Keng Pang is a current student on the Hull Online MSc in Supply Chain and Logistics Management. She lives in Singapore where she works as a Senior Supply Chain Consultant at XAct Solutions.
We spoke to Keng about her experience on the course so far:
Tell us about yourself and your background?
I am Singaporean and I have spent most of my 25-year work life in logistics and supply chain. I spent about 10 years living in China, taking on management roles in third-party logistics. In the last 10 years, I have moved on to supply chain consulting and spend about 50-70% of my time traveling to project locations.
Keng Pang
What motivated you to study the online MSc Logistics and Supply Chain Management?
I graduated with a business degree about 25 years ago. Logistics and supply chain management was a career I fell into rather than what I planned to do. I quickly became busy at work and further study became difficult when I relocated.
I knew I wanted to further my studies, especially in supply chain, as my knowledge has been built on the job. I was quite certain that structured learning would be beneficial to me. In recent years, more Supply Chain Management master’s degrees have become available, and with maturing online learning platforms, I became more confident of finding a course that suits me.
Got a question about the MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management? Complete the form below and one of our friendly and knowledgeable Course Adviser team will get in touch.
Why did you choose the University of Hull?
The course structure and depth appeal to me. I have been working in the industry so I was interested in a course that could supplement my experience and knowledge. I took some time to look at options available and found that the University of Hull could meet my needs.
What’s the impact of the course on how you balance work with studying and other commitments?
Studying for the course is testing my time management. I travel for work and can spend up to 10 days away for each trip. I sometimes have the luxury of free time in between projects, but at other times I have work projects due at the same time as course assignments. At other times, events like the COVID-19 lockdown have changed client’s priorities, impacting my study schedule.
However, the course is helping me take a more structured, comprehensive approach towards tackling a project or assignment.
What does a regular study week look like?
As the content for the week ahead is usually released on a Friday, I will spend the weekend going through it, and if possible, start on the forum tasks.
During the week, I will do additional reading and research and prepare for the webinar, which is usually held towards end of the week.
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What’s the level of interaction with other students like on the course?
The weekly forum tasks and webinars are an effective way to communicate and share experiences with other students. Because of time differences, it’s not always possible for everyone to attend webinars, but as an additional support, our class has a WhatsApp group chat where we can catch up with each other.
What skills do you need to be a successful online student?
Discipline and willingness to listen and accept other people’s views. You need to be able to step out of your comfort zone and challenge your pre-existing ideas, whether it’s your style of research, writing or willingness to explore unfamiliar topics.
What’s been the biggest challenge with doing this course so far? And how did you overcome it?
The academic style of writing is a challenge as I haven't been a student for a long time. I had to refer to the online student hub for skills training, conduct research on different styles of writing and read more academic papers to have an appreciation of what was required.
What would you tell someone thinking of studying online with the University of Hull?
I have benefited from telling my employer and my colleagues about the course and my schedule. Their support has been important in getting through the modules and assignments.
You will get to know students from different countries and backgrounds. There will always be something interesting to learn from them as they will share unique examples from their own work environments. You’ll learn to explore and understand other perspectives, not to judge them.