The School’s some 130 international faculty offer broad industry experience and seasoned business insights, preparing students for the economy. BIZBeat delves a little deeper with the help of MSc in Management student and The Masters Club President, Bryan Bews.
In the first of a three-part interview series, Bryan speaks with Assistant Prof Ng Weiyi, a specialist in the areas of entrepreneurship and technology. Weiyi is an advisor for venture capital and private equity firm Entrepreneur First, and a frequent commentator on entrepreneurship issues in the media.
He shares with Bryan the details of his Venture Capital module, his experiences in teaching and advice for the graduating class of 2020.
Q: As MSc students, we had the privilege of attending your Venture Capital class. What would you say is the main essence of this class?
The main essence centres around critical thinking and perspective taking; this reflects in the way the class is taught, which is entirely case based.
The venture capital industry forms the canvas on which these ideas are imparted. We explore the personas and statuses of the constituent actors: investors, VCs, entrepreneurs and employees.
Students uncover the constraints and choices these actors have and understand their motivations and incentives.
Having developed most of my career in the US, the students, who are definitely more active and in-tune with the current business environments and culture of Asia, bring me up to speed on the similarities and differences of both geographies.
Q: We can see you are passionate about teaching. What drives you?
At NUS, we value a diversity of backgrounds; this generates different perspectives on the class cases and topics, which in turn generates some truly insightful conversations.
Also, the plethora of Asian viewpoints in class is immensely helpful to me. Having developed most of my career so far in the US, the students, who are definitely more active and in-tune with the current business environments and culture of Asia, bring me up to speed on the similarities and differences of both geographies.
Q: What would be your advice to the class of 2020 in light of the current economic situation?
One is to be aware of your social limitations and keep an open mind. We are often limited by what we think we can do and want to do by the social structure around us: our friends, family and colleagues who pre-define what we think of as “successful” and “meaningful.”
A crisis and environment of scarcity challenge these limitations, and a certain openness to experiences and thought is essential in identifying opportunities that were otherwise not in view.
The second one is that life is a game of chess. It has a beginning, and an end, and while that happens, all you have to do, is to think about what is the immediate next move. Focus on what the opponent has thrown at you, and focus on how to deal with that, one step at a time. And don’t be overwhelmed by the entire game.
The original article first appeared in The Master’s Club LinkedIn page. The Master’s Club is the MSc programmes’ student leadership body.
