Global Financial Services MBA

Amir Riahi, from Iran became the first International Student from Coventry University London Campus to secure a Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Visa. While studying for his MBA at the London Campus, Amir set up USBC UK, his new unique business venture. The company introduces a new generation of industrial plants known as USBC-Generation and offers a number of services in downstream oil and gas, steel, energy and infrastructure sectors.

Amir has over six years experience in the engineering sector and has worked for various international organisations both in Iran and abroad. However, Amir wanted to push the boundaries further to explore the possibilities of setting up an innovative engineering business. Amir researched various programmes which could help him develop strong skills in business, management and leadership and he opted for the Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Coventry University London Campus. Located in the heart of the City of London, Amir found that being surrounded by the Bank of England, the famous Gherkin Building and a number of world renowned organisations, Coventry University London Campus, would offer him the best opportunities to network with industry professionals.

“London is one of the world’s largest financial and business centres. It is full of opportunities for business to flourish and gives you a platform to network with successful professionals” says Amir.

The Campus has an ethos centred on delivering a real business experience. Through high profile guest speakers, internships opportunities and an Employability team always available to offer valuable advice, Coventry University London Campus students leave their studies ready to integrate the work place at senior positions or to run their own business.

Amir explains: “I did a lot of research about the various universities and their programmes. Coventry University London Campus has a broad range of MBAs available and in my view they are the institution with the best focus on student employability…the environment on campus is extremely professional and the tutors are supportive and have a lot of industry experience to share”

Amir’s institution choice was also influenced by the fact that Coventry University, through its Institute of Applied Entrepreneurship (IAE), offer students and graduates the support they need to develop their business start-ups.

“The team was very attentive. They took my project and ideas seriously and after a selection process, including an interview, they made the decision to endorse my Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur application”

When I was at university, Ghana discovered oil. I saw it as a fascinating opportunity and got an internship in the marketing department of Global Petroleum Ghana Limited. I liked the experience so much that I decided to study this area more. Currently I am undertaking an internship, providing consulting services to an organisation interested in exploring the natural gas market in the UK.
There are many things I enjoy about the campus: the university itself, the tutors, the assignments, the way the course is structured, and, most importantly, the diversity on campus. Meeting people from different countries has really helped me broaden my horizons. The diversity of cultures means the diversity of ideas, and it has been a great experience socially and professionally – stepping outside of my comfort zone and learning something new every day.

Moreover, it is a perfect place to establish business contacts by meeting corporate people. There are many events on campus, you always see people in suits, which makes you want to be a part of that world, the world of business.

The academic experience at Coventry University London Campus has been very different from the one I had back home, in Africa. I really like the culture of an equal dialogue between the students and the lecturers here: you can voice your opinion, even if it differs from the lecturer’s, as long as you back it up with arguments. The internship has also been one of the most valuable parts of the degree because the practical experience helps me understand and put into context what we learn in the classroom.

Hello, my name is Wan-Wen Huang, but most of my friends in the UK call me Julia. I come from Taiwan and am studying MBA International Fashion Management at Coventry University London Campus.

One of the aspects of this degree programme I particularly enjoy is learning to identify consumer trends – in other words, observing customers who are shopping – and London is the perfect place for that. I have lived in the West before, and I like to look around what is happening in London because the city is so diverse and so different from the rest of the world from the business point of view. There are customers from all over the world, and for this reason I’ve found studying at Coventry University London Campus very useful. Every day I’m meeting people from different countries and continents – the EU, China, India and Nigeria among others. Everyone’s background is different and the way they see the world, do business and shop are very different. I also like the tutors a lot. I think that good tutors are vital for a good university experience.

There are several reasons why I chose to study this degree programme. First of all, my family are involved in fashion design; we would like to run a fashion-related business and I thought that this course would match my professional objectives. I chose the MBA over the MSc because I thought the MBA to be more valuable due to the training it offers – it combines management, marketing and fashion, providing students with a useful set of skills and knowledge for work. Another reason was the ranking and the profile of the university. I think it’s a great university for international students. The location was also important – after all, I think that if you want to study fashion, you’ve got to study in London because it is a great centre of international fashion.