Singapore Management University: Equipped to Face A Disruptive Economy

Client: Singapore Management University's Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

About: A profile interview on notable alumni from the Lee Kong Chian School Of Business. I sat down with food services professional Sonam Sardar to find out more about her decision to pursue a Master of Science in Innovation (MI).

The rise of nimble start-ups, aided by the democratisation of technology and globalisation, has disrupted the business landscape over the past decade. In today’s volatile world, change is the only constant. Companies need to stay competitive by honing their design and creative thinking capabilities and gain insights into market trends and strategies in order to sustain agile company growth. That thinking spurred food services professional Sonam Sardar to pursue a Master of Science in Innovation (MI) at the Singapore Management University (SMU) Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB) in 2013. Sonam says: “We are in a disruptive era that demands innovative thinking to break down high-hanging fruit challenges. Getting a Master’s degree in Innovation Management was extremely attractive to me as I wanted to gain a competitive advantage in a saturated labour market.” The MI is a cross-disciplinary programme that focuses on innovative pedagogy and entrepreneurship that is tailored for the Asian business landscape. Spanning 12 to 15 months, the practice-based programme trains students to develop strategic concepts and ideas, and build innovative products, services and processes. They also learn how to launch a product, what entails successful commercialisation, how to manage risk and sustain business growth. To round up their experience, and add to their international exposure, the students also attend a one-week residency in Babson College, a school renowned for its entrepreneurship education, in the United States.