TAKEAWAYS
Hi, I’m Tay Jo-Van, a Year 1 undergraduate at School of Accountancy, Singapore Management University. As you are reading this, I have just started my journey in university, filled with excitement and adrenaline about where my life in accountancy can take me. But a few months earlier, at the end of May 2025, I had just started my internship at ISCA, with the welcoming Members and Stakeholders Engagement (MSE) team.
The three letters, “GTP”, first came up during my internship interview, almost way too casually. I was told that a big part of my internship would revolve around this ISCA flagship programme, including planning, publicity, logistics and, ultimately, execution. At that time, I didn’t fully grasp the scale nor significance of what I was getting myself into. But those three letters quickly became a constant – on calendars, in meetings, and in the way I spent most of my days.
In this article, I hope to provide a unique perspective through the lens of both an ISCA staff member and the “17th participant”, and offer an unfiltered, authentic and genuine reflection of the programme.
GTP 2025 marks the programme’s second edition, and we received more than 1,500 applications from over 52 countries worldwide. Candidates were put through a round of rigorous interviews with the GTP Taskforce; shortlisted applicants then attended a live, virtual interview with a panel comprising ISCA’s Distinguished Lifetime Members. The panel was made up of Mr Michael Lim, Mr Bobby Chin, Mr Boon Swan Foo, and ISCA CEO Ms Fann Kor.
From manually combing through the thousands of online responses to attending, moderating and facilitating the rounds of virtual interviews together with our GTP Taskforce, the MSE team worked tirelessly to select the candidates who best aligned with our core values, whom we felt would gain the most from this curated programme.
As part of GTP 2.0, the 2025 programme offered four local Singaporean students a fully funded overseas immersive trip to Guangzhou and Shenzhen, under the GTP China leg. Over five enriching days, the students immersed themselves in China’s transformative business landscape through corporate visits to Tencent, Midea & KUKA, China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, Singrow Pte Ltd, and Padbot Robot. At Unitax Zhenqing Certified Public Accountants LLP, Guangdong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and Guangdong Zhongzhixin Certified Public Accountants LLP, our students delved into the ever-evolving world of accounting, gaining firsthand experience on how professional services firms are employing technology to adapt to the dynamic economic conditions. Our students were also provided opportunities to foster cultural exchange through visits to Sun Yat-sen University and Guangzhou Shennong Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine, offering avenues to deepen their understanding of China’s traditions.
One of the students, Yong Qi, summed up the key takeaway from the experience rather aptly. “This trip gave me a clearer picture of what it means to be part of a forward-thinking industry. I left inspired by the innovation I witnessed, and motivated to explore how I can create value in my future career.”
GTP Singapore kicked off in the third week of July, bringing together 16 undergraduates from 12 different countries. As part of GTP 2025, we invited four problem statement owners, namely, DBS Bank, Grab, National University Health System (NUHS), and Old Chang Kee, to partner us on this journey and offer our students a truly immersive experience. This included exclusive corporate visits, direct mentorship, closed-group dinners, and continuous rounds of feedback and ideation. The MSE team worked hard to secure problem statements that were not only relevant and engaging but also impactful, providing our students a fresh and differentiated learning opportunity. Even when potential partners dropped out or rejected our proposals, the MSE team pressed on, ultimately delivering a strong and balanced lineup of problem statements.
The 16 students were divided into groups of four, with each tackling a problem statement that reflected the unique culture, industry and practices of the respective companies. During their activity-packed week in Singapore, the students were exposed to the nation’s distinctive social fabric, including our multiracial harmony, social inclusiveness and, of course, the embedded spirit of “kiasuism”. Their interactions with Singaporean students, be they within the GTP group or through their participation in the Young Members’ Connect Fireside Chat on Entrepreneurship (Founder x Funder) – an event which offers networking opportunities with local ISCA Student Members – helped to extend a more holistic and grounded understanding of Singapore’s unique challenges, such as our ageing population, shrinking workforce and the uphill journey of entrepreneurship.
The diverse lineup of corporate visits, including to Accenture Singapore Innovation Hub, DBS Bank, Grab, HeritageSG, KPMG Singapore, Marina Bay Singapore, NUHS, Old Chang Kee, Singapore Management University-X and Vidacity, gave students a comprehensive and balanced perspective of Singapore’s multifaceted business landscape.
Though not explicit, it was through these experiences and curated interactions that students were able to independently explore and develop their understanding of both Singapore and the accountancy profession. Rather than force-feeding ideals or projecting a scripted image, GTP provided an experiential platform for genuine discovery – one built on continuous exposure, dialogue and interaction.
The impressions formed were authentic, insightful and most importantly, personal. For instance, Pham, an undergraduate from University of Economics HCMC (UEH), Vietnam, who worked on NUHS’ problem statement, expressed admiration for how deeply technology is integrated within Singapore’s healthcare system, and how our nation is actively working to future-proof itself. Another undergraduate, Ikmal, from Universiti Malaya, Malaysia, was intrigued by Singapore’s advanced business landscape. He was earnestly asking us questions about the Singapore Chartered Accountant Qualification (SCAQ) and potential local career opportunities. Cristal, a Singaporean undergraduate from National University of Singapore, shared that while she had not initially considered accountancy, the programme had broadened her perspective of the profession and inspired her to pursue a future in the industry. These were not opinions we imposed but sentiments that arose organically, made possible through the immersive and nurturing nature of the programme.
In a world that often rewards performance, this programme reminded me to value presence, to listen deeply, to speak honestly, to adapt gracefully and, above all, to invest in relationships – not as a strategy but as an appreciation of life. I am incredibly grateful for the genuine friendships I have made as the “17th participant”; these are connections that transcend borders and embrace societal differences.
As I reflect and close this chapter of my journey, I’d like to leave you with a question that has lingered in my mind since the conclusion of GTP: “Who am I?”
In a society that constantly tells us who we should be, I’ve come to believe that our greatest strength lies in embracing who we already are. As Dr Jonathan Chang, CEO of HeritageSG, shared during the C-Suite Coffee-side Chat, “Every individual is inherently unique.”
And it is in honing that authenticity – not reshaping it – that true personal branding is born.
The GTP students visited NUHS as part of the programme. In Part 3 of the article, read about their experiences and takeaways as they worked on recommendations to support NUHS’ strategies. The recommendations aimed to offer potential solutions to enhance Singapore’s collective healthcare.
Tay Jo-Van is a Year 1 undergraduate at School of Accountancy, Singapore Management University.
© 2024 Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants
