Memories - Vivid...Timeless...

My desire to be part of the yearbook publishing team was simple – to give the best graduation gift to the 30 most beautiful people I have met. A gift that would allow each S³ Asian to preserve the days we have lived together not as classmates but as a family.

Someone rightly said that a picture speaks a thousand words. Then imagine what happens when u have thousands of pictures speaking a million words! Each picture was special, as it conveyed a certain aspect of the life we’ve shared so far! But I hope that the few hundred pictures that we finally printed give a glimpse of our very own Asia MBA experience – an insight into the unlimited memories we have gathered over the past 15 months.

As we move on, from being one single family to becoming individuals moving forward to pursue our own dreams and aspirations, I wish all my dear classmates the very best! You guys deserve each and every bit of your future success. And when you think of your MBA days, I hope that those vivid and timeless memories are sitting right on top of your bookshelf!

- Contributed by Pragnya Kashinath, Class of 2010

S3 Asia MBA를 시작한지 벌써 1년이 지나고 3학기 중간을 지난 지금 드는 생각..

탁월한 선택이었다고 생각한다.


먼저 기존에 널리 알려진 미국의 일류 MBA의 장점을 생각해보면.. 여러 분야에서의 다양한 경험을 가진 100~200명의 동기생의 볼륨. 졸업 후의 깔끔한 연봉 상승률 & 강력한 동기 네트워크.. 정도?
조금 더 면밀히 살펴보면.. (지극히 주관적인 생각임을 미리 밝힘)보통 MBAer들의 평균 직장경력이 4~7년정도일 것인데.. 이 정도는 어느 MBA과정이나 비슷할 것이라 생각한다.두번째.. 네트워크 측면에서.. 과연 내가 1~2년 안에 몇명이나 나의 진정한 네트웍으로 끌어안을 수 있을까? 같은 학교 졸업생이면 별 관계가 없어도 네트웍으로 할 수 있다는 지극히 한국적인 사고방식은 통하지 않을 것이다. 많아봐야.. 20~30명일 것이다.

연봉 상승률.. 요즘 미국 MBAer중 미국인 너그러이 더 고려해서 유럽인(서)까지는 그런대로 직장구하는 것이 어렵지는 않을 것이지만.. 아시아인은 여전히.. Second-Tier인 것이다.그리고.. 쉽게 말해서.. 1~1년 MBA공부하면 그 사람 능력이 연봉상승률만큼 두배 혹은 세배로 뛰어오르는가? 스스로 알 것이다.

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이 시점에서 S3 Asia MBA 얘기를 해보자.원 계획은 Class Size를 60명으로 하는 것이었지만 내실을 다져야한다는 학교들(고려대, 싱가폴 국립대, 복단대)의 의견조율에 따라 현재 30명으로 엄선운영되고 있다. 30명? 작은 볼륨인만큼 경쟁이 엄청 치열하다. 그런 경쟁속에 서로 견인하는 효과를 내고 있다.

하지만 30명이 다가 아니다. 복단대, 고려대, 싱가폴 국립대를 다니며 엄청난 네트웍의 숫자를 가질 수 있다. 오히려 각 학교에서 머무는 시간이 짧은만큼.. Intensive하게 네트웍을 다지게 된다.

연봉상승률.. 올해 말에 졸업생이 배출되기 때문에 섣불리 말하기는 어렵다. 하지만 Facts를 봤을 때 아시아 경제의 상승과 아시아 경제 전문가의 수요등의 요인이 전망을 밝게 하고 있다. 단, 조건이 있다. 영어 + 중국어의 조합이 필요하다는 것이다.마지막으로 다양한 경험이다. MBA에 온 목적이 무엇인가? 공부하러 왔는가? 물론 공부해야 한다. 하지만 다양한 현장경험과 문화적 차이를 더 경험 할 수 있다면 더할 나위 없는 것 아닌가? 중국-상해, 한국-서울, 싱가폴을 한 클래스 전체가 같이 경험하며 서로간의 Insights를 공유하고 서로 적응해가는 커리큘럼이야 말로 지금까지 시도된 바 없고 가치있는 것이라 생각한다.

S3 Asian이라는 말로 시작했는데..

개인적으로는 이런 과정을 통해 아시아 경제에 대한 전문가가 많이 나올 수 있었으면 좋겠다. 무엇이 아시아 경제 전문가인가?각 나라의 독특한 경제상황과 문화적인 요인들에 대한 노출이 많은 사람이 전문가일 것이다.

MBA에 온 목적을 다시한번 고찰해보자..
이대영

Contributed by Lee Dae Young, Class of 2010.

Journey's End!

It is indeed hard to believe that I am making this final entry with a sudden tinge of sadness as my S3 Asia MBA journey is soon coming to an end this December. At one moment we were having regular get-togethers and traveling to nearby countries and the next moment all our priorities have now shifted to securing jobs since this is the last semester in our unique MBA journey. I miss the lengthy and tiring journeys on bicycle from our Fudan School of Management Campus back to our dormitories and the beautiful campus of Korea University. The experience of winter in Seoul and Shanghai was really cold and yet amazing compared to Singapore, where we are blessed with eternal summer all year round.

I must say that life has changed for me since I started this unique MBA program. It created an opportunity for me to meet people from all over the globe and also to study in three different universities: Fudan (Shanghai), KUBS (Seoul) and NUS (Singapore). Moreover, I have made an immense number of friends through various inter-school activities and outings. I've had the opportunity to study, work and play with the most extraordinary group of diverse, talented, intelligent, humorous and most importantly well-rounded individuals. The relationships that I have formed are the most valuable thing I will take away from this S3 Asia MBA program which I consider more important than any other academic pursuit.

The culture at each of these three different universities was unique and gave me an insight into how nations behave, think and work. We overcame differences in language and cultural norms in order to interact and form deep relationships. The numerous intercultural exchanges enabled me to gain a deep insight into the workings of businesses and people in the cities of Shanghai and Seoul. I also had the amazing opportunity to do my internship with SK Energy in Ulsan, South Korea. All these opportunities enabled me to grow, understand people better and gain a valuable perspective of life out of Singapore.

For the last one year, I have had the opportunity to meet and network with business leaders during our MBA field trips and have had the opportunity to travel to cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau while I was studying in Shanghai, China. From Seoul in South Korea, I traveled to the cities of Busan, Daegu and Ulsan. In Singapore, I also got to do things that I never expected to do such as participating in Outward Bound School as part of our orientation at NUS Business School and which I thoroughly enjoyed very much.

I was right from the start. S3 Asia MBA has given me the edge, experiences and knowledge that I really needed in order to sharpen my skills, personality and business acumen. From the moment, I first set foot on the Fudan campus in August 2008 during the inaugural launch of this program, I was changed for the better. I have learnt more during the past one year than I could have in a decade. I genuinely and completely miss the people and the universities where I studied. On this journey, I have forged a number of genuine friendships and had the company of a group of people dedicated to enjoying all of life in a well-rounded manner. This journey has been long and arduous and yet meaningful and memorable. These experiences will remain in my memory forever.

Contributed by Thiruvarsu Damodharan, Class of 2010.