1819T2 Hong Kong/Participant Information/Jaren Lim

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About Jaren

SMU email: jaren.lim.2015@sis.smu.edu.sg
Facebook: Jaren Lim
Academic Year: 4
Degree: BSc Information Systems
Interests: Traveling & Making new friends
Application for subsidy: Yes

Why TSM Hong Kong?

• What motivates you to join TSM?

I am a great believer of experiential learning - there is only so much one can learn from a textbook. Embarking on a TSM would provide me with the real-world understanding of business, technology and culture of the city. I am especially excited that this TSM is held in Hong Kong. Hong Kong and Singapore are similar: they are renowned financial, shipping and aviation hubs. Essentially, these two cities handle the flow of value and hence will be ideal places for future ventures.

The ultimate aim of the TSM is for participants to embark on technopreneurship ventures and create value in this world. To that extent, I would use the time spent in TSM to test and validate my ideas in Regulations Technology (RegTech).

• Why pick Hong Kong?

Hong Kong and China hold a special place in my heart. I've spent the better part of 2018 in this part of the world - working, studying and living in these spaces. The geopolitics between Hong Kong and China have great impact to Singapore as well. I'm also learning Cantonese currently, and it would be a good chance to practice in the TSM ;)

Duration	Purpose	Location
May-Jun 2018	Huawei Seeds of the Future	Beijing & Shenzhen
Jul-Aug 2018	Summer Exchange Program at Tsinghua University (THU)	Beijing & Tianjin
Aug-Dec 2018	Semester Exchange Program at The University of Hong Kong (HKU)	Hong Kong

Starting a business

• What types of business interest you?

I'm interested in the businesses that change the way we talk, trade and trust (3T). These can come in the forms of financial institutions, social media/Internet companies and telecommunications, among others. Through my observations, companies that have two of the 3Ts are profitable, and those with all 3Ts change the world.

• What plan do you have in starting a business?

When looking at the growth and scale of industries, I see that a limiting factor is due diligence and governance. Businesses and governments need to work hand in hand. Hence, I aim to work on my startup idea in the RegTech space, dealing with the smart interpretation of domestic and international laws.

Past Experiences (optional)

I'm blessed to have a very enriching experience through my years in SMU.

I have done internships in the realms of FinTech/Blockchain, Cyber Security and Data Analytics. My internship organisations have spanned startup unicorns, multinational corporations, government bodies and research institutes. Having such a varied range of job scopes and environments has allowed me to better appreciate the intricacies, nuances and similarities that organisations have in turning the cogs of the global economy.

I am a strong advocate of giving back. A key highlight was working with Food Bank Singapore (wiki), using IT to help them reduce food waste and feed the hungry. Other instances include an OCSP to Philippines, doing language translation for an education startup, building an office automation setup for a counselling centre, and helping fellow SMU students as a Teaching Assistant and Student Assistant.

What keeps you ticking?

With the guiding motto of be kind, be grateful, be engaged, I'm driven by three main pursuits:

1. Professional: Seeking to marry business acumen with technical expertise to create value. I seek to synergize these skills for professional growth
2. Social: Actively building and maintaining new relationships. There is so much to learn from people, experience life together and to spur each other on!
3. Personal: The examined life is one worth living

I also enjoy the thrill of the unexpected: some of my most memorable experiences have come from spontaneity ;)

Changelog

• 01/10/2018: Initial post of information