ESSEC in Singapore: Where east meets west

Why is a holistic curriculum still important?

Singaporean executives no longer need to cross the ocean and travel to the other side of the world if they want to access programmes offered by foreign universities, now that international universities have reached their shores. ESSEC Business School, an established and recognised European business school, set up its Asia-Pacific campus in 2005, offering courses with a strong focus on the growth opportunities in Asia.

Matching the brand with the programme
Dr. Cédomir Nestorovic, EMBA Asia-Pacific programme director and professor at ESSEC Business School, shares that during his discussions with applicants, he encourages them to look at both the brand name and the programme of the school then evaluate its relative importance to their personal goals. “You can acquire a network, you can acquire a reputation which is given by the school but the programme will give you something that will be a permanent good – the knowledge and the upgrade of skills,” he adds. For now, ESSEC is offering their Executive MBA programme over a span of 15 months, the classes broken down to modules of 6 full days for a total of 66 days.

The school takes pride in its innovative curriculum that incorporates the latest insights on Big Data, Value-creating Innovation and Branding with digital and social networks. There is an emphasis on innovation and leadership in the curriculum while providing solid background on Asia’s business models. Dr Nestorovic believes that their comprehensive programme and established brand are their unique selling points for potential candidates. The ESSEC brand has been known in Europe since 1907 and has consistently been in the top 15 of international academic rankings. 

Eyes on Asia
It is therefore not surprising that the school decided to open its doors to Asia. Always at the forefront of business trends, ESSEC recognises the importance of building a presence in Asia, the world’s new powerhouse. Dr Nestorovic says that with the continuous growth in the region, people in Southeast Asia are always looking for opportunities to upgrade their skills and increase their knowledge on management.

“The resources are increasing (in Asia) so ultimately there is a virtuous circle – on one side people would like to get more knowledge and at the same time there is
a need for organisations in the region to manage and develop their talents,” he explains. 

Learning from the region 
Because of the boundless potential and dynamic growth in the region, courses focusing on Asia are given importance in the ESSEC Executive MBA Asia-Pacific. The programme consists of 20 courses, with a pan-Asian core of which 8 courses are focused on the region. The courses on Asia are further separated in two parts: in understanding the Asia of today and looking forward to the Asia of tomorrow. It highlights unique trends in Islamic business and future global powerhouses. The Asia-centric courses tackle various economic issues, geopolitics, corporate strategies and unique business models in the region.

Other important topics that the programme stresses on are entrepreneurship and innovation. “Some potential candidates may say well I’m not necessarily interested in entrepreneurship and innovation but they forget that even in their own company, in their own business, they have to show some propensity towards entrepreneurship, especially for the change of management and the adaptability to the new actors or to new forces that we have in the market,” Dr Nestorovic points out. 

He says that while companies, who are footing the tuition fee of their employees, want technical courses because they want immediate return-of-investment, executives who have ambition should think otherwise. For executives to reach upper levels of management they would benefit more from a programme that looks at vision creation, people skills, entrepreneurship, and innovation. The school’s next intake is in October 2014. For more information, visit their website at www.emba-asia.essec.edu.