More Brunel MBA international graduates able to work in UK this year

The UKBA have announced an extension to the Graduate Entrepreneur scheme for 2013, which will allow each Higher Education Institution to endorse up to 10 places on the scheme for MBA graduates, in addition to the 10 places for graduates of any subject. In general, the UKBA expanded the scheme from April 2013 to include an additional 1000 places for talented international MBA graduates.

Brunel University successfully bid for 10 places last year and following a rigorous application and selection process, we endorsed 5 Graduate Entrepreneurs, who have all since been granted their visas and are working on their businesses and business plans according to the rules of the scheme.

Brunel Placement and Career Centre will be running information seminars in April, with one exclusively for MBA students, to inform them about the scheme, and answer any general questions they might have. Following those seminars students will be asked to express their interest in applying for the Graduate Entrepreneur scheme through an on-line form. Please check the PCC website after Easter for details.

To find out more about the MBA programme please visit the Brunel MBA website. 

MBA Students share their experience of the Brunel MBA

I am very passionate about medical healthcare management. My four years study, work experience and relevant volunteer experience have strongly confirmed healthcare management as the career choice for me. I am looking forward to a career focused on my passion for the environment and opportunities to work with people in need of medical services after completing the Brunel MBA (Healthcare Management). It is the perfect course for my future career. Min Hee An, MBA 2011/12, Republic of Korea

I was working as Vice General Manager of a small business consulting company in Shanghai, China. We specialize in providing Italian Textile machineries for Chinese customers. Determined to become a management leader on a higher level, I made up my mind to take up the MBA program in England. Brunel Business School has a very good reputation, its ranking is raised every year, and it’s in London with convenient location. In this sense, Brunel was my ideal place for further academic endeavor because of its high reputation of business education and perfect teaching system. I came across peers from every country in the world every single day in the classroom and on campus, which is quite exciting. Hongyan Zhao, MBA 2011/12, China

I chose Brunel Business School because of its good ranking and reputation and the AMBA accreditation of the course, plus the closeness to central London. Every moment here at Brunel is a great memory. Group work and laughing with colleagues, making friends from different countries, these are the things that I really cherish. The learning experience is very important as well. Plus this MBA will open up great opportunities for me to work in different countries or different industries. Our MBA lecturers are very approachable, and we are actually asked to challenge them and discuss what we are being taught. We learn more from the class discussions and each other than from a traditional lecture style. The care we are given individually as part of the career and development plan is the most surprising part for me. We can have a one-to-one session with a very experienced professional who is entirely dedicated to the MBA students. This made me learn more about myself, and made me think of some of my skills differently, and focus on improving my weaknesses. Very good course, very good staff, and great facilities. Mohamed Abdelkhalek Mahmoud, MBA 2011/12, Egypt

Funmi Obileye with two of her MBA classmates are proud Brunel MBA Ambassadors

The Brunel MBA lectures are often in class discussions about current business issues which engage all the students to open up about their opinions and ideas which makes learning more challenging but useful in today’s business environment. Sometimes it feels as though we are in a board meeting! The Brunel MBA programme is making a significant contribution to helping me develop my career internationally through the people I met on the course and understanding their cultural differences. Employers are always looking for candidates with an international mind-set and having this international exposure on my CV has given me that step I ahead I need. Taking part in the Business Tour to India gave me an amazing international experience of one of today fastest growing economies. We visited companies of the likes of Merrill Lynch and Cadbury’s and learnt about what has contributed to India’s economy and what is going to push the Indian economy forward in the years to come. We also had the chance to meet with the MBA Alumni in India which was great they shared their insights of life after the Brunel MBA and how much of what they learned proved to be fundamental in business! Funmi Obileye, MBA 2011/12, United Kingdom

My greatest achievement so far was the transformation of my way of thinking from technical perspective, coming from IT working background, towards business/management thinking. It is challenging for me because switching from something that you are used to, to something that you are not familiar with, is not easy. The lecturers are very good and experts in their area, very approachable. I especially like lecturers that are practitioners in the current business world because I can relate to their experience and pick their brain and knowledge on UK and European markets. I also like that the Brunel MBA modules are relevant to current business needs. I had a great experience meeting student from various cultural backgrounds. I’m definitely proud to be part of the Brunel MBA network. The alumni are very friendly and down to earth. Being part of Brunel MBA Alumni is a good way to stay connected with the school and other students once my MBA is over. After all, in the business world networking is key. Mohd Faishah Sharil, MBA 2011/12, Malaysia

I have a Master of Engineering from Japan and I worked for Hitachi for 8 years as an Engineering Manager. I really enjoy the variety of modules on the MBA programme and the fact that I was able to meet many other professionals and business people. I simply like the MBA life! Nobuyuki Shinohara, MBA 2011/12, Japan

Great campus, MBA department has excellent facilities. I have never heard of any other university offering free printing services and free text books to MBA students. That is a deal breaker I suppose :-) Teachers are very good and hence our learning experience is great. I will cherish studying at one of the premiere institutes in UK. My classmates at Brunel are an excellent group. Very rarely will you see 30 managers from different parts of the world agreeing to a decision without questioning it. Less of ego and more rational thinking! Sayantan Das, MBA 2011/12, India

If you too would like to share your views on the Brunel MBA programme or other programmes at the Business School feel free to send us your reviews by email to: joanna.oman@brunel.ac.uk

Funding for business education? Do your homework well.

Funding for higher education study is always a hot topic – especially for postgraduate study, where the fees are typically high.

Over the years we have seen a subtle but noticeable shift in how students are funding themselves for their postgraduate studies. Whilst in the early 2000’s, many firms were only too happy to support developing their top managers and leaders of the future by paying their fees, now the landscape has changed to that of a greater proportion of self-funded students. In particular we have seen a growing number of students who are not only funding themselves through bank-based loans, but increasingly through family support as well.

We have the ongoing economic crises from 2008 to blame for that of course, and whilst corporate sponsorship for students is dramatically reducing, the desire for postgraduate study is not. Hence a funding gap exists and is growing ever wider.

There's value in postgraduate education, but can you afford it?

Additionally over the last few years, specific “back to Uni” loans such as the Natwest loans scheme for AMBA-accredited MBA programmes in the UK have been withdrawn too. Unsurprisingly this means that students have now been drawn into the wider pool of loan applicants in an increasingly constrained lending environment.

What are the alternatives?

University, Business School and programme-based scholarships are still therefore seen as the first and last chances of financial support by nearly all students – particularly those from overseas. Whilst many well-regarded and ranked business schools do provide a limited number of scholarships (including those at University level for overseas students), competition and the requirements to win funding are fierce.

For example in Brunel University, the Business School was successful in obtaining and allocating a number of scholarships under the UK government’s Economic Challenge Investment Fund (ECIF) between 2009-10 and 2010-11 for those students working or seeking to progress their careers in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Additionally, the School was able to provide MBA scholarships in 2011 and continues to have a number of scholarships for 2012 entry also. Brunel University has also maintained a number of international scholarships for its students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well, for a number of years. In these terms Brunel University and Brunel Business School have sought to provide financial supportin very tough economic times wherever possible.

Brunel Scholarship Winners

Notwithstanding the above, Schools are now having to compete in a wider global marketplace where a diverse mix of students is essential. Indeed many programmes, certainly in the UK, are specifically seeking to support and grow the demographics of UK and EU-based students to maintain a sustainable and healthy mixture of student backgrounds.

The remaining alternatives to funding are therefore thin on the ground. Alternative funding sources such as altruistic “invest in me” microfinance and microlending approaches that can be found in the blogosphere  – such as Kiva.org – could be used to fund studies. However such initiatives are usually reserved for those social enterprises and / or economically challenged individuals in extreme circumstances, where the typical loan amount is usually quite low.

Ultimately to be successful in gaining funding for postgraduate study requires extensive research, planning and above all acumen in matching the application to the funding. Too many students leave funding too late and fail to assess the sources, mechanisms, process, regulations and expectations involved in securing loans, scholarships or other funds. In addition, for those students who do successfully attain and attract funding it is important to understand the conditions under which the funding is given (usually involving repayment of the loan amount; engagement and contribution of time and service to the organisation or lending body; achievement of academic performance; or some combination of these and other criteria).

Planning ahead and knowing what to expect – and fundamentally – how to handle failure to secure funding is the key to this particular puzzle.

Brunel Business School

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Find out about the scholarships available on the Brunel MBA Programme for EU/Domestic students. Find out about the scholarships available for International students.

 

MBA Student Yearbook 2010

Brunel MBA Yearbook 2010-2011 provides a flavour of the wealth and breadth of our student talent – and serves as an opportunity to get to know them, as well as the Brunel MBA further.

 

MBA Yearbook 2010

Our students come to us from all over the world and are a testament to the diversity within it – from regions far afield such as the Americas, through to Africa, the Middle East and Gulf and onwards to the Far East. The breadth and wealth of skills and experience of our students also encompasses a varied number of sectors such as financial services, IT, engineering and healthcare – but also general management, the public sector, construction and media.

We thank the individuals who have taken part to contribute to the contents herein, and we hope you enjoy finding out more about our students.

Prof. Amir M. Sharif, Director of MBA Programmes

MBA? Hang on a minute!

There are nine key factors for a potential MBA student to weigh up before deciding to embark on a course, says Prof Amir Sharif, MBA Director, Brunel Business School:

• Location: where will you study (in your own country, overseas, on campus or on-line)? Will you commute, stay on campus, be close to the campus or does it not matter?
• Cost: how much will it hit your pocket? Are you going to be funding it yourself, family or friends – or do you need to seek funding (including direct sponsorship, loans, grants or scholarships)? What is the total cost of study (TCS): include living expenses, transport costs, family expenses, books and materials AND lifestyle!
• Accreditation, Reputation and Ranking: Do you understand how rankings work (noting the specific methodologies used to create leagure tables)? Is the programme accredited? Is it located in a business school or a business school in a university? Is the institution well known and recognized by employers? Is it a ranked programme? Does the B-School appear in the popular press / online?
• Managing your time: how will you fit study into your life? What’s the non-financial cost of “re-entry” into higher education for you – work/life/study balance? Do you have a work ethic? Do you have family support to do so?
• Teaching methods and Learning Culture: Does the programme provide a range of teaching methods and styles (lectures, seminars, team exercises, off-campus visits, etc)? Do you know the best way that you learn to make use of these teaching methods? What type of a learner are you? Are work-essential skills training also provided? If you enroll, who will your MBA classfellows be and what does a typical MBA class look like?
• Flexibility and process: How flexible is the B-school to your needs? Is the process of enrolling clear and simple? What do you need in order to make your enrolment a success?
• Content: What will you learn? Is it important to learn “the fundamentals” or would you also prefer to learn eclectic subjects (such as creative arts, or sciences) alongside? Does it “look like an MBA”?
• Onward opportunity: What are the career prospects? Is there a bespoke and clear career development programme as part of the MBA? Are there any successful alumni? What are their stories? What do employers say about the MBA programme? What do employers say about the B-School? What is the transformation from pre- to post-MBA? Can the school explain this?

Brunel MBA Students meet Goldman Sachs Executive Director of Investment Management

A group of MBA students from the Brunel Business School attended a regional networking event organised by Association of MBAs held at Fyvie Hall of Westminster Business School. The event was designed for MBA students with an interest in global business and BRIC economies.

Around one hundred MBA students from seven business schools and a few other interested individuals attended the event.

Sharon Bamford, Chief Executive of the Association of MBAs, introduced the two distinguished speakers of the evening: Anna Stupnytska, Executive Director of Goldman Sachs Investment Management Division, and Guy Fraser-Simpson, lecturer of Cass Business School in London and Dubai and a distinguished author of many books such as No Fear Finance and Private Equity as an Asset Class.

Speaking on behalf of Goldman Sachs Investment Management Division, Anna Stupnytska presented views and predictions for the BRIC economies for the next 10 years. The views are cautiously optimistic. Whilst excited by the level of rapid growth in terms of GDP in BRIC countries, they also acknowledge potential risks ahead. Broadly speaking, their economic models predict that the peak growth in the world middle class is still ahead, meaning that the rising consumer population in the BRIC countries could potentially challenge or replace US consumer population which has been the driving force for global economical growth in the past three decades. However, eurozone debt crisis, the level of Chinese political adaptability especially in relation to its control over its sustainable economic growth, and less than optimal state of US economy are on the minds of many economists too.

Guy Fraser-Simpson, drawing on his expertise in private equity investment, talked about investment opportunities in the BRIC countries.

The presentations were followed by a Q & A session, during which various interesting questions about China, India, Russia and UK were put to the panel of experts, sparking even more insightful comments from the panel.

Amid an atmosphere of friendliness, delegates were encouraged to network with fellow MBA students and graduates by the warm hostess Sharon Bamford both before the presentation and after the Q & A session.

Report submitted by Elizabeth Huang, MBA Student Ambassador