[27 February 2009]
SMU students venture to more countries in the Middle East with encouraging corporate and private support

Singapore, 27 February 2009 – Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, launched the Singapore Management University (SMU) 5th and 6th Business Study Missions (BSMs) to the Middle East this morning. The BSM is a 13-week module which studies the internationalization strategies of Singaporean companies in the Middle East. It culminates in a study trip to cities in the region.

Two batches of 35 to 40 undergraduates each will visit the Middle East this coming May and December. The destinations are Qatar , Oman , Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the May trip, and Bahrain , Kuwait , Saudi-Arabia, and the UAE for the December one. This is the first time that the BSM will visit Oman and Kuwait to witness the recent developments in these states.

During the course, students examine the region's developing relationship with Singapore through the study of its business, socio-political and cultural environment. Focusing on the real estate sector, students gain insights into the business opportunities in one of the world's booming, high-end property regions.

Through case studies, student projects and guest lectures, the course aims to present students with real-life environmental influences and challenges that impact businesses in the Gulf Region. The fieldtrips to the Middle East in 2009 comprise site visits where participants can learn more intimately the planning, development and operation of real-estate developments. These lessons garnered from these experiences can then be applied to the Singapore context to give students a truly comprehensive learning journey. Networking dinners with local and foreign businessmen, government officials and academics will also provide students with insight on Middle-Eastern business practices, economy, culture and society.

Since the launch of the Middle East BSM in 2006, SMU has sent some 150 students to the Gulf region. Besides the opportunity to encounter first-hand and learn what it is like to do business in the region, the BSM has also been a valuable platform to demonstrate the potential and talent of SMU undergraduates to companies and potential employers there. Over 30 students have been placed in valuable internship positions in Middle Eastern corporate heavyweights like Emirates National Oil Company, Etihad Airways, Jurong International Consulting, and Gulf Research Centre.

Joint efforts by both the University and the students have alleviated the financial burden of travel costs for the Middle East BSM. Corporate and private donations in cash have been put towards a BSM Financial Assistance Fund for students in need, while the students continue to canvass for cash and in-kind support for the BSM trips in 2009.

The BSM is among the many overseas exposure programmes which include overseas internships and university exchanges, to widen the global perspectives of SMU undergraduates. Among them are Stefanie Chan, a law student who had embarked on a BSM to Russia last year, and Qin Zhen, a Chinese National studying in SMU who just completed a university exchange in Dublin, Ireland.

Stefanie's first BSM to Russia gave her a global perspective both in terms of business developments and knowing the local culture. On extending her exposure to the Middle East, Stefanie said, “It is not easy to learn about the intricacies of the Middle East from the history books. What's more, the Middle East has become increasingly important in terms of global significance, so it'd be very interesting to learn more about the business culture there.”

Packing his bags soon again after returning from his studies exchange in Dublin this January, Qin Zhen finds it hard to conceal his excitement about the forthcoming BSM: “it's an excellent opportunity to engage and learn about the region whose burgeoning economy is reshaping the socio-cultural landscape, I am sure it's going to be an interesting and amazing journey!”

Third year business student Daniel Ng has demonstrated exemplary optimism and determination for a fulfilling BSM and university life. Daniel suffers from Becker's Muscular Dystrophy, a progressive muscular degeneration condition. Despite the possibility of being wheelchair bound in the near future, Daniel is still optimistic in his outlook in life. As a finance major specializing in international trading, he dreams of being in the Middle East to witness its fast growing economy. At the Ministerial Launch this morning, Daniel met and expressed his thanks to Etihad Airways for sponsoring his airfare, and a private donor, who will support his expenses for the trip.

The enthusiasm of SMU students in pursuing global understanding has also been echoed by Dr Balaji Sadasivan in his speech at the BSM's Ministerial Launch. The Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Foreign Affairs also met with Ambassadors from the Middle Eastern region and held a dialogue with the students present.

Annex A – Itinerary of BSM Middle East April/May 2009

Annex B – BSM Middle East 2009 Information Pack

Annex C – Opening address by Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs

About the SMU Business Study Mission

Using a country-specific study as its base, the ‘Business Study Mission' course offered in SMU examines the rapidly developing business environment and the available opportunities in a particular city or region. Particular emphasis is placed on the socio-political, cultural, legal environments, and the influence they exert on business practices. Introduced in 2002, SMU is the forerunner in Singapore to introduce such a course, typically to MBA students, at the undergraduate level.

Through case studies, student projects and guest lectures, the course aims to present students with real-life environmental influences and challenges that impact businesses in the city or region. The course culminates in a trip to the location itself usually the main city which is the subject of the study, where through a host of site visits, networking sessions, and presentations by prominent individuals from both private and public sectors, it aims to facilitate the development of a greater understanding of the city.

Participating students return with an enriched knowledge not just of its business developments and the lessons that can be drawn from them, but also of the rich culture and history of the country. Both of the above, too, will aid participating students in extending their personal networks to the region.

To date, over 800 SMU undergraduates have embarked on business study missions to countries such as Argentina, Bahrain, Bangalore, Chile, China, Germany, India, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scandinavia, South Korea, Spain, UAE, the USA and Vietnam.