Beyond Academics

Full e-mail interview transcript - Blue & Gold (Issue 17) 

1) First off, please tell me more about yourself- what is your specialty, and what were you doing before you decided to take into your hands the education of young adults?

I used to be a Brand Manager in my previous life, managing the Singapore arm of a publicly listed Malaysian company. After more than 7 years in the business of marketing, I decided to take the plunge and switch careers 5 years ago, pursuing my interest in teaching and helping leaders manage their organizational challenges. Specifically, I have a passion to nurture leaders for the future and I have not regretted it my decision!

My research interests lie in Mentoring and Multi-Generational Leadership. I enjoy teaching topics related to Organizational Behaviour, especially those related to Conflict Resolution, Negotiation and Power & Influence.

2) As a professor, or an academic yourself, what do you expect from your students when they sit in your class?

I am aware that different students have different motivations for signing up for a class. Some do so because they are interested in learning. Others, because their friends have signed up for it. And there are others who are there to fulfill the school’s requirements for graduation. Whatever the reasons are, I welcome all students to my class. Students who benefit the most are those who come with an open mind; ask good questions; and put in some thought when doing their work.

3) There is definitely a huge difference between 'academics' and 'learning' even though both are closely related. What are your views on the difference?

Academic research study is important and is one of the three tenets of a good university – the other two being teaching and industrial engagement.

Academic study will most definitely lead to an increase in knowledge in the researcher. However, whether the researcher has learned well from the results of the study is another thing. I have this belief that learning is comprised of Knowledge, Understanding and Application.

First, you obtain Knowledge from your readings or other people. One has to then Understand and digest the information obtained. Lastly, Application sees you putting what you have understood into action, thus completing the cycle of learning.

So yes, Academic study has the potential to increase one’s learning of a subject.

4) Other than for the sake of a degree and a "better future", why do you think people go to university, and what do YOU think people should go to university for? Could you list some examples of students you know who do not go to university for academics only?

To seek your future spouse? And why not? I found mine when she was on exchange program with the university I was studying at!

The process of attending university is to gain theoretical knowledge and to go through the rigours of a higher education in preparation for the demands of the workplace. Most of us attend university because it is expected of us to do so upon completion of our pre-university. However, it is important to ask ourselves why we attend university and what we hope to achieve upon graduation.

Some people I know attend university to network with the ‘right’ crowd – those interested in start-ups and IT go to schools in San Francisco, near the Silicon Valley. Others attend a certain university in order to understand an emerging market – this is especially so in the case of students going to China to study.

5) In relation to questions 3 and 4, how do you think the notion "beyond academics" can be applied to our university education?

You should enjoy your time in university. I can well appreciate that workload at SMU can be rather heavy, but I think with a little time management and a conscious effort not to overstretch yourself, one can definitely have a more rounded experience at SMU. Some of our foreign friends attend my class on the exchange program. Every semester, I am slightly amused when the quiz results are finalized. Despite their frequent travels during the school term, they seem to be getting top grades. Local students would put in a whole lot of effort to study for the quiz and would end up getting the same top grades. I discovered that when these exchange students studied during their travels, they would either do it on the plane, at the airport or by the beach.

Hard work is a virtue. But studying smart certainly makes the process more bearable!      

6) Do you think that "creativity" and "fun" are impossible to achieve in schools (other than university)?

Absolutely not.

Research has shown that we learn better when we enjoy our lessons. At least one institution in Singapore has made an effort to make classes fun and promote creativity in their lessons. The challenge though, is to ensure that ‘fun’ and ‘creative’ lessons will lead to measurable results and good ones at that.

That said, it does take a lot of effort and resources to ensure that lessons are engaging, but this is necessary for the benefit of the Generation Y population and beyond.

7) I am aware that you have a blog and I read your entry "Is there hope for Generation Y?". You wrote that "speed is not an option" but an "expectation" for post-1980 babies. How do you think this has affected students these days while pursuing their education? How do you think they can ensure that this does not negatively influence the way they lead their university life?

It is not wrong to find shortcuts in life. Louis Pasteur once said that “Fortune favours the prepared mind”, and a ‘prepared mind’ usually leads you to find the best and shortest way towards your goal. In the past, people were more willing to accept the process of time before achieving gratification. With the inception and proliferation of the internet, we are now in a world that moves at lightning speed, affecting the way we work and see life. Generation Y (millennials) are the result of such an environment. There will be changes in the way millennials view school work. Completing the assignment might be foremost on their minds rather than taking time to verify from quality sources. Plagiarism may not be viewed as morally wrong but as a means of expediting one’s work. We can see precedence in Harvard University’s school of government’s widespread cheating case in one of their take-home exams, in which almost the whole class cheated. As of 1^st Sept, the case is still being investigated.

We will also see fewer students enroll for PhD programs, given its rigour and intensity without a tangible and quick enough return on investment.

In order not to fall into the trap of the ‘need for speed’, it is important to go back to basics and ask yourself many questions – why have you embarked on a university education at SMU? What do you want out of your time here? Is the faster way the better way in the long run? Who can I get objective advice from when I have to decide on courses or majors? My friends are all choosing this path – is this the right path for me? 

8) Again, with reference to the notion "beyond academics", do you have any advise to students as to how to make their university life more fulfilling?

Take it easy – grades are important but are not the only thing employers look for in a graduate. University time is a great time for you to discover yourself and to do some serious self-reflection. Don’t just join CCAs for the sake of looking good on your resume – will you be able to do a good job and contribute well once you signed up for it? Remember, to preserve your good reputation – what goes around comes around.

Finally, make many friends and build up your network within SMU. Such an opportunity is only opened to those within the SMU community – take advantage of it – you might just end up finding your life partner here!