Henry Loi

You could say that it was always a dream of mine to go back to school. I never had a university degree, and this was one of the things on my bucket list.  One day I realised that if I don’t do it now, I might never have the chance. So, with the support and encouragement of my wife and family, I decided to take the plunge.

I chose NUS Business School primarily because of the strength of the brand name. Although I divide my time between China and the USA, my home is still in Singapore and I wanted a school that would be recognised internationally. My boss is Chinese and when I told him about my plans, the first thing he said was, “Good! That’s a good school.”

While doing my EMBA, I was one of only two students from Asia that were selected to take part in the Oxford-Aspen Leadership Seminar, a global partnership between the Aspen Institute and Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. That was a great experience and we got to meet and interact with people from 20 different nationalities over the course of a week in England.

I think what truly stays with you are the friendships you make along the way. I still keep in touch with many of my fellow MBA candidates, and we sometimes help each other out. In fact just the other day I was approached by a company in Eastern Europe for a discussion on sustainable materials. I reached out to one of my former course-mates and it turns out the head of the company had worked for him in the past. He was able to give me some very useful insights.

I am someone who places a great deal of emphasis on friendships. Interacting closely with the other participants over the course of two years, you build a special bond. It helps you to understand what different people are like, and how they might react in different situations. Through this process you will meet many people who share the same priorities as you and who you will grow long-term friendships with.

Don’t underestimate the time commitment that will be required. Some people drop out because of insufficient time, even though NUS is quite flexible and allows you to defer your modules. Once you build up a good head of steam, don’t let your momentum drop or it will be harder for you to pick up your studies again.

I made sure I set aside the right amount of time and was very disciplined. At times I would have to let my clients know that I would be away on course for the next two weeks and to expect a delay in my replies. Thankfully, they were all very understanding.

I am 71 and God willing, I will work till 80. So long as I can still contribute, I want to keep working and sharing the benefit of my experience.