The ESSEC Asia-Pacific campus may be physically smaller than its Cergy counterpart. Still, being part of an intimate, close-knit community undoubtedly has advantages—and arguably just as vibrant opportunities for students to learn and grow. Here are five features of the ESSEC Asia-Pacific campus that Global Bachelor of Business Administration (GBBA) students have come to appreciate.

1 | A Chance to Immerse in Diverse Cultures

GBBA students often cite international exposure and a chance to immerse in Asian culture as reasons for choosing the Singapore campus.

On this front, ESSEC Asia-Pacific does not disappoint: There is a good balance of students from Asia and Europe, exposing one to many different cultures in one place.

Cultural learning starts in the classroom, where students team up with classmates from different countries.

For second-year Indonesian student William Samuel Sebastian, this was a chance to “interact with people from across the globe and learn about their different cultures,” enriching his global perspective.

It is also found in campus-wide events to celebrate cultural holidays like Chinese New Year and the Hindu festival, Deepavali, so students can learn more about Asian culture.

One major highlight for the 2022 cohort was the recent Global Village, where students from different cultures set up booths to share their local dishes and traditions.

“As I’m curious about different cultures, it has been enjoyable to meet people from all around the world,” French student Mattéo Mion declares.

“I feel this has made me even more open-minded and that I’ve become more flexible and can understand people better.”

2 | Co-curricular Activities to Develop Their Passions

There is also a wide range of co-curricular clubs for students, from music to sports and more, where students can pursue personal and professional development.

For example, Rachel Celine Joseph, who comes from India, participated in the Volunteering Club and Entrepreneurship Club to both expand her network and professional skills and Romane Truchot, who comes from France, signed up for the ESSEC Consulting Club and ESSEC Investors Club to further her business knowledge.

“I’ve already participated in two consulting club conferences where professionals shared more about their careers,” Romane shares, adding that these have been useful to her future goals of becoming a consultant.

3 | The Freedom to Choose

But what if you can’t find a club you want to join? “Then create it,” Tatiana Petrovic, who comes from France, matter-of-factly states.

After all, the ESSEC is keen to fund and support student initiatives—as long as they develop a proper proposal and prove interest from the student body.

As a passionate long-distance runner, Tatiana got approval to start a running club with training three times a week to clock in the miles and meet other like-minded running enthusiasts.

4 | Opportunities to Improve Language Proficiency

The cultural diversity at ESSEC Asia-Pacific also works wonders at improving students’ language abilities.

For example, those hailing from countries where English is not the first language have ample opportunity to practice the language.

Singapore is a predominantly English-speaking nation, and classes are all conducted in English.

As ESSEC requires students to be fluent in French and an additional third language, non-native speakers no doubt gain from working closely with classmates from different countries who can help them refine their conversational skills.

5 | Connecting with A Close Community

Finally, students have seen many benefits of being part of a smaller, more intimate community—primarily that the faculty-to-student ratio is higher, allowing for more personalized attention and advice.

“Our teachers always have time for us, and the Career Services team has been easy to contact and readily available to help me whenever I’ve needed,” Mattéo explains, elaborating that their unwavering support has helped him better understand his options for the future.

Looking back at his time at the ESSEC Asia-Pacific campus, he is confident that the experience has been great, with many opportunities characteristic of the ESSEC life but placed in an Asian context.

His advice? “Say yes to everything and take all the opportunities the school gives you!”