East Asia Institute of Management

STUDENTS Lynette Siew and William Seng were both eager to complete their tertiary education in as short a time as possible.

That's because they have dreams to fulfil: She wants to be an events planner, while he plans to set up his own business.

No wonder they were attracted to the courses offered by the East Asia Institute of Management (EASB), which lead to a Bachelor's Degree in three years. Both their degrees are awarded by the Edinburgh-based Queen Margaret University (QMU).

Lynette, 18, is now a second-year student, pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management.

After her O levels in 2007, she enrolled in an Integrated Events Management diploma course at Republic Polytechnic. But less than a month after the course started, she realised her time was not being well-spent.

She said: 'I felt what I was learning was not relevant as I had to do modules in other disciplines, like maths and science. And I would only get a diploma at the end of three years in poly while the same period of time at EASB will get me a Bachelor's Degree.'

William, 19, chose to pursue a EASB-QMU Bachelor's Degree in Business Management for the same reason.
The Indonesian enrolled in EASB in 2005 after receiving his O-level results from an international school in Jakarta.

While the third-year student finds the course quite tough, he believes what he is learning now will be very useful when he ventures into business.

'What I find relevant are the examples lecturers - some of whom are also businessmen - give in class, which are taken from their experiences in dealing with clients,' he said.

William also likes not having any exams in his final year. Students are assessed based on their assignments instead.

'I get to learn and experience more that way instead of just studying for exams,' he said.

Lynette said she gained invaluable experience during her six-month compulsory internship with the St Regis hotel.

'One of the main reasons I chose this course was the internship module. When it comes to events management, I've realised that experience counts for a lot,' she said.

'I grew a lot in terms of my skills and as a person. I learnt how to deal with people, take responsibility and maintain a positive attitude at all times.

'It also gave me a very good insight into what my future working life will be like.'

This article was first published in The New Paper on January 12, 2009.