ESSEC Campus Inaugurated on 4 May 2015

The Straits Times
www.straitstimes.com Published on May 05, 2015
By Stephanie Heng

THE French business school Essec officially opened its new Asia-Pacific campus in Singapore yesterday.

Essec Asia-Pacific, the facility at Nepal Hill in the One-North district, is its first campus outside France and will augment the Asian Centre it set up in the National Library building in 2005. The new school, which started classes recently, runs a range of postgraduate courses and offers Executive MBA and Executive Education programmes.

Its Essec Global BBA, a bi-campus Bachelor in Business Administration programme that starts in September, will also allow students to study in three different countries, including Singapore and France.

The school is focusing on targeting Singaporean students by offering scholarships that are specifically for them.

Professor Jean-Michel Blanquer, Essec Business School’s president and dean, said he hopes that at least half of the student body will be made up of Singaporeans.

Ms Megan Noelle Chew, 24, who is studying for an Advanced Master’s in Financial Techniques, said yesterday that the international exposure offered by Essec was a unique opportunity that will help students “stand out in the job sphere”.

Prof Blanquer said at the ceremony that “Singapore is at the crossroads of all socio- economic activities in Asia- Pacific”, a region he described as being full of potential. Singapore’s pioneering spirit also corresponds well with Essec’s motto, he added.

Mr S. Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry, told the gathering: “Essec’s decision to set up an Asia-Pacific campus reflects the growing need for Asia-ready talent.”

He added that multinationals are increasingly recognising that talent with in-depth, contextual knowledge of the region is indispensable.

“Singapore is well-positioned to be a place where companies can develop and harness Asia’s ready talent,” said Mr Iswaran.