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 Adejoke Liman ACMI
General MBA, University of Aberdeen Business School
University previously attended University of Abuja, Nigeria
Degree obtained BSc in Political Science
Country of origin Nigeria
Age 35 years
Career history
Adejoke's previous employer, Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN) in Nigeria, is affiliated with MTN South Africa. Prior to that she was a Channel Development Administrator, and also held positions as a treasury officer and was self-employed running a business in interior decorating.
"A challenging learning environment in which critical thinking and academic debate is encouraged."
After studying for my undergraduate degree, I worked as an intern in a bank for a year. Although I enjoyed it, I decided that I did not want to work in a bank full time and moved to one of the biggest telecoms companies in Africa. However, in between I was self-employed, running a small business in interior decorating. This exposed me to business and gave me the desire to know more. I decided I wanted to take things a step further and study for an MBA.
Why Aberdeen?
Three things. First, word of mouth. I knew a colleague who was at that time enrolled in the University and had good things to say about the School, its location and the people of Scotland. This made it less frightening to move up here. Secondly, this was one of the few universities where the cost was not too high, and yet the content of the courses was interesting and challenging. Finally, I was attracted by the accessibility of Aberdeen to all the major cities in Europe and most parts of the world, the vast and beautiful natural environment on its doorstep, and the mix of cosmopolitan and small-city atmospheres and benefits.
How did it go?
I enjoyed my studies immensely. The course content was good, and classes were delivered in first-class facilities. I studied a general MBA, yet there was enough scope and suggested readings for private research to enable you to narrow down your field of interest amongst all modules within the programme. The dynamics that the diversity of the programme added was a bonus. Diversity in terms of age, culture, gender and work/educational background all added to the richness of the programme and MBA experience.
The programme design was thoughtful, and allowed each module to be delivered via a combination of lectures and smaller group seminars, allowing plenty of opportunities to ask questions and discuss new concepts and arguments in detail. Assessments comprised both individual and group assessments, and getting to
know your study partners via the seminars so early on was a real bonus. An unusual feature of the University of Aberdeen MBA is the intensive summer school, which dispenses with the dissertation element traditionally expected within older-style MBA programmes. The summer school offers students the opportunity to have more of a say in their programme content, with up to a dozen electives on offer each year to choose from. Leading scholars from around the world are flown in specifically to teach the latest leading-edge modules, allowing students real insight into the latest management thinking.
Another perk of an MBA at the University of Aberdeen was free student membership of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), courtesy of the University, which gives access to the huge resource database they maintain. I have since become professionally affiliated with the CMI as an associate member. The launch of the Fresh Talent Initiative in Scotland was an added bonus, as it has provided international students with an opportunity to gain work experience after their degree.
What next?
I graduated with distinction, and am currently employed in the University of Aberdeen as a development officer with the Office of External Affairs. As an officer, I assist in fundraising, event management/planning, and legacies and prospect management. Although I am new to some areas within the role and currently in training, the transferable skills gained throughout my MBA have enabled me to settle in quickly. In addition, I was honoured to be asked back to be a tutor to this year's MBA students in one of the human resource management modules. I am currently applying for a PhD within the Business School, to research diversity management, using ethnic minority experiences in multinational companies.
In conclusion, I would like to say that, when I started this journey, I had no idea it would bring me this far. But it has been a most interesting and enriching experience. I have made friends from parts of the world I might never visit or would not have thought of visiting. The benefits and networking opportunities of being an alumnus of such a prestigious and ancient university are priceless. I would highly recommend that anyone thinking about studying for an MBA should consider the University of Aberdeen Business School and place it on their must-see list--it is "smart thinking".
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