Understanding the ins and outs of policy-making with this immersive Public Administration programm

Nanyang Technological University’s Master of Public Administration equips students with management skills and knowledge that are relevant to both the public and private sectors

BY GEL CABOTAJE

July 7, 2021

Mr Daniel Ragua made a life-changing decision when he was 31: He left his home country of Venezuela to pursue his master's degree in Singapore, more than 23 hours away by flight.

The economics graduate, now 35, was working in a management consulting firm that specialises in public policy when he thought about looking for an opportunity to gain new perspectives on governance outside of Latin America and the US. 

In 2015, a work mentor who had just returned from a business trip to Singapore told him about Singapore’s commendable higher education system. The mentor recommended that Mr Ragua consider doing a master’s degree in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) as its curriculum was competitive. Mr Ragua says: “This sparked my curiosity.”

Mr Ragua’s wife affirmed his idea. She was then working on a global competitiveness project and found a report that showed Singapore had one of the world’s most effective governments in the world. They decided to apply to NTU Nanyang Centre for Public Administration (NCPA) Master of Public Administration programme in 2018 and they both earned a scholarship for international students. 

“The NCPA Master of Public Administration programme pushes your creativity, puts you in a solution-driven mindset, and gets you to the forefront of policy-making.” – Mr Daniel Ragua

Beyond the government sector

The one-year programme gave him a new perspective on management and provided him the tools and real-world examples on how to overcome challenges that any organisation may face, such as creating new business processes and adapting to new regulations.

He notes how the programme immersed him in an environment where students freely discussed real-world policy issues and the details behind their implementation. “I still revisit the literature from my management class on how to institutionalise organisational change,” says Mr Ragua, who started working in Facebook’s Singapore office as an Incident Response Specialist last year. 

He adds: “My management class has been particularly useful for me as the tech industry is known for its fast-paced and ever-changing environment.” 

He recommends the NTU NCPA programme to those looking to have a better understanding of public administration. He says: “The programme pushes your creativity, puts you in a solution-driven mindset, and gets you to the forefront of policy-making.”

For more information on NTU’s NCPA Master of Public Administration programme, visit www.ntu.edu.sg/ncpa