With the SMU Global Impact Scholarship Award, Mr Alexander Gee is pursuing his Bachelor of Business Management and Bachelor of Social Science in Politics, Law and Economics. He started his twin programmes last year, and will graduate in 2022.

The 21-year-old shares why he chose this educational pathway.

How did studying History and Economics at International Baccalaureate level guide you towards your choice of degrees?
“Both subjects are common concepts present in Politics, Law and Economics (PLE). History gives you excellent case studies to help you better understand how politics (both on the local and international level) interacts with economic factors and social issues — as many leading political theories trace their origins to major historical events.

“As for Economics, the interplay with Politics is obvious as they both jointly determine who holds power in society. And it is increasingly important for us to understand how economic reasons and priorities are often the main drivers behind certain political or even legal decisions.

“I knew that I wouldn’t want to pass up the opportunity to study them further at university level.”

Why was SMU your university of choice?
“SMU is the right option in terms of an innovative pedagogy, a convenient location and the right degree programmes that I wanted to pursue.

“It also offers the Global Impact Scholarship that I am a recipient of, which gives its scholars the financial support needed to gain global exposure. Through it, students are enabled to pursue their passions, be it in their chosen academic disciplines or extra-curricular pursuits overseas. The support of the SMU Centre for Scholars’ Development (CSD) has also been invaluable.”

What do you hope to gain from your choice to study both Business and Politics, Law and Economics (PLE) programmes?
“The choice was a no-brainer for me. Since I was young, I’ve been interested in how companies navigate the complex business landscape but no
opportunity to fully experience it for myself. At the same time, having had some degree of familiarity with the underlying concepts of PLE made it
a very clear area of academic interest.

“Practically speaking, in a job market increasingly valuing cross-disciplinary skill sets, being able to analyse and critically think about issues (be they
business, social, political or economic) will put anyone in good stead with their employer. This is something I think my degrees have been formulated to address.”

What are your future career aspirations?
“Consulting, because it is influenced by the varied complexities of the modern world. To address business problems, today’s consultants have to deal with uncertain government regulations, fluctuating economic realities, unpredictable customer trends and the priorities of the business. It seems that any proposal would try to square the circle. I enjoy the challenge, and think that it would help me grow as a person.

“More specifically, I hope to eventually specialise in travel, transport and hospitality consulting — they are the industries that I enjoy reading about.”