NANYANG MBA

AN MBA THAT RESULTED IN LIFELONG LESSONS AND FRIENDSHIPS

Natrada Limsupavanich Nanyang MBA, Class of 2018

When technology consultant Natrada Limsupavanich was considering where to pursue her MBA studies, she mounted a serious search to identify the ideal university.

She spoke to several friends and colleagues who had studied abroad for their MBA degrees and built up a comprehensive understanding of the kind of programme that would suit her future needs.

Given the growth of the regional economies, the Thai national wanted to focus on Southeast Asian businesses and economies. So a business school that offered a relevant programme and was also ideally located were key factors in her decision.

“if you are interested in China businesses and its economy, it would be beneficial to choose to study your MBA in China,” Natrada explains. “To me, Singapore is considered the region’s business hub , and it provides high-quality education and living standards.”

Another factor to consider was the diversity of the class. “My research showed that the MBA programme focuses on sharing experiences with classmates from various countries and industries, and learning about real-life business experiences from each other.”

After discussions with alumni from various MBA programmes, Natrada developed a clearer picture of what she hoped to achieve from the programme. “Beyond rankings, I realised that I would like to explore opportunities to work abroad in Asia. Therefore, the programmes in Singapore would be the right answer.

“And my good impression of the Nanyang Technological University MBA admission team and Experience Day were crucial in my decision. They suggested I apply for the early round of admission to secure the spot, and to attend Experience Day and interview on campus.”

On Experience Day, Natrada met and spoke with professors, current students and other candidates who eventually became her classmates.

“All these helped me confirm my decision to choose the Nanyang Business School.”

Life Lessons

“The most memorable thing I gained from the MBA programme at NTU is the lifelong friendships with my classmates,” recalls Natrada.

“We enjoyed the journey together as one collaborative batch; in classes, projects, competitions, and other activities. These strong connections make the investment in an MBA worthwhile.

“I remember during the orientation, a professor said that even though many of us were trying to find jobs in Singapore, the competition is not from within our batch, so we should help each other. I think this is the key message that helped our batch to collaborate and support each other till today.”

Natrada gained invaluable insights into cultural diversity and international business management from her classmates.

“During the MBA, we discussed many cases that helped us change our perspectives. Before we entered the programme, we might have some ideas of how the business or management should be, but during the programme we learned of other possibilities and options.

“We became more flexible and creative. For people who want to build their own businesses in the future, they got many ideas from the class and discussions during networking. For people who tend to be reserved, they learned to be more assertive. For people who are expressive, they learned to listen more.”

Natrada found her time at NTU made her more open-minded about cultural differences and the similarities she shared with her fellow Southeast Asian classmates.

This gave her the confidence to decide to move from Thailand to work in Singapore.

Immediately after graduating, she has secured a position as an executive with the Singapore e-commerce platform Shopee.

To learn more about our Nanyang MBA programme, please visit our website.