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Friday, 3 September 2010

Seven MBA students from The University of Western Australia Business School have returned from completing a two-week Asian Intensive School for Advanced Management (AISAM) programme in Penang, Malaysia.

This year, the programme was attended by 35 students from seven Australian universities, as well as two students from the University of Calgary in Canada.

The programme offered students the opportunity to complete two units of their MBA in two weeks. The first week consisted of the unit Business in Asia, and the second week gave students the choice of three electives on topics such as entrepreneurship, strategic negotiation, and business coaching.

‘Business in Asia was a great opportunity to observe Malaysia in action,' enthused postgraduate student Tracy Deveugle-Frink. ‘All its great talents, challenges and accomplishments are on display here, particularly in Penang. As Penang is a bit of a melting pot for Asia, it offers the chance to observe all of Asia from this most perfect of microcosms. ‘

Over the two weeks, students visited businesses including Motorola, Pentamaster, Mini-Circuits, Autocity, and the Penang Development Corporation. They also heard from a variety of guest speakers, including: Barry Wain, former Editor of The Wall Street Journal Asia; TT Yew, Managing Director, Motorola Penang; Phillip Chu, The Executive Director of Logistics for the Singapore Youth Olympic Games; and Dr. Mahani Zainal- Abidin, Member, Institute of Strategic and International Studies: Think Tank (Malaysia).

‘This was the best academic and life programme I have been involved in. I met people from across the world and learned a new culture in the centre of paradise. The learning was great, teachers very professional and work interesting. This is a great programme and a must for all MBA students to do,' said student Daniel Ogle.

The students also participated in both formal and informal events. Formal events included a State Dinner hosted by the Government of Penang, a Welcome Dinner at the Hotel Equatorial, and a Farewell Dinner at the Bukit Jumbal Country Club. The students were also able to explore the cuisine, temples, fishing villages, and other tourist attractions during their free time and at the conclusion of the AISAM programme.

For postgraduate student Shaun Wong, the most rewarding part of the programme was the diversity of its participants. ‘Overall, it was a fantastic program,' he said. ‘I felt the most enjoyable/rewarding part of the program was the students. We were all highly diverse - drawing from each person's cultural and corporate background was an invaluable experience.' Participants included international students from Canada, France, India, Norway, the United Arab Emirates, America and Poland.

Next year, the AISAM programme will be offered in Penang from 27 June to 8 July. Applications are now open and further information is available at www.anbs.com.au .

Media Reference
Heather Merritt
Director, External Relations
UWA Business School
T: +618 6488 8171
E: [email protected]

Verity Chia
Communications Officer
UWA Business School
E: [email protected]

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