NANYANG Financial Engineering

A LONG JOURNEY TO BIGGER THINGS AHEAD

“Computing. Finance. Mathematics. How can I blend them together to achieve interesting outcomes for everyone?”

This was my thought when I was serving my National Service, and it was not a spontaneous one. I believe strongly in the concept of interdisciplinary studies and am convinced that one discipline can spark off new ideas in another discipline. However, it is a daunting task to do so, and there were not many examples to serve as guides to this field.

Since young, I had been interested in the understanding of mathematical concepts and solving mathematical questions. In my opinion, mathematics is a language to other scientific fields. I was then exposed to coding while I was in primary school, a language to communicate with electronic devices. Finally, after years of observing people’s behaviour and decisions, the knowledge of finance seems to be able to explain how people would naturally behave and the thought process they would go through.   

My idea to pursue a field combining the three fields was shelved until 2014, when I did an internship at a reinsurance company. During then, my buddy who studied in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) told me about the Nanyang Master of Science in Financial Engineering (MFE) programme offered by Nanyang Business School. He shared that the programme blends multiple fields together, and that it was extremely challenging to be enrolled in the demanding programme, given that the cohort is usually smaller than the pool of applicants. While it sounded attractive to me, it also sounded impossible for me to pursue the programme.

Fast forward to 2019, when I turned 30, I asked myself if there were something, I wanted to fulfil. The dream to gather knowledge in this field popped up once again. Equipped with more life experience, I saw this dream in a different light. Yes, it may be challenging because this field requires all-rounded talents to take charge. Yes, it may sound impossible, unless I give it my strongest attempt to overcome the challenge. I questioned myself if I should continue with the application. However, my wife gave me two timely advice – one, to pursue my joy in academia and two, to live a life with no regrets. She knew that I enjoyed learning and that financial engineering has been one of my dreams. Her support has propelled me forward with my application.

Next came the interview. Just like many others, I was very nervous about the interview –  who will I be facing at the interview, what questions will I be asked and how can I impress the interviewers and secure the admission offer? My preparations before the interview paid off. I handled the interview questions with ease and was confident of my performance at the interview.  

Upon receiving the offer, I was in a state of disbelief. I was overjoyed and grateful to the school for recognising my potential and were willing to give me the opportunity to learn and to showcase my capabilities. I am full of anticipation for the big achievements that the programme can unlock for my future career path.

For more information about the Nanyang MSc Financial Engineering, visit www.mfe.ntu.edu.sg