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Emmanuel Ferguson Akins

Emmanuel
Aikins

Ghana
The MSc Economics degree gave me in-depth knowledge, understanding and the key soft skills expected of a graduate and readily prepared me for the business world.

More about Emmanuel

What route did you take into postgraduate study?

I graduated with a BA Business Administration (Accounting Option) from the University of Education in Winneba, Ghana. After graduation, I worked as the Operations Manager for Pandoll Limited. Here, I was responsible for organising training schedules, programmes, negotiating contracts and liaising with key clients of the business.

When choosing a Business School, what did you consider it important to have?

Personally, it was recognised accreditation, a multicultural environment and a strong ranking. All of these were offered to me by Nottingham Business School.

What were your reasons for studying a master’s degree and why did you choose Nottingham Business School?

I wanted a master’s degree that would help me achieve my goal of becoming a consultant economist. When looking at universities, my research showed that NBS combined academic excellence with practical application during its teaching.

Is there anything that stood out on your course that wasn’t offered elsewhere?

Yes. The dedicated Employability Team at NTU opened a lot of doors for me to connect with employers for potential job opportunities. In addition, the personalisation of the course really appealed to me. NBS offered “experiential learning” with the option to choose a Major Project in your final semester such as a Consultancy Experience Project or Business Research Project. It really gives you flexibility on how you study and what you get out of it.

What was your Major Project choice and why?

I chose to do the Business Research Project and my area of research was discovering ways of reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the UK food supply chain. My research questions were centred on how many carbon dioxide emissions the UK food supply chain was responsible for when importing food from countries in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Describe what your seminars were like and how they differed from your undergraduate experience?

My seminars were much more interactive and participative than during my undergraduate studies. During my time at NBS, I found my seminars were explicitly linked to today’s business environment. The seminars tested and developed practical skills by developing my learning through case studies, econometric software, big data, economic report writing and presentations, both individually and in groups.

What are the key skills you developed studying at NBS?

I have really developed my communication, report writing, analytical and econometric skills. What helped this was working through the course with big data, specialist software whilst constantly using critical thinking, problem solving and presentation skills.

How did the master’s degree differ from your undergraduate experience?

The master’s degree was a comprehensive and vast upgrade in terms of experience when compared to my undergraduate degree. The MSc Economics degree gave me in-depth knowledge, understanding and the key soft skills expected of a graduate and readily prepared me for the business world.

Do you feel that your overall experience at NBS will make you more competitive in the job market?

Yes and I feel that my experience here at NBS has given me a global perspective on the business world. My aim is to be a consultant in economic policy and graduating with this degree made me ready to pursue this career path.

Would you recommend studying at NBS to prospective students?

Yes.

Have you benefited from the services provided by the Employability Team?

Yes. The Employability Team linked me to key employers whom I had a keen interest to work for. I also made a great use of the opportunity for the team to review my CV and develop my interview techniques for the UK job market.

What clubs, societies or other activities were you been involved in at Nottingham Trent University?

Quite a few! I was a Student Ambassador and supported NTU at open days and during telephone campaigns with prospective students. I was also heavily involved in the Ghanaian Society, bringing together students from my home country and building a community feeling here in Nottingham. I was also an active member of NTU’s Tennis Club.

How did you find moving to and living in Nottingham?

Exciting. Living here with people who are very respectful, time conscious and easy-going was wonderful and it truly made living and studying in Nottingham feel like a home away from home. I also greatly improved my English language skills. I learnt new phrases, vocabulary, pronunciations and tense constructions.

What are your short term and long term career plans?

My short-term career goal is to be a consultant specialising in developing, implementing and supporting economic policies for the development and improvement of communities, governments and other agencies.

My long-term career path is to become an academic at an elite university and contribute to future students’ development and supporting the programmes and policies of international organisations such as the African Development Bank, the World Bank or the UN.

Yes, I can say confidently that NBS has influenced my career path. I used to think of working locally in my country and thus having local impact. Now I think more of having a global impact with my skills and capabilities.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about applying for the degree?

Don’t think twice. You will love studying here.

Finally, in one word, how would you describe your experience of studying a masters degree at NBS?

Amazing.

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