Learning from the best with PSB Academy

Mr Guo Zhiwei reaps benefits from PSB Academy, which brings industry leaders closer to its MBA students for real-world insights into the business world

By Hafiz Rasid

July 7, 2019

As a product training manager at one of the leading automotive distributors, Mr Guo Zhiwei, 38, understands the need to constantly improve one’s business knowledge to stay competitive in today’s challenging business environment.

To gain more knowledge and upgrade his skills, he enrolled in the part-time two-year Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme conducted and awarded by the University of Nottingham at PSB Academy in 2017.

He shares with us how the programme prepared him to step up in his career.

Why did you choose PSB Academy to pursue your MBA?

There are many reasons that PSB Academy appeal to me. It helps that the City Campus is located close to my workplace in Marina Square.

The MBA is a double-accredited programme (by AMBA and EQUIS) from the University of Nottingham which is consistently ranked in the Top 100 of the QS World University Rankings (Top 96 in 2020), and provides study opportunities in Malaysia, China, and the United Kingdom through elective modules and study tours.

It provides real-world insights beyond educational text materials too. Regular masterclasses by industry guest lecturers, who are generally at Head of Department or Vice-President levels and above, share their experiences and knowledge with the class to offer a practical perspective.

How are the classes conducted?

The programme is fully delivered by faculty from the University of Nottingham, and can be based in Malaysia, China, and the UK.

The great thing is that the academics and MBA students interact in an active community. We are also fortunate to have approachable and responsive lecturers who are quick to respond to e-mails and hop onto phone calls via WeChat, Skype or WhatsApp. The lecturers also make time for consultations with students when they come to Singapore to teach.

What is your favourite module in the programme?

Sustainable Decisions and Organisations. As the capstone module, it is the most challenging module of all, but it gives students a feel of what the higher management of a company has to face in leading the company forward.

The class is split into groups of students who are randomly picked and then given a case to work on. The students will take on the roles of a company’s senior executives and devise a business plan based on sound theories and real market information.

The appointed student who acts as “chief executive officer” will have to present to board members, who are industry guests with real-life experience, at the end of the module.

How is the programme structured?

Each module is an intensive seven-day block of lessons, starting from 9am to 5pm on weekends, followed by 7pm to 10pm classes on weekdays.

On most Thursdays of the module, there will be industry talks and masterclasses where leaders from different backgrounds and industries come to share their experiences.

Most modules have coursework as assessments and a few of them require group presentations at the end of the module as part of the assessment.

How has your MBA education added value to your current job?

As I went through the modules, I began to better understand the challenges that my colleagues from other departments face when we collaborate.

I also began to think of matters in a more strategic matter. For instance, the Nottingham MBA challenges us to think critically about why we do what we do in business, especially in the sales and marketing areas that I am heavily involved in.