On Friday October 10, 2014, AUPP students and faculty welcomed guest speaker Dr. Nilanjan Sen from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore. Dr. Sen is Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Assoicate Professor of Banking and Finance at Nanyang Business School, NTU. He received his PhD from Virginia Tech and was a faculty member at Arizona State University prior to joining NTU.
Dr. Sen shared several observations about leadership and economics in an increasingly globalized world. He emphasized that now more than ever, aspiring entrepreneurs need not to be concerned with raising large initial capital, so long as they have innovative ideas and strong leadership skills. He pointed to the success of startups Airbnb and Uber and their ability to take advantage of a shared resource economy to turn simple ideas into multimillion dollar businesses with limited initial capital investment.
In response to a question from the audience, Dr. Sen explained that in addition to strong communication skills, humility, and the ability to build relationships, the most important characteristic for future business leaders is that they are good global citizens. “Today, nationalism is causing more problems than it is solving,” Dr, Sen stated, and it is essential that business leaders are sensitive to the diversity of their stakeholders and customers. Dr. Sen is optimistic that young people increasingly view themselves as interconnected citizens of a global world, and this sense of community and an appreciation of cultural differences bodes well for the future.
AUPP regularly welcomes experts, particularly those with a background in one of the major fields of study at the university, to speak with students and faculty and share their insights and experiences.