On the night of 11 May, twenty-four business leaders and senior executives celebrated their completion of the three-week executive management course at the Future China Advanced Leaders Programme Commencement Ceremony. They received the certificates from Guest-of-Honour, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for National Development and Board Advisor of Business China, in a ceremony witnessed by more than 100 distinguished guests at the Fullerton Hotel.
This inaugural programme was jointly conducted by Business China and Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) Nanyang Business School to assist Singapore’s private and public sectors in grooming “China-ready”, “China-savvy” and “China-connected” senior executives who are managing China operations. It was launched in March as one of the programmes to mark Business China’s fifth anniversary this year.
At the commencement ceremony, Minister Khaw shared a quote by a seasoned British diplomat, “China is an acquired taste, much of it bitter”. However, Minister said: “Bitter or not, nobody can afford to ignore this flavor. For the bulk of human civilisation, China is a major force… In year 2010, it surpassed Japan to be the world’s second-largest economy. Its growing influence on the global stage is only getting stronger and stronger. ”
Hence, he gave thumbs up on the successful implementation of the programme to drive bilingual and bicultural business leadership in Singapore. “This programme, has since gained strong branding as one of the more significant China-related programmes available in Singapore. It enables people who are interested in China or already in China, to gain a more holistic and in-depth understanding, through an integrated study of its cultural, historical, political, social and economic paradigms,” said Minister Khaw.
While in the opening address, Chairman of Business China, Mr Chua Thian Poh said: “Whilst the centre of global economic gravity is shifting to the East, China is expanding its influence across the globe. Any changes in the country will have a great impact on the world. Therefore, Singapore needs to keep pace with China’s latest developments so that we will always remain competitive in the global world. Since its inception, Business China has strived to be the leading channel to deepen our member segments’ understanding of China’s economic, social and cultural paradigms through a wide range of programmes. We hope these programmes will help them to be more nimble in dealing with the East and the West, as well as contribute significantly to strengthening of the Singapore -China relations.”
Comprising of three segments, the Future China Advanced Leaders Programme was conducted in March, April and May, a week in each of the three months. It incorporated both business and cultural elements to ensure that the participants’ practical needs were met. During the first and third segments in Singapore, participants interacted with Business China board members and learnt from distinguished instructors from regional think tanks and universities.
Experiential learning was also an integral part of the programme. In the second segment, the participants took a week-long field trip to Beijing and Shandong provinces in China. Some key highlights of the trip included the opportunity to interact and establish networks with key government officials and top business leaders like Mr Ji Qi, Executive Chairman and CEO of China Lodging Group Limited, who is hailed as China’s top entrepreneur. The participants also visited key cultural sites such as the Confucius Temple and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu, Shandong. As Confucianism is one of the most influential schools of thought and the backbone of Chinese culture, strong emphasis was placed on understanding Confucianism and how it has shaped China’s economic, social and geo-political outlook.
Coming together from varied backgrounds, the participants share a common belief that it is crucial to gain an understanding of the depth and richness of the country’s political and socio-economic environment in order to ride the tide of China’s growth.
Based in Shanghai, China, Mr Oon Jin Teik, Hyflux Limited’s Group Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer China, is one of the 24 participants of the programme and specially made trips back to Singapore to attend this unique programme.
Mr Oon said: “Although I have been in China for almost a year, I believe that my understanding of the Chinese business psyche is only at the tip of the iceberg. Achieving success in the world’s second largest economy requires not just a broad understanding of the country, but also a keen appreciation of its inner workings from an insider’s perspective. I think this programme has done a good job in condensing the wealth of information on China and defining what it means to be truly ready to take on China’s business battlefield today.”
Out of the 24 participants, seven are second-generation business leaders from the Chinese community. One of them is Ms Zhong Siwan (27), Investment Director of Yanlord Holdings Pte Ltd, who was the youngest participant. She said: “Understanding China is not something that can be achieved in a short span of time especially when it is evolving at a breakneck pace. The programme strikes me with its currency and relevance, and we had the privilege to hear from some of the world’s leading academics and China watchers.”
Echoing Ms Zhong’s view was Mr Gerard Peter Creaner, Deputy Chairman of DPS Engineering (Singapore) Pte Ltd and one of the non-Chinese participants. The other was Mr Sumit Aggarwal, Managing Director and Regional Head of Transaction Banking for South East Asia, Standard Chartered Bank.
Mr Creaner commented: “What this course has done is that it widens my appetite for doing business in China. By doing that, it has engaged me rather than trained me.”
Not only have these like-minded participants gained insights about China, they have also forged strong friendship. According to the Class Representative, Ms Anne Lee at the thank you speech, some were even planning to collaborate on projects soon.
Hence, they initiated the setting up of the Future China Advanced Leaders Club, “慧眼中国汇” as the beginning of an ongoing journey. Through this Alumni Club, all past and new participants from varied backgrounds will be able to stay connected and bonded, and continue to keep pace with the future development of the ever-changing China.
Kicking off the launch in a culturally distinctive style, Minister Khaw added the final stroke on “慧” of the Chinese calligraphy of the Club’s name and wished all participants every success in their foray in China.
Among the guests who attended this joyous occasion were Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister of State for Finance & Transport; Professor Er Meng Hwa, NTU’s Vice President (International Affairs); Professor Su Guaning, NTU’s President Emeritus; Professor Gillian Yeo, Interim Dean of Nanyang Business School, NTU; and board members of Business China.