A Lesson in Business, History and Life.
30 Mar 2022
Back in the day, a typical out-of-classroom learning opportunity for a polytechnic student might take the form of a visit to an industry partner’s office or a factory tour.
Learning in todays’ SP is very different – our students get to meet business leaders and politicians in the most unexpected places – sometimes, over dinner.
Recently, SB students Ting Ze Si Adrina, 2nd year student in the Diploma in Accountancy and Isabelle Sim, 3rd year Diploma in Business Administration student, gained invaluable knowledge and insights when they met Dr Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, a Former Minister of Bangladesh and Mr Osman Ershad Faiz, Chief Information and Operating Officer at Singapore-based AMTD Digital over dinner at the Singapore Cricket Club.
Currently the Senior Group Advisor at Meinhardt International, a Singapore-based multinational company and an Honorary Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) at the National University of Singapore, Dr Chowdhury was the Foreign Advisor (Foreign Minister) of Bangladesh (2007-2009). He was his country’s Ambassador to Qatar and Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. Mr Faiz, the CIO and Chief Operations Officer of AMTD Digital, was previously the COO for Standard Chartered and also the head of operations at Indonesia’s Permata Bank.
Our students learned much that evening – ranging from history lessons on the establishment of Bangladesh in 1971, to understanding microfinance and how that concept successfully aided the poor from Dr Chowdhury who, along with Mr Faiz, was born in Bangladesh.
Moreover, our students learned very insightful life lessons. ‘Mr Faiz taught us that the key to self-growth is focusing on one’s individual growth, not constantly comparing oneself with others,’ said Adrina.
Not surprisingly, the two and a half hours spent conversing with the two gentlemen passed by in a flash, shared our students. Truly memorable, and yet another example of how learning today is so different from before.
