1516T2g1 South Korea/Participant Information/LIM Suet Fang
South Korea
Contents
About Sharon 
SMU email: sflim.2013@sis.smu.edu.sg
Facebook: http://fb.com/sharon.xuefang
Academic Year: 3
Degree: Information Systems
2nd Major: OBHR (Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources)
Interests: Swimming, Dance, Running, Passion in meeting new people and learning new culture
Why TSM South Korea?
What motivates you to join TSM?
Every destination has its unique cultural traditions and ancient teachings that I would love to learn from.
I believe I would be able to learn many things out of the book and gain cross-cultural skills from TSM like how I did for my previous trips.
Overseas Student Exchange Programme in Japan, Hiroshima
During my stay, I attended Japanese language classes, participated in international students’ events, and conducted English classes for local students. I learned to speak fluent Japanese, understand the new culture, and to be independent and adaptive in a new environment. Other than learning about their culture, I also had the chance to visit Japanese companies. It was really an eye opener to see how technology and information system plays a critical role in their daily tasks. For example, one of the most popular Japanese systems is the Just in Time (JIT) inventory system which focuses on increasing efficiency and decreasing waste.
Overseas Community Service Project in Vietnam, Ben Tre
I was involved in an Overseas Community Service Project to the Ben Tre province of Vietnam. An Thanh 1 School is a primary school located in the Mo Cai Nam district of the Ben Tre Province. It has a sub-campus, which has the bare minimum in terms of facilities. Therefore, we conducted infrastructure improvement works, so as to improve the students' education environment. Also, we were split into teams to educate and impart values to the students, which focused on character and skills development. I feel this was an enriching trip as it allows me help others and give back to the society.
Why pick South Korea?
I'm interested in learning how South Korea managed to rise and achieve their prosperity despite encountering many challenges in their early days.
Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong are known as the Four Asian Tigers because they have consistently have achieved stable and high level of economic growth. Although South Korea was affected adversely by the 1997 Asian financial crisis, it managed to recover and produced countless of successful and thriving companies. One of the most successful companies, Samsung Electronics has even rise to compete against Apple in the smartphone industry. Today, South Korea has the fastest average internet speed, ranked #4 in smartphone penetration and will potentially be the next global hub!
Starting a business
What types of business interest you?
- Food
- Travel
What plan do you have in starting a business?
I believe I still have a lot to learn. Therefore, I hope to enhance and equip myself with necessary technical and business management knowledge/experience to set my foundation well :)
Past Experiences (optional)
Describe your past experience (entrepreneurship, or works in start ups etc)
6 years ago, I had the opportunity to assist my brother, Desmond Lim, who was a graduate from SMU School of Accountancy in starting Treehouse café (70-seater restaurant offering gourmet Thai cuisine) located at the School of Information Systems. The experience of managing a business with my brother ignited my entrepreneurship spirit. As the Human Resource & Operations Director, I was involved in allocation of shift duties and planning of weekly roster. It was an enriching experience as it provides me the chance to be involved in the overall operation of a business.
What keeps you ticking?
“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”
