• ESSEC Master in Management appealed because of its unique global education.
• Program flexibility enables students to grab the best opportunities that arise.
• Diverse ESSEC Asia-Pacific community supports one’s personal development.

“Outstanding” can barely capture Vithiya Ragu’s undergraduate achievements. While completing her bachelor’s degree in economics at the National University of Singapore, the Indian-Singaporean made it to the Dean’s List multiple times and was awarded the Kamala Club Singapore Medal: Best Performing Graduating Singaporean Indian Female Student, as well as the SINDA Excellence Award 2020.

Yet, after graduating with an almost perfect GPA, Vithiya felt she needed to further her education. She believed she would need to deepen her understanding of business concepts and more exposure to the industry to set herself apart in the finance job market.

For this, she turned to the ESSEC Master in Management (MiM) program at ESSEC Asia-Pacific.

You come from one of the top universities in the world. What about the ESSEC MiM program appealed to you?

I chose the ESSEC MiM program because of its flexibility and international exposure and because I was awarded the ESSEC Excellence Scholarship. The MiM was unique because it allowed me to study in France and Singapore, making for an international experience. It also offered the Corporate Finance track, which was a natural fit given my background in economics and interest in pursuing a career in financial services.

How have you experienced this flexibility and international exposure so far?

It is most evident in how the program allows students to map a path that best suits their interests and career goals. For example, I started at ESSEC in September 2020. In May 2021, I began a full-time internship at Lares Loreno Private Capital, a boutique corporate finance advisory.

Following this, I went back to campus to attend the Business Management in Asia track—but then I secured an internship at Standard Chartered, and the school allowed me to defer my studies so I could take on this new opportunity. I was able to quickly change my plans, and instead, I will go to the ESSEC Cergy campus to complete the Corporate Finance track and the rest of my MiM program.

Besides these internships, how else has the MiM program exposed you to global business?

As part of the Junior Consultant Experience (JCE), my team and I were external consultants to help a global rewards and payments platform provider develop a go-to-market strategy for their Southeast Asian division.

In addition, we also completed a consulting project with an NGO that aids children from marginalized backgrounds—an experience that helped us apply our business knowledge to create social impact.

But even daily, I’ve found every class I’ve taken can teach me something new and influence how I think about or solve problems.

The mergers and acquisitions class I took as part of the Corporate Finance track, for example, showed me various practical aspects of the deal-making process, and I was able to apply the knowledge gained effectively during my internships.

What are some of the highlights of being at the ESSEC Asia-Pacific campus?

The ESSEC Asia-Pacific cohort is so diverse. I love how global the campus feels and have enjoyed getting to know classmates from Lithuania and Indonesia.

A major ESSEC Asia-Pacific highlight for me was working with a fantastic team to revive the ESSEC Entrepreneurship Club. Our most significant event was the Startup Weekend, a startup pitch competition focused on sustainability and social impact.

This involved ESSEC students and those from other local and overseas universities.

There were so many creative and innovative ideas, and I found it incredibly fulfilling to have created a platform where students can apply their classroom business knowledge to solve some of the most pressing problems facing our world today.

This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the staff and faculty at ESSEC APAC! I am incredibly grateful to Senior Campus Experience Manager Thanneermalai Lakshmanan and Prof. Julien Salanave for guiding our team and enabling me to have one of the most enriching experiences of my student life.