Tell us a little about yourself
I joined University of Cumbria on 1st August 2012. I am passionate about higher education and enhancing the student experience. In particular, I am interested in Internationalisation of Higher Education and Curriculum.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is seeing my students graduate and receiving their certificate at Graduation ceremonies. I am still in touch with many of my students and it is great to be updated in their careers. Many of them are leaders in their sectors, industry and organisations, making positive changes and contributions to our economy.
What’s your industry background
I served my National Service as a Combat Paramedic in the Singapore Armed Forces and went on to work in a multinational bank before pursuing my higher education in the UK.
When I was completing my BA (Hons) in Financial Economics, I was intrigued by the concepts within (and beyond) the world of Economics, ceteris paribus. I felt I needed more answers and went on to pursue Master of Arts (MA) in Geographies of Globalisation and Development.
Whilst completing my MA, I was mesmerised by the (dis)connections between the subject areas of International Business, Corporate Culture and Cross-Cultural Management. I felt there that the more I knew, the more I didn’t know. Hence, I went on to pursue my PhD in the subject area of Corporate Culture.
As I was completing my PhD at the University of Liverpool, I was fortunate enough to take on a Graduate Teaching Assistant role and thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the world of academia. I was fascinated by the multi-disciplinary academic dialogue and met some inspirational academic mentors whom I am still in regular contact.
What might surprise people to learn about you?
In my spare time, I volunteer at local residential/ nursing homes and hospices with Charlie (Cockapoo), providing Pets As Therapy sessions to residents and patients. It is highly rewarding to see the joy Charlie brings to others. I also hold a Taekwondo Black Belt and serve as an Assistant Coach at my local Taekwondo Club.
What modules do you teach?
I am part of the Business School Undergraduate and Postgraduate programme teams. My main responsibilities include the dissertation supervision of undergraduate, MBA, MSc, DBA and PhD students. I work closely with colleagues across the university in the Internationalisation of the university, including the development and enhancement of our Transnational Education (TNE) partnerships across the globe. I am also an external examiner of DBA and PhD at other UK universities.
What’s your favourite thing about teaching at Cumbria?
One of my favourite things about teaching at Cumbria is learning from my students on the trends and patterns of the next generation of workforce and leaders. Whilst facilitating my students to reach higher grounds, I am also humbled by the knowledge I’ve gained from them. I am truly inspired by how some of my students resolve the challenges during their transition to University life and go on to achieve great success in life.
What makes your course different?
The Business School courses have both employability and digital skills embedded in all our programmes. It is the ‘golden thread’ which makes our courses highly relevant to the real world. This is vital to the future of our graduates as we maintain the relevance of our courses and ensure our students have the best opportunity when the start and/ or enhance their careers. Our courses focus on active learning to ensure students get the best out of the theoretical concepts which inform their practice in the real world.
What advice would you give to students considering studying on this course?
I would advise students to fully embrace the University student life at the University of Cumbria. This includes both classroom engagement and other extracurricular activities (such as sports, clubs and societies). One of the highlights of university life is also to ‘think outside’ the box and get out of our comfort zone, including broadening our horizons. University life is a very safe place to be able to engage with classmates and academics in theoretical debates, developing academic skills and enhancing transferable employability skills such as communication, digital, negotiation, presentation skills and time management.
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