Nanyang Business School President Andrew Kim lets us in on the new business plan competition that the Student Committee is planning for next year!
Andrew Kim, President of Nanyang Business School’s MBA Student Executive Committee, tells us why b-school in Asia is attractive to Asian-Americans, and the exciting plans his Committee has for next year’s MBAs!
Andrew, 28, is a US national who is a periodontist and implants specialist. Andrew worked as a periodontics resident at the University of Southern California prior to the joining Nanyang this July. He was enjoying the experience of living and learning away from California so much that he wanted to give something back, so he joined the Student Executive Committee.
The Committee is the same group that organized the MBA Special Olympics which brought together all MBAs in Singapore to compete against each other in sports and raise funds for disabled children in Singapore.
Why did you leave California for Singapore?
I have an interest in entrepreneurship and want to start a business in Singapore. I felt that doing an MBA in a country I plan on living in made sense. Singapore is a great place to start a business, with a great infrastructure. It’s also an English-speaking country in Asia so that helps in getting adjusted.
Since I’m Asian by descent, I’m fitting in well and it’s closer to my own family in Korea. So far, the experience had been great. We have a small class size so we MBAs are a tight-knit family. I’m interested in entering the dental supplies business in Asia and this MBA will blend with my background with my aspirations.
You’re the first MBA periodontist I’ve met. Are there other MBA periodontists in your class?
I’m the only one interested in dental supply in my class. Other classmates are interested in strategy or finance. We have also have a lawyer and someone who develops premium tourism packages. I’ve been a dentist for three years so being able to mix with people from different backgrounds is a plus for me. I learn a tremendous amount from talking and working with them and this is interesting for me since I will be targeting the international market.
Tell us a bit about the Student Executive Committee and some of the activities you have planned
We have a lot of internal events since the Committee oversees the other MBA clubs. We have people organising lectures, seminars, and networking events. Social events are also very popular because Nanyang is such a diverse place and there is a high interest in cultural awareness. We host the Singapore MBA Olympics where we invite other schools to engage in friendly competition. We also have several CSR initiatives that we engage in.
The major initiative we have planned for this year is a business plan competition. Currently the Nanyang MBA do not have a business plan competition. The Committee is trying to introduce one that will be continued year after year, similar to the Special Olympics. We’ve been working very hard over the past few weeks: I actually just came from a meeting putting it together! We’re aiming to have it next year April so this gives us five months to tie up all the loose ends. We’re working on the logistical details but it’s moving forward nicely.
Extracted from: Business Because, 30th November 2012
Author: Ifeatu Nnaobi
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