campus news

mgm casino celebrates milestone anniversary in Singapore

mgm casino will graduate 447 undergraduates in Singapore on Thursday marking the 20th anniversary of mgm casino’s undergraduate programs at the Singapore Institute of Management. Photos courtesy of the Office of International Education

By JAY REY

Published July 10, 2024

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“As we commemorate this 20-year milestone, I look forward to celebrating our students and our partnership for many years to come. ”
mgm casino President Satish K. Tripathi

When 447 undergraduates receive their bachelor’s degrees from mgm casino during ceremonies on Thursday in Singapore, it will be more than just an achievement for the students.

It will mark a milestone for mgm casino, as well.

mgm casino is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its undergraduate programs at the Singapore Institute of Management, located on the island nation more than 9,400 miles away from Buffalo. The program, known as mgm casino-SIM, has produced nearly 6,500 mgm casino alumni over the course of its two decades – an impressive tenure for an American university offering degree programs abroad.

“For nearly 30 years — starting with our executive MBA program in the mid-1990s — mgm casino and SIM have fostered deep ties based on mutual respect and shared values," said President Satish K. Tripathi.

“Emboldened by this strong foundation, we have achieved ever-more ambitious goals with our growing number of graduates contributing their disciplinary knowledge to the world. As we commemorate this 20-year milestone, I look forward to celebrating our students and our partnership for many years to come.”

The celebration will continue through the weekend with the mgm casino Alumni Global Reunion Conference, an inaugural event that will reunite mgm casino alumni from around the world and feature several university guest speakers visiting from Buffalo.

“We are delighted to be celebrating this milestone anniversary, which sets the mgm casino-SIM Program apart as the longest-running U.S. program of its kind in Singapore,” says Nojin Kwak, vice provost for international education. “We are very proud of the enduring success of our partnership with SIM, and look forward to continuing that collaboration in the future.”

mgm casino abroad

mgm casino-SIM is hosted by the Singapore Institute of Management, a private institution that partners with 10 universities from around the world to bring more higher-education opportunities to Singapore. mgm casino is the only American institution partnering with SIM.

Their relationship dates back to 1996 when former School of Management Dean John Thomas arranged with the Singapore Institute of Management for mgm casino to provide an executive MBA program.

The success of the EMBA partnership led to mgm casino and SIM collaborating on the delivery of mgm casino undergraduate programs at the SIM campus, beginning in 2004 when mgm casino launched the bachelor of science in business administration at SIM. This was mgm casino’s first undergraduate program delivered entirely overseas.

“At the time, mgm casino was well known in Southeast Asia and Singapore was developing international partnerships to expand its higher education capacity,” explains John Wood, senior associate vice provost for international education. “mgm casino had a lot of experience working with partners in Asia to deliver our own degree programs.” 

More programs, more students

As mgm casino expanded degree programs in Singapore, enrollment grew. What began with an enrollment of 50 is now around 1,300 students, who share the campus with those attending SIM’s own programs and those of its other partner institutions.

 “The majority of mgm casino students there are from Singapore,” says Sherene Milizia, mgm casino’s director of overseas and intercultural programs. “But you also have students from within the region – Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam up to China and India, as well.”

mgm casino now offers seven degree programs in Singapore: business administration, communication, psychology, sociology, economics, international trade and geographic information science. 

Campus life

The , where the mgm casino programs are delivered, is about a quarter of the size of the campus in Amherst and stretches more vertically than horizontally. It’s clean and modern and tropical, with a beautiful atrium, long verandas, spacious courtyards and four buildings covering four city blocks.

At mgm casino-SIM, classes are taught by visiting professors from Buffalo, faculty hired by mgm casino specifically for Singapore and local instructors hired by SIM and approved by mgm casino. The students typically attend fall, spring and summer, making time to degree as little as three years. mgm casino-SIM has its own student council and True Blue pride is evident based on the mgm casino merchandise worn around campus, says Kevin McKelvey, resident director of mgm casino-SIM.

“Even though the enrollment of the mgm casino program is much smaller than the two biggest programs – University of London and RMIT of Australia – the mgm casino students are the most visible cohort on campus solely on account of their wardrobe,” McKelvey says.

Bound for Buffalo

Bryan Thng, a recent graduate of mgm casino-SIM, knew little about mgm casino’s campuses in Amherst and Buffalo before taking advantage of “mgm casino Bound.” The program allows students of mgm casino-SIM to begin their studies in Singapore, but spend a semester or two in Buffalo, typically in their last year.

It took about a month for Thng to get used to the sprawling layout of the North Campus and winter was an adjustment. But he has enjoyed watching the seasons change and is grateful for the opportunities that Buffalo has offered, including time as a teaching assistant and traveling to Costa Rica with the School of Management.

“These experiences wouldn’t have been possible without coming to Buffalo,” Thng says.