Charles Fang Chin Cheng
Course: Bachelor of Business and Commerce (Honours), 2011
Nationality: Malaysian
Current role: Industrial Diagnostics Expert, UN Industrial Development Organization (Austria)
Please tell us about your role in your current organisation.
I am a consultant at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Research and Policy Advice Group of the Development Policy, Statistics and Research Branch of the Office to the Deputy to the Director-General.
Our research lies in the intersection of sustainable manufacturing development, poverty reduction and policy development. We are looking for a solution to maintain manufacturing growth while sustaining job creation. Manufacturing offers an opportunity not only to rebalance the economy towards higher value-added sectors but also to provide a relatively wide employment base with higher labour productivity.
Why did you choose Monash?
I felt that Monash Business School is a place for students who are self-driven, who can capitalise on resources and access opportunities that the school provides. It is a place where self-starters can really thrive. I believe the School has a unique business niche. It combines rigorous research with a practical mathematical and theoretical foundation.
The econometrics research group in Monash Business School covers most areas of modern econometric theory and application. Importantly, some members of the research group are affiliated with the Ministry of Finance Malaysia. Within the program, I got involved in the “ICT Adoption Among 'Urban-Poor' Communities in Malaysia: Key Drivers, Challenges and Way Forward” project led by Professor Mahendhiran Nair, Monash Malaysia's Deputy President (Strategy) and Associate Professor Santha Vaithilingam (Head of Department Econometrics and Business Statistics). I was influenced by them to pursue a government relations career.
What were some memorable experiences at Monash?
As an Honours student at Monash Business School, I had the opportunity to develop and test new ideas and paradigms—and to defend them vigorously before some of the world's most respected scholars. For example, I presented my first working paper during the 25th Australasian Finance and Banking Conference (AFBC) in Sydney, 2011.
I also participated in the University of International and Business Economics (UIBE) Professional Chinese Translation (PCT) program in the summer of 2010. It had been a crucial experience. For example, during the Asian China Symposium held by Monash in 2011, I was appointed by the School of Business as the student representative of Monash University because of my background and language capability. I delivered the welcome address and symposium speech on behalf of Professor Mahendhiran Nair in Chinese. These opportunities have been hugely gratifying and honed my teamwork and communication skills a great deal.
What qualities did you acquire during your studies that were beneficial to you in the working world?
By studying econometrics, I become part of an ever-changing, fascinating field that has profoundly impacted the way I live. Monash Business School delivered an engaging and impactful learning experience in my intensive 3-year program. Its approach combined core skills with specialist sector training, and faculty-led teaching with live economics case studies. It is a broad education that has helped me develop deep understanding, practical application and vital interpersonal skills.
What is your advice to current students?
To undertake study at Monash, you must be self-directed and highly disciplined because you hold ultimate responsibility for your success.