EN - Studying at SMU
Door: Lars van Lier
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Lars
17 September 2014 | Singapore, Singapore
Since I got some questions about my studies here in Singapore, I’ll dedicate this blog to explain my experiences at school. This will not be my most interesting blog so far (or will it..), but it’ll give those interested a better view at what I’m doing here in Singapore.
I study at the Singapore Management University (SMU), and this is one of the three biggest universities in Singapore. The campus is located centrally in the city, and if the bus arrives in time in the morning (which it often doesn’t), it takes me a bit less than 30 minutes to get there. My impression of the school is really good! The facilities are great, and the teachers are (with some exceptions) really good too. A lot of them have a part-time job at that school, since they have a job or own a company next to it.
We are in classes of 30-50 students. The students at SMU are mainly from Singapore itself and other Asian countries, with very few fulltime students from other continents. The number of exchange students is relatively high, but this is really course-dependent. In some courses, the majority are exchange students, whereas in others I’m one of the only ones.
The University of Maastricht requires us to do 5 course modules (whereas most exchange students do 3 or 4). This makes it fairly intensive, but it’s been manageable so far. I attend the following modules:
Design Thinking & Innovation (Monday 8.15-11.30)
In this class, we are taught to solve problems with the help of “design thinking”. This way of thinking is becoming increasingly popular among companies, since it often leads to better and more creative solutions. The course requires us to do some group exercises, an individual assignment, and the main project in which we have to help the Sentosa Golf Club (the most exclusive golf club in Singapore) to find solutions to two problems they face. Our group’s task is to find a way to improve the catering at the “Golfer’s Terrace” in moments when a lot of people enter the terrace at one time. This will allow us to visit the golf club several times in the coming weeks, and that’s not at all a punishment. This is by far my most interesting course!
Management of People at Work (Monday 12.00-15.15)
This course focuses on the behavior, thinking styles, and different characteristics of employees and how managers can manage this diversity best. This course requires us to do a group presentation, a group paper, and a final exam at the end of the semester.
Operational Risk Management (Monday 19.00-22.15)
This is my hardest course, but it will also be most useful for my studies in Maastricht. Organizations, mainly large ones, face numerous risks that can threaten them. This course pays special attention to the risks that an organization faces from within, and teaches us what best to do to prevent or mitigate these risks, and how we can calculate the impact of those risks. We are required to do two group assignments, a quiz, and two group presentations.
Corporate Creativity (Tuesday 19.00-22.15)
This is by far my most boring course, though the easiest. The only fun thing about this course is the teacher’s Chinese accent, and his enthusiastic way of teaching. The purpose of the course is to teach us how to make organizational members think more creatively (there’s some overlap with my first course) and to give us an impression of how people think in general. This may sound interesting, but the teacher only provides us with theories and tools that are difficult to apply in practice. We are required to do two individual assignments, a quiz, and a group project.
Crisis Management and Communication (Wednesday 8.15-11.30)
In contrast to Operational Risk Management, this course focuses more on the risks that organizations face from the outside. It teaches us how organizations can prevent or mitigate a crisis best. We have to do a quiz, two individual assignments, and a group assignment.
I hope that I was able to give you a sufficient view on my studies here! If you have questions, you can always ask them!
I study at the Singapore Management University (SMU), and this is one of the three biggest universities in Singapore. The campus is located centrally in the city, and if the bus arrives in time in the morning (which it often doesn’t), it takes me a bit less than 30 minutes to get there. My impression of the school is really good! The facilities are great, and the teachers are (with some exceptions) really good too. A lot of them have a part-time job at that school, since they have a job or own a company next to it.
We are in classes of 30-50 students. The students at SMU are mainly from Singapore itself and other Asian countries, with very few fulltime students from other continents. The number of exchange students is relatively high, but this is really course-dependent. In some courses, the majority are exchange students, whereas in others I’m one of the only ones.
The University of Maastricht requires us to do 5 course modules (whereas most exchange students do 3 or 4). This makes it fairly intensive, but it’s been manageable so far. I attend the following modules:
Design Thinking & Innovation (Monday 8.15-11.30)
In this class, we are taught to solve problems with the help of “design thinking”. This way of thinking is becoming increasingly popular among companies, since it often leads to better and more creative solutions. The course requires us to do some group exercises, an individual assignment, and the main project in which we have to help the Sentosa Golf Club (the most exclusive golf club in Singapore) to find solutions to two problems they face. Our group’s task is to find a way to improve the catering at the “Golfer’s Terrace” in moments when a lot of people enter the terrace at one time. This will allow us to visit the golf club several times in the coming weeks, and that’s not at all a punishment. This is by far my most interesting course!
Management of People at Work (Monday 12.00-15.15)
This course focuses on the behavior, thinking styles, and different characteristics of employees and how managers can manage this diversity best. This course requires us to do a group presentation, a group paper, and a final exam at the end of the semester.
Operational Risk Management (Monday 19.00-22.15)
This is my hardest course, but it will also be most useful for my studies in Maastricht. Organizations, mainly large ones, face numerous risks that can threaten them. This course pays special attention to the risks that an organization faces from within, and teaches us what best to do to prevent or mitigate these risks, and how we can calculate the impact of those risks. We are required to do two group assignments, a quiz, and two group presentations.
Corporate Creativity (Tuesday 19.00-22.15)
This is by far my most boring course, though the easiest. The only fun thing about this course is the teacher’s Chinese accent, and his enthusiastic way of teaching. The purpose of the course is to teach us how to make organizational members think more creatively (there’s some overlap with my first course) and to give us an impression of how people think in general. This may sound interesting, but the teacher only provides us with theories and tools that are difficult to apply in practice. We are required to do two individual assignments, a quiz, and a group project.
Crisis Management and Communication (Wednesday 8.15-11.30)
In contrast to Operational Risk Management, this course focuses more on the risks that organizations face from the outside. It teaches us how organizations can prevent or mitigate a crisis best. We have to do a quiz, two individual assignments, and a group assignment.
I hope that I was able to give you a sufficient view on my studies here! If you have questions, you can always ask them!
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Je kunt nu ook Smileys gebruiken. Via de toolbar, toetsenbord of door eerst : te typen en dan een woord bijvoorbeeld :smiley
