NANYANG PROFESSIONAL MBA

The NANYANG PMBA Experience From A Participant’s Perspective

Article contributed by Aung Lwin Lwin, PMBA class of 2019

I have been considering an MBA from NTU since 3 years ago.   I reckon  that an MBA will not only be a step but a leap in the pursuit of my career goals – enhancing my business knowledge in adding to stakeholders’ value   as a finance professional, and equipping myself with the essential skills and knowledge to fulfill my ultimate aim  of managing my own organisation in the future. I wanted a programme that offers a rigourous yet structured learning experience that would bridge me closer to my goal.

After spending a few years focusing on my career I believed it was the right time to embark on an MBA and decided to join the Professional MBA programme offered by Nanyang Business School, NTU Singapore. I wanted to upgrade my skill sets, at the same time expand my network and exchange ideas with like-minded people from diverse industries and backgrounds. The alternate weekend format was ideal for me, as it allowed me to pursue my studies with minimal disruption to my career and personal commitments.

The PMBA courses are very practical and highly applicable. I am responsible for the overall financial affairs in my organisation – my current role not only includes financial reporting, tax planning, internal control, risk assessment, compliance and investor relationships, it also involves business expansion including mergers and acquisitions.  As such, I am required to be involved in business negotiations.   Prior to the “Leading People Globally” (LPG) module, I often focus on attaining a desirable outcome for my organisation, sometimes at the expense of the other organisation. However, going through the LPG class by Professors Valerie Du-Toit Low and Lim-Lum Kit-Wye greatly influenced my approach towards negotiations. The most powerful tool taught to us was “The Principled Negotiation”. The classroom discussions and study materials provided were very insightful and it stressed the importance of working towards a win-win solution that will mutually benefit both parties.

Our organisation was in the midst of negotiating a complicated business deal and we expected the success rate to be very slim. I immediately applied the principles taught and not only did we manage to close the deal smoothly, my CEO was so impressed that he appointed me to be  in charge of the organisation’s major projects! Although I’m only a few months into the course, I am already reaping the benefits and I believe I will only gain more as I continue my journey with the programme. I am thankful to Professor Douglas Streeter Rolph, Academic Director of the Nanyang PMBA, the remarkable faculty and my cohort that have made my experience wonderful so far.

I believe that anyone who wants to be ready for today’s dynamic and ever-changing business environment should be a part of the Nanyang Professional MBA.

Visit our page to learn more about the programme!