Matilda Tao enrols in NUS executive master's programme: 'My brain was fried'

Matilda Tao revealed she is currently enrolled in an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) programme at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

The 46-year-old Taiwanese host shared in her podcast Tao Se Xin Wen on Sept 30: "I was on a short hiatus previously because I went to Singapore to study the first course... I learnt accounting and was taught two years' worth of information in four days."

She said that on the fourth day, she had a group presentation in the morning, followed by a written examination in the afternoon.

Matilda, who moved to Singapore in 2024 to accompany her son studying at an international school here, also praised her professor.

"He's very good and precise in explaining all the key points of a difficult subject," she said, adding that they covered 10 chapters in four days.

She admitted that the course was challenging and dry for her at the beginning, and she was forcing herself not to fall asleep.

"It's really hard not to doze off, but I forced myself to keep my eyes open and try to understand the subject. On the fourth day, when the professor reviewed the whole course, I suddenly realised that I actually got it. It's really fun," she said.

Matilda will be returning to school soon for her next course.

According to the NUS website, students enrolled in the programme are expected to complete 16 courses in 15 months, with classes held in different cities in seven countries.

When Matilda was asked why she decided to enrol in the EMBA, she shared that she initially heard about it from a fan who requested for a photo in Taiwan.

As they chatted, Matilda heard from the woman that she was studying in this programme and on her way to San Francisco for an exchange programme to learn more about artificial intelligence (AI).

The AI courses sparked Matilda's interest, but she admitted to making a mistake as she wasn't aware she also had to take other business-related courses.

Matilda said she was exhausted from the intensive classes and fell asleep while trying to revise on her mobile phone.

She laughed: "I slept like a log. And my snoring was so loud. My daughter was about to go crazy and her dad told her that I was really tired. My brain was fried."

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yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com

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