• Rotary-ASME Top 10 Entrepreneur of the Year 2002
  • Phoenix Award Finalist 2002/2003
  • SICCI-DBS Entrepreneur of Year 2005

Most people did not possess a degree 40 years ago and it was therefore possible for many to rise the corporate ladder with just an A level qualification at that time.

The world today is very different and it is not really possible for anyone to rise high without first possessing a good undergraduate degree. With so many alternative degrees available, choosing a good degree can be confusing. Let me therefore share with you my honest views.

Firstly, not all degrees are equal. There are many who compromise and cheat themselves by taking short-cuts and who would prefer an easier option to the degree route. In Singapore and around the world, there are Universities which give these awards out easily. Employers are naturally aware of this and personally I have no respect for such Universities nor would I even dare associate myself with anyone who has taken such 'short-cuts'. As an employer, I would not want to hire such people as it reflects on the 'character' on the part of a person who attempts to clothe themselves by saying that they are graduates or even "Doctors" (those who buy the so-called fake Ph.Ds) when they do not have the requisite knowledge or intellect to prove their worth.

The University of London degrees by external study has been available since 1858. It consists of many colleges of great repute such as London School of Economics, Imperal College, London Business School, Queen Mary's, College, King's College and Royal Holloway to name a few. The 'system' of external study has been available for over 150 years and many prominent people around the world have benefited from this system. The meaning of 'external study' is not to be confused with any student enrolled being inferior to an 'on-campus' student at the University of London. Under the statute of the University of London, it is assured that anyone studying for the London degrees, whether on-campus in London or off-campus, is regarded as the same. To this extent, the syllabus and the examinations are set and marked by the respective colleges of University of London (such as LSE for the Economics, Business and Management degrees).

Secondly, it is important that you choose a degree which is relevant and appropriate to your areas of interest. At the undergraduate level, it is best to take a more broad-based course unless you are very clear about your career. For example, the B.Sc Law with Management allows you to qualify for the U.K bar in as much as the LL.B allows you - with the added advantage that you also have a Management undergraduate degree. It took me nearly 7 years to have both a Business and a Law degree which you can now complete within just 3 years.

If your desire is to be successful in the commercial world, it is important that you obtain a good degree that demonstates your desire to work hard. Compared to the local Universities, the University of London is much more recognised globally as well.

I look forward to seeing you on Stansfield's University of London programmes!

Kannappan Chettiar
BA (Business) Michigan State,
LL.B (Hon) London, LL.M (S'pore), FCIM
Chairman & Chief Learning Officer