Ma. Josephine Therese Emily G. Teves
Class of 2019,Masters in Business Administration
Consultant, The Foundation for the Advancement of Life Insurance Around the World
The Reason Why You Chose GSM
The Philippine government’s push for the advancement of regional development in the Philippines convinced me that pursuing further studies in Masters in Business Administration as it will greatly contribute to my personal development. The theoretical part of the program equipped me with the necessary and appropriate theoretical foundation and analytical tools needed in order to pursue researches related to regional development in the context of business and management. Further, its subjects were able to provide me an experience of the entire spectrum of product development, intellectual property acquisition and business development which may be applicable to researches related to inclusive business models. Another distinguishing feature of this program is its multi-disciplinary approach because it includes an understanding of development policies, business and economics, which allowed me to relate current economic conditions and issues to business operations at the firm level using local and international research data. I think this is appropriate for me since it combines appropriate research orientation and broad macroeconomic policies with business realities and contributes to policy-making activities by seeking strategies to address societal problems.
What You Learned at GSM
Studying in GSM is a fascinating journey and life- changing for me. Attending several GSM classes made me rethink my life plans. For example, Supply Chain Management made me realize that societies with highly developed supply chain infrastructure improves standard of living since it enables exchange of goods efficiently. Under the Global Entrepreneurship class, I realized that the main challenge is creating a community where everyone has a sense of purpose. I believe in the saying that from those to whom much is given, much is expected. I really believe in the idea of making businesses profitable while making ways to give back in society. Overall, I also learned that it is not just our moral obligation, but also an everyday duty to develop more creative capitalism in which we can transform the market forces to work better for the poor people and for the society as a whole.
The Reason Why You Chose Your Career Plan
In the long- term, I see my path from having a social science-based education towards a more technical and logistics- based career as a natural progression using the things, I learned from the MBA program. The current environment and climate of growth in the Philippines allow for many opportunities for an individual with a varied skill set. This is especially true in the private sector, which is still very malleable and has to set its standards. It needs adaptable human capital who are not just skilled workers, but capable and cultured intellectuals as well. I am capable of taking theory and, using technical and logistical knowledge, make practical national application in the Philippines a possibility. I also believe that I have to reach other people and share with them my experience and expertise, hence I am also planning to take a lecturer position in the future.
What Impressed You About GSM
During my stay in GSM, I had been very active in academic and extracurricular activities. I presented my various papers and researches related to economics, business and Islamic finance in various conferences such as International Academic Forum, Pan Pacific Association of Input- Output Studies and Japan Society for Civil Engineers through the help of my supervisor. Luckily, I got the Excellent Workshop Award for my paper entitled Measuring Inclusivity and Marginality: Estimating Philippine Regional Input-Output Tables Using Non- Survey Approach. I had the chance to present this workshop thesis towards corporate planners of big companies in Japan. Moreover, due to the help provided by GSM, I was able to participate in the program called Kyoto International Spring School for Future Global Leaders. This program allowed me to meet other leaders from several countries. In fact, there were various platforms provided by the school for the students to participate in several international activities. Due to academic freedom encourage by GSM, I also had a chance to seek opportunities outside, such as getting awards and prizes due to essay competitions and public presentations, from various corporate and academic institutions in Japan, Korea and Spain.
Extracurricular Activities You Have Done
There are various things I did when it comes to classes. I did public presentations, attended conferences and contributed several corporate strategies for a big company in Japan. In Global Entrepreneurship class, I had to do private consultation to some members of a technical working group developing Artificial Intelligence for financial systems in developing countries. In the Workshop, I had an opportunity to explore options on how to combine business and economics and make it more useful in solving societal and corporate problems. I created and presented my paper in such a way that it would be useful for corporate planning. With the help of various classes I attended in GSM and since the program is a combination of theory and practice, it helped me in developing a holistic perspective.
Message for Prospective Students
After studying in GSM, I realized that the main challenge is creating a community where everyone has a sense of purpose. Cliché as it may seem but I believe in the saying that “From those to whom much is given, much is expected.” Through the help of GSM, it is possible in making businesses profitable while making ways to give back in society. As future managers and leaders, it is not just our moral obligation, but also an everyday duty to develop an innovative capitalism in which you can transform the market forces to work better for the poor people and for the society as a whole. If you want to do something better for the society and something that gives everyone in the society a role, then you have to start studying in KU- GSM!