You want to enhance your professional profile, and get to the next level of your career. You want to be a leader in your field – develop managerial skills, and boost your knowledge of running a business. An MBA degree, you know, will get you where you want to go. But, you are still hesitant to make the move. And, it’s not just about gathering funds needed for the studies. What you are daunted by are also those never-ending questions related to the MBA.
“In which country should I pursue my MBA?”; “Should I go for full-time MBA or an Executive MBA?”; “Am I at the right stage of my career?”; “How do I prepare myself and ensure that I make the best use of the MBA experience?” – These are just a few of the questions that haunt MBA aspirants.
The harder we debate in the cases and the harder we need to celebrate every moment here at NBS. As we prepared for the exams, the exco team decided to treat the batch with some sweets and a small get together.
It was October, and thus it was planned to surprise the October babies with a small birthday celebration during a class break. All those who are born in October were brought together to cut the two chocolate cakes that were ordered and the class took some time to voice best wishes to their batch mates. Each one of them was gifted with a lottery ticket to wish them all the best and good luck for the future.
Luckily for the group of October babies, the cake was too delicious to be put on their faces and for a change we ate it all.
Now, everyone is keenly waiting for the November birthday celebrations. =)
The Credit Suisse Asian MBA Football Tournament is a prestigious tournament that pits MBA teams from Asia’s top business schools. Held yearly, and organized by HKUST’s MBA students, the 2013 tourney featured 10 teams -.HKUST has three (3) teams, (HKUST International students, HKUST, HKUST Alumni, CEIBS, Nanyang (NTU), NUS, Chicago Booth, Tsinghua, Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the major sponsor, Credit Suisse.
This is the 3rd year that Nanyang MBA is participating. Our multi-national team comprise of players w from Lebanon, Singapore, Canada, Austria, Germany, Pakistan, India and Singapore. The participating teams were divided into two groups of five teams- and two games were played simultaneously in courts next to each other. The top two teams from each group will qualify to the semi-finals of the Gold Cup, the two runners up teams from each group will then qualify to the semi-finals of the Silver Cup, and the last team from each group will play out a consolation game called the “Best of the Rest”.
Our first game was against CEIBS and it was one of the opening games of the group stage. As expected, excitement and nervousness was evident on the field from both teams. However that did not stop us from playing what we like most: attacking football from the second the referee blows his first whistle till the end of the match. We pressed towards our opponent’s goal when they had the ball and pressured our opponents when they had the possession. We managed to score a goal. Jad’s deflected shot from outside the goal area went in – 1-0, Nanyang take the lead. During the match two penalty shouts against CEIBS went unanswered by a very incompetent referee who caused more tension on the field between the two teams. However, CEIBS were able to tie the game, as they stole a point game by scoring a goal towards the dying minutes of the game. The game eventually ended in a draw- 1-1. A good start!
Waiting for our next game, we watched and observed our other opponent’s game very carefully. Our second match was against Tsinghua (from China) who played a counter-attacking style with wingers who boast good pace and skills. Our defense was rock-solid as we thwarted successfully any of their counter-attacks. Our team, however, was not able to find the net as well and the game ended 0-0. We haven’t loss a game still; nor have we won one yet!
Our third game was against Chicago Booth (from Singapore). Both teams were fighting hard for a win but this time, the referee issued many badly judged calls and his lack of discipline on the field nearly caused injuries. Chicago Booth took a surprise lead at the first half of the match but with our never-say die spirit, we fought on with Joshua scoring a goal to tie the game at 1-1. So far, 3 draws.
Our final group game was against NUS (from Singapore) and we needed to win to qualify for the semi-finals of the gold cup- if another draw or loss, it will put us in the silver cup playoffs. The game ended 0-0 with both teams hesitant to making mistakes on the field – we did have a couple of good attempts that were not converted into goals.
Thus we ended up in the silver cup semi-finals to face HKUST Alumni. With fatigue starting to show on some of us as we ran tirelessly over 20 minutes per game on a large field with relatively smaller goals; the task to win one game seems to loom a lot bigger as we hoped for a lucky break. This time, we used other players who have not played much during the initial games; and yes, some of us were physically tired to continue to play on. With both teams battling it out, the result ended in HKUST Alumni’s favor 1-0 in spite of the several chances we had to draw the score level.
Over-all , our team enjoyed our brief Hong Kong, experience especially the football tournament – we gained more international and cultural experience on a physical, emotional, and mental level. “I think we gained a lot from this experience, and will recommend to continue participation in this wonderful tournament “, said Daniel.
On a final note, on behalf of the Nanyang MBA Football team, we would like to thank from the bottom of our hearts, our kind-hearted donors and supporters, who believed and supported their fellow students in this worthy undertaking.
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, great for a breather and moments of relaxation. However some sacrificed this pocket of time for the opportunity to be introduced to Reiss profiling tool.
Organized by Nanyang MBA Women in Business (WIB) club, together with Executive Coach International and Reiss Asia, the workshop was set up with the intention to introduce this scientifically validated profiling tool to current and future managers. The club also opened the event to non-members.
Reiss Profile is based on human personalities that are intrinsic and genetically predisposed. Dr. Steven Reiss, the former Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry of Ohio State University (USA) created the Reiss profile test by studying the 16 basic desires which is the basis of all our personalities.
“Take the lead” -Part of the REISS profiling tool.
With the objective to develop leadership skills in its members, the WIB club invited Executive Coach international to provide an insight into the application of the Reiss Profile in leadership styles.
A sample profiling test was issued some days before the workshop itself to individual participants. The feedback was given almost instantaneously. Armed with the feedback, the participants were given a deeper insight into what it means for them in terms of personal growth and managing others.
Chaweewan Gatepithaya,from Thailand, describes the workshop aptly, “Reiss provided me an assessment that is relevant for me to understand myself better and how I can motivate myself to bring out my personal power in both work and personal life.”
In conjunction with the “coaching module for managers” launched by the school recently, the Reiss tool was also included as a complementary tool for those who had attended the coaching module.
We saw the power of the tool in understanding consumers. Ultimately, the participants have their own takeaways , as they now have access to this powerful tool.
It was a long yet fulfilling day attending the REISS profiling workshop. However, I feel that the Reiss profiling tool allows me to better understand myself – and others too.
My life while taking the MBA at Nanyang is both busy and hectic. It is always nice to find time to take care of one’s health. A short run or walk can make a lot of difference. I can run and walk while immersing myself in the lush greenery of Nanyang’s campus.
How about taking care of our health (by running) while at the same time contributing to a good cause? That’s the reason my peers and I signed up for the Terry Fox Run 2013 at the scenic coastline park, East Coast Parkway.
The Terry Fox Run is the world’s largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research organized by the Canadian association of Singapore in conjunction with Singapore Cancer Society (SCS). The annual event in Singapore is held in honor of Terry Fox, the one legged amputee cancer victim who embarked on a cross-Canada run to raise funds and create awareness for cancer research.
Our group of 10 woke up as early as 6 a.m. as we were too eager to embark on our run which started at 8 a.m. We had chosen the 10 km run instead of the 5 km run as we did not find it challenging enough. It was a great way to shed off the pounds gained during our holiday break while at the same time help raise funds for the Singapore Cancer Society research program. Without prior preparations and practice round, all 10 of us still managed to complete the 10km run. Hooray!
It was a challenging yet fulfilling day. Thanks to the Corporate Social Responsibility Club for organizing the registration and transportation of the participants.
Fun, excitement and delicious runs through my mind upon hearing the words cultural celebration. During cultural celebrations, there will be games, art and most importantly food! Life at Nanyang MBA has been thrilling and entertaining at the same time. I was thrilled to get to know 117 peers from 27 different parts of the world. Past 8 months have been an entertaining journey for me personally.
Nanyang MBA is very diverse in terms of nationalities as well as Industry and background. I was exposed to many different perspectives of thinking, strategies from different industries and various cultures which is the best part!!
There had been several celebrations of culture during my stay at the Nanyang MBA, such as German Beer Fest, Thai Loy Kratong, Deepavali, Christmas (of course), Chinese New Year, and many more to come in the coming weeks. How could I not be excited??Let me share my stories, photos and probably videos about interesting things that happened at these events. Yes, that’s right, some parts of these F.U.N. events are captured LIVE on HD video!! So tag along!! ;D
Beer Fest!
I’ll start with German Beer Fest, as you m ay well aware of what the name implies; it involved a lot of beers and its many varieties. German beer festivals are among the largest beer festivals celebrated around the world, which in Germany is usually known as Oktoberfest. Many places have beer festivals style as “Oktoberfest’s”. Oktoberfest is a 16 day festival celebrating beer held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October.
In conjunction to the Beer Fest, it was Verena’s Birthday who is from Germany. Happy Birthday Verena! I had a great time tasting variations of beer.
Guess who is the birthday girl in the photo above?
Loy Krathong
Next celebration that was celebrated was Loy Krathong. Loy Krathong is a Thai cultural celebration. Loi Krathong takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November. Loi means “to float”. While krathong refers to a usually lotus-shaped container which float on the water.-Wikipedia.
Loy Krathong can be translated to “Floating crown” or “Floating Decoration”.
Munchuga and Apiwat, my Thai friends, organised the event. Sumptuous Thai food was provided and we listen to soothing Thai songs. The highlight of the evens is to make wish and release the handmade loi krapthong float on the water.
Loy-KrathongThai Food!
Deepavali Celebration
Touchdown!! To INDIA!! Some say Indians are exotic, some say Indians are born to be dancers. You got that right! I experienced a Deepavali celebration, and guess what?? My Indian cohorts danced for Deepavali! And they live up to the expectations!! And Yes, it’s on HD resolution!! ;P starting from Art, which was to create colorful pictures out of colored powder debris (Pardon me, I’m not really familiar with the name :P. Below are the pictures of the team that created the arts.
Henna session done by Saini.
Deepavali or Diwali is popularly known as the “festival of lights” which is celebrated by Hindu across the world. Deepavali is the celebration of good over evil and light overcoming darkness. During this festival, new clothes are worn and delicacies such as sweets and snacks are shared. Not forgetting temporary tattoos which are done using henna. Henna is a flowering plant used for dye skin, hair and fingernails as well as fabrics.
Next Stop Will be Our favorite time of the year!!Chriiiistmas tiiime… time to share our love… Come and join… the tidings to the world… Chriiiistmas tiiime… the best time of the year… Yes, it’s Christmas timeee…
To get everyone in the festive mood, we decorated the venue (one of our classmates home actually!) with Christmas ornaments, neon lights and Christmas trees.
After the decoration is done, we begin our celebration with Christmas carol. 4 of our classmates – ,Filipino John-Rae and Taiwanese Mimi were singing, accompanied by Malaysian Alex on Keyboard and Singaporean Jonathan on Violin.
Finally the “Secret Santa”!This is the fun part whereby we got to choose our gift from the santa sack. Nanyang MBA cohorts were so creative and out-of-the-box!! You need to expect the unexpected. The gifts were no ordinary gifts.
Merry Christmas!
CNY Dinner…
Quite recently we celebrated Chinese New Year. !! Before the celebration was done we did a lot of preparations such as grocery shopping, decorations and lastly food preparations. We started with our “reunion dinner” by having the traditional Chinese Hot pots. Definitely, it is not complete without beers and Chinese liquors. The food prepared was marvelous and delicious. After filling our stomach we have the Cheongsam competition-“Ms. Cheongsam” competition and voted for best-dressed Ms. Cheongsam.
Unexpectedly none of the girls won… Guess who wins the competition?
The winner Is no other than Mr. Henri!Happy celebrations Everyone!
After the contest, we started writing of Chinese FU Character to bring good luck and good fortune for everyone.
So there you are – a sprinkling of various cultures – there is no substitute to these experiences – and while you are doing your MBA!
The Nanyang MBA Culture Club and Women in Business Club successfully co-organized the 2013 Chinese New Year Party at Graduate Hall Lounge It was a wonderful festival celebration event that gave all of the guests a happy , cheerful and maybe grand cultural banquet.
With a team of six mostly mainland Chinese people, except for one, led by Jennifer (Chen Yan), Amy, Wu Hao, Alex (Malaysian), Lily and Rayman (Lily’s boyfriend) ,we started the preparation as early as 12 noon. We went shopping at Sheng Siong supermarket near our campus. After almost four hours of grocery shopping, we managed to bring back: vegetables, beef, beers for the dinner and definitely Chinese FU Character and Spring Couplets to get us into the festive mood. It seems a short list but we ended up with so many shopping bags. However, many thanks to our classmates, Hantang Da Ge and Andy (American), for helping us to carry and deliver our food to the Graduate Hall.
Hotpot!
At 4 p.m, we were busy preparing for the dinner at Graduate Hall kitchen. This year’s main menu is HOT POT, the must-have meal in almost every Chinese family during Chinese New Year. Hot pot is basically a way of cooking food in a pot , mainly boiling. Meow, Amy and Jennifer’s worked hard in washing all the vegetables and cutting radish. Albert (Indonesian) and Apiwat (Thai), for your help on our venue decoration! And yes, our Singaporean hosts, Amanda, Eng Soon, Weiming and Ingo (German) provided the hotpots for cooking!
In Chinese poetry, a couplet (simplified Chinese: 对联; traditional Chinese: 對聯; pinyin: duìlián) is a pair of lines of poetry which adhere to certain rules (see below). Outside of poems, they are usually seen on the sides of doors leading to people’s homes or as hanging scrolls in an interior. A special, widely-seen type of couplet is the spring couplet (simplified Chinese: 春联; traditional Chinese: 春聯; pinyin: chūnlián), used as a New Year’s decoration that expresses happy and hopeful thoughts for the coming year. – Wikipedia
By 6 p.m., the traditional Chinese Hot Pots were set on the table. Chinese cabbage, rape, mushrooms, radish, fried tofu, vermicelli rice (thin white noodles) are laid on the table around the hot pot. While waiting for the soup stock in the pot to boil, we gathered around the table impatiently with chopsticks and plates ready to attack. At the sight of boiling bubbles, we placed the food ingredients into the pot. And the countdown begins- Five minutes… two minutes… one minute… Hooray! It is ready! Oh yes, we have the special sauce prepared by Lily & Amy! Yummy! The sauce is sumptuous and complements the delicious food cooked hot pot style. This made us eat more! The lounge became warmer with the steam from hotpot and more than thirty people who are having hot pot together, in summer!
Nevertheless, this is the best time of the whole trimester-gatherings, enjoying with so many friends companion and enjoying hot pot
After 2 hours, we finallyfinished our dinner. We are now full and bloated. Nonetheless, we need to get into our sleek costumes for the Cheongsam Competition! Cheongsam or Qipao is a Chinese traditional costume which has been worn since the Manchu dynasty ruled China in the 17th century.
Before they wore the original qipao was wide and baggy. The one-piece dress featured a high neck and straight skirt. The qipao worn today are modeled after ones made in Shanghai in the 1920s. The modern qipao is a one-piece, formfitting, floor length dress that has a high slit on one or both sides. Modern variations may have bell sleeves or be sleeveless and are made out of a variety of fabrics. – About.com
Who will be our Miss. Cheongsam?
Our Group gathering picture- Henry (Taiwanese), Amanda(Singaporean),Yu Qing, Anise, Amy,Chen Yan,Rita, Lily, Munchuga (Thailand), Mimi (Taiwan) and Josephine (Singaporean) and below with our German friends Julia and Stephanie –wearing traditional Chinese Cheongsam (Qipao) and Chinese Changshan.
Henry surrounded by girls.
Finally, we have the winner…. No other than Henry (thorn among the roses), the only guy in traditional Chinese Changshan! The prize is a red envelope with $20! Thanks Mr. Changshan, for bringing us so much fun!
Paloma with 2 hunks
At 9 p.m after the contest, we started writing of Chinese FU Character. Put the red paper on the table, raise up the writing brush, dip the ink, and you can write Chinese Fu now- it is that simple??. Yes,it is that easy! You can do it! Don’t believe me? Look at Josephine’s professional gesture! Wish our Fu bring good luck and good fortune to everyone and to our Nanyang MBA! Thanks Hantang Da Ge again, for helping us to get the writing brushes, ink and red paper.
Writing Chinese FU character
And that is how we celebrated the Chinese New year – with the company of our friends!
Chinese New Year is the longest and most important festival in the Chinese calendar. It is the time to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new spring, to reconcile, forget all grudges and sincerely wish peace and happiness for everyone. Thanks to everyone, we have had an unforgettable Chinese New Year with you! Till the next one.
Culture Tips:
1. Spring Couplets – In Chinese poetry, a couplet (simplified Chinese: 对联; traditional Chinese: 對聯; pinyin: duìlián) is a pair of lines of poetry which adhere to certain rules (see below). Outside of poems, they are usually seen on the sides of doors leading to people’s homes or as hanging scrolls in an interior. A special, widely-seen type of couplet is the spring couplet (simplified Chinese: 春联; traditional Chinese: 春聯; pinyin: chūnlián), used as a New Year’s decoration that expresses happy and hopeful thoughts for the coming year. – Wikipedia
2. Hot Pot: Hot pot (simplified Chinese: 火锅; traditional Chinese: 火鍋; Mandarin Pinyin: huǒ guō), refers to several East Asian varieties of stew, consisting of a simmering metal pot of stock at the centre of the dining table. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table. Typical hot pot dishes include thinly sliced meat, leaf vegetables, mushrooms, wontons, egg dumplings, and seafood. Vegetables, fish and meat should be fresh. The cooked food is usually eaten with a dipping sauce. – Wikipedia
3. Cheongsam: Qipao or cheongsam (旗袍) are one-piece Chinese dresses that have been worn since the Manchu ruled China in the 17th century. The original qipao was wide and baggy. The one-piece dress featured a high neck and straight skirt. The qipao worn today are modeled after ones made in Shanghai in the 1920s. The modern qipao is a one-piece, formfitting, floor length dress that has a high slit on one or both sides. Modern variations may have bell sleeves or be sleeveless and are made out of a variety of fabrics. – About.com
By Shilpa Ramesh Vaswani, Indian, Intake Class of 2012
As I walked alongside the lush foliage across campus and felt the soothing evening breeze of Singapore refreshing me with its gentle blow, I thought to myself, “Where did the first trimester go!” I was headed to the gym, after an intense two week span of mid-terms, to debit my much deserved leisure and credit my study time liability for later (let’s blame that random analogy to the mid-terms)!
A dig in the soccer pit with the women’s varsity football team as amazing as it was intense. It brought back so many memories (I love football!) and I loved the fact that the team is open to integrate with passionate football lovers and not just ‘professionals’! With all due love for the affiliation to the team, I couldn’t wait to hit the treadmill and make use of the amazing gymnasium equipment. The Sports and Recreation Center (SRC) offers a football arena, a synthetic track field, tennis courts, indoor as well as outdoor basketball and badminton courts, a refreshing pool and two remarkable gymnasiums. The walk towards the place is refreshing in itself; watching individuals play their hearts out, and realizing how an effortless drag to the SRC and a little bit of sports, can be such a radiantly enhancing experience on campus! I stopped by to grab a Gatorade at the much revered 24 hour convenience store in the area (how cool is our campus)!
I got digressed from my walk towards the gym, and got pulled towards the basketball court. I had the opportunity to watch and somehow experience the NTU women’s basketball team in full action, who stood victorious as they literally thrashed the opposing team with their consistent rain of shots made. I almost felt like I bled NTU and was so proud of the series of 3-pointers that shot up OUR score!
After much digression, I finally hit the treadmill – upbeat, with an electrifying bhangra, (a popular lively fusion of traditional North Indian Punjabi and Western pop, hip-hop, house and reggae music), playlist on my shuffle, de-stressed, rejuvenated, fulfilled, content, and liberated… Bhangra is always great for an energetic exercise regimen. The sports streak in me was alive again and I don’t think the NTU SRC amenities will let it fade. As I ran at a speed of 10.2, I watched my neighbor running at least 15 and thought to myself, ‘This is risky but will definitely yield a high return in terms of calories burnt and less guilt while munching on French fries’ – I’m telling you, it’s the mid-terms!
Most of us from the Nanyang MBA Class of 2012-2013 completed our final midterm test one Sunday morning. When the clock struck 12 noon, it was a symbolic moment for the entire cohort for three reasons:
1) The end of the midterm exams
2) The end of the first half of Trimester 1
3) The beginning of the ExCo’s first social activity for the batch!
Filled with much gusto and excitement, our ragged group of some 50 MBA participants moved from LT27A to our own place, The NANYANG MBA lounge. There were a lot of foods: from sushi to sandwiches to pastries. As we entered the lounge, we noticed not only food, but also the projector was set up with the newly bought karaoke (that famous Japanese contribution for “sing-along” ) machine.
To kick things off on the right mood, Andy Kim, President of the Nanyang MBA Student Executive Council, thanked everyone for coming, and then proceeded to serenade the batch with his rendition of ‘Uptown Girl’. Not bad for a singing prexy!
We also wished and sang happy birthday songs to the September celebrants: Indonesian Satria Krisnandi, Peter Ho, Indian Sunny Arora, and Canadian Jake Hason. Sadly, the lovely French Florence Roncalez wasn’t able to join!
And so, with all that done, it was time to mingle! With Filipino John Rae facilitating the karaoke machine with aspiring singers, the rest of the group of full-timers and part-timers spent time socializing.
It was indeed the end of the first half of the trimester, and for many participants, it felt it went by so fast. It ended on a day usually reserved for rest(Sunday), a day typically considered in some cultures as the end of the week, and in some cultures as the start of the week. And that, in essence, was what the End of Midterms Celebration symbolized: the end of the midterms and the first half of the semester, and yet the start of many other new firsts.
Congratulations to a job well done to everyone in the cohort making the ExCo’s first social activity a success! And looking forward to more!
By Bui Vinh Nguyen (William), Vietnamese, Nanyang MBA Participant, Intake 2011
With Trimester 2 exams completed, it signaled that we were half way through our MBA journey at Nanyang. To celebrate this, we gathered at Tanglin View Condo, a centrally located, beautiful condominium near town area. Our gracious hosts were our classmates from Germany who prepared German style BBQ (we had Korean last time). It was an event too, to share stories, laughter and our plans in the near future after our MBA.
Our German hosts for the night – (Left to right) Justus, Florian, and Simon
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