Category: Featured in the Media

How do great business leaders learn to navigate complexity, cultures, and real-world decision-making? For Andrew Foley, an alumnus of the Asia School of Business (ASB) inaugural MBA Class of 2018 and now Assistant Professor of Management & Organizations at New York University (NYU) Stern School of Business, the answer lies in Action Learning.

Reflecting on his journey from ASB student to academic, Andrew shares how the school’s distinctive learning approach—combining rigorous classroom education with hands-on industry projects across Southeast Asia—equipped him with the ability to think strategically while understanding the human and cultural dimensions behind business decisions.

His experiences working with companies in the region reinforced the importance of listening to stakeholders, embracing diverse perspectives, and developing solutions that create lasting value. Andrew also highlights Southeast Asia’s rapidly evolving business landscape as an exceptional environment for aspiring leaders to gain practical, global business experience.

Read Andrew Foley’s inspiring journey and discover how the Asia School of Business prepares future leaders to “think across worlds.”

Originally published by The Exchange Asia.

Refugee youth in Malaysia share their hopes, fears and dreams, highlighting the need for empathy, dignity and greater understanding beyond stereotypes.

DO we truly understand how deeply our words can wound people already living with uncertainty, rejection and displacement?

Too often, when refugees enter public conversation, they are met first with suspicion rather than understanding. Their presence is questioned, their intentions are doubted and their belonging is treated as something to be debated.

But perhaps our opinions would change if we looked more closely at refugee youth. Not as a problem to be debated but as young people trying to grow up, make friends, support their families and find a sense of belonging in a country they now call home.

I would like to share some reflections from refugee youth of various backgrounds who have been living in Malaysia for some time. These are not just statistics, policy issues or stories of displacement. They are young people with thoughts, worries, hopes and emotions that are often left unheard.

In Malaysia, many refugee children grow up outside the formal education system. They rely heavily on community-based learning centres run by refugee communities and NGOs.

Their lives are shaped not only by school but also by uncertainty, financial hardship and the everyday struggle to find belonging in a society that too often rejects them, overlooks their humanity or sees them only through fear and suspicion.

Yet, when we listen closely, we realise that many of their concerns are not very different from yours and mine. In a short writing activity in refugee learning centres, we asked refugee youth aged 13 to 18 to open up about what was on their minds.

We asked them one simple question: What bothers you?

Their answers were honest, personal and deeply human. They wrote about family dynamics, friendship dilemmas, personal struggles and their hopes for a more meaningful future. Each story had its own ups and downs.

Some wrote about arguments with friends. Others wrote about feeling misunderstood by their parents. Some expressed sadness, anger, loneliness and confusion – emotions that many young people experience while growing up.

But some of the writings went even deeper. They asked questions about identity and belonging: Who am I? Am I Pakistani, Rohingya or Myanmar? Will I ever find a place to call home? Why am I living through so many troubles at such a young age?

“I am worried about myself because in the future, my life would change – whether it would be good or bad. I hope my life will be better,” said a Rohingya refugee youth.

These are not easy questions for any child or teenager to carry. For many refugee youth, growing up is not only about school, friendships and family. It is also about uncertainty, displacement, poverty and the constant feeling of being in between places.

Yet, their writings were less about pain. Many also wrote about love for their families, dreams for the future, gratitude, ambition and the hope of becoming someone meaningful one day. They wanted to study. They wanted to help their parents. They wanted to be seen as more than just “refugees”.

We often forget that while refugee youth experience suffering, it is not their entire identity. They are also children and teenagers with humour, talent, imagination and dreams.

Listening to refugee youth goes beyond an act of kindness. It is a reminder that public conversations about refugees should be guided by empathy, dignity and the recognition that these are young people who are growing up in Malaysia too.

When we listen to them, we begin to look beyond labels. We stop seeing only “refugees” and start recognising young people trying to make sense of their lives under difficult circumstances.

Perhaps the first step is simple: listen.

Listen, not to respond with judgement but to understand. Listen not with pity but with empathy. Listen because behind every label is a young person with fears, hopes and aspirations of their own.

Before we ask why they are here, whether they belong or what they might take from us, perhaps we should ask what hopes they carry, what futures they imagine and what we might learn if we finally listened.

Jeron Joseph
Postdoctoral Scholar
Asean Research Centre
Asia School of Business

Originally published by The Sun.

The Asia School of Business (ASB), in collaboration with MIT Sloan Management, hosted its Action Learning Summit 2026 under the theme “The Action Learning Advantage,” bringing together students, faculty members, alumni, industry partners and corporate hosts for an afternoon of discussions, project showcases and networking centred on experiential learning and leadership development.

The Summit showcased the institution’s distinctive Action Learning model, which integrates real-world business challenges into academic learning and enables students to move beyond traditional classroom-based education.

The Summit officially began with welcome and opening remarks by Professor Sylvia Ng, Faculty Director of Action Learning and Associate Professor of Marketing, who highlighted the transformative impact of experiential education and the value of industry partnerships in developing future-ready leaders.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

A key highlight of the programme was the Action Learning Project Showcase, where participants explored how students tackle real-world business challenges through hands-on projects that deliver practical and actionable solutions for partner organisations.

The Summit reinforced Asia School of Business’s belief that leadership and business acumen are best developed through experience.

“What does an MBA look like when learning leaves the classroom?” the institution noted. “At Asia School of Business, our students don’t just study business challenges — they step into them.”

From warehouse floors and strategy discussions to interviews, observations and collaborative late-night team sessions, students participating in the Business Practicum with SnT Global Logistics were challenged to think critically, adapt quickly and learn through direct experience.

The practicum reflects Asia School of Business’s Action Learning philosophy, where students apply academic concepts to real business environments while working alongside industry partners to solve complex operational and strategic challenges.

Insights from Industry Leaders and Practitioners

One of the key highlights of the summit was the Action Learning Panel, which brought together industry leaders, Action Learning coaches, alumni and students to discuss the impact of experiential learning on leadership development and business problem-solving.

Bringing together perspectives from across the Action Learning ecosystem, the panel featured industry host Sarah Grasset, Vice President of The Lost Food Project; Action Learning Business Coaches Alok Mishra, Chief Executive Officer of Value Edition, and Johan Khoo, Associate Partner at EY Malaysia; Michelle George Tan, Assistant Vice President at Twin Tower Ventures and an alumna of Asia School of Business’s MBA Class of 2024; and Denni Chu of Asia School of Business’s MBA Class of 2026, who shared insights from a student perspective and moderated the discussion.

The discussion explored how Action Learning creates value for students, host organisations and business partners, offering perspectives from those directly involved in the programme. Panellists shared experiences on tackling real-world business challenges, fostering innovation through collaboration, and developing leadership capabilities in dynamic business environments. The session also highlighted the long-term benefits of industry-academic partnerships in preparing future leaders to navigate increasingly complex organisational challenges.

The Action Learning Advantage

The Summit reinforced Asia School of Business’s commitment to its “Action Learning Advantage”, a learning model designed to bridge theory and practice while developing adaptable, industry-ready leaders.

Through immersive experiences, students are exposed to dynamic business environments that demand critical thinking, collaboration, innovation and decision-making under real-world conditions. By working directly with organisations across industries, participants gain practical insights that complement their academic studies and prepare them for leadership roles in an increasingly complex business landscape.

As demonstrated throughout the Summit, Action Learning remains a cornerstone of the Asia School of Business experience, empowering students to learn by doing, solve real business problems and create meaningful impact for organisations and communities alike.

Those interested in learning more about Asia School of Business’s Action Learning methodology and academic programmes can visit www.asb.edu.my to explore how the institution is shaping future leaders through experiential, impact-driven education.

Originally published by The Exchange Asia.

KUALA LUMPUR 2 JULAI – Asia School of Business (ASB) memperkenalkan inisiatif pendidikan eksekutif baharu melalui Bahasa Executive Education Program (BEEP) yang memberi penekanan kepada pembangunan kepimpinan dalam Bahasa Malaysia tanpa mengurangkan standard global latihan pengurusan.

Program itu dibangunkan sebagai sebahagian usaha ASB untuk menggabungkan kecemerlangan pendidikan eksekutif berteraskan bahasa pengantar Inggeris dengan pendekatan lebih bersifat tempatan melalui penggunaan Bahasa Malaysia bagi memenuhi keperluan sektor korporat dan awam di negara ini.

ASB menyifatkan BEEP sebagai kurikulum yang telah direka semula khusus untuk dunia korporat dengan pendekatan lebih praktikal berbanding teori akademik semata-mata.

Program berkenaan menggunakan kajian kes tempatan serta simulasi praktikal bagi memastikan peserta dapat memahami cabaran sebenar organisasi dalam konteks Malaysia secara lebih menyeluruh.

Antara bidang utama yang diberi penekanan termasuk tadbir urus korporat, kepimpinan dan pengurusan, teknologi termasuk kecerdasan buatan (AI), kelestarian serta geopolitik.

“Keperluan untuk menguasai strategi peringkat tinggi dalam Bahasa Malaysia adalah satu kelebihan strategik, khususnya dalam kalangan syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC), perusahaan kecil dan sederhana (PKS) serta agensi kerajaan.

“Pendekatan ini turut dilihat mampu mengurangkan jurang komunikasi antara perancangan strategik peringkat global dengan pelaksanaan operasi di peringkat tempatan, sekali gus meningkatkan keberkesanan membuat keputusan dalam organisasi.

“Program BEEP juga memberi penekanan kepada pembelajaran berasaskan tindakan iaitu pendekatan yang membolehkan peserta menyelesaikan isu sebenar organisasi sepanjang tempoh latihan dijalankan,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan.

Menurut ASB, antara konsep utama yang diketengahkan termasuk “Global Inquiry, Local Heart” serta pendekatan “Action Learning” yang digunakan dalam penyelesaian cabaran korporat sebenar.

Dalam perkembangan berkaitan, ASB mencatat pencapaian penting apabila buat pertama kali menyertai ‘Financial Times (FT) Executive Education Custom Rankings’ dan terus mencatat kedudukan ke-94 di peringkat global.

Lebih signifikan, ASB menjadi institusi pertama di Malaysia yang berjaya memasuki penarafan berprestij tersebut yang terus mengukuhkan kedudukan dalam ekosistem pendidikan eksekutif antarabangsa.

Pencapaian itu mencerminkan tahap kepercayaan tinggi daripada rakan korporat pelbagai sektor yang terlibat dalam pembangunan program latihan eksekutif ASB.

ASB berkata penggunaan Bahasa Malaysia dalam pendidikan eksekutif bukan sekadar soal bahasa, tetapi merupakan kelebihan strategik dalam memperkukuh kefahaman serta pelaksanaan keputusan di peringkat organisasi.

“Penguasaan strategi dalam bahasa ibunda membolehkan pemimpin membuat keputusan dengan lebih jelas, pantas dan relevan dengan konteks operasi sebenar organisasi di Malaysia.

“ASB kekal komited untuk memperkukuh pendidikan eksekutif berimpak tinggi yang menggabungkan perspektif global dengan keperluan tempatan,” katanya. 

Originally published by DagangNews

European politicians, think tanks and media have been ramping up the narrative of so-called “trade imbalance”, claiming that Chinese industrial subsidies, weak domestic demand and fierce domestic competition have created “overcapacity” and led to a widening surplus with Europe.

Chinese exports, according to them, are a “threat”. The remedy from Brussels is “rebalancing” and “de-risking”.

But when I sat down with European business leaders over the past months, I have heard the other side of the story, one of deepened commitment and, in particular, continued confidence.

For much of the past two decades, Europe exported high-end machinery, precision instruments, luxury goods and automotive technology. China exported consumer electronics, textiles and assembled manufactured goods. Each side occupied a distinct tier in the global value chain.

That era is over. China’s manufacturing capability has made a huge leap into sectors that have long been Europe’s industrial heartland — electric vehicles, batteries, renewable energy equipment, advanced machinery, and increasingly, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.

Chinese companies are no longer just suppliers to European firms; they are now direct competitors in the same global markets. For many politicians in Brussels, this shift spells danger. But the European executives I spoke with see it differently. To them, competing in China is not a liability, but a proving ground.

“China is like a fitness club,” Denis Depoux, global managing director at Roland Berger, told me. “Foreign companies have to be competitive, have to move quickly, and have to bring the most cutting-edge innovations to China,” he said. “But if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.”

The very competition and cooperation that Brussels frames as a threat is, for European businesses, a source of global advantage. The pressure to innovate, the speed of iteration, the scale of the market don’t weaken European firms; they sharpen them.

Rogier Janssens, president of Merck China, put it more directly.”We look at China not just as a market,” he said. “We see China as a production base and, in particular, a base for innovation.”

He pointed to China’s “2.0 version” of opening-up as “not just about enabling multinational companies to access the Chinese market, but empowering them to collaborate in innovation.”

Business leaders I met are fully aware that in the industries that will define the next decade, China is not just a market to be accessed. It is a competitor to be matched, and a partner to be engaged.

Jean-Christophe Tellier, CEO of multinational bio-pharmaceutical firm UCB, told me: “Collaboration, AI, plus the culture and mindset of testing, experimenting, changing and pivoting, make me feel that if change comes in the future, it is likely to come from China.”

As the world’s significant economies, China and the EU are deeply intertwined. The real question is not whether to engage, but how to engage. European companies are already voting with their feet.

Joseph Cherian, President and Dean of the Asia School of Business, noted that “Businesses can’t afford not to be in China. Not because it’s huge, but because it’s very likely where the future is being shaped.”

The question is whether Brussels will listen or continue to pursue a strategy that serves neither its industrial competitiveness nor its geopolitical interests.

Originally published by China Daily.

📍🟡 “Who are you going to tax, if it’s not T20?”

Melati Nungsari, Associate Professor of Economics at the Asia School of Business and Timothy Tiah, CEO of Colony discuss:

• Should the government remove petrol subsidies for T20s?
• Why taxing the rich based on income labels can be detrimental?
• Malaysia in comparison to neighbouring countries.

Originally published by BFM.

As businesses navigate rapid technological change, geopolitical uncertainty, supply chain disruption, and the rise of artificial intelligence, the expectations placed on future leaders are changing just as quickly. The traditional model of higher education, centered primarily on classroom instruction and historical case studies, is increasingly being challenged by a business environment that rewards adaptability, resilience, and practical problem-solving.

Few regions illustrate this transformation more clearly than Asia. Home to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies and innovation hubs, the region has become a proving ground for the forces reshaping global business.

The Asia School of Business (ASB), established in 2015 through a strategic collaboration between MIT Sloan School of Management and Bank Negara Malaysia, bridges the gap between high-level executive theory and the ground-level commercial dynamics driving the continent’s most vibrant global hubs. 

Today, ASB has built its reputation around an approach it describes as “Global Inquiry, Local Heart,” a philosophy that combines world-class management education with immersive, real-world learning experiences across Asia and beyond.

Professor Joseph Cherian, CEO, President, Dean, and Distinguished Professor at the Asia School of Business, shared his thoughts about the future of business education, the growing importance of supply chain expertise, and why he believes tomorrow’s leaders must be prepared for a world defined by constant change.

Professor Cherian, can you give us an overview of the Asia School of Business?

The Asia School of Business was established in 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, through a strategic collaboration between MIT Sloan School of Management and Bank Negara Malaysia. Our mission is to develop transformative leadership talent for Asia’s rapidly evolving economies while connecting regional business realities with global management thinking.

Since our founding, we’ve grown into a comprehensive educational ecosystem offering Executive Education, a Master in Central Banking, MBA, Executive MBA, and Micro-Credentials programs. We are also AACSB-accredited, placing us among a select group of business schools globally recognized for teaching quality, curriculum, research, and institutional impact.

How does your approach and curriculum compare to other leading business schools?

What fundamentally sets ASB apart from traditional business schools is our deeply integrated, action-oriented curriculum, guided by our ethos of “Global Inquiry, Local Heart.”

Asia today represents one of the world’s most dynamic environments for studying supply chains, digital transformation, fintech, sustainability transitions, and geopolitical business risk. That context shapes how we design our experiential or Action Learning model.

As I often tell prospective students, “We do not just teach business in theory; we immerse students in the realities of business practice across Asia and beyond.”

While many MBA programs rely primarily on classroom case studies, our Action Learning methodology serves as a core pillar of the curriculum. Students work directly with organizations to diagnose business challenges, gather firsthand insights, and develop actionable solutions alongside industry leaders.

Are there specific areas of expertise where ASB offers students a unique advantage?

ASB focuses on areas that are increasingly critical to modern business leadership, including supply chain resilience, central banking and public policy, digital transformation, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and leadership under uncertainty.

We also offer postgraduate pathways with institutions including MIT Sloan, Yale School of Management, Oxford Saïd Business School, and Cornell SC Johnson College of Business.

Perhaps most importantly, these pathways ensure students do not have to choose between an Asia-focused education and access to elite global networks.

As I often explain, “Our students do not choose between an Asian-focused education and a Western elite network—they get the distinct advantages of both.”

Supply chain management has become one of ASB’s specialties. Why is this area so important today?

Supply chain management has evolved from a back-office operational function into a core driver of corporate survival and geopolitical strategy.

Recent disruptions have demonstrated how interconnected and vulnerable global supply chains can be. Events ranging from geopolitical tensions to transportation bottlenecks have highlighted the need for leaders who understand not only efficiency and logistics, but also resilience and risk management.

At ASB, we believe future business leaders must understand how disruptions in one region can create cascading effects throughout global manufacturing, trade, and economic systems.

What challenges do you see confronting higher education today?

Higher education globally is facing a period of structural transformation.

One challenge is that traditional academic models are struggling to keep pace with the speed of change in the modern workforce. Employers increasingly seek graduates who possess practical problem-solving skills, technological literacy, and the ability to adapt in uncertain environments.

Generative AI is also reshaping expectations around knowledge acquisition. As a result, universities must focus less on rote information transfer and more on critical thinking, judgment, creativity, and applied problem-solving.

Additionally, the traditional model of learning once early in life is rapidly changing. Lifelong and modular learning pathways are becoming increasingly important as professionals continuously update their skills throughout their careers.

What are the biggest opportunities for higher education and business schools like ASB?

The future of business education will belong to institutions that can integrate global thinking with regional execution, technological fluency with human leadership, and academic rigor with real-world adaptability.

One of the greatest opportunities is moving beyond simply producing managers who maintain existing systems and instead developing leaders who can navigate uncertainty, drive innovation, and lead through structural change.

Another opportunity lies in what we call “learning by doing”. Business education must move beyond passive learning and immerse students directly in authentic business challenges.

Finally, Asia will continue to be one of the defining centers of economic growth, digital adoption, manufacturing transformation, and entrepreneurial activity. Business schools located within the region have a unique opportunity to help shape leadership models that are not only relevant for Asia, but increasingly relevant for the world.

Originally published by Grit Daily.