This document discusses MBA programs and their value for working professionals. It provides details on several top MBA programs in Asia, including the National University of Singapore MBA and Nanyang Technological University MBA. It also discusses the ESSEC Executive MBA Asia-Pacific program. The document finds that demand for MBAs in Asia remains strong, with MBA recruitment in Asia projected to increase 8% and China being a major MBA market. It also notes the importance of international experience, leadership skills, and specializations like business development and marketing for MBA students and graduates.

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EXECUTIVE EDUCATION EXECUTIVE EDUCATION
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FEATURE FEATURE
Are MBA programmes losing their
allure among working professionals?
Judging by comments made by Paul
Danos, dean of the Tuck School of
Business at Dartmouth College, they
most certainly are not.
“Demand for graduates of top MBA
programmes by the great businesses of
the world continues to be strong,” Danos
was quoted as saying in the 2014/2015 QS
TopMBA.com Jobs & Salary Trends Report.
He projects “no end to the insatiable
demand of top businesses to employ
high-quality MBA talent”.
In fact, the 2014/2015 QS TopMBA.com
Jobs & Salary Trends Report found that the
MBA qualification had become “probably
the most recession-proof postgraduate
degree since the financial crisis in 2008”.
With MBA recruitment levels projected
to increase by eight per cent in Asia-
Pacific this year, the time has never
been more apt for professionals to arm
themselves with an MBA qualification.
MBA programmes abound
According to the 2014/2015 QS TopMBA.
com Jobs & Salary Trends Report, an MBA
is rapidly becoming an acknowledged
pathway for accelerated career
advancement for aspiring business
leaders. The research also found
that an MBA qualification cultivated
entrepreneurs who begin businesses
and then come back and hire MBAs into
their firms.
The National University of Singapore
(NUS) MBA is one programme that
seeks well rounded individuals who can
benefit from, and contribute to learning
Sham Majid
sham@hrmasia.com.sg
within and beyond the classroom, says
Marie-Antonie Chua Nan Sze, Director
of Graduate Studies Office, NUS
Business School.
Chua explains that successful
applicants possess a good academic
record and career trajectory.
“They would have demonstrated strong
leadership capabilities, as well as the
desire and drive to achieve academic and
management excellence,” she says.
“Many would have had international
exposure or dabbled in entrepreneurial
ventures.”
Chua explains that while the NUS
MBA course equips selected candidates
with general management skills to be
all rounded business leaders, students
can also choose to specialise in finance,
marketing, strategy and operations, real
estate, or healthcare management. They
can also take up double degrees with
Peking University, Fudan University, Korea
University, HEC Paris, Yale University and
the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
The NUS MBA can be completed on a
full time basis within 17 months, inclusive
of an internship and student exchange.
NUS’ local counterpart, Nanyang
Technological University (NTU)-
Nanyang Business School offers the
flagship Nanyang MBA programme to
students looking for a rigorous MBA
with a distinctive global reputation, says
Nicole Tee, Director, Graduate Studies,
Nanyang Business School.
“Other than providing real world
relevance and foremost business
management concepts in the curriculum,
students get to gain a global perspective
on management issues,” elaborates Tee.
“With Asia evolving and taking on
a key role in the world’s economy,
Nanyang MBA’s strong Asian focus and
holistic approach in ‘Nurturing Global
Leaders for a Sustainable World’ lays the
foundation for future leaders to gain an
incredible learning experience.”
The Nanyang MBA can be completed
over 12 months for full-time students
or 18 months for part-time students,
enticing talented participants from
around the globe every year.
“The cohort comprises of a diverse
group of high calibre participants from
varied backgrounds, functional roles and
industries, all aspiring to lead and make
an impact in society,” explains Tee.
Another potential avenue for MBA
hopefuls is the Executive MBA Asia-
Pacific programme launched by ESSEC
Business School in 2014.
The ESSEC Executive MBA Asia-Pacific
programme is based on an innovative
academic curriculum with a pan-Asian
core that examines new business
models and new strategic trends in Asia,
says Cédomir Nestorovic, Professor,
Management Department, ESSEC Asia-
Pacific and Director, ESSEC Executive
MBA Asia-Pacific.
“It is a 15-month programme tailored
for working professionals and as part of
the programme, participants are required
to attend residencies at prestigious
business schools in the US and China,”
explains Nestorovic.
Nestorovic says the ESSEC Executive
MBA targets executives in Asia who have
at least seven years of working experience
with a recognised high performance.
“The current cohort of the ESSEC
Asia-Pacific’s EMBA course comprises
of participants from 10 nationalities,
averaging 40 years of age,” he adds.
“Participants come from a variety of
industries including banking, hospitality,
IT and infrastructure.”
bandwagon
Earning an MBA is often regarded as
the game-changer when it comes to
advancing through the ranks of the
corporate world. But what competitive
advantages do MBA graduates hold
over other degree-holders and what
are the heralded programmes of
today? HRM investigates
The Asian pivot
The impact of MBAs in Asia cannot
be underestimated. The 2014/2015 QS
TopMBA.com Jobs & Salary Trends Report
cited that in 2014, 83% of Asia-Pacific
employers’ MBA recruitment activities
were based in the region itself.
Tellingly, the report revealed that
Asia-Pacific reported the highest
projected increase in MBA recruitment
levels for 2014 (11%).
Demand for MBAs in China is also
robust and getting stronger.
According to the report, China was
ranked as the third largest MBA market
in the world in 2014.
Therefore, it comes as no surprise
when Chua says NUS Business School’s
mission is to “Lead from Asia”.
She explains the NUS MBA offers
candidates a global perspective with deep
Asian Insights.
“Classes are taught by world class
international faculty members who have
been educated in top schools in North
America but have researched, taught and
consulted extensively in Asia,” says Chua.
“Equipped with the latest business
knowledge coupled with real-life
experiences, they are constantly
innovating to apply industry relevance
and academic rigour to the modules that
they teach, transforming ‘potential’ into
outstanding performance and grooming
leaders in the world of business.”
In recent years, Chua says NUS MBA
has implemented a management
communications module which aims to
sensitise students to the importance of
communicating in complex situations
and devising effective strategies to
achieve desired outcomes.
“We have instituted live projects as
a graduating requirement, encouraging
the application of concepts and theories
acquired in the classroom to real-life
business dilemmas,” she elaborates.
“Candidates in the NUS MBA hone
leadership skills by serving in the
students’ council and taking the lead in
organising events including ‘Cerebration’
– one of the largest business case
competitions of its kind.”
MBA
Jumping on the
Crucial MBA
numbers
• International study experience is wanted by
67% of MBA employers
• There was a big increase in demand for
MBA graduates with over five years of work
experience in 2014, with 29% of employers
preferring this group, compared to 24% in 2013
• Business school graduates are still not
meeting expectations in terms of their
soft skills including communication,
interpersonal and strategic thinking skills.
Source: The 2014/2015 QS TopMBA.com Jobs &
Salary Trends Report

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FEATURE FEATURE
According to Nestorovic, good talent
is hard to come by and retain in the
highly competitive economies of today,
especially in Asia.
Hence, he argues that employers who
endorse their high performers in their
professional growth will surely witness
the benefits of the new knowledge and
skills brought into the organisations by
these valued talents.
“Investment in human capital is a
positive long term business strategy
for sustained growth and profitability,”
says Nestorovic.
Furthermore, he cites that many senior
executives are paying for MBA and EMBA
programmes out of their own pockets, a
rarity in the past.
“Executives are aware that in order for
them to advance in their career and get
to the next level, they need to upgrade
and update their knowledge and skills,”
adds Nestorovic.
“Topics such as ‘social media
marketing’, ‘big data’, and ‘family
businesses’ are high in demand today
and of extreme relevance to the region’s
highly dynamic market.”
Nevertheless, according to the results
of the 2014 Membership Program Survey
of the Executive MBA Council (EMBAC),
for the first time in five years, the
percentage of students who fully fund
their Executive MBA (EMBA) education
has dropped slightly (see: boxout).
Changing curricula
The 2014/2015 QS TopMBA.com Jobs &
Salary Trends Report revealed that notable
changes have been witnessed in the
functions offered to MBAs in 2014.
Business development and marketing
were the two most popular specialisations
on offer, usurping general management,
finance (other) and consulting.
The favourite MBA study specialisation
among employers was “strategy and
leadership” while “business innovation”
has been steadily growing in popularity
in recent years and has now caught up
with finance.
Chua says the NUS MBA aims “to bridge
the theories that are learnt in a classroom
Percentage Increase in MBA Jobs by Region
with practical, hands-on experience.”
In recent years, NUS MBA launched
its Experiential Learning initiatives
which are imperative to offering an
immersive and authentic experience for
business leaders.
“We have also seen a significant
increase of practitioners teaching in
NUS Business School as well, reinforcing
the importance of bridging academic
and industry so that the curriculum
is rigorous, relevant and rewarding,”
explains Chua.
Examples of such practitioners
include Professor Kim Sun Bae, the
ex-Chief Economist and Managing
Director of Goldman Sachs; Professor
Robert Tan who teaches the Promotional
Management module and has worked
his way up the ranks of major creative
companies such as Ogilvy & Mather
and Futurebrand; and Veronica Eng,
who started a successful private equity
company in London.
Chua adds the NUS MBA programme
offers students the opportunities to
interact with industry leaders through
seminars and networking events.
“In summary, the NUS MBA aims
to develop ethical graduates who not
only possess the analytical skills to
solve complex problems but also the
communication and persuasion skills
to become effective global leaders,”
she affirms.
Nanyang MBA also offers several
innovative courses under its flagship
programme, one of which is “Strategy
Projects @ Nanyang”, says Tee.
This allows teams of MBA participants
to work with companies on mutually–
agreed projects.
Working in cross-functional groups of
four to six members, MBA participants
spend 30 weeks (from conceptualisation
to execution) under the guidance of
an academic professor, developing
innovative and practical solutions
to management challenges and also
creating new opportunities.
“The result is a comprehensive report
for the host company that reflects
extensive study inputs and cutting edge
management ideas,” explains Tee.
Another course, known as the
Business Study Mission, is an
immersion programme that provides a
platform for the practical applications
of the knowledge gained from the core
courses and electives. This takes place
through visits to local or overseas
companies, and through meeting and
engaging with the top executives of said
firms, elaborates Tee.
“Nanyang MBA nurtures leaders who
are able to embrace uncertainly, accept
ambiguity and acknowledge the various
natures of organisations and markets,”
says Tee.
The curriculum of ESSEC’s Executive
MBA is a result of extensive research and
study by the faculty, says Nestorovic.
He explains the course offers an
innovative curriculum with a pan-Asian
core that allows executives to acquire
new expertise while reinforcing their
soft skills to navigate the ever-evolving
environment.
“Topics covered include hard and
soft skills to manage new trends
and evolving new business models
for developing competent and
entrepreneurial business leaders in
Asia,” adds Nestorovic.
In addition, Professor Yan Li,
Associate Professor and Associate Dean
of Faculty at ESSEC Asia-Pacific, says
the school has crafted a programme to
address the notion of Big Data.
“Companies all over the world have
started to realise the business value of
Big Data,” says Li.
“However, very few initiatives have
been taken to understand how big data
is linked to the poor population in Asia.
With the course ‘Targeting masses in
Asia: Big Data and the Bottom of the
Pyramid’, we will be the first to explore
this exciting territory.”
In addition, he adds businesses are
increasingly operating in highly diverse
environments – economically, culturally
and politically. Future leaders need to be
armed with both hard skills and soft skills.
“ESSEC Executive MBA has a
discerning focus on developing
leadership skills and business
communications skills,” says Nestorovic.
“Innovation and entrepreneurship are
also key focuses in its curriculum.”
Employers’ take on MBAs
While all the clamour has been about
undertaking MBAs from an employees’
perspective, do organisations view them as
worthwhile investments?
Professor Peter Giulioni, Assistant Dean
of Career Services, Nanyang Business
School, says for companies, the return
on investment in supporting an MBA
experience for senior leadership is twofold.
“First and foremost, as a part of an NTU
MBA experience, high potential members
of a company’s senior leadership
team(s) are exposed to a balanced
understanding of all major functions
of a business: strategy, operations,
finance, technology, marketing and
talent management. This allows the
manager to draw on deeper and broader
knowledge base for solving day-to-day
challenges on the job,” he explains.
“And secondly, what better way for a
company or firm to signal a commitment
to the career growth and success of key
talent, than to invest in their education
and development?”
In addition, Chua says NUS MBA
students also study and write about the
corporate social responsibility strategies
adopted by selected Asian companies,
thus acquiring an understanding about the
importance of the broader environment
and aspects other than profits.
According to Tee, future leaders in
Nanyang MBA programme are exposed
to an “exceptional and enriching”
education, which is designed to not just
help them adapt, but also succeed in an
ever-changing business landscape.
Asia-Pacific was also deemed to be a
central pivot for ESSEC Business School,
says Nestorovic.
“ESSEC made the strategic decision
to build an Asian campus in Singapore,
invest in an experienced team of faculty,
predominantly from Asia, to carry out
research and deliver executive education in
Asia with the end goal of developing a new
breed of Asia-focused business leaders
with a global outlook,” he explains.
He says, MBAs have evolved over the
years to stay relevant to market needs. As
such, he believes an Executive MBA with
ESSEC will “undoubtedly place future
leaders in an advantageous position for
future growth”.
“ESSEC Asia-Pacific not only provides
a curriculum that has high relevancy in
today’s business landscape, participants
in its EMBA also get immediate access
to an influential network of more than
46,00 alumni worldwide and over 700
corporate partners across a wide spectrum
of industries,” elaborates Nestorovic.
World Region Projected Change 2014/2013 Projected Change 2015/2014
Africa & Middle East 2 % 12%
Asia-Pacific 11% 8%
Eastern Europe 10% 5%
Latin America 7% 8%
US & Canada 10% 9%
Western Europe 0% 3%
Source: Source: QS TopMBA.com Jobs & Salary Trends Report 2014/15 (www.topmba.com)
2014
Rank
2013
Rank
Institution Country Employer
Score
Academic
Score
Overall
Score
Avg GMAT
Score
Avg Years
Work
%
Intern’l
1 1 INSEAD - Singapore Singapore 76.9 99.6 80.3 702 6 70
2 4 NUS Business School, National University of Singapore Singapore 34.1 99.9 44.0 672 5 97
3 12 The HKUST Business School Hong Kong 18.0 98.0 30.0 669 6 95
4 19 Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong 18.0 94.8 29.5 664 5 86
5 10 Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University Singapore 18.0 89.2 28.7 650 5 38
6 7 Beijing International MBA Programs-BiMBA, Peking University China 17.4 84.9 27.5 550 6 70
7 3 Melbourne Business School, The University of Melbourne Australia 12.5 97.6 25.3 600 5 14
8 2 Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad India 20.2 48.8 24.5 711 10 67
9 8 AGSM MBA Programs, University of New South Wales Australia 12.0 93.6 24.2 630 7 25
10 20 Graduate School of Business, Seoul National University Korea, South 10.4 85.3 21.6 510 5 70
Source: QS Global 200 Business Schools Report 2014/15
MBA ASIAN RANKINGS (TOP 10 FOR 2015)