Bond University has seen 33 students from more than 15 different nations graduate from the Business School’s MBA program.
In what is considered one of the school’s most culturally diverse groups, students came from all over the world to complete their degree at the Gold Coast university including America, China, Hong Kong, Peru, Brazil, Switzerland, Malaysia, India, the Gambia, Sri Lanka and Germany to name a few.
The group once again came together for the graduation ceremony held earlier this February with one graduate, Jamilatou Saidy, flying via Boston, Dubai, Perth and Sydney to reach the Gold Coast from her home in the Gambia.
Ms Saidy said she will be able to implement the skills learned through her MBA when she returns to her position as Consumer Affairs Manager at the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority in the Gambia, a small West African nation with a population of less than two million.
“Graduating with an MBA from Bond University will help me to further my career at home in the Gambia, where my role is to help regulate the telecommunications and energy sector to ensure companies are meeting standards and consumers are getting what they pay for,” she said.
“I chose Bond because I was able to complete my degree in one year, which is half the time of other universities,” said Ms Saidy.
Another graduate Shiny Su, who runs a large manufacturing business in Shanghai, said studying at Bond inspired many new ideas for the expansion of her business.
“As head of an import/export business, it is very important for me to understand the Australian market to build successful relationships with clients,” she said.
“Completing my MBA at Bond was an invaluable experience, because Bond is truly an ‘international’ university where I was able to forge connections with people from all over the word,” said Shiny.
MBA Program Director Neva Maxim believed the growth in cultural diversity was valuable for students, who were able to learn about a number of different cultures and create global networks.
“It’s one of the most diverse groups we have ever had,” said Ms Maxim.
“There’s a wealth of information gained by having students from so many backgrounds – and they don’t share away from saying exactly how things work in their own countries,” she said.
