Contributed by Monica Huang (Class of 2019)
As what a Chinese proverb in Confucius says, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”, one of the most effective ways, in my opinion, to acquire true ownership of knowledge obtained from the book is through witnessing in the real-world setting.
To truly discover and experience the unique Southeast Asian culture and business environment, I have embarked on a journey to Singapore and Thailand, together with 46 fellow GLOBE students, from 16 to 22 May 2018.
The study trip kicked-off with a company visit to EisnerAmper, whose business specialized in corporate solutions and advisory services in Singapore with a niche focus on financial services, corporate solutions, and advisory. Saw Meng Tee, the managing director of EisnerAmper Singapore, shared with us on what, in the context of niche market-oriented business, the benefits and challenges local companies were facing in order to join the global network.
The group also visited five other companies during the trip, including Gold Gate Ventures, a venture capital firm, and Tryb Group, whose Fintech platform brought global capital markets closer to underserved ASEAN consumers. Other than the finance sector, the Group also had the chance to visit a coffee factory in Singapore. Different concepts of business model, production practices and marketing strategies suddenly all turned alive with the sharing from the management team.
We were also enlightened by the visit to a garment factory in Bangkok, Thailand. Not only were we able to see the entire production line, i.e. from paper sample to sewing station; from packaging to distribution, we also understood how important human resources management was to a labour intensive company and how the family business had moved with time in its second generation.
The seven-day journey was an inspirational experience for us, as well as a remarkable conclusion to the semester. Apart from witnessing and experiencing first-hand on how the concepts and knowledge we learned in the classroom setting translated into vivid real-life business practices in Southeast Asia, it was also a pleasing venture for the batch to fortify our bonds further.
