NANYANG MBA

Paying it forward

Imagine valuing education so highly that even years spent in a forced labour camp couldn’t stop you from getting one.

That’s the high bar set by the person who inspired Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) Sellappah Scholarship: a school teacher who understood the importance of education, and the power it has to transform lives.

The scholarship is sponsored by Pravin Raj—a Nanyang Business School (NBS) MBA alumni and Emerson Asia Pacific’s Director of Strategic Planning, Sustainability, and Decarbonisation—in honour of his late grandfather, K. N. Sellappah.

Pravin established the Sellappah Scholarship fund to support promising Nanyang MBA students from developing countries, ideally those with excellent academic records and a strong commitment to creating a positive impact on their home countries and communities. Candidates must also have at least two years of post-degree work experience, making the scholarship an extraordinary option for professionals aspiring to gain an edge through an MBA degree from a reputable university.

The past: origins of the scholarship

Sellappah was a school teacher from Sri Lanka who moved to Malaysia in pursuit of a better future, but was kidnapped and forced to work on the infamous Thai-Burma Death Railway during World War II.

This ordeal did not diminish Sellappah’s drive and generosity. Soon after his release, he became known in his community as someone who was always ready to lift others up without expecting anything in return.

Pravin himself struggled while pursuing his MBA, working two part-time jobs to support himself. Scholarships helped defray his costs, but the experience made him keenly aware of “the challenges faced by students eager to learn and grow yet constrained by inhibiting financial circumstances,” he recalls.

Despite his difficulties, Pravin found in the Nanyang MBA an invaluable opportunity to meet classmates from different cultures and career backgrounds. “After graduating, I felt that my educational experience was pivotal in unlocking opportunities and transforming my life for the better,” he says.

Later on, it dawned on Pravin that becoming a scholarship benefactor would be the perfect continuation of his grandfather’s legacy: “He was a school teacher and a great mentor who led by example. After my graduation, I felt it was time to pay it forward.”

The present: The Sellappah Scholarship today

The current recipient, Ngamkae Amatyakul (Claire), is a marketing and communications specialist from Thailand. Like her benefactor, Claire is a firm believer in the transformative power of education.

“Pursuing the Nanyang MBA has been one of the best decisions of my life,” Claire explains. “My faculty members are so knowledgeable, and because the classes are rigorous and demanding, I have learned so much, and achieved a new standard for myself and my work. I’m so excited about the opportunities it unlocks for my career and personal growth.”

For Claire, fighting for greater inclusivity is her preferred way of paying it forward. She grew up with a brother on the autism spectrum; this motivated her to volunteer for organisations around Asia that advocated for people with autism.

Claire’s volunteer work taught her that very few people understood how autism impacted family members. “Whether it’s autism, low income, old age, or a different circumstance entirely, there’s a lack of support and guidance in the professional sector for those who haven’t lived a traditional path,” she adds.

This is why, upon graduating, Claire hopes to join a company that promotes inclusion, with plans to develop programmes that inform and increase awareness about the various unique challenges in every individual’s personal and professional life.

“To me, the MBA programme at NTU is a stepping-stone to the rest of Asia,” says Claire. “By starting a wave of change in Singapore and improving inclusivity, I can go to Thailand and other countries in the region and work with others to bring that impactful change elsewhere.”

The future: paying it forward

NTU’s MBA programme also gives intelligent, passionate change-makers a common venue for a meeting of the minds.

“I have so much to learn from everyone around me, whether it’s a colleague at work, a fellow student, or a family member,” says Claire. Pravin concurs: “Sometimes, all it takes is for someone to believe in you and allow you to lead.”

Pravin inherited his grandfather’s commitment to continuous learning, a passion he tries to emulate and promote through the scholarship. Education is indeed a transformational opportunity, and one that future Sellappah scholars should take advantage of.

The Nanyang MBA’s unique interdisciplinary curriculum leverages the university’s technology and innovation strengths, expertise from world-class research centres, and strong industry connections to nurture future-ready leaders equipped to embrace change and accelerate transformation. Scholarships like The Sellappah Scholarship widen access to opportunities in NTU for deserving students.

To learn more about the Nanyang MBA and the various merit-based scholarships, get in touch with our team.

Nanyang MBA

The Nanyang MBA is a flexible 12-month or 18-month programme designed to fuel your growth into a future-ready leader equipped with the skills needed to excel in a global, digital environment. The programme aims to develop impactful, culturally adept leaders who embrace the connection between business, technology, and innovation to excel in global environments and adapt to each new wave of digital change.