Wedded to their MBA studies!

WHEN Jasmyin Petrinna Tay Sue Lin and Siew Weng Lee undertook the Edinburgh Business School Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme, they had the perfect study partners – each other!
The married couple began their studies in January 2015 and both sat for their final exam in August 2016.
Jasmyin, who will soon work as an IT Procurement Analyst for Village Roadshow Ltd, a leading international entertainment company, and Siew, a contract engineer with Shell, chose the Edinburgh Business School programme because it specifically caters for working professionals.
Jasmyin says studying together made the sacrifices easier. “It gave me more motivation to go to classes, knowing we were both without our weekends because of the programme. We were able to exchange ideas and talk to twice the number of people and then share that experience with each other,” she said.
Jasmyin moved companies twice during her studies but the flexibility of the programme enabled her to continue studying and she is currently living in Perth, Western Australia before starting her new job in Melbourne, Victoria.
“I was able to implement much of what I’d learnt from Project Management and Organisational Behaviour especially. I was also able to put into practice all the strategy modules I had taken when I was in a managerial position with WWF Malaysia, the environmental and conservation organisation,” she said.
Siew wanted to broaden his business knowledge by taking an MBA, as he comes from an engineering background. He will join Jasmyin in Australia when his contract with Shell ends in December.
“The Accounting, Economics and Finance modules really helped me understand some of the actions that businesses would take. Being able to get context on concepts like gearing, stock price, accounting reports and interest rates has made me appreciate how capitalism ticks.
“The EBS MBA differs from other programmes. Some executives take an MBA as a glorified networking tool, expecting to meet people who can open doors for them, or provide them with capital to start businesses. While there is plenty of opportunities to network, the EBS MBA is for those who are interested in the subject matter of business administration, but treasure their flexibility. The contact hours are arranged to provide minimal intrusion into personal and professional life. However, the same flexibility means great discipline will be required as no one is going to make you study,” he said.
The Edinburgh Business School MBA programme has been delivered by top UK and Asian staff at the Heriot-Watt University Malaysia campus at Putrajaya since January 2013. It is approved by the MoHE, fully accredited by the MQA in Malaysia, and delivered by Heriot-Watt University, accredited by Royal Charter in the UK.
To date 38 students have completed the programme with a further 92 currently studying. They join a global learning community of 11,400 active students and 19,800 alumni across 166 countries.
Registration is open for the January 2017 intake and the School is holding its final preview event for prospective students on Saturday (Nov 19) at 11.30am at Heriot-Watt’s Putrajaya campus. For more information, please contact: MalaysiaMBA@ebs.hw.ac.uk