yihong.
From Latin America
On 8 September, Professor Gregorio F L Stukart from the Business
School of Sao Paulo in Brazil and Mr Rafael Vesga Fajardo, Director
of Executive MBA programme from Universidad de Los Andes in Colombia,
visited NUS Business School. They were accompanied by Mr Terence
Cheng of International Enterprise, Singapore. The professors from
Latin America were interested to learn more about our School and
explore areas such as staff and student exchanges, joint programmes
and research collaboration.
This visit follows from a two-day conference,
LatinAsia Biz 2005 “Bridging Partnerships” held at Meritus
Mandarin from 7 to 8 September, in which Professor Stukart was a
guest speaker.
Ms Neo Chai Reei, Director of MBA Programs Office,
Associate Professors Quek Ser Aik and Lau Geok Theng, Vice Dean
of Undergraduate Studies and Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Academic
and Administration respectively, received the group.
From
Indonesia
A group of 25 MBA students from Prasetiya Mulya Business School
visited NUS Business School on 29 September. Leading the group were
Professor Ignas G Sidik, Director of Graduate Programs, and Mrs
Dwi M Sosronegoro, Associate Dean for Student Affairs. They were
welcomed by Associate Professor Yamada Takeshi, Academic Director
of MBA Program, staff and MBA students from NUS Business School.
The objectives of the visit were to understand the
tertiary educational system in Singapore, and to interact with our
MBA students. Our MBA students, including MBA Club president, Nikhil
Kochhar and some students from Indonesia, engaged the visitors in
a lively sharing on student life at NUS Business School. Professor
Sidik, on the other hand, gave a presentation on the business culture
of Indonesia.
Prasetiya Mulya Business School is a private institution
established in 1995 in Jakarta, Indonesia. In addition to its regular
MBA cohort, it took in its first intake of 85 undergraduate students
this year.
Student Highlights
19th Management Committee of NUS Bizad Club
The
NUS Students' Business Club announced the formation of its 19th
Management Committee on 15 September.
Don Wong, President of the 18th Management Committee,
expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the dean, professors, and the
various departments of the School for their support and guidance
during his and his team’s term in office.
Said Don, “Many of our projects and events,
such as Rag and Flag 2005, would not have been possible if not for
the strong support that we received from everyone.”
| NUS Students' Business Club, 19th Management
Committee |
| President |
Tan Kok Yong, Steve |
| Internal Vice-President |
Lim Wei Cheng |
| External Vice-President |
Lim Jin Sheng, Jason |
| Honorary General Secretary |
Chut Hui Ling |
| Honorary General Finance Secretary |
Peh Khian Hong, Ryan |
| FOP Projects Director |
Chong Kang Wei |
| Academic Secretary |
Kang Kay Wee, Clement |
| Business Manager |
Hee Yee Ling, Elaine |
| Internal Affairs Secretary |
Chan Yong Ann, Bob |
| Marketing Manager |
Yang Sue Ann |
| Publicity and Publications Secretary |
Rebecca Kang |
| Sports Secretary |
Quah Fuxiang, Terence |
| Welfare Secretary |
Lee Kok Loong, Kenny |
| NUSSU EXCO Rep 1 |
Tay E Teng |
| NUSSU EXCO Rep 2 |
Lee Yu San, Benjamin |
We all look forward to the leadership
of the new management committee in sustaining the vibrant student
life at NUS Business School.
MBA Class' multicultural
celebration on International Day
Given
that the NUS MBA Program is made up of a grouping of students from
over 20 cultures and backgrounds, International Day gave everyone
an opportunity to get to know one another’s cultures.
It was evening of fun, frolic and lots of beer. Talent
also flowed freely as performances after performances unfolded throughout
the evening. The evening started with a Tamil song, followed by
a performance by our in-house “rock star”, Rahul Tadimala,
and lots of song and dance put up by students of nationalities ranging
from Chinese, Indian, Korean, to Danish, English, Israeli, and Norwegian.
The highlight of the evening was two songs sung by
an Indian and an Israeli student in each other’s national
language, demonstrating that cultural, language and national barriers
can be overcome in the NUS MBA Program. The multicultural facet
of the evening was foregrounded again when a cross-section of students,
their spouses and professors took part in an impromptu “bhangra”
dance performance.
Organised by the MBA Club, the evening brought the
whole MBA community together as one big happy family.
Marketing
Stars' Night, a playground for Marketing professors and students
Two
hundred students, alumni, staff and their spouses attended Marketing
Stars’ Night (MSN) 2005 held on 15 September at Club Momo.
On that night, the students mingled
freely with the professors, who entertained them with dance items
they had practised hard for. The students also joined their professors
in a sides-splitting skit and dance performance.
Students then pitted their skills against
their professors in hilarious games of arm wrestling and balloon-stepping.
Some lucky students walked away with lucky draw prizes such as a
personal computer, and even air tickets.
Said an exchange student from the United
States: “The atmosphere here is amazing. Students and staff
enjoying themselves in games and interacting outside the classroom.
You will not find something like this at my university. The closest
thing to it would be a semi-formal dinner with our professors.”
Marketing First Committee, which was
formed in 2002 with the aim of strengthening ties between marketing
students and their lecturers, organised the annual MSN. The event
was fully sponsored by the Marketing Department for students majoring
in marketing.
Overwhelming
turnout for talks point to BBA undergraduates' interest in banking
careers
Careers
in a bank
In the second of a series of talks on “Financial Services
in Singapore: Careers and Challenges”, organised by Saw Centre
for Financial Studies and the Institute of Banking and Finance on
7 September, Mr Terry Lee, Executive Director of ACI Singapore -
The Financial Markets Association, spoke to more than 250 NUS undergraduates
on careers in banking.
Mr Lee gave a comprehensive overview of the various
positions in a bank, from trading in the front office, to middle
and back-end office positions in the areas of risk management, advisory
and operations. He addressed the possibilities for lateral movements
between a bank's offices, which were of particular interest to the
audience. Mr Lee also gave a useful description of the skills and
experiences that appeal to employers in the banking industry. These
include having strong backgrounds in financial engineering, mathematics
and statistics.
Wealth
management sector in Asia
Mr Henk de Glint, Deputy Managing Director of MeesPierson Asia,
gave the last of the Saw Centre talks on finance careers on 14 September.
MeesPierson has presence in 19 countries and is among the best in
the world in tax guidance, equities portfolio management and succession
planning services. Mr Glint shared that the company's recruitment
philosophy "hire for attitude, train for skills" puts
new employees on intensive training upon recruitment.
Mr Glint also provided insights into the development
of the wealth management sector in Asia, which is growing exponentially
due to the increasing affluence of Asians and the inflow of wealth
from Europe. As a result, the demand for relationship managers now
exceeds supply in the region.
Mr Glint differentiated between the generalist
and specialist career paths for fresh graduates. A fresh graduate
can start off a career specialising in areas such as risk assessment,
investment support, legal compliance or trust and estate planning.
After gaining sufficient knowledge and experience, he or she can
then switch to private banking and pursue a generalist career path
henceforth.
Staff News
Decision Science Faculty is two-time winner
of George E. Nicholson Best Paper Award
In
November 2004, Assistant Professor Melvyn Sim from the Department
of Decision Sciences won the second prize in the George E. Nicholson
Student Paper Competition, the most prestigious student paper competition
in the United States in the field of Operations Research and Management
Science (OR/MS).
This is the second time Dr Sim clinched a top award
in the competition. His first accolade with the competition was
winning the second prize for his paper, “Robust Discrete Optimisation”
in October 2002. The two awards make Dr Sim the only individual
to have won a top award twice since the annual competition started
in 1975.
Asst Prof Sim completed his second award-winning research
paper, “Robust Conic Optimisation” while he was still
a senior tutor at NUS Business School and pursuing his PhD with
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Both of his winning papers addressed optimisation
uncertainties in finance, logistic control, supply chain design
and engineered systems.
The first prize went to Yuval Nov from Stanford University.
New appointment
Mr Aw Beng Teck has been appointed Assistant
Director of the newly named Office of Corporate Development and
Communications (formerly known as Corporate Development Office).
New staff
Ms Michelle Yow has joined NUS Business
School as the Manager of its UCLA - NUS Executive MBA Program.
Alumni Updates
China alumni
celebrate School’s 40 years
About
60 alumni, IMBA students and business associates were present on
7 October at the China World Hotel, Beijing, to celebrate the 40th
anniversary of NUS Business School, and the University’s centennial.
Associate Professor Tan Hwee Hoon, Head
of the Management & Organisation Department at NUS Business
School, represented the School in thanking alumni for their support.
Associate Professor Chen Renbao then updated the alumni on recent
developments in the School. The dinner ended with exchange of gifts.
The
team then adjourned to Shenzhen on 8 October for a similar celebration.
Close to 50 alumni and APEX participants were at the dinner.
The team from Singapore, comprising
A/P Tan and A/P Prof Chen, together with NUS Business School Mandarin
Alumni President Mr Sebastian Teo and Corporate Development Office
Assistant Director Mr Aw Beng Teck, were in China to meet our Chinese
alumni and to encourage them to continue to support the School.
The events were put together by the School’s Shanghai Office.
The Beijing and Shenzhen chapters
were set up in December 2004 and January 2005 respectively. The
alumni remain a very important network for the School to grow our
programmes and standing in China.
APEX(C) MBA alumnus is Best Entrepreneur
at Centennial Entrepreneurship Awards
The Centennial Entrepreneurship
Award (CEA) ceremony took place on 7 September at University Cultural
Centre as part of the NUS Centennial Celebrations. Mr Huang Chuan
Sheng, Asia Pacific Executive Chinese (APEX(C)) MBA Class of 2005,
emerged winner of the Best Entrepreneur Award in the Business/Law
Category. Mr Derek Wong, BBA Class of 1995, was also one of the
three finalists.
Mr
Huang, founder of Ma Kuang Chinese Medicine and Research Centre
Pte Ltd, grew up in a traditional Taiwanese environment and from
young saw the tremendous potential of traditional Chinese medicine
(TCM). His interest soon transformed into a passion to introduce
TCM to the rest of the world.
He came to Singapore to set up Ma Kuang in 1999, starting with 20
employees. Since its incorporation, Ma Kuang has expanded rapidly
into the largest chain of TCM clinics in Singapore with a network
of 30 clinics, serving more than of 180,000 patients every year.
Ma Kuang won the Singapore Promising Brand Award 2004.
Soon, Mr Huang realised the need to adopt current
and global business practices in Singapore. He then enrolled into
NUS Business School’s APEX(C) MBA Program, and graduated in
July this year. Equipped with new knowledge and a global outlook,
Mr Huang transformed Ma Kuang into a company with high quality products
and services, making its brand of TCM a true contestant to Western
medicine.
When
asked for advice for aspiring young entrepreneurs, Mr Huang
said, “Firstly, the entrepreneur has to be very passionate
about the nature of the business. Secondly, he must be sincere
in treating his customers and employees. Last but not least,
he must be determined and willing to strive till the end.”
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Mr Derek Wong, another finalist in the category,
graduated from NUS Business School in 1995 and knew that starting
his own business was the only way to go for him. The gutsy Mr
Wong with a never-say-die attitude has since set up these companies
under his name: Oh Aik Guan Industrial Pte Ltd, Singapore Auto
Centre Pte Ltd, ID Connect.com Pte Ltd, Cartel Design &
Décor Pte Ltd and Nuture Educational Consultants, with
revenue totalling over S$5 million. |
Mr
Wong has this advice for young entrepreneurs, "Get some working
experience first: Learn how businesses are run and what the
business environment can offer. Be prepared
for uncertainties, don't be daunted by them. Millionaires
fail an average of three times before they make their first
million. Should you fail, do not give up yet, for it brings
you a step closer to your first million." |
Mandarin Alumni
Association congratulates member at Mid-Autumn celebrations
On
19 September, 40 alumni and friends of the NUS Business School Mandarin
Alumni Association celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival over a dinner
at Happy Joy Restaurant. Mr Sebastian Teo (MBA (Chinese) 1995),
President of the Mandarin Alumni Association, was the host for the
event.
The association congratulated Mr Gan Giap Leong
(Maketing Management Program 1992), Director of Singapore Noble
Electronics Pte Ltd, for receiving the PBM award from Mr S R Nathan,
President of the Republic of Singapore. The PBM award is the People’s
Association Long Service Award that recognises community leaders
who have served grassroots organisations for at least 10 years.
Ms Susan Lim (Apex-MBA (Chinese) 1998), Academic
Officer of the Association, gave out mooncakes to all members and
Mr Teo sponsored the champagne for the night.
Perspective
BBA freshman picks up critical skills
for the working world in first semester
"Right from the beginning of
our study at NUS Business School, we had to organise our own timetables
and pace our own curriculum. I believe these planning and decision-making
skills are life skills that help us mature," said Avril Tan, 20,
First Year undergraduate at NUS Business School and graduand from
Victoria Junior College.
I
took advantage of the first few weeks of school before the tutorial
sessions and assignments' deadlines began to take part in many of
the activities organised by the Bizad Club. These include Rag and
Flag Day, Jam and Hop and the Biz Ball.
However, I soon felt the workload piling as we approached
the middle of the semester, and realised that we really need to
focus and work very hard during this period when we have more than
three projects and assignments due simultaneously. It was difficult
getting back into the “study mode” as we girls had an
eight-month vacation after our ‘A’ Level examinations
before entering university. Nevertheless, the workload trained us
to manage our time and multi-task, critical skills needed in the
working world.
I have also learnt to be independent and to take more initiative.
In junior college, we were spoon-fed information during lectures.
Now, we have to read up before class in order to come to class prepared
and ready to contribute to the discussion. Right from the beginning
of our studies at NUS Business School, we had to organise our own
timetables and pace our own curriculum. I believe these planning
and decision-making skills are life skills that help us mature.
One advantage of NUS being a comprehensive and established
university is having a wide variety of cross faculty modules to
choose from. This allows us to pursue other interests and skills
not directly related to business. This broad-based education increases
our general knowledge and understanding of different cultures, both
of which will come in handy in our careers later on.
I have also picked up knowledge about accounting and
business law in my short time, knowledge which has real life application.
In the meanwhile, I am giving my best and rising to
the academic challenges. I finally have the chance to study subjects
of my interest, instead of having to memorise dry textbooks. I now
also get a taste of the business world as we handle real-life projects.
I would definitely recommend NUS Business School to my juniors.
Avril Tan, 20, First Year undergraduate at NUS
Business School.
Special Feature
Bizad undergraduates learn from entrepreneurs
of their choice
Business Leads catches up with three Spirit of
Enterprise (SOE) writers from the NUS Business School, June Lim,
Third Year, Lew Li Min, Fourth Year and Eunice Tan, BBA 2005. The
Spirit of Enterprise Awards 2005 took place on 23 September, with
President of Singapore, Mr S R Nathan as the guest-of-honour. The
SOE Awards recognises 40 best entrepreneurs in Singapore each year.
All the entrepreneurs are nominated by tertiary students, who interview
entrepreneurs of their choice and write essays on them. The 40 SOE
Honourees are chosen through the best essays submitted.
Eunice Tan's nominee Mr Charles Ng (please visit http://www.soe.org.sg/soevote/public/nomineedetail.php?nid=477
to read his interview), founder of Arcadia Health Consultancy, was
one of the SOE Honourees this year. Eunice was also the winner of
the Best Student-Interviewer Award last year.
Chua Zhi Wei, BBA 2005, currently working at OCBC,
nominated his coursemate Simon Lim Chong Seng, Third Year (please
visit http://www.soe.org.sg/soevote/public/nomineedetail.php?nid=388
to read his interview), founder of InternSG Singapore, who was also
one of the Honourees.

Why did you want to
be an SOE writer?
June: This is my second consecutive year being an SOE writer. I
have always been interested in entrepreneurship since I was young.
I was excited to get an opportunity to talk to entrepreneurs and
to learn from their experiences. Besides gaining more exposure in
entrepreneurship, I was also given a chance to transcribe and it
was something I found interesting.
Li Min: Being interested in entrepreneurship, the
experience served as a good chance for me get two hours of personal
coaching from entrepreneurs.
Eunice: To be honest, it was for the $100 reward per
interview.
How did you choose
the entrepreneurs for your interview?
June: I followed guidelines given by SOE. Through my experiences
in interacting with people, I have come to realise that there is
something you can learn from everyone, so I believed that any entrepreneur
I chose, experienced or not, would have a unique story to tell.
And I did learn different things from each and everyone of them,
from daring to be different to remembering family values.
Li Min: I was looking for an inspiring entrepreneur
who sought to be different. I found an exorcist who differs from
his peers in his business approach. For a traditional trade, he
seems to be well grounded in some of the modern business management
practices.
Eunice: I knew my nominee since my freshman days,
where he was a senior in my orientation group. My impression of
him is someone who knows what he wants, plans for it, and goes all
out to achieve it. Thus, when I found out he was setting up his
clinic, I was eager to interview him.
Any lessons to take
away from the experience of interviewing and writing on the entrepreneurs?
June: The amount of things I've learnt from seven entrepreneurs
put together can hardly be put into words. The best thing I learnt
from Adi Soon is that creativity can spice up the work place and
improve employee satisfaction. From Adrian Kang, I learnt that passion
must far exceed profits, and we will not be truly happy about whatever
business we are in, unless there is passion. Edwin Yap showed me
that behind everything, there must be family and love. James Yeow
led with example that efficiency and speed will make things happen.
Thomas Tham touched me with his words - "treat people with
a heart". Kelvin Chan taught me to dismiss negative comments
and believe in myself. Finally, Tan Ru-Jin showed me that failure
should not be a deterrent for future endeavours.
Li Min: Entrepreneurship lies in the thirst to continuously
innovate in order to keep one’s business in the game. It is
also the belief in giving back to the people whom you have gained
from, be these your employees or society.
Eunice: Anyone can be successful, as long as they
are willing to work for it. Of course it helps if you have more
resources to help you get started. That said, people who are capable
with no resources can amass capital, while people with resources
but who are incapable will just squander them.
Having gotten a glimpse
of the life of an entrepreneur, do you want to become one, and why?
June: Being an entrepreneur may not mark the start of my career
path, but it will definitely be something that I will embark on
in the years to come. I am a person who does not like being bound
in employment. I like freedom and control, which I believe can be
achieved through entrepreneurship. As with most people, I want to
attain financial freedom and I believe that it can only be possible
with entrepreneurship. I like taking risks and enjoy the challenges
that an entrepreneur faces.
Li Min: I am currently at NUS Overseas College in
Shanghai and am seeking the vibes of the business world. I hope
to be able to start my own business one day and follow the footsteps
of successful entrepreneurs. The beauty of entrepreneurship is that
it allows one to mark one's own rules and shape one's own destiny.
Eunice: No, because being an entrepreneur is not as
fulfilling to me as it is to others. I rather spend the time on
my family and leave the "entrepreneuring" to my boyfriend.
How has an education
at NUS Business School played a role in your current decision, and
in helping you pursue your aspirations?
June: I decided to come to NUS Business School because of my interest
in becoming an entrepreneur. I also felt that the School is the
best business school in Singapore. I am in my third year now and
the modules I've taken have allowed me to widen my perspective.
Learning every aspect of business has helped turn my dream into
more of a reality. With my deeper understanding gained through an
education with NUS Business School, I feel more equipped to start
a business than before.
Li Min: NUS Business School has allowed its students
to pursue their aspirations in every possible way through its excellent
faculty, resources and flexible curiculum. Most of all, the School
provides the multidisciplinary environment, exposure and opportunity,
things which help build future entrepreneurs.
Eunice: I met my boyfriend here.
Coming Events
Warren Buffet Wealth: Principles and Practical
Methods Used by the World
14 October 2005
MBA Cocktail
21 October 2005
Infosys Forum
21 October 2005
3rd Sino-Japanese Optimization Meeting in
the e-Business Era
31 October - 2 November 2005
40th Anniversary Reunion Dinner
5 November 2005
Calendar of Events - http://www2.bschool.nus.edu.sg/corpdev/calendar3/
In Touch, In Tune
We welcome feedback and suggestions. Please e-mail
us at askbiz@nus.edu.sg.
Calling all Bizaders: Stay in touch. Please update your contact details
at https://www.alumni.nus.edu.sg/alumNET/index.jsp
Published by Corporate
Development and Communications, NUS Business School.
© All rights reserved.
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