"In the world full of unknown challenges, it is not what we know, but how fast we learn and how we handle emotions that matters,” says 26-year-old Augustine Zhang, a scholar from the Energy Market Authority (EMA).

EMA is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI). It was formed in April 2001 to regulate the electricity and gas industries, as well as the district cooling services in designated areas.

Its main objective is to promote competition in the electricity and piped gas industries while maintaining secure and reliable energy for Singapore. EMA’s strategy has been to liberalise these industries progressively, to facilitate the setting up of private companies that offer wholesale electricity to retail consumers.

As part of his scholarship, Augustine served a four-week attachment at EMA just before he went overseas for his university studies in 2002. He joined a team that presented the new electricity market concept to market participants and developed a new market mechanism for Singapore’s liberalised electricity market.

Augustine had a wide range of duties to handle. “We received useful contractual templates from external consultants, but we needed to customise those templates for market participants through continuous negations,” he says. “It was indeed challenging to formulate contractual agreements between market players.”

He adds, “I realised that no amount of education can ever fully prepare me for the challenges in working life. I can only prepare for them by having the courage to try.”

CULTURE SHOCK
Augustine took that lesson along with him to Germany, where he is currently studying Economics at the University of Mannheim. He had to adapt to a different country and interact with people of a foreign culture. “The Germans believe in egalitarianism and frown on flamboyant displays of wealth and achievement. I had a hard time coming to terms with such a different culture at first, but I began to tune down my pace of life,” shares Augustine.

And, like most Singaporeans who study abroad, Augustine began to miss the food back home as well. “German cuisine is rather salty and fatty and many Singaporeans here do gain weight initially,” he chuckles. “But this helps to create an impetus for international students to organise cooking sessions, and I participated in a number of such sessions too!”

Augustine gradually overcame the initial culture shock, and as a result, he began to appreciate some of the finer things of German life. “The environmental consciousness in Germany is unparalleled. Every effort is taken to protect the environment,” he observes. “I’m also delighted to find that people here generally define success in a more holistic manner.”

WORK HARD, PLAY HARD
Meanwhile, Augustine’s typical day is spent attending lectures and tutorials, or doing his own research. According to Augustine, German students prefer to discuss their subjects on academic blogs, instead of during classes. In a way, this probably reflects the independent learning that usually takes place in many European countries.

In addition, Augustine served a nine-week internship at Linde AG, an international industrial gases and engineering company based in Munich, the capital of Bavaria, the largest state in Germany.

“I had a great time handling multi-million projects with a group of PhD colleagues. I was involved in project coordination, where I applied the cost planning and control skills I’ve acquired from university,” says Augustine.

Just like his EMA attachment, Augustine had to study and understand the expectations of various stakeholders in order to co-ordinate projects effectively. Most importantly, he had to make sure that timelines were strictly adhered to. Furthermore, Augustine also corresponded with international customers. He reviewed their proposals and evaluated their implications to the company.

By this time, Augustine had grown comfortable enough with German culture to participate in Oktoberfest along with his colleagues. This is a world-famous beer festival held annually in Bavaria. “I guess I’ve learned how to both work hard and ‘drink’ hard,” laughs Augustine.

RISING CHALLENGES
Augustine will soon graduate this year, and he has already thought about what he will do at EMA once he returns. “I want to help Singapore achieve top global ranking for competitive energy pricing and reliable energy supply,” he says with conviction.

He knows very well that this is not going to be an easy goal. For example, EMA has begun to expand its scope to cope with the strategic concerns arising from changing global trends, such as rising oil prices, which will have an impact on the cost of energy in Singapore.

“I expect rising public expectations on EMA as the global energy supply tightens further and energy markets become more volatile,” observes Augustine. With all the experience and exposure that he has already acquired, Augustine looks well-prepared for the challenges ahead.