Learning invaluable lessons

Mr Andy Kong, 22, holds a diploma in Financial Business Informatics from Temasek Polytechnic and is currently doing his National Service.

Mr Eddie Tan, 29, holds a diploma in Electronic & Computer Engineering, and works full-time in the E-Services industry.

It sounds unlikely that these two individuals would ever find themselves becoming classmates, given the difference in age and previous fields of education.

But that's exactly what happened when they decided to pursue Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degrees in Business Management from the University of Greenwich at ERC Institute.

ERC Institute (ERC) was established by ERC Holdings in 2003. Working closely with government bodies such as the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the private education institution provides education with a difference, aiming to groom and mentor a new generation of business leaders equipped with skills to analyse and solve the real world business challenges of today.

Given ERC's track record of achievements in the last 10 years, it's little wonder both Mr Tan and Mr Kong were drawn to the school.

"ERC's achievements, such as being amongst the first batch of private education institutions to achieve a full (four-year) Edutrust certification, was impressive," said Mr Tan.

The EduTrust certification is an award given to private education institutions for maintaining robust academic systems and processes, and upholding quality standards in its delivery of programmes.

The school's good record allowed Mr Kong and Mr Tan to pursue their shared new chosen field of study with the necessary peace of mind.

"I was always interested in finance," said Mr Kong. "I hope to one day open my own interior design company. The lessons that I learn here are invaluable in helping me reach my goal."

Mr Tan, on the other hand, hopes that the experience and knowledge he gains studying something new will help him in a different way.

"Studying business, instead of engineering again, broadens my knowledge and grants me exposure in a field that will be very useful to me," he said.

"What we learn in class is very up-to-date with the latest practices in the business world. Everything I learn is immediately relevant to what I do."

While they may have their hearts set, the road to achieving their degrees is not necessarily an easy one. After all, the both of them have important, time consuming commitments outside the classroom.

Fortunately, their experience thus far at ERC has proven that their worries are unfounded.

"Class sizes are small, at around 20 students a class, and most of our classmates are working adults," says Mr Tan.

"This means that everyone is focused on learning, so you don't get troublemakers in class."

"Our teachers are also interesting and engage the class well, which is important when most of the students are a little tired after working all day," adds Mr Kong.

"All of them have also actually held jobs in industries relevant to the classes they teach, which means they can offer students insights into the world of business afforded them by their wealth of real-world experience."

And then there's the getting to class part that's hard.

"Having to beat the evening traffic jams and rush to class after a long day at work can get very tiring," said Mr Tan.

"Sometimes, students don't even have time to have dinner before coming to class," adds Mr Kong.

"Fortunately, the lecturers here are very understanding, and allow students to eat in class.

"It also helps that ERC's campus is centrally-located and easily accessible."

Despite the challenges they face, Mr Tan and Mr Kong agree that with a bit of effort and the right mindset, studying at ERC can be manageable.

"I believe the effort we put in here is all going to pay off when I graduate. What the both of us learn here will help us get further in our respective careers in future," adds Mr Kong.

WHY THIS COURSE

UNIVERSITY of Greenwich Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Business Management (International Business)

The course will provide students with a comprehensive framework to understand and interpret the factors that influence international business and globalisation.

Students will also learn about the internationalisation of trade, investments and financial markets, as well as providing a strong academic orientation to the world of commerce and public service.

This programme equips students with the practical skills needed to become effective managers of teams and individuals.

There is a particular emphasis on developing the ability to manage people, so that by the end of the programme students should be able to handle confidently many of the complex interpersonal interactions which take place between members of teams, clients and customers.

The ability to drive business success and manage people effectively are essential qualifications for becoming a successful manager.

"In this era of globalisation, there are very few companies that can say that they are not part of a global network. Every firm has to think of itself as a global company and to be prepared to meet the competition from global companies. This changes the entire strategy of the firm. In the future, we expect all our students to be involved in managerial decision making that will take them beyond the realms of their geographical territory. This course will have the focus on helping them make better international decisions.

Aside from the opportunities offered by globalisation, there are also many risks in entering into the global market. The basic philosophy behind this course is to develop a holistic understanding of international business, appreciating the risks, and developing competence in using tools to mitigate that risk." - Mr Mark Fairhurst,Senior Academic HeadrnUniversity of Greenwich Programmes

Get The New Paper for more stories.