Why did you choose your MSc and Edinburgh Futures Institute?
As a Lecturer and Trainer at the National University of Singapore, I delivered programmes that upskilled working professionals in Service Design, Product Management, and User Experience Design. While researching UK universities, I came across the Edinburgh Futures Institute and the MSc Service Management and Design, which immediately stood out.
Service Management intrigued me, and I wanted to explore AI’s impact on service economies, so Edinburgh was a natural choice. The University has a rich history of AI research and development, and EFI offered the opportunity to explore these questions across disciplines alongside people from around the globe. I felt I needed to come to EFI, and I couldn’t have chosen a better place to pursue my master’s degree.
How did you get to where you are?
Today, I lead teams developing AI products and mentor product managers, business analysts, Scrum Masters and UX designers. We work closely with stakeholders to enhance their impact through AI tools and agents.
My experience at EFI gave me an “aha” moment that shaped my professional growth. The Service Management modules connected me with academic research that helped me understand what I already knew was effective in creating value for individuals and organisations, but which I lacked the vocabulary to articulate. That made me more confident as a practitioner, and I continue to apply the knowledge and skills I gained at EFI in my daily work.
What did you gain from your time at the Edinburgh Futures Institute?
“Service is what is always hired to get a job done.” This first principle is one of the most important lessons from my studies at EFI. Adopting this mindset has helped me become more strategic in creating value in the age of AI.
All economies are service economies. This mindset shapes how I approach any domain or industry: by uncovering the jobs people need done and how organisations serve them. It enables me to help any organisation better understand its customers, citizens, and users, and to craft compelling value propositions. In essence, that is what product management entails.
Tell us about your Futures Project.
My research at EFI explored, through service design workshops, how practitioners conceptualise value co-creation within service ecosystems as they integrate AI. The research was an interdisciplinary journey. It wasn’t easy, but the challenges yielded useful insights. As Steve Jobs put it, “You can only connect the dots backwards”; the payoff came when I had enough “dots” to see the connections. It was immensely satisfying, though exhausting. I was pleased that my work was recognised for its exemplary interdisciplinarity and that my efforts to bridge the theory-to-practice gap were commended. The feedback I received described my dissertation as an interesting, intellectually rich project worthy of a distinction.
My advice to students beginning their Futures Project is not to stick to a single discipline. EFI offers that opportunity. Use your semester work to start exploring project ideas, and, most importantly, do what interests you.
Do you have any highlights or a favourite memory from your time at the University?
My wife and daughter joined me in Edinburgh, and living in a city so different from Singapore was the highlight of our stay. Those everyday experiences became an important part of our memories of Edinburgh.
What advice would you give to someone considering studying at Edinburgh Futures Institute?
Make the most of EFI’s interdisciplinary approach. Take modules outside your main programme to gain perspectives from other disciplines. This will enrich your academic journey and may also inspire your Futures Project. Most importantly, choose what genuinely interests you, engage fully, stay curious, and remain open to cross-disciplinary connections as you shape your path at EFI.
Avoid using AI to summarise your readings. Engage directly with your education, develop your own perspective, and make the connections yourself. The more fully you engage, the more meaningful your learning becomes. Trust your own thinking, stay curious, and let that active engagement guide your approach to EFI and your Futures Project.
