Great Wall International MBA

An Introduction to Singapore

Singapore (Lion City in Sanskrit) is perhaps the cleanest, most orderly city in the history of civilization. It's pretty simple how they keep it that way. The joke is that you get fined S$50 if you so much as breathe in the incorrect way. Actually, it seems the reputation doesn't nearly reflect the true reality, as you are free to do most things in Singapore so long as it is relatively civic-minded.

In many ways, Singapore is exactly like a Western city. The public transportation system is superb. Traffic jams are tiny at best. Everything is kept spotlessly clean. Prices are generally marked and fixed. Things run precisely on schedule. Any manner of imported item you could ever want ranging from Muesli to every kind of French cheese imaginable, can be yours for the having.

At the same time, Singapore still maintains at least some part of its colonial past and multiethnic makeup. While Chinese form an overwhelming 76% of the population, there are also sizable Malay and Indian minorities. Each maintain their own areas of the city although mixing among races seems far more normal here than in neighboring Malaysia. There are also still many areas that are open late into the night and many of the buildings in the historical areas have been restored to their initial form. Together, this allows Singapore to remain a fascinating place to the uninitiated.
While most of the activities that can be undertaken in Singapore are pretty clean and urban in nature, the Singaporeans have done an excellent job in making even their most touristy attractions extremely educational and enjoyable. Because public transportation in the form of buses and light rail transit is so developed, getting from place to place is a snap. Moreover, since the official language of the city is English, travelers rarely encounter much problems of any kind here.

Why Singapore?

Singapore is a great place to work, study, live and enjoy. Singapore consistently scores high marks in global and regional rankings of the factors that matter to businesses. These range from political risk to workforce productivity, from the quality of life to the prospects for making profits. It has the:

· Best quality of life in Asia
· 2nd in personal safety among world's top 50 cities, after Luxembourg
· 2nd most network ready country, after the United States
· Best business environment in Asia-Pacific
· 2nd most profitable place for investors, after Switzerland
· 2nd most competitive globally, after the United States
· 2nd most globalized nation in the world, after Ireland
· Least corrupt country in Asia

Source: http://www.sedb.com/edbcorp/sg/en_uk/index/why_singapore/singapore_rankings.html

People, Culture and Religion.
The Chinese form 77% of the population, Malays 15%, Indian 7%, Eurasian and others form the remaining 1%. Each group also maintains their own culture and this gives rise to the numerous places of worship, cuisine and festivals that add color to the city.

All the major religions are represented here with Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism being the chief faiths. There are over 400 churches, 140 Chinese & Buddhist temples, 72 mosques, 32 Hindu Temples, 8 Sikh temple and even 2 Jewish synagogues.

With multiple religions come the numerous festivals that are celebrated all year round from the Chinese New Year, Festival of the Hungry Ghosts, Mooncake Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Chingay Procession, Vesak Day, Aidilfitri, Hari Raya Haji, Deepavali, Thaipusam, Christmas and Good Friday.     

Activities
Even though Singapore is a small island, it offers a plethora of activities to keep one occupied. Entertainment buffs will find over 60 cinemas offering the latest Hollywood blockbusters, as well as regional movies in the Chinese, Indian and Malay languages. With the well-developed Arts scene and the opening of the S$ 600 million Esplanade, there’s no shortage of arts events in Singapore either.

For nature lovers, there are numerous Nature Parks to explore. Cycling enthusiasts can take two wheels through the streets or on nature trails. Singapore also offers outdoor activities such as rock climbing, windsurfing, water-skiing, scuba diving, skydiving and go-karting.

For travel bugs, Singapore is the best base to explore the Southeast Asia due to its’ strategic location. It is well connected in the transportation network with excellent air, road, rail and sea links. Travelers can explore the wonders of Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam and Philippines, all within 3 hours flight from Singapore. Southeast Asia is home to some of the greatest travel destinations in the world such as Bali, Angkor Wat, Borobodur, Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Phuket and jungles of Borneo; not to mention numerous other beach resorts, national parks, monuments, and cities that is yet to be ‘discovered’.

The Great Wall International MBA

The information contained below covers primarily the Programme Structure and Application Procedure for International Students. For further information on the Programme, its’ Course Modules, Fees, and other Administrative details, please refer to the “Programme Brochure”, downloadable from http://www.scciob.edu.sg/index.cfm?GPID=216

The Great Wall International MBA program with a double concentration in International Business and Finance is based on an accelerated modularized system.
The program consists of 13 core modules where each will be delivered over 10 days in 2 weeks by faculty professors. Each module consists of 40 contact hours with Professors totaling 520 classroom contact hours for the entire program. Students normally complete the MBA Program within a period of 18 months.

Study Cycle
Students will receive course syllabus and learning materials for each course approximately 1 month prior to beginning lectures in the course. The professor will make pre-assignments relevant to the course materials to be covered.  Professors will travel from the US to deliver the intensive 2 weeks of course lectures. During this period, there will also be in-class tests, quizzes, and class presentations

The next 3 weeks will be spent attending tutorials, taking Mandarin Language courses and having supervised Study Periods. During this time, students will have to complete the required research, post-lecture assignments, take course exams and complete other course requirements. The cycle will then begin again with readings & pre-course assignments for the next course.

After the 1st 6 modules, there will be a 3-month internship at Singapore companies for the students. The purpose is to give hands-on experience at firms doing business with China. Subsequent to the internship, they will continue the remaining 7 modules.

Week	Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
1	9.00 – 13.00	Lesson 1	Lesson 2	Lesson 3	Lesson 4	Lesson 5
2	9.00 – 13.00	Lesson 6	Lesson 7	Lesson 8	Lesson 9	Lesson 10
3	9.00 – 12.00	Tutorial	Mandarin	Study Period	Tutorial	Mandarin
4	9.00 – 12.00	Tutorial	Mandarin	Study Period	Tutorial	Mandarin
5	9.00 – 12.00	Tutorial	Mandarin	Study Period	Tutorial	Mandarin

Study Materials
Learning materials are provided for all modules. They include textbooks, case studies, readings and reviews.

Assessment
Students are assessed in each course based on their assignments and projects, class presentations, case studies and final examinations. The professors decide the weightage for each component.

Attendance
All students are required to achieve 90% of the class attendance for each module. Students who fail to meet this requirement may be barred from sitting for the course examination.

Award
Students will be awarded the MBA upon passing all 13 modules as well as achieving a CGPA of at least 3.0 (‘B’ Average). Successful graduates receive a Masters of Business Administration degree conferred by Oklahoma City University. Graduates may use the designatory letters: MBA after their names.

Graduation Ceremony
Graduates from the MBA will be attending a full graduation ceremony in Singapore conducted by senior representatives from OCU. Graduates also have the option of attending the convocation at OCU.

Application Procedure for International Students

Step 1:
Student Receives Marketing Materials
* Information on MBA & SCCIOB
* Information on Student Protection Scheme
* Application Form & Procedures

Step 2:
Student Applies to SCCIOB with
* Course Application form
* Student’s Pass application details
* Processing fee of S$250 (USD 150)

SCCIOB Applies on behalf of student:
* Student’s Pass (ICA)
* SPS (with insurance)

Step 3:
Student selected by SCCIOB and receives:
* Letter of Offer
* Standard Student Contract

Step 4:
SCCIOB notifies student of successful approval for student pass and SPS. SCCIOB sends to student the relevant supporting documents

Step 5:
Student ready to enter Singapore & commence course

A Package for Foreign Students to Live & Study in Singapore

Here we are presenting a proposal for accommodation, food and travel in Singapore at a budget of USD 300 i.e. S$ 500 per month per student.

Accommodation:
Accommodation will be at one of the new HDB towns i.e. government built flats where more than 90% of Singaporeans live. The towns targeted for the excellent livability are Tampines, Tiong Bahru, Sengkang and Bukit Batok. All these areas are fun and exciting places to live and contain most amenities; such as shopping complexes, food centers, gyms, swimming pools, libraries, cinemas, police stations, and MRT train stations - all within 15 minutes walk from home.

The proposed flat will be a 4-room flat to be shared by 5 students. Each flat will have 3 bedrooms, 2 toilets, a hall, and a kitchen totaling approximately 1000 sq. ft. It will be conveniently located near the amenities and within 8 minutes walk of an MRT train station. Budget: S$1000 per month.

Food
Catered food will be offered for 3 meals a day for the 5 weekdays. There will be a choice from over 200 dishes and the food will be delivered to the home at mealtime. Budget: $100 a month per student. For weekends, students can opt to eat out at the thousands of establishments all over the island serving a blend of various ethnic cuisines such as Chinese, Indian, Malay, Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Middle-Eastern and Western foods. They can also opt or cook their own meals. Budget: S$3-5 per outside meal, S$1-2 per cooked meal.

Local Travel
Since the school as well as the accommodation will be near MRT stations, train would be the best way to travel. Depending on where they live, travel time could be between 10 and 25 minutes, and the fare between S$ 0.85 – 1.50 per ride.

Other Costs in Singapore
Food                      At Food Courts: S$ 3 - 5 per meal
                             At Restaurants: S$ 6 – 20 per meal
                             Beer: S$ 3-5 per can
Accommodation       At Hostels and Low Budget Hotels: S$ 15 –30 per night
                             At Medium Budget Hotels: S$ 40 –60 per night
City Travel              By Bus/MRT(high-speed train): S$ 0.65 – 1.60 per ride
                             By Taxi : S$ 3 – 15 depending on distance, time and area
Cinema                  S$ 9 per movie on weekends, S$ 7 on weekdays
Pub/Disco               Cover charge of S$15 with 2 free drinks

Other information

Currency
The unit of currency is the Singapore Dollar (S$), which is divided into 100 cents. Currency notes are issued in denominations of S$2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1,000 and 10,000. Coins are issued in 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents and $1. The current exchange rate is S$ 1.65 for 1 USD.

Passports and Visas
Passports are required by all visitors, and visas are required only by the following countries:
(a) Nationals of Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China (PR), CIS, India, Iraq, Jordan, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Myanmar, Syria, Tunisia, Vietnam and Yemen.
(b)Those holding Palestinian Refugee Travel Documents.
(c)Those holding Hong Kong Identity cards.