What's Happening

Beginning of this year, Prof Kulwant Singh took over as Interim Dean of NUS Business School during this period of transition while we search for a new dean. Meanwhile, Prof Christopher Earley has returned to the US and we take this opportunity to thank Chris for his service to the School and to wish him and his wife, Elaine Mosakowski, continuing success in all their endeavours. The search for a new dean is well under way and NUS Business Leads will bring you updates as we progress along. The new year begins with a high note, starting with news of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority’s accreditation of our BBA (Accountancy) program. For this and more stories, read on…

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NUS BBA (Accountancy) Program Receives Accreditation From ACRA

Our BBA (Accountancy) degree program has been accredited by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA).

This accreditation means that the NUS BBA (Accountancy) degree is recognised by ACRA as a qualification for registering public accountants under the Accountants Act.

Said Prof Kulwant Singh, Interim Dean of NUS Business School, "Besides imparting the necessary skills and competencies, our BBA (Accountancy) program has a significant focus on imparting ethical values to the students. The NUS BBA (Accountancy) program aims to educate accountants and instill in them the abilities that will allow them to develop into responsible leaders of their organisations and of society. Corporate failures in recent times have highlighted the importance of accounting ethics and sound corporate governance."

Prof Singh added that the NUS Business School was the first to offer the accounting degree in Singapore from the 1960s, and educated the leaders of the industry for more than two decades. "The roots of the other local accounting schools can be traced to NUS Business School, so this is not a new effort. With the support of about 120 well-regarded faculty members and the reputation for providing quality business education among the Asia-Pacific countries, we're proud to re-launch the Accounting program and be significantly involved again in educating accounting professionals," he said.

The NUS BBA (Accountancy) program builds on the structure of the well established BBA program which requires all students to complete foundation modules before they branch into various specialisations, such as in finance, logistics and marketing. These foundation modules would equip the accountancy students with the requisite business sense and management skills.

"This is another unique advantage of our program," A/P Alfred Loh, Head of the Department of Accounting, said. "Our BBA program prepares students to be future business leaders with management thought leadership. So by leveraging on the structure of the BBA program, our accountancy program will develop accounting professionals that are well-equipped with technical skills and conceptual understanding, and that are imbued with a strong sense of accounting ethics and leadership principles.

"As Asia's Global Business School, NUS Business School is a leading authority on business in Asia. Our students will gain insights into the accounting profession and practice in the context of Asia, and will be prepared for the challenges of a rapidly changing globalised world.

"We're glad to be significantly involved again in the training of accounting professionals."

Like the NUS BBA program, the NUS BBA (Accountancy) program can be completed in three years. Students who perform very well can stay a fourth year for honours studies.

These students may choose to take advanced accounting, finance or taxation modules to enhance their career as accountants.

NUS Business School expects to admit 130 top calibre students for the incoming class of 2008 and cap intakes at 150 each year at a steady state. "This is a highly sought after program, judging by the high entry requirements for the first and second cohorts and the quality of the students," said Prof Singh. "They were mostly straight As students and we expect that we will attract the best students this year."

The NUS BBA (Accountancy) is also accredited by CPA Australia. With this accreditation, students are eligible to apply to CPA Australia as Associate members upon their graduation, and enroll for the CPA Program to advance to CPA status, to gain an internationally recognised professional qualification.

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NUS - Only Asian University Partner for Prestigious Arab Scholarship

NUS Business School and NUS’ Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy are among a small group of leading global schools selected as partners for the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Fellowship Program. Other partner schools selected for this elite programme include Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Colombia, and INSEAD.

The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation was established earlier this year with a US$10 billion grant from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and currently the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates. Sponsored by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, the fellowship program is the first initiative to be implemented under the foundation’s scholarship agenda. It opens up opportunities for professionals and students in Arab countries to pursue post-graduate studies in business administration, public policy and finance at top universities around the world.

Prof Kulwant Singh, Interim Dean of NUS Business School, said: "NUS Business School is proud to be among the small groups of elite Business Schools selected for this worthy initiative. We are pleased to work with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation to contribute to the growth and development of the Arab region. Each intake of our MBA program draws students from about 30 countries, so Fellowship holders will be exposed to a diverse group of high potential leaders. Our focus on contextualising business education to Singapore and Asia is a key attraction for our students. We expect this to be the case for MBRF scholars.” NUS Business School hopes to enrol the first scholarship holders under the MBRF Fellowship in its August 2008 intake for its MBA program.

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Giving To A Good Cause – New NUSBSAA Bursary Fund

NUS Business School Alumni Association (NUSBSAA) Bursary Fund was initiated by Mr Yeo Keng Joon (MBA alumnus, Class of 1985) and supported by a group of dedicated NUS Business School alumni who want to carry on the tradition of giving back to the School.

Recognising the value of an NUS education and the shortage of bursary funds available for financially needy undergraduate students, these alumni have successfully raised $250,000 endowed funds to support 10 bursaries each year in perpetuity with each bursary worth $2,500.

Said Mr Yeo: “Supporting education for financially needy students is a most worthwhile venture, for the simple reason that it’s not helping just one kid – we will help the family as well and hopefully change the future course of their lives for the better. I am very grateful to my fellow alumni, faculty and friends for supporting this cause which will benefit ten needy students each year at NUS Business School in the many years to come."

Ten bursaries will be named as:

NUSBSAA - Boon Kok Siang Bursary Fund
Made possible by Mr Boon Swan Foo, MBA alumnus

NUSBSAA - Chia Yew Kay Bursary Fund
Made possible by Mr Hsieh Fu Hua, BBA alumnus

NUSBSAA - Lily Koh Bursary Fund
Made possible by Mr Peter Tay YB, BBA/MBA alumnus

NUSBSAA - Lim Beng Geok Bursary Fund
Made possible by Mr Calvin Ho, BBA alumnus

NUSBSAA - Lim Guan Hua Memorial Bursary Fund
Made possible by various faculty, alumni and friends 

NUSBSAA - Lim Pu Leh Bursary Fund
Made possible by Mr Yeo Keng Joon, MBA alumnus

NUSBSAA - Lion Realty Bursary Fund
Made possible by Datuk Albert Cheng Yong Kim, BBA alumnus

NUSBSAA - Maria Tan Kim Lan Bursary Fund
Made possible by Ms Janet Ang, BBA alumna

NUSBSAA - Siddhartha Centre Bursary Fund
Made possible by Mr Wong Ah Long, MBA alumnus

NUSBSAA - Tay Kim Huat Memorial Bursary Fund
Made possible by the family of the late Mr Tay Kim Huat, MBA Alumni-NUS, various faculty, alumni and friends

The $250,000 endowed funds will attract a dollar-for-dollar matching grant from the Singapore government, which will effectively bring the NUSBSAA Bursary Fund to $500,000.

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Moving Up The Ranks

In a study of the most prolific authors and universities associated with most research publications in Information and Management (I&M) journal, NUS was ranked #1 among universities publishing in I&M. A/P Thompson Teo was ranked #8 among authors publishing in this journal.

Find out more from: Editorial (2007), “A profile of information systems research published in Information and Management,” Information and Management, Vol, 44, pp1-11.

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A Neighbourly Call - Visit from Universiti Malaysia Sabah

Here's one for the camera!

NUS Business School received its neighbours from Malaysia on 11 January 2008. Led by A/P Kasim Hj. Md. Mansur, Dean of School of Business and Economics, the 15-member group from Universiti Malaysia Sabah arrived on our doorstep on a bright and cheery afternoon. After some light refreshments, our student ambassadors gave a quick presentation on NUS Business School and gave our counterparts a glimpse into the vibrant student life. A/P Quek Ser Aik was also present to offer some insights on the various programs available. After a quick Q&A session, it was time to bid farewell. However, this is certainly not the final goodbye as we look forward to seeing them again!

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Visiting Professor For Department of Management & Organisation

The Department of Management & Organisation hosted Prof Michael Frese as Academic Visitor from 14 to 18 January 2008. Prof Frese received his Diploma and Doctorate from the Free University of Berlin and Technical University Berlin respectively and now holds a chair for work and organisational psychology at the University of Giessen. Prof Frese’s research spans a wide range of basic and applied topics within work and organisational psychology. During his 5-day stay with us, he presented a seminar entitled ‘Learning from Errors: Results from Training Research and Research on Organisational Culture'.

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When Parting Doesn't Mean 'Goodbye' - MBA Farewell Dinner

One final shot before everyone goes off on their own journeys

It was a time of joy yet one with a tinge of sadness for the MBA class of 2008. After months of learning and enjoying life together, everyone gathered as a class for the last time on 1 December 2007 at KR50, University Cultural Centre. To some, this could be the final chance they would meet in campus before everyone embarks on the next phase of their lives. Hosted by Prof Kulwant Singh, Interim Dean of NUS Business School, the event was attended by close to 100 MBA students. In his speech, Prof Singh expressed his joy and went one step further to encourage everyone to be a mentor to current MBA students. Whether is it securing internship spots for their juniors or becoming part of the MBA Alumni, their presence will be a great support to many. The night ended on a high with a sumptuous spread, perfect ambience and the assurance that their friendships will last even after graduation.

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NUS East China Alumni Celebrates 2008

Speech by A/P Andrew Delios, Head of Department of Business Policy

The infectious excitement of the New Year was throbbing in the air as over 80 NUS alumni from east China and Shanghai gathered at the 2008 China-Singapore Economic Outlook Forum & New Year Party in Beijing on 5 January 2008.

The forum kicked off with a speech by Mr Yan Jun, Manager of the NUS Shanghai Office, who expressed his gratitude to the Executive Commission of the East China Alumni Chapter for their efforts in organising this family reunion. Financed by a group of alumni including ECAC Chairman Xu Xinyu, Secretary Zhou Xin and Commissioner He Zeping, the forum looked set to be a platform for truly meaningful dialogue among NUS alumni.

Chairman Xu and Secretary Zhou, who were away on business, sent a congratulatory letter to the participants. In the note they said “The New Year comes in a hurry but we must meet it with poise. Let’s sow the seeds of hope at the beginning of the year, and nurture, fertilise and grow them with passion so that we can reap a rich harvest in the course of time.”

Special guests at the forum, Mr He Xiangquan, Executive Chief Editor of Strategy & Management Magazine and Mr An Wei, Financing Manager of AIG-Huatai Fund Management, also provided their insights on the impact of 17th CPC National Congress on the nation’s future development as well as the strategic plans that China needs to implement for the next decade.

Finally the forum ended with a speech by A/P Andrew Delios, Head of Department of Business Policy, entitled 'Acquisitions and the Internationalisation Strategies of Chinese, Indian and SE Asian Companies'.

A gala dinner followed and everyone wasted no time soaking in the festive cheer . A lucky draw was held and gifts given away, right before everyone enjoyed a hearty toast to a new year.

This was certainly a rare but exciting time where many alumni had the chance to not just catch up with the latest management knowledge but also network with old friends.

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