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 Berenice Kude
General MBA, University of Edinburgh
University previously attended Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Degree obtained MSc in Finance
Country of origin Brazil
Age 36 years
Prior to her MBA studies, Berenice Kude had undertaken an undergraduate degree in business and an MSc in Finance, both from the same university in Brazil. In terms of her main professional experience, she worked as a business consultant for a major Brazilian firm, which specialised in the small company sector.
'I can honestly say that doing the MBA in Edinburgh has been a turning point in my career and personal life. I have managed to achieve all the goals I set before starting the programme.'
Everybody knows that studying for an MBA is a very challenging and intense experience. Therefore, when I made the decision to leave my job, country and family behind, I knew that I would have to work very hard to achieve my goals.
Making the right choice
The process started with the selection of the country in which to study. I picked the UK because of the excellent reputation of its universities. The fact that I was awarded the Chevening Scholarship by the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office made everything a lot easier (I am very thankful to the British Council
and amazed at the overall support I got from them that year).
The next step was to select the MBA programmes that interested me and suited my needs. I went for a trip around the UK, visiting the universities of interest, talking to the people and looking at the different places. The University of Edinburgh Management School (UEMS) MBA stood out for various reasons: its programme suited my needs; Edinburgh is very highly ranked among British universities; the diversity of its student body interested me; and, last, but not least, of course,
the city itself and the friendliness of the Scottish people were definitely a big plus.
Once there...
The year I spent in Edinburgh was very demanding, but it was also a lot of fun. I studied hard and also spent a great deal of time on a range of group activities. Some of these were compulsory (a great chunk of the programme consists of groupwork, which is a great training by the way!) and others were voluntary, as I was
part of a study group, which proved to be a very efficient way of learning.
From the very beginning, I also put a lot of effort into developing my career ? researching companies, taking part in careers fairs, etc. At the same time, I made many good friends from all over the world, and very much enjoyed living in the Scottish capital and learning a bit about the fascinating local culture.
Was it worth it?
Looking back, I can honestly say that doing the MBA in Edinburgh has been a turning point in my career and personal life. I have managed to achieve all the goals I set before starting the programme: improving my overall business knowledge, switching industry, joining a large multinational corporation and experiencing life
in Europe with all the interesting cultural experiences that brings. I believe the UEMS was greatly responsible for this. The programme, the support I received from the Careers Office, the experience exchanged with classmates ? there are many reasons why I would highly recommend the UEMS programme to anyone looking to startan MBA.
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