The Asian Strategy Project (ASP) is a 3-month consulting project offered by ESSEC Asia-Pacific in partnership with Capgemini Consulting. Students work in groups on real strategic issues for companies in emerging Asian countries. They receive training in consulting skills and conduct field research, interviews, and analysis to develop recommendations and case studies. The ASP allows students to gain practical consulting experience while strengthening their skills in project management, teamwork, and working with Asian partners. Past projects have focused on innovative business models and addressed topics such as affordable healthcare, education, renewable energy, and poverty alleviation.
2. The ASP is a three-month consulting project provided in partnership with Capgemini
Consulting.
It is offered on the ESSEC Asia Pacific campus in Singapore to students of the MSc
in Management.
Students are given the opportunity to develop their understanding of new business
models in an Asian emerging country by working on a real strategic business issue
faced by a company. It was launched in 2010.
As a prerequisite to the ASP, students participate in the Global Manager in Asia
(GMA) programme. The GMA is organised around a series of courses that focus on
different aspects of doing business in Asia.
Overview of the Asian Strategy Project (ASP)
3. Asian
Strategy
Project
3
“Innovative
Business
Models in
Emerging
Countries”
Who?
Groups of ESSEC students
What?
Working on an topic raised by
the company & writing a case
study on the innovative
dimension of the business
model they have studied
Where?
In fast-growing Asian
countries, from China to
India, and also many South-
East Asian countries
2010 - 2014: 5 editions of the program
More than 120 students
in 5 years
More than 60 consultants
involved in 5 years
A joint initiative of ESSEC and Capgemini Consulting
4. 4
The ASP is part of a six-month programme in Asia
July - Sept.
Part 2: October - December
Groups of
4-5 students
Singapore
GMA & ASP
- Location: Singapore
- Overall duration: 6 months
- Students: enrolled in their final year in ESSEC’s Master of
Science in Management
Courses on
doing business in Asia
Part 1: July - September Part 2: October - December
Oct. – Dec.
>80 students 35 students
Indonesia
Cambodia
PhilippinesLaos
Vietnam
IndiaChina
Myanmar
Asian Strategy Project
35 students
5. Components of
the ASP
Consulting tools
Academic
dimension
Practical consulting
experience
• Intensive one-week
training on key
consulting tools and
skills by an experienced
Cap Gemini consultant.
• These tools are used
throughout the project.
• Students assume the role
of management
consultants on a real
case.
• They work for and along a
company or organisation
for three months.
• They are coached by a
professional consultants
at least once a week.
• Students are supervised
by an ESSEC professor.
• They are trained on case
study writing.
• Each team drafts a case
study. These cases are
later used by professors
in class as a learning
support.
A unique blend of professional and academic training and
practical experience
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« Learning-by-Doing »
6. The ASP is divided into three phases
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Preparation Field work
Drafting
phase
1 2 3
• Training on consulting
skills and case writing.
• Students select a
project and are grouped
in teams.
• Analysis of the topic and
identification of research
hypotheses.
• Initial desk research.
• Each team finalizes its
report presenting
recommendations to its
client, and its case
study.
• Field research in the
office of the client.
• Interview of key
stakeholders.
• Evaluation and
validation of working
hypotheses.
Emerging Asian country
One month
Singapour
One month
Singapore
One month
Supervision by ESSEC professors and
coaching by Capgemini consultants
Final Jury
Pre-departure
Jury
7. A focus on innovative business models
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Innovative Management
Model
New Distribution Model
New Customer Segment
New Operating Model,
including New Technologies
NGOs
Multinational
companies
Local
companies
Start-ups
… In what kind of organisation?Which models?
8. Examples of projects in India Examples of projects in China
How to provide a basic &
affordable water service (7/7 and
24/24 water supply) in a slum?
How to reduce the education
disparities through an innovative
concept of “Affordable Private
Schools”?
How to develop a new business
model in the online marketing
industry ?
How to be innovative and premium
in automotive communication?
How to launch super-premium
medical/spa brand (Skinceuticals)
in top cities of India ?
Which impact of health care
system evolution in China within
the 5 next years ?
How to encourage poverty
alleviation and local economy
growth through renewable
energies with a “Microfinance
Plus” approach?
How to reduce the R&D
expenses adopting a
“shanzai” strategy?
Examples from the previous editions
9. Focus on the 2014 edition
Videos on YouTube search words: Asian Strategy project ESSEC Capgemini
10. Focus on the 2014 edition
Danone Nutricia – Mumbai, India
“Design a strategy to revive the brand Farex”
Obeetee – Mirzapur, India
“Entry strategy for international business. Focus on Obeetee's expansion in
Europe”
Arkadin – New Delhi, India
Michelin – Shanghai, China
Pharma. Lab – Jakarta, Indonesia
“Design innovative solutions to finance vaccination programs in Indonesia”
Pour un sourire d’enfants (PSE) – Phnom Penh, Cambodia
“How can PSE Institute involve its alumni to achieve financial
sustainability ?”
Planet Finance – Kayin State, Myanmar
“Value chain analysis of selected enterprises and agri-businesses in Kayin
State”
11. Verbatim from students
The Asian Strategy Project was a perfect way to deepen and experience what I had
learned during the Global Manager in Asia program. The GMA gave me a first
exposure to Asia’s cultures and societies, geopolitical and sustainable development
issues, and enabled me to improve skills such as negotiating business deals in
China. During the ASP experience, I helped an organization face one of India’s
most pressing social challenges: housing for the poorest parts of Indian
society.” ~ Julia HERY
With the Asian Strategy Project we've had the chance to put into practice all this new
acquired knowledge, by working for a company located in Asia, as consultants.
Through this three-month experience we have learnt to work with Asian counterparts
and to deal with the cultural gap. We have moreover strongly reinforced our
competencies in project management – we've been coached by professional
consultants from Capgemini Consulting – and in team work.” ~Théo TRUMBIC
12. Verbatim from students
“Working with a small company allowed us to work with the top management of a
company and tackle all the different aspects of a consulting project. We had the
wonderful opportunity to spend three weeks in the city of Kolkata, alongside a
passionate and enthusiastic entrepreneur.”
~ Alice DELLEUR
“The ASP was a great opportunity for me to work and live in an emerging Asian
country. I had already seen the modern Asia with Singapore, with Cambodia I was
deep in those new countries bustling with activity. The program is a great
complement to the classes of the GMA and of the ESSEC curriculum, giving me a
great experience to complete the theory.” ~ Balthazar Raguin
13. Contact in Singapore
Contact ESSEC Asia Pacific campus:
Marie-Laure Caille, Associate Director for Learning Innovation
caille@essec.edu
Tel: +65 9234 6492
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