NUS Business School’s MSc programmes enable fresh graduates and early career workers to gain a competitive edge. Ishita Singh, who has a background in marketing and communications, enrolled with the MSc in Management programme to further her knowledge in financing strategies and business innovation. Ishita is also enhancing her MSc experience by leading The Master’s Club (TMC), the MSc student leadership body, as its president.
Speaking to BIZBeat, Ishita recounts her time leading the TMC and her MSc student journey so far.
Q: What does TMC do, and what have you been up to?
The Masters Club (TMC) organises social and corporate activities for all cohorts and helps establish an open channel between students and the MSc Programmes Office, other external bodies and alumni. As President of TMC, I interface between the student body, faculty and administration. The responsibility of curating a healthy and vibrant community experience is both thrilling and daunting, but it allows us to learn from some of the most accomplished leaders worldwide.
Our vision this year is to establish a reputation of excellence for TMC by building deeper ties with our sister clubs at Business School. We now have a strong liaison between CEMS, the MBA Student Council and other faculty leaders. TMC will also be focusing on new ways to interact with more talent on campus and give them a chance to explore what NUS has to offer.
Another focus for the year is interaction. We introduced a new leadership series that allows NUS students to hear new ideas, speaker sessions with seven industry leaders, and a new alumni networking event. We plan to expand these activities as social restrictions ease.
Q: How did you find out about MSc?
I was exploring a formal management curriculum, and NUS Business School’s MSc programme stood out as the strongest playground to explore my intellectual, extracurricular and professional pursuits.
The programme was also highly recommended by people around me. My friend was pursuing her management studies in Singapore and recommended the MSc programme here. In addition, my aunt is an NUS alumna. Their positive review of NUS and Singapore were instrumental in my consideration.
Q: How has your MSc journey been so far?
NUS Business School has provided me with both creative and academic direction. Modules like Venture Capital and Innovation and Strategies for Emerging Markets strengthen my knowledge of private equity financing and product innovation. These are challenging and fun. The educators’ approach to ideas and the class discussions were extremely helpful in reframing the problems and case studies. As a result, my appetite for consuming knowledge has significantly increased, and so has my toolkit for analytics and simulations.
Q: How is it like to live and study in Singapore during a pandemic?
My transition from India to Singapore was very smooth. Helping students plan their journey, calm and engaging interpersonal interaction with the immigration officials, and a comfortable quarantine period helped reduce being overwhelmed.
The NUS campus is safe and always buzzing with something new. We enjoy classroom sessions, and our lecturers leave no stone unturned to design highly interactive classes. The approach to encourage open conversations is extremely helpful. I was able to meet my professors and talk to them about any topic. I have built a network of friends whose company I admire and enjoy.