IN an increasingly competitive and uncertain economic climate, the best defence against possible redundancy and unemployment is having a highly sought-after skillset and qualification. This is where a postgraduate degree can help you stand tall and stand out from the crowd.
"With major economic turmoil predicted in the coming months and year, we can assume that a career change is a matter of 'when' and not 'if'. Holding a postgraduate degree would not only provide security in the area of the students' expertise, but also serve as an assurance that they are credible candidates with a high degree of professionalism that is needed for a job," said Dr Gowrie Vinayan, PhD, PMP, Assistant Professor at Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia.
In the face of the "new normal", a postgraduate degree can help students enhance their skills in other avenues. "For some, postgraduate qualifications are able to leapfrog them into higher places of management. Essentially, postgraduate degrees prepare middle-level executives to take up senior management positions in organisations," elaborated Dr Gowrie.
In line with the Heriot-Watt University's commitment to ensure that students are ready for the future, the University continues to offer high-quality British education and international study opportunities since 2014, at its purpose-built 1.9ha state-of-the-art lakeside campus in Putrajaya, the first "green campus" in Malaysia; catering to the intake of international students, particularly those from bordering countries in this region.
Heriot-Watt University offers several postgraduate-taught programmes from its School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society; and School of Social Sciences and Edinburgh Business School for the upcoming January 2021 intake.
Among others, the postgraduate modules are designed and frequently revisited with the advice of industry players, ensuring that they remain relevant to changing situations and environments in a globalised world, "some of the specialised programmes are geared towards the development of an in-depth knowledge of the subject and develop their ability to manage people and processes by improving competency, skills and management knowledge required for top level positions," said Dr Gowrie
The University's School of Social Sciences joined forces with the Edinburgh Business School, expanding its business management education suite to include a comprehensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. The business programmes are designed to equip students with critical skills that are highly valued by employers, preparing them for the real world while supporting their understanding of the fundamentals of business and business situations.
Raveena Chithra, Sales Engineer (June 2020), an alumnus of the MBA Edinburg Business School concurs, "learning the fundamentals of marketing in the MBA has taught me to see the bigger picture of a particular market as well as the specific industry's needs. It has also helped me identify the market opportunities as well as how to position myself in that market. I have learned to understand customer behaviours and leveraging on that knowledge in making pricing decisions and gaining market share."
The University's astounding track record of academic and research excellence boast of a history dating back to 1821 with an extensive and acclaimed tradition of being outward looking in pursuit of knowledge that benefits the society it serves and the world at large while educating, inspiring, and challenging industry leaders and researchers of the future. Among others, the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF) ranked Heriot-Watt 1st in Scotland and 9th in the UK for its research impact and influence.
Heriot-Watt's excellent academic staff is also a tribute to the University's commitment to research that is future-oriented and engaged. Over 80% of the University's academicians are engaged in research at international levels. Taught by a highly qualified faculty, Heriot-Watt's postgraduate programmes are both academically rigorous and practice-oriented, providing plenty of hands-on learning experiences for students and equipping them with skills that will help them thrive in today's ever-changing environment.
Raveena also feels that her experience with Heriot-Watt has set her up for success, "whenever I hit a roadblock, I always go back to the basics I have learned on my MBA. It was a difficult topic for me to understand at first. But with the excellent tutoring and resources provided, it made the topic easier."
Due to the University's career-focused and industry-relevant programmes, Heriot-Watt's postgraduates are sought-after with 86% of them are already in graduate-level jobs or further studies within six months of completing their programmes.
Heriot-Watt University Malaysia is holding a Postgraduate Preview Webinar from 11-13th December 2020. Dr Gowri will be on hand to talk on ways to accelerate your career progression with a Master's Degree with Heriot-Watt on 12th December at 2:30pm. There will also be a student sharing session with Raveena Chithra, an alumnus of the MBA Edinburg Business on 13th December 2020. Additionally, there will also be a talk on "Upgrade and Adapt for Sustainable Future in the Construction Industry" by Lim San Hee (Assistant Professor of EGIS) on 11 December at 2:30pm and a talk on "Why do an MBA?" by Dr Ann Marie Sidhu (Programme Director, EBS). Visit http://bit.ly/hwumvirtual to find out more or register for the webinars.
To register for Heriot-Watt Malaysia's virtual open day for its January 2021 intake that is scheduled on 19 and 20 December 2020, to get the full schedule for its postgraduate and undergraduate webinars and/or to check out its campuses online, kindly visit http://bit.ly/hwumvirtual. Sign up now to enjoy an Early Bird waiver of RM2,500 for the first semester tuition fees. This offer is valid until 15th December 2020 only.
To find out more about Heriot-Watt University's excellent business and non-business programmes, visit www.hw.edu.my.