Overview
Mission
ACES was first established as a unit of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre in the School of Accountancy and Business in 1992. It has evolved from the recognition that as the Economy matures, Singapore, like Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong, must rely on the external economy, in order to sustain high growth. This means that Singapore must invest overseas and Singaporeans must be willing to work abroad.
The Nanyang Business School (NBS) has, in actual fact, foreseen this challenge. For instance, NBS's MBA Programmes require that all MBA participants undertake at least one MBA Business Study Mission. In facing up to this challenge, ACES will consolidate and further promote NBS's external activities and contribute to the development of Singapore's external economy.
ACES is set up with the objective of building NBS's external wing in Asia. In short, Nanyang Business School is capable of becoming the Harvard in Asia. It will signal to the public the continued commitment of NBS to adopt a global perspective in education.
Structure
ACES is a centre within the School. The Centre Director reports directly to the Dean. It has six divisions reporting to the Director.
The Mandarin Executive Programme
The Division has been running the Mandarin Executive Programme since 1992. Catering to top officials from China, demand for the programme continues to be high. To complement this, an Accounting Executive Programme Division conducts examinable subjects in Mandarin.
ACES offers a course called Business Mandarin to students of NTU. Aimed at improving the language skills of those who see a need to use Mandarin in their work, it took in its first batch of 257 final-year students in 1993. These come mainly from SAB though there have been students from other Schools such as MPE and EEE. The course comprises two parts: the first helps them to achieve proficiency in business-writing while a second part teaches basic elements of the Chinese Economy and its business practices. Though the pioneer batch of students took an exam at the end of their ten-week course, this did not count towards their credit for that academic year. For academic year 1994/1995, however, final year students in SAB will be able to offer it for full credit. Course lecturer Dr. Cao Yong believed that his students' interest revolved mainly around doing business in China. More generally, it may also arises from that the belief that Mandarin proficiency will help in their careers. Whatever the case, with a billion Mandarin speakers giving thrust to China's burgeoning economy, ACES is helping these students acquire a valuable asset for their future careers.
Studies on the Chinese Economy
Research is under way on the foreign investments in China.
Workshops/Conferences
The centre maintains its profile through its participation in inter-national workshops.
NTU Digest of Productivity Estimates
The Division is setting up a database on productivity in Singapore by sectors. Beginning with sectoral studies in Singapore, focus will extend gradually to other Southeast Asian countries, concentrating on technical progress and economic growth.
Asian IR/HR Studies
The Division will have a joint research and executive programme with regional research institutions on human resource management and industrial relations. The lead for this has been taken by Director of ACES, Assoc. Prof.. Chew Soon Beng, with the presentation of a paper at the August 1993 meeting of the Asian IR/HR Workshop held in Seoul.
Economics and Management of Health Plans
The Division conducts research into improvements in terms of coverage and choice of existing health plans, integration of government and private sector health plans, revitalization of government health plans, health care problems of the aged and terminal disease insurance. In 1994, it organised a special seminar in association with the economic Society of Singapore into "The New Medical Benefits Scheme".
Enquiries:
Director, ACES
Nanyang Business School
Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Avenue
Singapore 639798
Location: Singapore, Singapore
Postal: Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798
Email:
Tel: + (65) 799.5689
Fax: + (65) 792.5560
Homepage: http://www.ntu.edu.sg/nbs/aces/
