Singapore to UAE to China: Journey Across Asia

From P3, my INSEAD journey transformed from a single-campus experience into a multi-continental expedition, precisely as I had strategically planned during the infamous bidding war. From the sea breeze of Singapore to the majestic skyline of the UAE’s downtown districts and the historic attractions of China, the "global" in MBA truly came to life.

P3 in sunny Singapore

Sunny Singapore greeted me with the same humidity and warmth that I grew up with in Miami’s tropical climate. The cultural landscape, full of ornate temples (Buddhist and Hindu), vegetarian restaurants, and colourful lion dances, immediately resonated with me.

 P3 academics were rigorous, intense, and intellectually stimulating.  

The Singapore campus has a certain academic sharpness: a place where ideas accelerate, debates ignite, and classroom energy crackles.

Financial Statement Analysis with world-leading professor and Accounting Department Head, Dr Sharon Katz, was a masterclass in financial rigour.

In our Art of Communication class, our team's presentation on global wealth needed a memorable hook. As is customary, I provided one. I sang "Money, Money, Money,” the world-famous song from President Donald Trump's Apprentice show. During the feedback session and app rating (an essential aspect of the Communication class), my peers ranked my performance and presentation highly.

Then came Technology and Innovation Strategy with the brilliant Dr Michaël Bikard. This course included Kahoots, case studies and live interactions with case protagonists with highly interactive discussions on technology innovation strategies. For our final project, our team compared Samsung’s and Apple’s roadmaps for AI smartphones. Naturally, I added a bit of showmanship by rewriting the lyrics of Gangnam Style into Samsung Style. I recorded the song and danced during the presentation.

While I was in Singapore, I went to Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia and visited the majestic Batu Caves. Here, there is a towering statue of the Hindu God Murugan at 140 feet, the second tallest in the world. 

On the steep climb, I kept an eye out for the monkeys looking for a quick snack from an unsuspecting visitor. At the top of the cave, there is a series of shrines of Murugan set inside the limestone caves. Lord Murugan is the Chief General of the Hindu Gods’ army, who are always at war against the asuras or demons. Therefore, he is a Hindu symbol of successful strategic leadership.

P4 in amazing Abu Dhabi

From one warm place to another, I arrived in amazing Abu Dhabi for P4. The INSEAD campus here sits inside the modern ADGM office tower, polished and professional, a hub for some of the world’s sharpest decision-makers. 

Walking to the campus each morning felt energising. The space is beautifully designed and full of natural light. To top it off, INSEAD provided us with snacks, food, and juice stations that kept us energised through the full-day senior-executive style courses and seminars.

We visited the global headquarters of Emirates, where we met the General Counsel. There, I developed a better understanding of the legal and financial intricacies behind structuring aircraft purchase transactions for one of the world’s most iconic airlines. 

We were invited to the headquarters of Etisalat, the UAE’s leading mobile carrier, to learn about their AI strategy for the next decade. We also interacted with senior executives over dinner at Dubai Holding, the real estate group behind landmark developments such as Palm Jumeirah and other iconic large-scale projects. Appreciating the vision behind these developments added a powerful layer to understanding how cities like Dubai develop real estate to shape their future.

P5 in captivating China

From the moment I arrived in captivating China, the professionalism of the CEIBS staff impressed me. They handed us comprehensive welcome packets and hosted a warm afternoon reception that made us feel at home instantly. Every inquiry was met with fast, clear responses. Their hospitality was world-class.

China rates its tourist sites on a scale up to AAAAA, and I made it my mission to explore as many AAAAA attractions as I could. My favourite was the Great Wall. At Badaling, I walked all the way from the South end to the North end in just three hours, pausing often to capture photos of the undulating stone cliffs disappearing into the mountains. It felt like walking through centuries of history. 

At Mutianyu, I took the chairlift up and trekked from Towers 6 to 20, reaching the famous Hero Terrace at the top of the steep Hero Slope. There, I happened to meet a Canadian investment banker, a reminder that networking opportunities can present themselves in unexpected ways and places. 

Another deeply meaningful trip was to Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou, near Xiamen. Hundreds of years ago, Quanzhou was a thriving port city along the Silk Road, attracting traders from across Asia, including many from India. 

At Kaiyuan Temple, near the entrance steps to Mahavira Hall, the stone platform features carvings of Kamadhenu (Hindu goddess of cows) and Yali, lion-gryphon creatures found in Hindu temple carvings. 

Behind the Mahavira Hall at the temple stand two original stone columns decorated with Hindu reliefs, including Shiva (The Destroyer), Narasimha (the fourth avatar of Vishnu, the Protector), Krishna (the eighth avatar of Vishnu), and Gajendra Moksha (God saves an elephant from a crocodile). Many groups of Chinese tourists admired these ancient carvings with awe.

At CEIBS, an interesting course was Strategic Marketing Management of Creative and Experience Economy, a course with live cases where we visited and interacted with executives at Yuyuan Garden (a historic cultural tourism shopping hub in Shanghai) and Bilibili (a fast-growing video sharing platform). 

For the class presentation, our team chose to analyse the meteoric rise of CHAGEE, a fast-growing milk tea brand. To bring the story alive, I rapped in Chinese to the hit song 大展鴻圖Blueprint Supreme by 攬佬SKAI ISYOURGOD, a hit across YouTube (18 million+ views), Spotify (top 50 viral global), and TikTok. 

Compared to traditional rap, this song was unique since it referred extensively to traditional Chinese culture, including Cantonese opera and the Chinese deity Guan Gong. The class loved it, and it has become my most memorable moment from my MBA journey.