Nanyang Technological University

[PhDQuant]

I would like to get an opinion on the PhD in Finance program at NTU. The program website is Nanyang PhD Programme - Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

I received my undergraduate degree in engineering from a public university in the US, however I have lived here my entire life and would really love to study abroad. The program looks like a good quantitative based finance doctorate program, and its graduates have earned placements at universities in the UK and Australia, but I am worried about the reputation of PhDs from foreign universities if I decide to come back to the US eventually. On the other hand there is always the possibility of working for a hedge fund as a quant and making tons of money, in which case I don't think the reputation of the university is as important once you have some industry experience.

What do you guys think? Studying in Singapore for a few years seems like it would be fun, and I think that you can actually complete the degree a shorter amount of time also.

[Ancalagon The Black]

Singapore is really building its reputation in education. I was there last December and I personally saw the huge investments they have made and the fruits of their labor. I do not think, as you rightly said, that you will have any problems getting into any top ranked US school if you get a PhD from NTU or NUS.

Shall Harvard refuse a LSE or an Oxonian? I think not. Do they refuse IIT/IISC/IIM? I don't think so.

[tkkoh]

Insead is admitting PhD students in its Singapore's campus. INSEAD - PhD - Home

[PhDQuant]

Yup I saw that they are admitting PhD students to the Singapore campus for the first time in 2008, so I went ahead and applied to them also.

[spinon]

Originally Posted by PhDQuant

I would like to get an opinion on the PhD in Finance program at NTU. The program website is Nanyang PhD Programme - Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

I received my undergraduate degree in engineering from a public university in the US, however I have lived here my entire life and would really love to study abroad. The program looks like a good quantitative based finance doctorate program, and its graduates have earned placements at universities in the UK and Australia, but I am worried about the reputation of PhDs from foreign universities if I decide to come back to the US eventually. On the other hand there is always the possibility of working for a hedge fund as a quant and making tons of money, in which case I don't think the reputation of the university is as important once you have some industry experience.

I can't comment on the finance industry. As to academia, your concern is well-grounded. If you want to come back to the U.S., your chances will be much better if you attend good U.S. schools. Granted, some top-flight new PhDs do decide to go to Singapore business schools as profs because they want to live in Asia/China. But most new PhDs that I know consider Singapore schools as their secondary choice/safety net. This is despite their offer of high salary.

Having said that, INSEAD is a different story, of course. INSEAD is a truly global business school, and there is supposed to be very little difference, if any, between the Singapore and the French campus.

While I am on this issue, let me digress. When fresh PhDs look for an academic job, salary is not their primary concern. I have seen un-rated business schools offering competitive salaries, too. More often than not, job seekers have to think about the potential mobility as well, i.e., can you easily move to another good school? From what I hear, most people worry about the mobility (or lack thereof) when they accept job offers from Singapore if they are interested in coming back to U.S. at some point. I can imagine that the same must be true for doctoral students who are about to go to Singapore.

[tkkoh]

spinon: So do you think a fresh PhD going to NUS/NTU/Insead (Singapore) would have the mobility to go back to a good US school afterwards?

Assuming he has perform well during those years in a Singapore university - e.g. a few publications in top-tier journal, etc.

I'm just wondering which has a bigger influence on the mobility - a researcher's performance, or the institution that he is in.

[spinon]

Originally Posted by tkkoh

spinon: So do you think a fresh PhD going to NUS/NTU/Insead (Singapore) would have the mobility to go back to a good US school afterwards?

Assuming he has perform well during those years in a Singapore university - e.g. a few publications in top-tier journal, etc.

I'm just wondering which has a bigger influence on the mobility - a researcher's performance, or the institution that he is in.

I think people consider Insead Singapore different from the other Singapore schools. From what I hear, in terms of mobility, you wouldn't have any problem with Insead at Singapore.

I am not an expert at the ins and outs of the academic job market. I am just speculating based on what I hear from other PhD graduates and their choice of jobs/locations. In a perfectly efficient job market, of course, where you got your PhD and where your first faculty placement is should not affect your professional mobility. But most people I talk to seem to think that the academic job market is highly inefficient. Believe me, I WISH the job market were fair and efficient.

For instance, I do know a few people who got placed at one of the management schools in Singapore (other than Insead). They don't think they can come back to U.S. even if they tried and even if they wanted. Of course, they chose to go to Singapore instead of trying out at low-tier teaching schools in the U.S.; but I couldn't help thinking that they would have taken any job at a research school in the U.S. had they had an offer. That's just my speculation again.

[nazzaz99]

Does INSEAD Singapore offer PhD programs? I thought they were at the European campus. I may be totally wrong, of course.

[nazzaz99]

Sorry, did not really read the top of the thread. I am so stupid

[PhDQuant]

Thanks for the advice. My plan is to work in industry for a few years after I get my PhD as a quant and then go into teaching for the rest of my career. You pretty much confirmed what I believe to be true, if I get my PhD overseas the chances of coming back to the US in academia are slim (although I don't believe that this applies to the finance industry). At this point I don't have to worry about it yet though, I'll figure it out after I find out where I've been accepted/rejected.