Jingwei (last row 2nd from the right) and Syuanmei (2nd last row, 3rd from the right) at the MPA Graduation Ceremony
Building Careers, Finding Connection: Hong Syuanmei and Yang Jingwei’s SMU MPA Journey
Postgraduate study often does more than deepen expertise. It can also open up new professional and personal possibilities.
For Hong Syuanmei and Yang Jingwei, their experience with SMU’s Master of Professional Accounting (MPA) shaped not only their career paths, but also the life they built together in Singapore.
What began as a decision to pursue a Master’s degree in Singapore grew into something far more enduring beyond graduation: strong professional foundations built through relevant accounting skillsets, and eventually, a shared future in the city they had chosen.
Choosing Singapore, Choosing SMU’s MPA
Both arrived at the programme with clear goals. For Syuanmei, SMU’s MPA represented both continuity and expansion. It allowed her to build on her academic background to study and pursue career opportunities abroad. Singapore’s position as a financial hub made it a natural choice, and receiving a scholarship affirmed her decision.
On the other hand, Jingwei was motivated by a desire to specialise. Equipped with a background in economics, he saw accounting as a more focused and practical discipline, one that could open broader career opportunities for a fresh graduate. If economics had trained him to think at a broader systemic level, accounting offered the technical rigour and professional precision to translate his knowledge into real-world application.
What neither of them could have fully anticipated was how significantly the programme would shape their lives beyond the classroom.
Where Connection Took Root
Syuanmei and Jingwei first met as course mates in the MPA, where shared academic work and student life created space for friendships to form naturally. Over time, that sense of familiarity grew into a deeper connection.
“The MPA program provides a collaborative and supportive learning environment in many ways including course projects and school activities,” they shared.
Their story reflects a distinctive quality of the programme: that rigorous postgraduate study can also foster genuine, meaningful human connection.
Interactive Pedagogy, Real-World Readiness
When reflecting on what strengthened them most during their time at SMU, both point to the wider culture of the programme.
“Professors consistently put in significant effort into both teaching and student activities,” they said. “Their leadership fosters an interactive and engaging culture, whereby students feel well-supported, which in turn helps them to thrive academically while being better prepared for future career development.”
That sense of support shaped more than their student experience. It gave them the confidence to grow, both individually and together, within a new academic and professional environment in Singapore.
Lessons that Endured Beyond Graduation
The influence and impact of SMU’s MPA remains evident across both of their careers.
For Syuanmei, one of the most enduring takeaways was a newfound confidence to approach and connect with new people. Through the school’s career events, she developed the ability to engage recruiters, professionals, and potential employers proactively. This confidence continues to serve her in the workplace, especially in building professional relationships with colleagues and business stakeholders.
Technical depth has remained one of Jingwei’s core professional strengths. Across six years in PwC’s audit practice, and in his current responsibility overseeing the accounting and finance aspects of construction projects, he continues to play a crucial role in budgeting and financial reporting.
The MPA’s “Hidden Edge”
As both of them enrolled without prior work experience, diversity within SMU’s learning environment became one of the most valuable aspects of the MPA programme.
“Many of the students we encountered in the course have either prior working experience or overseas study experience,” they shared. That exposure provided them opportunities to collaborate with peers from different professional and academic backgrounds who brought practical insights and broader perspectives into the classroom.
For them, this was one of the MPA’s quieter strengths. Beyond its curriculum, SMU’s MPA offered a postgraduate setting shaped by varied lived experiences, meaningful exchange, and a strong sense of purpose.
Taken together, their experience reflects the wider value of SMU’s MPA. Through rigorous training, an interactive learning culture, and a community shaped by diverse experiences, the programme equips students with more than academic knowledge alone. It helps lay the groundwork for career readiness, professional confidence, and enduring personal growth. For Syuanmei and Jingwei, that experience became formative in more ways than one — shaping both the careers they pursued and the life they built together in Singapore.
About SMU Accounting Masters
At the SMU School of Accountancy, postgraduate education extends beyond the development of technical expertise. Through interactive pedagogy, collaborative learning, and meaningful engagement with peers, faculty, and industry, the Master of Professional Accounting (MPA) and Master of Science in Accounting (Data and Analytics) programmes create an environment where professional growth is shaped alongside lasting connections and broader perspectives.
