A new curriculum with a focus on conscience

Leading Australian university Curtin has upgraded its flagship MBA programme with a greater emphasis on ESG, and is offering the post-graduate course for the first time in Singapore

By Sanjay Surana

July 5, 2022

When the new intake of Master of Business Administration (MBA) students start classes at Curtin Singapore in May 2023, they will learn how an organisation’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance would impact its fortunes among other aspects of business.

One of the modules involves looking at an organisation’s past financial health and assessing how its investment decisions affect financial sustainability, or the ability to continue its business operations in the long run.

“We want our MBA to better prepare our students for a complex world increasingly focused on ESG and the UN Sustainability Goals,” says Dr Dorothy Wardale, associate professor and director of MBA and DBA Programmes.

Curtin’s new MBA programme is centred around the concept of developing leaders with a conscience. A leading Australian university with campuses in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius and Dubai, the university wants to equip middle managers or professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) with skills to lead and manage business sustainability in an increasingly interdependent world.

The new modules include Global Business Sustainability and Executive Financial Decision Making.

The university added these elements because, as Dr Wardale puts it, “governments and businesses in the First World are being held increasingly accountable in areas of governance, integrity, and climate.”

The MBA programme debuting in May next year is one of only three European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Accredited MBA programmes offered in Australia, and students get to pick from two specialisations: Business Administration or Leadership.

With flexibility built into the course – approximately two years part-time depending on student’s enrolment load, and with two intakes per year – the course will be coordinated from Perth, and will give students chances to virtually interact and collaborate with peers in Perth on projects, and offer study exchanges where students can swap campuses.

With the depth of curriculum and industry experienced staff, the MBA programme will appeal to middle managers or people with technical or professional skills who want to move into an executive role, those looking for a career switch or transition, or those looking to expand their industry networks, explains Dr Wardale.

Former alumni of the Curtin MBA include the general manager of Commonwealth Bank in Western Australia, the deputy premier of Western Australia, and partners in Big Four consulting firms in Australia and elsewhere.

“Singapore is a powerful economic hub for global business. Its strategic position at the confluence of the East and the West is crucial for global trade by sea and by air, and the nation has placed a strong emphasis on technology and infrastructure, making it the ideal place for a thriving and efficient business environment,” notes Dr Wardale. “Thanks to the variety of Singaporean and multinational companies there is a rich source of employment opportunities for MBA graduates.”

Visit https://bit.ly/STPG2 for more information.