Ravisara (Kim) Narula breaks stereotypes, showing it’s possible to be both accomplished and stylish.
By Christy Lau
Anyone who first meets Ravisara Narula, more fondly known as Kim, will be charmed by her effervescent personality and charismatic smile. But what they won’t realise is that underneath that sparkling exterior is a sharp mind and a constant thirst for knowledge. This ‘Jack Of All Trades’ as she calls herself, currently works as a part-time lecturer teaching International Strategic Management to undergraduates at Assumption University, and International Business Entry Strategies and Intercultural Communication at DPU International College. However, she is more than just your average professor — Kim goes the extra mile for her beloved students, creating invaluable case studies and simulations that prepare them for life in the real world. Having been teaching for nearly 20 years, this self-described lifetime student strongly believes that there is always something
new to learn.
Her impressive background shows her insatiable drive to continue to strive for new achievements. At age 18, Kim was helping her father manage the operations for a family-owned hotel in Silom, before completing her M.B.A. in Marketing and International Business at the Sasin Graduate Institute of Business at 21 years old, making her one of the youngest to do so. At age 24, she took up golf with her husband and would go on to win the prestigious Hole in One Award from Summit Windmill Golf Club, another feat few women in her society have managed.
Having just completed a course at Harvard University to improve her teaching methods, she shows no signs of slowing down soon. She is currently balancing her role as a lecturer with other responsibilities, including being on the DPUIC exam committee, and developing a curriculum for the tourism and hospitality management at DPUIC, as well as designing case studies for the Central Retail Corporation. So how does she stay so motivated? Masala digs deeper to find out.
Her impressive background shows her insatiable drive to continue to strive for new achievements. At age 18, Kim was helping her father manage the operations for a family-owned hotel in Silom, before completing her M.B.A. in Marketing and International Business at the Sasin Graduate Institute of Business at 21 years old, making her one of the youngest to do so. At age 24, she took up golf with her husband and would go on to win the prestigious Hole in One Award from Summit Windmill Golf Club, another feat few women in her society have managed.
Having just completed a course at Harvard University to improve her teaching methods, she shows no signs of slowing down soon. She is currently balancing her role as a lecturer with other responsibilities, including being on the DPUIC exam committee, and developing a curriculum for the tourism and hospitality management at DPUIC, as well as designing case studies for the Central Retail Corporation. So how does she stay so motivated? Masala digs deeper to find out.
When did you realise you wanted to be a teacher? What do you love about it?
I always knew I was going to be a teacher, but I just didn’t know what kind. When I was 15, I went to teach at a kindergarten during the summer holidays. I realised that although the kids were cute, I really needed the intellectual feedback. I always knew I wanted to shape minds and push people to think. I wanted to help society in some way, because I’ve been so blessed, I wanted to be able to give back.
I always tell my students that I am not much of a teacher, but rather a facilitator of thought. I want to be able to guide them on how to think for themselves. I want them to be able to tell me not what something is, but why it is so.
What were you doing before you became a lecturer?
I had previously made up my mind that I didn’t want to teach right out of college with no real-world experience, so I went to work after graduation. My husband and I got the franchise for Tower Records, Thailand’s biggest music store, and I handled all the marketing aspects, including designing ads and newsletters, and creating the radio spots.
However, when my son got into kindergarten, I told my husband that I did not want to work for a while. I wanted to take care of my son, and pick him up and drop him home from school. But after one year of floating around, my mother-in-law spoke to me, saying: “you’re such a smart girl, why aren’t you working?” After a week, I met a friend of mine who was in the admin department for ABAC and I told him that I would be interested in coming in to teach. That’s how I ended up going for an interview the following week.
You devise your own case studies for your students, which not a lot of lecturers do. What inspired you to create them?
Most of the cases available to lecturers are based on companies in the UK or Europe. There are very few cases based in Asia and barely any for Thailand. When I’m teaching, I want students to be able to identify with local businesses. I wrote a variety of case studies; one on Nanyang, Jaspal, Proton and CIMB. I want my students to understand that although the textbook says one thing, it is not necessarily the case in the real world.
I try to create new case studies every semester because I don’t want them to get outdated. One of the strengths I have as an instructor is my connections in the industry, as my family owns a number of hotels. I always try to match the subject with the right guest speaker, and get them to come in and share their knowledge with the students.
You’re also a bit of a fashionista and love dressing up for your classes. Any particular reason?
It’s mainly a strategy; I know that if I dress well, students are more likely to pay attention to me in class. I also want to show the female students that you can be as stylish as you want and also be as hard-working as you want. I want to show them that you don’t have to choose, you can be both!
How supportive is your family towards what you do?
I’m very lucky. My husband knows that I am passionate about teaching and he gives me access to the contacts I can use to facilitate my students’ learning. I’m also thankful to my in-laws for being so supportive of me wanting to go back to work when my son was still young.
What else are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on a case study, which I’m looking to get published in a journal. One of the family properties is undergoing a brand change and I am discussing the challenges of doing that.
I also just completed a project for Central Retail. They needed some appraisal tools to determine who gets into their trainee programmes, so I came up with many topics, along with the grading system for evaluation.
You also recently completed a course in Harvard. Why did you decide to pursue this?
I love to study while I’m teaching. It doesn’t matter how old you get, it’s never too late to learn something new. I’m always looking to expand my knowledge, so I did a short course, which was a seminar for educators to create better case studies.
In January, I finished another course online from Emeritus for Digital Strategies for Business. That’s where I see the world heading, so I wanted to learn more so I could share it with my students. I also wanted to be able to give insightful inputs for developing curriculums in the future, if asked.
Another course I recently did was for simulation training. Nobody uses simulation training for undergrad at all, but I find it very useful for my students to understand how a real company functions. I went for the training and then came back to teach it at Assumption University. The students pretend to run a company, and every week they are given a new set of problems to deal with. They then create strategies and I judge them based on how well they dealt with the challenges.
You’re also an avid golf player in your spare time. How did this come about?
I never played the sport before I got married, even though my parents owned a golf course. But soon after, my husband said he wanted to take up golf, so I decided to try it as well. I fell in love with it because I realised that this is something I can continue to play for many years to come. Then it became the three of us with our son playing too. We used to take golf vacations and played at Pebble Beach Resorts in California and St. Andrews Links in Scotland, which is known as the birthplace of golf.
Down the line, do you see yourself staying at the same university or changing to another one?
For me, it doesn’t really matter where I teach, as long as I am teaching. It’s more about connecting with students. I love Assumption University, because it’s my alma mater and that’s why I went back to teach, and DPU has been really good for me, as it has given me opportunities to host seminars. It motivates me to go out and find information to educate myself. The experience has been incomparable.
What does a typical week look like for you?
I like to keep myself busy. Despite officially working only two days a week, I work a lot at home, so the number of hours is almost equal to four work days a week. Every Saturday, I take my parents out for lunch, while Sundays are spent at the temple and playing golf. The rest of the days, are spent catching up with friends and spending time with my husband’s family.
How did you manage the work life balance while raising your son?
It wasn’t much of a challenge, because I don’t physically spend much time at college. A lot of the work as a teacher is completed before you go to class, so most of the time, I was home. Now my son is away at university himself, so I have more time to focus on my various projects.
What keeps you motivated?
The great thing about college is that every few months, I meet a new set of students, whose minds I want to be able to influence in a positive way. After all, kids are the future of our country. I need to make sure they are well-equipped to be able to deal with what’s happening in the world, because what they decide as policies, if they go into government or into big corporations, will affect my company too! Their performance in the economy is going to help it as a whole. So, I’m always motivated to send out a new batch of students who are equipped for the challenges in the working world.
What’s next for you?
For my long-term goals, a lot of people have asked me whether or not I am going to pursue a doctorate degree. That would be a good addition down the road. I did consider doing it now, but it requires a lot of time and I have enough on my plate right now.
A more immediate goal is that I want to try to get my university to focus more on digital strategies, because that’s where the future is. I also want to make sure that in the next 10 years, I am still a valid source of knowledge. I want to remain relevant and still be able to connect with my students, so I’ll keep an eye out for any applicable seminars or courses. I don’t have to get the PhD, but I want to be a practical lecturer who can tell her students what’s happening in reality, and not rely solely on textbooks. I am doing a very small part in a very big world — I am not changing lives on a massive scale but making a difference in my own way.
