Ash Soni, interim dean of the IU Kelley School of Business, center, and other school leaders met with members of the Global Dean’s Council in Indonesia.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — You could feel the buzz. Waves of energy and excitement cascaded across the Singapore Polo Club last month when 150 alumni, donors, and friends came together to celebrate everything Kelley and Indiana University — punctuating the school’s long history, presence, and rich engagement in the region.
A dinner and reception for all IU alumni in Singapore was co-hosted by the Kelley School of Business and the IU Alumni Association, with support from the IUAA Singapore chapter, whose president is Kelley alumnus Philip Chua, MBA’88.
It was the largest IU alumni event to have been held in Singapore. For more than a quarter of the guests, it was their first IU alumni event.
The event was among a series of high-impact engagements in Southeast Asia for a delegation of Kelley and university leaders, who met with prominently placed alumni at top companies in Singapore and Indonesia. They discussed the region’s economic outlook, skills students need to thrive in global financial centers like Singapore, and how to enhance Kelley’s brand exposure across Asia.
All smiles in Singapore at an alumni event hosted by the Kelley School and IUAA.
The delegation also met with the Kelley Global Dean’s Council. Created in 2015 with a membership of business executives and alumni who represent all ranges of industry throughout the world, the council supports the school’s international activities, including student recruitment and placement, enrichment of the student experience, capacity building through partnerships, and fundraising.
Seven decades after the late IU President and University Chancellor Herman B Wells struck up a personal friendship with Thailand’s undersecretary for education, thereby launching the university’s presence in Southeast Asia, the Kelley School is leading an array of opportunities for students and alumni, alike.
There is a growing cohort of sponsored MBA students from Indonesia thanks to collaborations with local alumni to build recognition of Kelley’s high-quality degree programs. And student exchange and MBA consulting project programs in the region are supported by alumni on the ground with business visits and social interactions.
The energy and commitment of alumni in Southeast Asia is writing an extraordinary story of engagement and impact that is driving the Kelley School’s global presence.
Editor’s note: This article was written by Brenda Bishop, director of public relations and communications of the Kelley School of Business
Fred Perry, senior director of international advancement at Kelley, holds the camera for a selfie with Kelley alumni at the Garuda Wisnu statue in Indonesia.