Accepted at Insead(Singapore) and HKUST, pros/cons of 2 schools/locations

dennis

4 7

Posted May 28, 2009 20:53

Can anyone comment on Singapore vs Hong Kong ? Not so much looking at schools directly, but actually living in one city vs the other.

My background: Downsized NYC banker looking at moving to Asia for the next 5-10 years.

quote

Malia

84 168

Posted May 28, 2009 23:07

You will find a lot of information if you search the board (eg http://www.find-mba.com/boardsearch/q/insead+hkust) or check the related posts (http://www.find-mba.com/board/university/533 + http://www.find-mba.com/board/university/602).

However, be careful, there's someone who tries to push HKUST and bash INSEAD. I think this person even uses different nicknames.

Anyone else with more input?

quote

dennis

4 7

Posted May 30, 2009 17:04

You will find a lot of information if you search the board (eg http://www.find-mba.com/boardsearch/q/insead+hkust) or check the related posts (http://www.find-mba.com/board/university/533 + http://www.find-mba.com/board/university/602).

However, be careful, there's someone who tries to push HKUST and bash INSEAD. I think this person even uses different nicknames.

Anyone else with more input?

I have all the information i need on the school itself. my question was directed at Singpore vs Hong Kong.

the knock on Singapore seems to be
1) its boring
2) job market only a fraction of that in HK, concentrated in shippping/commodities and private banking.

<blockquote>You will find a lot of information if you search the board (eg http://www.find-mba.com/boardsearch/q/insead+hkust) or check the related posts (http://www.find-mba.com/board/university/533 + http://www.find-mba.com/board/university/602).

However, be careful, there's someone who tries to push HKUST and bash INSEAD. I think this person even uses different nicknames.

Anyone else with more input?</blockquote>

I have all the information i need on the school itself. my question was directed at Singpore vs Hong Kong.

the knock on Singapore seems to be
1) its boring
2) job market only a fraction of that in HK, concentrated in shippping/commodities and private banking.

quote

bianca

23 46

Posted May 31, 2009 12:26

I have all the information i need on the school itself. my question was directed at Singpore vs Hong Kong.

the knock on Singapore seems to be
1) its boring
2) job market only a fraction of that in HK, concentrated in shippping/commodities and private banking.

When considering INSEAD, Singapore is (IMHO) just a technicality.
In the same way that you don't go to INSEAD Fontainebleau to work in France, you don't go to INSEAD Singapore to work in Singapore.
INSEAD is the most recognised MBA if you want to work internationally, bar none. So when you'll go to Australia, HK, Germany, Canada, etc... When you'll tell people you have an MBA from there, they'll instantly know what school it is. (And really not care about if you did most of your time in France or Singapore.) Not so true for HKUST.
You'll have much more opportunities internationally with INSEAD than with HKUST (which main focus is HK and China).

If you're worried about living a boring life in Singapore, tell yourself it's only for 10 months (max) and if it's still too much you can choose to spend parts of it in France.

<blockquote>I have all the information i need on the school itself. my question was directed at Singpore vs Hong Kong.

the knock on Singapore seems to be
1) its boring
2) job market only a fraction of that in HK, concentrated in shippping/commodities and private banking.
</blockquote>When considering INSEAD, Singapore is (IMHO) just a technicality.
In the same way that you don't go to INSEAD Fontainebleau to work in France, you don't go to INSEAD Singapore to work in Singapore.
INSEAD is the most recognised MBA if you want to work internationally, bar none. So when you'll go to Australia, HK, Germany, Canada, etc... When you'll tell people you have an MBA from there, they'll instantly know what school it is. (And really not care about if you did most of your time in France or Singapore.) Not so true for HKUST.
You'll have much more opportunities internationally with INSEAD than with HKUST (which main focus is HK and China).

If you're worried about living a boring life in Singapore, tell yourself it's only for 10 months (max) and if it's still too much you can choose to spend parts of it in France.

quote

dennis

4 7

Posted Jun 01, 2009 17:16

I have all the information i need on the school itself. my question was directed at Singpore vs Hong Kong.

the knock on Singapore seems to be
1) its boring
2) job market only a fraction of that in HK, concentrated in shippping/commodities and private banking.
When considering INSEAD, Singapore is (IMHO) just a technicality.
In the same way that you don't go to INSEAD Fontainebleau to work in France, you don't go to INSEAD Singapore to work in Singapore.
INSEAD is the most recognised MBA if you want to work internationally, bar none. So when you'll go to Australia, HK, Germany, Canada, etc... When you'll tell people you have an MBA from there, they'll instantly know what school it is. (And really not care about if you did most of your time in France or Singapore.) Not so true for HKUST.
You'll have much more opportunities internationally with INSEAD than with HKUST (which main focus is HK and China).

If you're worried about living a boring life in Singapore, tell yourself it's only for 10 months (max) and if it's still too much you can choose to spend parts of it in France.

Correct me if im wrong but i think by international opportunities you mean US/UK. Well, im not concerned about that, my work experience alone pretty much guarantees good opportunities once the storm settles in the West. my goal now is to get some asian exposure, it seems that hk is much better positioned than singapore in that sense. insead certainly a better known brand with prominent alumni but... how much asia/china exposure can i get by being there for a year versus hk?

http://www.insead.edu/mba/careers/docs/MBA_2007_Employment_Statistics.pdf

page 13... 34% of Insead's Asian placements are in Singapore, 11% in China and 14% in HK.

The majority of Insead's Singapore graduates end up in Singapore.....hence i might have to be concerned about living in a "boring" city for more than 10 months..

Overall, consulting, business development and general management make up 60% of placements worldwide. These kind of jobs in Asia require language skills which i dont and wont have. simply being a realist, learning the very basics of Mandarin does not get one anywhere.

Insead's Asian student body, Indian 90, Chinese 21, Singaporean 22.. you could have fooled me that this is from NUS in terms of lack of Asian diversity and heavy % skewness towards the Indians.

it doesnt seem that people choose Insead for the Asian experience which im looking for.

back to my original question, can someone comment on the two cities, not schools .....

<blockquote><blockquote>I have all the information i need on the school itself. my question was directed at Singpore vs Hong Kong.

the knock on Singapore seems to be
1) its boring
2) job market only a fraction of that in HK, concentrated in shippping/commodities and private banking.
</blockquote>When considering INSEAD, Singapore is (IMHO) just a technicality.
In the same way that you don't go to INSEAD Fontainebleau to work in France, you don't go to INSEAD Singapore to work in Singapore.
INSEAD is the most recognised MBA if you want to work internationally, bar none. So when you'll go to Australia, HK, Germany, Canada, etc... When you'll tell people you have an MBA from there, they'll instantly know what school it is. (And really not care about if you did most of your time in France or Singapore.) Not so true for HKUST.
You'll have much more opportunities internationally with INSEAD than with HKUST (which main focus is HK and China).

If you're worried about living a boring life in Singapore, tell yourself it's only for 10 months (max) and if it's still too much you can choose to spend parts of it in France.</blockquote>

Correct me if im wrong but i think by international opportunities you mean US/UK. Well, im not concerned about that, my work experience alone pretty much guarantees good opportunities once the storm settles in the West. my goal now is to get some asian exposure, it seems that hk is much better positioned than singapore in that sense. insead certainly a better known brand with prominent alumni but... how much asia/china exposure can i get by being there for a year versus hk?

http://www.insead.edu/mba/careers/docs/MBA_2007_Employment_Statistics.pdf

page 13... 34% of Insead's Asian placements are in Singapore, 11% in China and 14% in HK.

The majority of Insead's Singapore graduates end up in Singapore.....hence i might have to be concerned about living in a "boring" city for more than 10 months..

Overall, consulting, business development and general management make up 60% of placements worldwide. These kind of jobs in Asia require language skills which i dont and wont have. simply being a realist, learning the very basics of Mandarin does not get one anywhere.

Insead's Asian student body, Indian 90, Chinese 21, Singaporean 22.. you could have fooled me that this is from NUS in terms of lack of Asian diversity and heavy % skewness towards the Indians.

it doesnt seem that people choose Insead for the Asian experience which im looking for.

back to my original question, can someone comment on the two cities, not schools .....

quote

wangtao

8 16

Posted Jun 02, 2009 02:02

When looking at the 34% in Singapore, 11% in China and 14% in HK - a more important factor is what percentage of these are native speakers of Mandarin or Cantonese and for you, who are native English speakers with no language skills. For HKUST, what percentage of their non-Asian graduates (cannot speak languages) get jobs in Hong Kong, China Singapore? How did they get their jobs - through college recruitment or networking late nights in Wanchai, etc..

In HK, personal connections are key when finding jobs. Because there will be many people with HKUST degrees looking for similar jobs, it may be more helpful to rely on other connections (undergrad connections and prior work connections) than the degree. Still, being in HK and finding a job there (as opposed to corporate sending you there) is better than being in France.

For a job in Mainland China, better to take two years out and study Mandarin and forget the MBA altogether.

quote

dennis

4 7

Posted Jun 02, 2009 05:42

When looking at the 34% in Singapore, 11% in China and 14% in HK - a more important factor is what percentage of these are native speakers of Mandarin or Cantonese and for you, who are native English speakers with no language skills. For HKUST, what percentage of their non-Asian graduates (cannot speak languages) get jobs in Hong Kong, China Singapore? How did they get their jobs - through college recruitment or networking late nights in Wanchai, etc..

In HK, personal connections are key when finding jobs. Because there will be many people with HKUST degrees looking for similar jobs, it may be more helpful to rely on other connections (undergrad connections and prior work connections) than the degree. Still, being in HK and finding a job there (as opposed to corporate sending you there) is better than being in France.

For a job in Mainland China, better to take two years out and study Mandarin and forget the MBA altogether.

Hi Wang, thanks for your comments, very much appreciated. I have been to HK once few years back, i liked the city but certainly did not spend enough time to get to know it well. On the flipside i have never been to Singapore and I'm relaying on information from people who used to live and work there. Unfortunately I have not heard many good things and add the small job market on top of that and Singapore is simply not looking good.

It would be helpful to have the detailed information you had mentioned but I doubt that I can get it anywhere.

I am not looking to work in mainland china, simply want to live and work in Asia for a while in a "civilized" english speaking place.

<blockquote>When looking at the 34% in Singapore, 11% in China and 14% in HK - a more important factor is what percentage of these are native speakers of Mandarin or Cantonese and for you, who are native English speakers with no language skills. For HKUST, what percentage of their non-Asian graduates (cannot speak languages) get jobs in Hong Kong, China Singapore? How did they get their jobs - through college recruitment or networking late nights in Wanchai, etc..

In HK, personal connections are key when finding jobs. Because there will be many people with HKUST degrees looking for similar jobs, it may be more helpful to rely on other connections (undergrad connections and prior work connections) than the degree. Still, being in HK and finding a job there (as opposed to corporate sending you there) is better than being in France.

For a job in Mainland China, better to take two years out and study Mandarin and forget the MBA altogether.</blockquote>

Hi Wang, thanks for your comments, very much appreciated. I have been to HK once few years back, i liked the city but certainly did not spend enough time to get to know it well. On the flipside i have never been to Singapore and I'm relaying on information from people who used to live and work there. Unfortunately I have not heard many good things and add the small job market on top of that and Singapore is simply not looking good.

It would be helpful to have the detailed information you had mentioned but I doubt that I can get it anywhere.

I am not looking to work in mainland china, simply want to live and work in Asia for a while in a "civilized" english speaking place.

quote

bianca

23 46

Posted Jun 02, 2009 10:35

back to my original question, can someone comment on the two cities, not schools ...

Sorry about mistaking your question with lack of information about INSEAD. I see you've done your research.

In terms of city sophistication in Asia, the only city that can beat Hong Kong is Tokyo.
When comparing Singapore to Hong Kong, and while they may be on par in terms of business activity and education (generally speaking, not just HKUST and INSEAD), Hong Kong has much more connections than Singapore and has a stronger emphasis on culture.

Hong Kong has a lot of connections, in terms of infrastructure (the naval freight business has gone down but HK is still the door to/from southern China, it has the world's best airport and a lot of air traffic) and telecoms.
However, another reason why many companies go to Hong Kong is obviously its closeness to southern China (where manufacturing factories are). On the oppositve, Singapore has a strong position with southeast Asia and to some degree Australia, but it's just not as sexy in terms of business.

Culturally, for many decades in the late 1900s, Hong Kong has been THE driving force in Asia. Ask why so many young Teochews from Malaysia don't speak teochew but cantonese instead. Nowadays, the japanese culture has become more visible, but Hong Kong still has its aura. Singapore is a dwarf in comparison.
In terms of gastronomy, Hong Kong food is the world's standard for best Chinese food. Singapore is working hard towards that, esp with a nice mix of cultures.

<blockquote>back to my original question, can someone comment on the two cities, not schools ...</blockquote>Sorry about mistaking your question with lack of information about INSEAD. I see you've done your research.

In terms of city sophistication in Asia, the only city that can beat Hong Kong is Tokyo.
When comparing Singapore to Hong Kong, and while they may be on par in terms of business activity and education (generally speaking, not just HKUST and INSEAD), Hong Kong has much more connections than Singapore and has a stronger emphasis on culture.

Hong Kong has a lot of connections, in terms of infrastructure (the naval freight business has gone down but HK is still the door to/from southern China, it has the world's best airport and a lot of air traffic) and telecoms.
However, another reason why many companies go to Hong Kong is obviously its closeness to southern China (where manufacturing factories are). On the oppositve, Singapore has a strong position with southeast Asia and to some degree Australia, but it's just not as sexy in terms of business.

Culturally, for many decades in the late 1900s, Hong Kong has been THE driving force in Asia. Ask why so many young Teochews from Malaysia don't speak teochew but cantonese instead. Nowadays, the japanese culture has become more visible, but Hong Kong still has its aura. Singapore is a dwarf in comparison.
In terms of gastronomy, Hong Kong food is the world's standard for best Chinese food. Singapore is working hard towards that, esp with a nice mix of cultures.

quote

dennis

4 7

Posted Jun 02, 2009 22:45

back to my original question, can someone comment on the two cities, not schools ...
Sorry about mistaking your question with lack of information about INSEAD. I see you've done your research.

In terms of city sophistication in Asia, the only city that can beat Hong Kong is Tokyo.
When comparing Singapore to Hong Kong, and while they may be on par in terms of business activity and education (generally speaking, not just HKUST and INSEAD), Hong Kong has much more connections than Singapore and has a stronger emphasis on culture.

Hong Kong has a lot of connections, in terms of infrastructure (the naval freight business has gone down but HK is still the door to/from southern China, it has the world's best airport and a lot of air traffic) and telecoms.
However, another reason why many companies go to Hong Kong is obviously its closeness to southern China (where manufacturing factories are). On the oppositve, Singapore has a strong position with southeast Asia and to some degree Australia, but it's just not as sexy in terms of business.

Culturally, for many decades in the late 1900s, Hong Kong has been THE driving force in Asia. Ask why so many young Teochews from Malaysia don't speak teochew but cantonese instead. Nowadays, the japanese culture has become more visible, but Hong Kong still has its aura. Singapore is a dwarf in comparison.
In terms of gastronomy, Hong Kong food is the world's standard for best Chinese food. Singapore is working hard towards that, esp with a nice mix of cultures.

well, yes you are absolutely right, the truth is that I dont need to hear anything good for HK as I am "sold" on it. The real reason why i was asking this question is that I was hoping to hear good things about Singapore and they are not coming. If Insead was in HK then it would be an absolute no brainer, but its not.

<blockquote><blockquote>back to my original question, can someone comment on the two cities, not schools ...</blockquote>Sorry about mistaking your question with lack of information about INSEAD. I see you've done your research.

In terms of city sophistication in Asia, the only city that can beat Hong Kong is Tokyo.
When comparing Singapore to Hong Kong, and while they may be on par in terms of business activity and education (generally speaking, not just HKUST and INSEAD), Hong Kong has much more connections than Singapore and has a stronger emphasis on culture.

Hong Kong has a lot of connections, in terms of infrastructure (the naval freight business has gone down but HK is still the door to/from southern China, it has the world's best airport and a lot of air traffic) and telecoms.
However, another reason why many companies go to Hong Kong is obviously its closeness to southern China (where manufacturing factories are). On the oppositve, Singapore has a strong position with southeast Asia and to some degree Australia, but it's just not as sexy in terms of business.

Culturally, for many decades in the late 1900s, Hong Kong has been THE driving force in Asia. Ask why so many young Teochews from Malaysia don't speak teochew but cantonese instead. Nowadays, the japanese culture has become more visible, but Hong Kong still has its aura. Singapore is a dwarf in comparison.
In terms of gastronomy, Hong Kong food is the world's standard for best Chinese food. Singapore is working hard towards that, esp with a nice mix of cultures.</blockquote>

well, yes you are absolutely right, the truth is that I dont need to hear anything good for HK as I am "sold" on it. The real reason why i was asking this question is that I was hoping to hear good things about Singapore and they are not coming. If Insead was in HK then it would be an absolute no brainer, but its not.

quote

bianca

23 46

Posted Jun 04, 2009 00:18

Well, yes you are absolutely right, the truth is that I dont need to hear anything good for HK as I am "sold" on it. The real reason why i was asking this question is that I was hoping to hear good things about Singapore and they are not coming. If Insead was in HK then it would be an absolute no brainer, but its not.

Sounds like you're hoping for someone to tell you Singapore's not that bad when your heart's sold to HK.

If your dream for the next few years is to work and live in a specific country, then I reckon that picking a business school that has roots in this country matters. Why ? Because this institution will be recognised domestically and will have the right connections with employment, also with most good students who want to work in their home country will go there.
In HK, it will be the HKUST, HKU and CUHK.
In Singapore it will be NUS and NTU.

INSEAD, as a fairly recent newcomer in Singapore (2000) and insists greatly about not being Singaporean (or French). It's education is rather global and the school doesn't bother much building industry ties with local industries. But the teaching and research is top notch.

Most people go to INSEAD for the fantastic teaching and the international experience (with their 57 nationalities slogan). But if you're looking for a purely Asian experience, you'd be better off at the universities mentionned above.
I suppose you've already checked their student profile / teachers list. INSEAD is not that Asian. It just happens to be located there.

<blockquote>Well, yes you are absolutely right, the truth is that I dont need to hear anything good for HK as I am "sold" on it. The real reason why i was asking this question is that I was hoping to hear good things about Singapore and they are not coming. If Insead was in HK then it would be an absolute no brainer, but its not.</blockquote>Sounds like you're hoping for someone to tell you Singapore's not that bad when your heart's sold to HK.

If your dream for the next few years is to work and live in a specific country, then I reckon that picking a business school that has roots in this country matters. Why ? Because this institution will be recognised domestically and will have the right connections with employment, also with most good students who want to work in their home country will go there.
In HK, it will be the HKUST, HKU and CUHK.
In Singapore it will be NUS and NTU.

INSEAD, as a fairly recent newcomer in Singapore (2000) and insists greatly about not being Singaporean (or French). It's education is rather global and the school doesn't bother much building industry ties with local industries. But the teaching and research is top notch.

Most people go to INSEAD for the fantastic teaching and the international experience (with their 57 nationalities slogan). But if you're looking for a purely Asian experience, you'd be better off at the universities mentionned above.
I suppose you've already checked their student profile / teachers list. INSEAD is not that Asian. It just happens to be located there.

quote

dennis

4 7

Posted Jun 04, 2009 03:25

Well, yes you are absolutely right, the truth is that I dont need to hear anything good for HK as I am "sold" on it. The real reason why i was asking this question is that I was hoping to hear good things about Singapore and they are not coming. If Insead was in HK then it would be an absolute no brainer, but its not.
Sounds like you're hoping for someone to tell you Singapore's not that bad when your heart's sold to HK.

If your dream for the next few years is to work and live in a specific country, then I reckon that picking a business school that has roots in this country matters. Why ? Because this institution will be recognised domestically and will have the right connections with employment, also with most good students who want to work in their home country will go there.
In HK, it will be the HKUST, HKU and CUHK.
In Singapore it will be NUS and NTU.

INSEAD, as a fairly recent newcomer in Singapore (2000) and insists greatly about not being Singaporean (or French). It's education is rather global and the school doesn't bother much building industry ties with local industries. But the teaching and research is top notch.

Most people go to INSEAD for the fantastic teaching and the international experience (with their 57 nationalities slogan). But if you're looking for a purely Asian experience, you'd be better off at the universities mentionned above.
I suppose you've already checked their student profile / teachers list. INSEAD is not that Asian. It just happens to be located there.

Yes I agree with your last paragraph, INSEAD is not that Asian, perhaps not at all Asian. Even looking at their curriculum/electives there is not much to choose from in terms of "Asia". In my first elimination round I had looked at NUS and SMU in Singapore, but again its Singapore and HKUST seems set for a brighter future. In HK I applied only to HKUST since that was my number one choice and i figured that i was safe getting in there.

<blockquote><blockquote>Well, yes you are absolutely right, the truth is that I dont need to hear anything good for HK as I am "sold" on it. The real reason why i was asking this question is that I was hoping to hear good things about Singapore and they are not coming. If Insead was in HK then it would be an absolute no brainer, but its not.</blockquote>Sounds like you're hoping for someone to tell you Singapore's not that bad when your heart's sold to HK.

If your dream for the next few years is to work and live in a specific country, then I reckon that picking a business school that has roots in this country matters. Why ? Because this institution will be recognised domestically and will have the right connections with employment, also with most good students who want to work in their home country will go there.
In HK, it will be the HKUST, HKU and CUHK.
In Singapore it will be NUS and NTU.

INSEAD, as a fairly recent newcomer in Singapore (2000) and insists greatly about not being Singaporean (or French). It's education is rather global and the school doesn't bother much building industry ties with local industries. But the teaching and research is top notch.

Most people go to INSEAD for the fantastic teaching and the international experience (with their 57 nationalities slogan). But if you're looking for a purely Asian experience, you'd be better off at the universities mentionned above.
I suppose you've already checked their student profile / teachers list. INSEAD is not that Asian. It just happens to be located there.</blockquote>

Yes I agree with your last paragraph, INSEAD is not that Asian, perhaps not at all Asian. Even looking at their curriculum/electives there is not much to choose from in terms of "Asia". In my first elimination round I had looked at NUS and SMU in Singapore, but again its Singapore and HKUST seems set for a brighter future. In HK I applied only to HKUST since that was my number one choice and i figured that i was safe getting in there.

quote

device04

4 7

Posted Jun 05, 2009 22:30

Well, yes you are absolutely right, the truth is that I dont need to hear anything good for HK as I am "sold" on it. The real reason why i was asking this question is that I was hoping to hear good things about Singapore and they are not coming. If Insead was in HK then it would be an absolute no brainer, but its not.
Sounds like you're hoping for someone to tell you Singapore's not that bad when your heart's sold to HK.

Yes I agree with your last paragraph, INSEAD is not that Asian, perhaps not at all Asian. Even looking at their curriculum/electives there is not much to choose from in terms of "Asia". In my first elimination round I had looked at NUS and SMU in Singapore, but again its Singapore and HKUST seems set for a brighter future. In HK I applied only to HKUST since that was my number one choice and i figured that i was safe getting in there.

I have only traveled to both places, but I will say that Singapore seems to be a miniaturized version of HK. There is a LOT going on in both cities, very metropolitan, I don't think you will find yourself "bored' in either place. HK might have a bit more native "culture" and "flavor" as compared to Singapore, which seemed to be more of a melting pot of cultures. However, both places are very modern, have lots of young people and lots to offer.

Let's also remember that as far as getting "bored" with your life or finding a job where you want (not a job finding you) is really on you. If you are proactive about it (which your posts suggest you are), then I'm sure you'll find a job where you want and won't be bored by any of your time in Asia. Both cities are fantastic places, but I don't think you'll find TOO much of a difference between the two locales, in and of themselves.

If you're heart is already sold on HK, then go to HKUST, it won't fail you. It's a known school, especially in Asia, renowned for its financial expertise, and located in the financial capital of Asia (the skyline is a veritable who's who of the financial world, though Shanghai might be a close second now). With your background, I'm sure you will be able to take full advantage of the opportunities offered you. INSEAD, it seems to me, is a school you are fixated on because of its name-brand, however it may not really offer you what you want and seek in the end.

Just my two cents, for what its' worth.

<blockquote><blockquote><blockquote>Well, yes you are absolutely right, the truth is that I dont need to hear anything good for HK as I am "sold" on it. The real reason why i was asking this question is that I was hoping to hear good things about Singapore and they are not coming. If Insead was in HK then it would be an absolute no brainer, but its not.</blockquote>Sounds like you're hoping for someone to tell you Singapore's not that bad when your heart's sold to HK.

Yes I agree with your last paragraph, INSEAD is not that Asian, perhaps not at all Asian. Even looking at their curriculum/electives there is not much to choose from in terms of "Asia". In my first elimination round I had looked at NUS and SMU in Singapore, but again its Singapore and HKUST seems set for a brighter future. In HK I applied only to HKUST since that was my number one choice and i figured that i was safe getting in there.
</blockquote>

quote

theredstar

11 21

Posted Jul 10, 2009 16:13

Can anyone comment on Singapore vs Hong Kong ? Not so much looking at schools directly, but actually living in one city vs the other.

My background: Downsized NYC banker looking at moving to Asia for the next 5-10 years.

unless you are very keen on hong kong/china how can you possibly pass on Insead? in any other scenario of you ending up somewhere else post grad it has to be Insead.

<blockquote>Can anyone comment on Singapore vs Hong Kong ? Not so much looking at schools directly, but actually living in one city vs the other.

My background: Downsized NYC banker looking at moving to Asia for the next 5-10 years.
</blockquote>

unless you are very keen on hong kong/china how can you possibly pass on Insead? in any other scenario of you ending up somewhere else post grad it has to be Insead.

quote

Creativity...

1 1

Posted Jul 29, 2009 08:47

I've lived in both places, twice each. I wouldn't live in Hong Kong again because of the pollution and the housing cost and quality.

Hong Kong is more immediately foreign than Singapore, so more exciting to the visitor. There's simply no contest in overall quality of living, Singapore wins hands down.

Singapore has a more accessible, homogeneous nightlife, the boundary between expat and local is way more blurred. The locals are very friendly...

I'll be in Hong Kong next week - I'm excited. When I get back to Singapore I'll be relieved.

Any help?

quote

mainlander

1 1

Posted Jul 30, 2009 07:38

The MBA experience is not about quality of living - its about your classmates and the business environment around you.

For classmates, who do you want to be in touch with 20 years from now that you can call for a dinner. It seems INSEAD graduates a lot of high caliber consultants - where do consultants go 20 years from now? Likely into senior management or as the partners of the consulting firms. Remember, if you choose to do 1 year plus in Singapore, you're going to establish better networks with the students in Singapore and not France. Likely, these students (if they decided to spend 1 year in Singapore) are striving for a career in Asia (Singapore or HK - maybe Australia or if they Japanese/India/Korean/Thai - from their respective homes).

HKUST - I still think this is a predominately HK/Asian student background that try to do Finance. You just don't put management and operations in HK. This is done in Mainland now - and these companies recruit 20s and 30s people that speak Mandarin - not Cantonese. So, you'll be talking to a lot of bankers in 20 years - the majority in HK with some scattered in Shanghai and Singapore.

If you choose a Mainland school like CEIBS or Tsinghua - you'll be talking to Mainlanders who will be working in management for Chinese and MNCs in China.

Singapore is less about China and more about Southeast Asia - HK is still the financial gateway to China until 2020 when Shanghai will start giving its sway. It can also be considered a HQ for anything in Guangdong. But in the end, think about the Chinese market - 20 million in Beijing, 20 million Shanghai, 30 million in Chongqing, 15+ million in Chengdu, 18 million Tianjin. These are the places where the opportunities are for the 1.3 billion market. This is the Asian opportunity. How do you make the network to achieve your career goals 10 to 20 years from now.

quote

theredstar

11 21

Posted Jul 30, 2009 18:58

The MBA experience is not about quality of living - its about your classmates and the business environment around you.

For classmates, who do you want to be in touch with 20 years from now that you can call for a dinner. It seems INSEAD graduates a lot of high caliber consultants - where do consultants go 20 years from now? Likely into senior management or as the partners of the consulting firms. Remember, if you choose to do 1 year plus in Singapore, you're going to establish better networks with the students in Singapore and not France. Likely, these students (if they decided to spend 1 year in Singapore) are striving for a career in Asia (Singapore or HK - maybe Australia or if they Japanese/India/Korean/Thai - from their respective homes).

HKUST - I still think this is a predominately HK/Asian student background that try to do Finance. You just don't put management and operations in HK. This is done in Mainland now - and these companies recruit 20s and 30s people that speak Mandarin - not Cantonese. So, you'll be talking to a lot of bankers in 20 years - the majority in HK with some scattered in Shanghai and Singapore.

If you choose a Mainland school like CEIBS or Tsinghua - you'll be talking to Mainlanders who will be working in management for Chinese and MNCs in China.

Singapore is less about China and more about Southeast Asia - HK is still the financial gateway to China until 2020 when Shanghai will start giving its sway. It can also be considered a HQ for anything in Guangdong. But in the end, think about the Chinese market - 20 million in Beijing, 20 million Shanghai, 30 million in Chongqing, 15+ million in Chengdu, 18 million Tianjin. These are the places where the opportunities are for the 1.3 billion market. This is the Asian opportunity. How do you make the network to achieve your career goals 10 to 20 years from now.

well, i agree with many things which you said.

i think 10 yrs from now you will have 2 financial centers in China, HK-Shenzhen and Shanghai with HK always dominating in our lifetimes.

Insead is very unique, consulting/managment culture which is great if you are that type of a person. For now I still think the Insead name gives you better choices than Asian MBAs and allows you to do whatever you want. Ask me in 5 years and my opinion may be 180 different.

also for the other poster... arent rents the lowest they have been in HK right now? quality of air has improved greatly to the point where you dont notice much difference between Hk and SG. nightlife is better in HK that i have no doubt. SIngapore if family friendly thats for sure.

<blockquote>The MBA experience is not about quality of living - its about your classmates and the business environment around you.

For classmates, who do you want to be in touch with 20 years from now that you can call for a dinner. It seems INSEAD graduates a lot of high caliber consultants - where do consultants go 20 years from now? Likely into senior management or as the partners of the consulting firms. Remember, if you choose to do 1 year plus in Singapore, you're going to establish better networks with the students in Singapore and not France. Likely, these students (if they decided to spend 1 year in Singapore) are striving for a career in Asia (Singapore or HK - maybe Australia or if they Japanese/India/Korean/Thai - from their respective homes).

HKUST - I still think this is a predominately HK/Asian student background that try to do Finance. You just don't put management and operations in HK. This is done in Mainland now - and these companies recruit 20s and 30s people that speak Mandarin - not Cantonese. So, you'll be talking to a lot of bankers in 20 years - the majority in HK with some scattered in Shanghai and Singapore.

If you choose a Mainland school like CEIBS or Tsinghua - you'll be talking to Mainlanders who will be working in management for Chinese and MNCs in China.

Singapore is less about China and more about Southeast Asia - HK is still the financial gateway to China until 2020 when Shanghai will start giving its sway. It can also be considered a HQ for anything in Guangdong. But in the end, think about the Chinese market - 20 million in Beijing, 20 million Shanghai, 30 million in Chongqing, 15+ million in Chengdu, 18 million Tianjin. These are the places where the opportunities are for the 1.3 billion market. This is the Asian opportunity. How do you make the network to achieve your career goals 10 to 20 years from now. </blockquote>

well, i agree with many things which you said.

i think 10 yrs from now you will have 2 financial centers in China, HK-Shenzhen and Shanghai with HK always dominating in our lifetimes.

Insead is very unique, consulting/managment culture which is great if you are that type of a person. For now I still think the Insead name gives you better choices than Asian MBAs and allows you to do whatever you want. Ask me in 5 years and my opinion may be 180 different.

also for the other poster... arent rents the lowest they have been in HK right now? quality of air has improved greatly to the point where you dont notice much difference between Hk and SG. nightlife is better in HK that i have no doubt. SIngapore if family friendly thats for sure.

quote

luckylehan...

3 6

Posted Aug 06, 2009 16:47

The MBA experience is not about quality of living - its about your classmates and the business environment around you.

For classmates, who do you want to be in touch with 20 years from now that you can call for a dinner. It seems INSEAD graduates a lot of high caliber consultants - where do consultants go 20 years from now? Likely into senior management or as the partners of the consulting firms. Remember, if you choose to do 1 year plus in Singapore, you're going to establish better networks with the students in Singapore and not France. Likely, these students (if they decided to spend 1 year in Singapore) are striving for a career in Asia (Singapore or HK - maybe Australia or if they Japanese/India/Korean/Thai - from their respective homes).

HKUST - I still think this is a predominately HK/Asian student background that try to do Finance. You just don't put management and operations in HK. This is done in Mainland now - and these companies recruit 20s and 30s people that speak Mandarin - not Cantonese. So, you'll be talking to a lot of bankers in 20 years - the majority in HK with some scattered in Shanghai and Singapore.

If you choose a Mainland school like CEIBS or Tsinghua - you'll be talking to Mainlanders who will be working in management for Chinese and MNCs in China.

Singapore is less about China and more about Southeast Asia - HK is still the financial gateway to China until 2020 when Shanghai will start giving its sway. It can also be considered a HQ for anything in Guangdong. But in the end, think about the Chinese market - 20 million in Beijing, 20 million Shanghai, 30 million in Chongqing, 15+ million in Chengdu, 18 million Tianjin. These are the places where the opportunities are for the 1.3 billion market. This is the Asian opportunity. How do you make the network to achieve your career goals 10 to 20 years from now.

really seek pardon to disagree with that.......According to me there are 4 broad categories of MBA schools in Asia....

Cat 1 :- Truly World Class - INSEAD / CEIBS

Cat2 :- Regional but good institutes - NUS/HKUST/ISB

Cat3 :- Colleges with good standings - IIM's / CUHK/ NTU

Cat4 :- The one which need improvements..

Regards,

<blockquote>The MBA experience is not about quality of living - its about your classmates and the business environment around you.

For classmates, who do you want to be in touch with 20 years from now that you can call for a dinner. It seems INSEAD graduates a lot of high caliber consultants - where do consultants go 20 years from now? Likely into senior management or as the partners of the consulting firms. Remember, if you choose to do 1 year plus in Singapore, you're going to establish better networks with the students in Singapore and not France. Likely, these students (if they decided to spend 1 year in Singapore) are striving for a career in Asia (Singapore or HK - maybe Australia or if they Japanese/India/Korean/Thai - from their respective homes).

HKUST - I still think this is a predominately HK/Asian student background that try to do Finance. You just don't put management and operations in HK. This is done in Mainland now - and these companies recruit 20s and 30s people that speak Mandarin - not Cantonese. So, you'll be talking to a lot of bankers in 20 years - the majority in HK with some scattered in Shanghai and Singapore.

If you choose a Mainland school like CEIBS or Tsinghua - you'll be talking to Mainlanders who will be working in management for Chinese and MNCs in China.

Singapore is less about China and more about Southeast Asia - HK is still the financial gateway to China until 2020 when Shanghai will start giving its sway. It can also be considered a HQ for anything in Guangdong. But in the end, think about the Chinese market - 20 million in Beijing, 20 million Shanghai, 30 million in Chongqing, 15+ million in Chengdu, 18 million Tianjin. These are the places where the opportunities are for the 1.3 billion market. This is the Asian opportunity. How do you make the network to achieve your career goals 10 to 20 years from now. </blockquote>

really seek pardon to disagree with that.......According to me there are 4 broad categories of MBA schools in Asia....

Cat 1 :- Truly World Class - INSEAD / CEIBS

Cat2 :- Regional but good institutes - NUS/HKUST/ISB

Cat3 :- Colleges with good standings - IIM's / CUHK/ NTU

Cat4 :- The one which need improvements..

Regards,

quote

VCAnalyst

2 4

Posted Aug 08, 2009 00:42

i would go for Insead, unless you can get full scholarship at hkust and really prefer hk to singapore.

quote

lavina.ani

2 3

Posted Aug 10, 2009 21:46

i would go for Insead, unless you can get full scholarship at hkust and really prefer hk to singapore.

the regular full time associate programs in VC/PE will be staffed with Mandarin speaking ABC or BBC transplants after H/W/S. Neither Insead nor Hkust will not get you into a driver's seat for the top positions.

On the positive note, the smaller start ups and local homegrown VCs will look at local talent pending they have all of the necessary skills, presenting-financial modelling-language skills.

i would reconsider and apply to h/w/s.

<blockquote>i would go for Insead, unless you can get full scholarship at hkust and really prefer hk to singapore.

</blockquote>

the regular full time associate programs in VC/PE will be staffed with Mandarin speaking ABC or BBC transplants after H/W/S. Neither Insead nor Hkust will not get you into a driver's seat for the top positions.

On the positive note, the smaller start ups and local homegrown VCs will look at local talent pending they have all of the necessary skills, presenting-financial modelling-language skills.

i would reconsider and apply to h/w/s.

quote