Prior to enrolling in the Queen's MBA for Science & Technology program, I was very skeptical, actually critical, about MBA studies!
How could an academic program that was born in a country traditionally indifferent to the world around it be of any use? How would that relate to my aspirations to help Africa, the continent I come from, to make its pre-dominantly infant companies rise to the global business challenge?
I started with a bias towards European programs, but the Queens' University program appeared on my short list, courtesy of strong showing in the Business Week magazine rankings. Having lived in Canada, I had noticed that the people here were much more in tune with the rest of the world than their southern neighbor, thanks to a strong, continuous stream of immigrants, and an economy that was largely based on importing and exporting. That would potentially address one of my concerns.
In three months, the Queens' MBA has managed to change my mind so much. This has been one of the best career decisions I have made, not only because of the quality of the teachings and discussions, but also because these have the strong element of practicality that is absolutely crucial. The fact that an operations/technical person like myself can be made to enjoy finance and accounting is a testament to that. Furthermore, studies so far have covered companies of a gamut of sizes and growth stages, and in numerous countries. Finally though, I was won over by the program's coverage of all aspects of the working life of a Senior Manager, Executive or Business Owner. This includes finer details such as strategies to find the right balance between work and the rest of life, right up to bigger picture management areas, such as how to manage in a unionized environment.
I am eagerly looking forward to complete the MBA and face the world several times more capable than before!