Manmeet from India, MBA
Subject: MBA
Education institution: International Business Academy, Kolding
Age: 40
Country: India
Scholarship: None
Digital educational materials and qualified teachers combining theory and practice has made it attractive for Manmeet Kaur, aged 40, to take an MBA at the International Business Academy in Denmark.
There is a distance of roughly 10,000 kilometres between the cities of Kolding in Denmark and Chandigarh in the northern India, and the distance between the two countries' educational systems is also considerable. This is what Manmeet Kaur came to understand when she decided to do an international MBA-degree in a foreign country after seven years of professional experience in her own country.
"There are highly qualified and professionally competent educators here. They offer more than just theoretical knowledge and are very focussed on learning by doing," says this 40 year old woman who has just concluded 18 months of studies at the International Business Academy (IBA) in Denmark.
Educating whole persons without stress
The classrooms at IBA in Kolding are filled with interactive boards where teacher notes and class slides are uploaded. This is part of what Manmeet Kaur really likes about studying here.
"You can concentrate on listening, and if you are unable to attend classes, you can log on no matter what time it is and no matter where you are. This way, your teachers are accessible all hours of the day," she says.
The teachers' approach to education is also quite different from what Manmeet Kaur is familiar with from her own work as an English teacher and from her children's schooling in India:
"In Denmark, you place great emphasis on the development of the person as a whole as opposed to pure book-learning and cramming of information that you may not even completely understand. There is also a practical approach to teaching, which helps you understand the subjects and theories you need to familiarize yourself with. This reduces stress and enables you to become an expert within your own particular field."
Manmeet Kaur has also discovered a logic of sustainability in the Danish schools.
"In India, you buy your own books every year wasting paper, time and money. In Denmark, however, you can borrow books at the library and that is wonderful," she says.
Wants to stay in the world's safest country
Manmeet Kaur had heard some quite spectacular things about Denmark that made her curious about the country.
"The Danes are the happiest people on the planet, there is almost no corruption, only very few unemployed, a low crime rate and Denmark has ambitions to become self-sufficient in energy," she says.
IBA in Kolding was chosen because of the multi-cultural learning environment.
"Here, you will find students from many different countries who accept each other and are open to sharing experiences and knowledge. It is a really nice and safe place to be in every respect, and I have contributed myself by organizing cultural activities and advising new students on life as a student in Kolding," she says.
Manmeet Kaur has an M.A. in English literature supplemented with courses in IT, mass communication and journalism and eventually an MBA. How she hopes that her education in Denmark will pave the way for a job abroad.
"I would like to stay and build a future in Denmark. My husband has already found a job here, and my daughters attend the local school," she says.
