NTU's Nanyang Business School ranked 71st for MBA programme
By Zul Othman, TODAY | Posted: 16 October 2009 0927 hrs

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SINGAPORE: It was rated 81st in the world last year for its Masters of Business Administration (MBA) programme, but this year it has shot 10 places up the annual rankings by The Economist magazine.

This was the best showing yet for the Nanyang Technological University's Nanyang Business School (NBS), which has been in the world's top 100 MBA list since 2004.

What's behind the school's achievement: Improved provision of career opportunities for its full-time MBA graduates, and a better alumni network.

For instance, under the "diversity of recruiters" criterion, it came in fifth globally — indicating the wide spectrum of industries in which graduates can develop their careers, said NBS.

It has also expanded its overseas alumni network and engaged former students more effectively.

Having stepped up its recruitment of more leading faculty members, the school now ranks 32nd globally for faculty quality.

"We're delighted at the news of the significant improvement in our MBA ranking by The Economist," said Professor Gillian Yeo, interim dean of NBS.

Its local counterpart, the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School, retained its 89th spot — both were among only four Asian institutions that made it to the top 100.

Associate Professor Susanna Leong, vice-dean of Graduate Studies at NUS Business School, was pleased with its showing. "We have improved significantly in opening new career opportunities for our students, enhanced their alumni network as well as their employability such that they found employment within three months of graduation."

Top honours in The Economist rankings 2009 went to IESE Business School at Spain's University of Navarra. INSEAD — which has campuses in France and Singapore — came in at No. 23.

As competition among business schools here intensifies, how valuable are such rankings to employers on the hunt for top talent?

"Rankings do help when choosing prospective employees as it reflects on the calibre of the students from those schools," said Mr Harish Nim, chief executive of IT firm Emerio Corporation. "Usually, when you take on someone from a better institute, the chances of them failing are much lower."

The Economist's global MBA ranking, now in its eighth year, was based on a poll of 19,817 students and graduates conducted in the second quarter of this year.

Ranking criteria were based on: Opening up new career opportunities (35 per cent), personal development and educational experience (35 per cent), salary increase (20 per cent) and the potential to network (10 per cent).

The rankings are built in with a weighted average of three years to provide a rounded picture of the schools.

- TODAY/ir