Graduate Studies Blog

NANYANG EXECUTIVE MBA

Building Skills Vs. Building Leaders: How the Nanyang Executive MBA Pays Off

Leadership skills are in high demand in these challenging times. As advancement becomes increasingly selective, executives are upskilling to stay competitive.

The Singapore government’s recent emphasis on SkillsFuture courses have led to growing interest in short courses as a path to growth. But are they enough to develop the strategic thinking today’s leaders need?

Not likely, explains Prof. Jun Yang, Dean of Nanyang Business School. “In today’s fast-changing world, professionals need more than just technical know-how,” she says. “Postgraduate degrees offer structured, in-depth learning that go beyond what short-term certifications typically offer.”

There is no denying that short courses offer significant value: they are an accessible entry point for foundational knowledge, with low-to-medium commitment required. But for those seeking meaningful, long-term progression, postgraduate programmes like the Nanyang EMBA deliver more, and yield more in return.

To explore the differences between short-term courses and postgraduate degrees like the Nanyang EMBA, we spoke to Joyce Chen (EMBA ‘22). She’s seen both sides – having taken an NTU FlexiMasters, and the Nanyang EMBA a little later on.

What can she tell us about the outcomes of either course – and how much further has she come since completing her Nanyang EMBA?

A pathway to more advanced study

As a DEI Leader in industrial power solutions provider Cummins, Joyce performs consulting, coaching, and upskilling at various organisational levels. It’s a job with wide-ranging demands and little room to pause. “I’d been working in the corporate world for a while – juggling multiple roles, both professionally and personally,” Joyce shares. “It’s been intense.”

Joyce had long aspired to an MBA, but her packed schedule made it difficult to prioritise. So, she decided to undertake a mini-Masters in General Management under the NTU FlexiMasters instead, motivated by its reasonable cost and available grants during the COVID-19 lockdown.

“Getting into the FlexiMasters programme was my fail-safe,” Joyce explains. “It was a low hanging fruit at low cost, for a short time. Why not try it?”

The FlexiMasters’ coursework leaned heavily on textbook use cases and technical frameworks – useful for foundational learning, but not quite aligned with the challenges Joyce faced in her senior role. The short course content was better suited to a younger cohort of fresh graduates with limited corporate experience.

Joyce saw it as a pathway to more advanced study. “The FlexiMasters was like scaffolding,” Joyce says. “It gave me the courage to step up and embark on the Nanyang EMBA.”

With strong backing from her senior leadership and a narrow window of personal availability, Joyce knew it was time to commit. “My elder son was about to enter his PSLE year, and I knew that in a few years’ time I’d be too busy with other things,” she says.

Learning alongside experienced senior leaders

Compared to the FlexiMasters, the Nanyang EMBA had a more selective admissions process that included minimum academic requirements and a battery of admissions interviews – all of which Joyce passed with flying colours.

Upon joining, Joyce found a greater strategic depth in the Nanyang EMBA programme. “I definitely could not gain the collective best practices that I gained from the EMBA programme compared to the FlexiMasters,” Joyce explains.

“In the FlexiMasters, when discussing a business case, students share knowledge from their tertiary education,” she continues. “Compare that with the Nanyang EMBA, where the sharing came from the cohort’s personal experiences as executives, not from textbook examples.”

Joyce was pleased to find her cohort consisted of other high-level executives from various industries. “You learn from each other – and you have an impact on each other as well,” she explains. “Think about the experiences each individual participant offers to the programme, and multiply that by the number of participants.”

Each class felt like a safe environment for sharing real-life experiences, and gaining insights into various sectors’ inner workings. On a few occasions, the entire cohort joined a fellow participant at their workplace – like on “Google Day,” where they learned about the tech industry right in the Google Singapore HQ.

“The authentic sharing of different EMBA participants gives you comfort and confidence that, as you lead in your own space and in your own industry, it’s actually not too different from theirs,” Joyce explains.

Gaining a global perspective

The Nanyang EMBA also offers a broader platform to examine global business challenges through direct international exposure – an experience that can’t be found in short courses. “Global immersion modules and international exchanges prepare [participants] to navigate different markets and manage multicultural teams with confidence,” explains Prof. Jun Yang.

For her part, Joyce enjoyed the global perspective provided by the Nanyang EMBA’s international segments at Tsinghua University and University of California, Berkeley. “In today’s era, having this experience of both the US and China enabled us to learn from professors of both sides, and also experience their cultural differences,” Joyce explains.

Both segments allowed Joyce to compare and contrast UC Berkeley’s “startup environment” and Tsinghua University’s Asian take on strategy and entrepreneurship. By hearing directly from energetic, passionate professors on both sides, Joyce better understood the nuances that each approach offers in tackling real-world challenges.

The Tsinghua experience came in handy when she received an internal promotion in 2022, which included additional remit assignments covering the China region and Corporate Responsibility, applying my learnings from Tsinghua eased my relationships with colleagues across Greater China,” she explains.

Leadership transformation: the ultimate return on investment

“Our postgraduate courses provide high ROI for our students, with excellent career outcomes and employer recognition,” Prof. Jun Yang explains. Joyce Chen can vouch for these results, and more – her post-EMBA journey offers a deeper view of what transformation really looks like.

After her Nanyang EMBA, Joyce acted on Cummins’ newfound cultural emphasis on making quick decisions and executing them swiftly. “I coach leaders, helping them role-model the behaviours our company is moving toward,” she says.

Her professional profile also benefited. “My brand equity went up after completing the Nanyang EMBA,” she reflects. Joyce was invited to contribute her DEI expertise to a leadership programme jointly run by NTU and Alstom, and continues to receive invitations to participate in industry forums. “Some of my EMBA peers even approach me in confidence for career conversations,” she adds.

Not all her growth happened in the classroom, either. During the UC Berkeley international segment, Joyce surprised even herself.

“I went skydiving. I wouldn’t have done that otherwise,” she laughs. The experience encapsulated what she’d gained through the Nanyang EMBA: the courage to try, the confidence to act, and the mindset to lead with impact.

A challenge you won’t regret taking on

So, what does Joyce recommend for executives weighing up short courses versus the Nanyang EMBA?

“It really depends on the individual’s situation,” she says. “If someone’s unsure about committing to further study, starting with a short course like the FlexiMasters is a good way to test the waters. You can always decide later if an EMBA makes sense.”

But for those ready to commit, she’s clear: “If you have the energy and mental bandwidth, go for the EMBA. It’s designed to be fast-paced for a reason. It will push you – but you won’t be doing it alone.”

That’s ultimately what sets the Nanyang EMBA apart. “Transformation is the goal,” Prof. Jun Yang explains. “Our programmes are designed to support not just professional growth, but personal and leadership development – something short courses simply don’t offer.”

The value continues to deliver long after graduation. With a powerful alumni network, diverse cohort, and strong track record of career progression, the Nanyang EMBA delivers long-term impact for professionals ready to take that next step up.