What can you do with a Bachelor's degree from Sciences Po?

Meet Zhiheng Png, a 2010 Sciences Po alumnus.

Why did you choose Sciences Po for your undergraduate studies?

Singaporean students who head overseas for their undergraduate studies tend to choose English-speaking countries such as the USA and the UK out of familiarity and the common language, but I sought to get out of my comfort zone, learn a new language, and experience a culture that was less similar to the one I had grown up in. I decided to come to France on the basis of the quality of its top universities and the richness of its intellectual and cultural heritage. Having taken up a scholarship from the Government of Singapore tied to a future career in the Singapore Civil Service, Sciences Po, with its uniquely central place in France's political and administrative system, was a natural choice. Sciences Po's top-ranked interdisciplinary programme in the social sciences, global exposure offered through the third-year abroad, and strong track record of teaching, research, and graduate placement made it a compelling institution to be a part of.

How did the education you received at the Sciences Po College prepare you for Harvard and LSE?

One of the most unique things about an education at Sciences Po is its particular focus on analytical process, epitomised by the (in)famous essay structure of two parts and two sub-parts. Across the disciplines, the strict requirement to take a structured approach to questions taught me to think in a rigorous and comprehensive manner. This provided me with a strong intellectual foundation to build upon, and enabled me to delve more deeply into particular disciplines such as Economics while at Harvard and LSE. The broad-based curriculum and vibrant student community at Sciences Po also empowered me to engage with a broad diversity of peers across various fields of concentration at Harvard and LSE, enriching my student experience beyond the confines of the classroom.

You are now an associate at the Ministry of Finance in Singapore. What steps did you take to get there?

Prior to joining the Ministry of Finance in Singapore, I worked at Zalora (an e-commerce start-up backed by Rocket Internet) and at Morgan Stanley. At Zalora, my work was highly operational on a micro level, involving the optimisation of existing processes and the development of new processes to improve productivity and better meet the operational objectives of the firm. At Morgan Stanley, my work in the Investment Banking Division was of a broader and more macro dimension, involving the use of financial analysis to provide advice on corporate actions in order to achieve the financial objectives of client firms. Both roles prepared me well for my current position at the Economic Programmes Directorate, where I work on the development, financing and evaluation of economic policies in Singapore, including policies relating to startup financing, productivity, business grants, and professional training.