Many view higher education as a mere prerequisite to getting their hands on that much sought-after certificate. An education at East Asia Institute of Management (EASB), however, is more than just a means to that end—it is a springboard to a world of opportunities.

By Everlyn Lee

Starting from zero
Zhang Yuan Yuan, a student at EASB, has had her fair share of the glamourous life during her acting days in her homeland, China...

However, upon coming to Singapore, she had to pursue an education from scratch, as her performing experience wouldn’t be very highly valued by potential employers, plus she had virtually zero knowledge of the English language. Finding a job would not be easy, let alone carving out a career. Thankfully, Yuan Yuan had done her research beforehand. Based on recommendations from various sources, she had set her eyes on EASB to further her studies.

In a short span of two years, Yuan Yuan gained a fairly firm grasp of the language and is now able to converse confidently in English. She spent six months on obtaining a Certificate in Business English before commencing on a diploma and advanced diploma programme, also at EASB.

However, things were naturally not all that smooth-sailing for her.

She admits, “It was very difficult to adapt at the beginning. Our school is an international school, so every student, including Singaporeans, has a different accent, and sometimes it’s very difficult to understand. But I’m already getting more and more adapted.”

True enough, Yuan Yuan has adjusted well to the environment here, as she will soon be enrolling for a Bachelor of Arts in Events Management degree awarded by Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, Scotland, a partner university of EASB. The reason for her choice of study is simple: she likes meeting people. Given the fact that Singapore’s tourism industry is also booming, she sees abundant opportunities in this field.

Vaswani Bhavna, a Business Management student at EASB, probably finds her transition into tertiary education less dramatic in comparison. A Tourism and Hospitality diploma holder from Temasek Polytechnic’s Business School, she is keen to venture into the lucrative banking and finance sector and decided to further her studies in a related field.

Admitted straight into the Advanced Diploma in Business Management programme, Vaswani will soon be pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Business Management offered by the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff—Wales’ top new university and a partner of EASB. She has made this her choice as she wants a Business Management (instead of a Business Administration) degree with Honours offered by a university from the United Kingdom, and she wishes to complete the degree in two years instead of the usual three.

Being career-ready
With several accolades to boast of, EASB has set itself a high standard to live up to. The school has been awarded the Singapore Quality Class for Private Education Organisations (PEOs) in 2003, ranked number one in Hospitality and Tourism Studies, as well as placed amongst Singapore’s top 10 private institutions in Edupoll 2008/2009 Institutional Citations for PEOs.

To better prepare its students for the hospitality industry, EASB has tie-ups with various hotels to offer internships to its students. Through such collaborations, Yuan Yuan managed to secure a five-month internship with one Singapore’s renowned hotels—Conrad Centennial Singapore. However, the school didn’t simply throw her into the deep end. Prior to her internship, EASB conducted training sessions three times a week for a month, where she learnt how to use software commonly used in hotels, reception work, as well as how to be a good banqueting staff.

Hard work goes hand-in-hand with a job in the hotel industry. During her internship, Yuan Yuan’s job scope as a runner involved preparing afternoon tea and pastries, and even washing dishes. Her longest record ever for dishwashing—nine hours! Such experiences are certainly not without value. “It’s very tiring, but we learn a lot. When we graduate the next time and get very good positions, whether in hotels or not, we’ll be more understanding towards lower-level staff. Their jobs are so difficult,” she said.

Not a lonely battle
Yuan Yuan is grateful to have wonderful professors to guide the way over the course of her studies. “Professors become very good friends with us. When we encounter any problems in our studies, they will help us via email or phonecalls,” she shared. “Frankly speaking, during the third month of my internship, I was so tired and wanted to give up. But my professor told me that Conrad’s a very good hotel and it’s very important that I don’t give up halfway, otherwise, no other hotel will hire me because I can’t prove that I can adapt. He encouraged me a lot and because of that, I decided to continue and do my best job.”

Said Vaswani in agreement, “They are very nice, very helpful and very patient. The majority of my class is made up of international students and English is not their first language. So although we can grasp concepts quite quickly, it might take them more time. But the lecturers are very patient and will repeat themselves so that these students can move along at the same pace.”

Why EASB?
EASB also has collaborations with University of Southern Queensland and Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh Business School to offer a whole range of graduate and postgraduate studies in Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Management as well as Business, Management and Accounting.

But why should one consider EASB given the plethora of private schools to choose from?

“Because EASB is professional, and because its attitude to students, whose welfare are always considered,” Yuan Yuan asserted.

“This is a good school because it has a balance. It’s not too hectic so students get a chance to enjoy life at the same time. I have no regrets,” added Vaswani.

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