2019 mba scholarship support for cambridge mba class 883x432 1

Scholarship support for Cambridge MBA class of 2019

7 November 2019

The article at a glance

The Cambridge MBA offers a number of scholarships from emerging markets to entrepreneurship, we meet some of this year’s recipients. Each year …

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The Cambridge MBA offers a number of scholarships from emerging markets to entrepreneurship, we meet some of this year’s recipients.

Each year CJBS offers a range of scholarships attracting top talent from across the globe and covering a wide range of both employment sectors, as well as nationalities or geographies. Our scholarships in turn, also support the wider Business School initiatives to drive inclusivity and build on the existing diversity across the Cambridge MBA cohort, as well as the Cambridge MBA programme as a whole.

The class of 2019 were awarded 19 scholarships in total, from our Healthcare Scholarship to our Technology and Innovation Scholarship. New for this year was the ‘Impact in Emerging Markets’ award that includes the regions of both the African Sub-continent as well as the wider region of South and Latin America.

Impact in Emerging Markets Scholarship

Julian Payne (MBA 2019).
Julian Payne (MBA 2019)

Julian Payne from the USA worked as an environmental consultant with both public and private sector institutions to mitigate climate change. Working at the United Nations and then later in the UK with the Carbon Trust, Julian says; “At my company I helped launch the Green Finance business unit as part of an internal task-force advising the CEO and board”.

“I feel grateful and honoured to have been awarded the Impact in Emerging Markets Scholarship. An MBA is a significant investment and given the nature of my interests, the scholarship also means that I can focus on careers that have a clear environmental impact beyond financial returns.”

He goes onto to say; “During the Cambridge MBA I hope to deepen my understanding of the relationship between finance and sustainability. There is a growing body of evidence that the next big climate challenge will be to bridge the gap in infrastructure funding, in a way that is compatible with global climate goals. In my future career, I hope to work for impact and infrastructure investors that specialise in financing sustainable assets”.

Tarek Mosfi (MBA 2019).
Tarek Mosfi (MBA 2019)

Tarek Mosfi from Syria and Canada has worked in lived and worked in the UAE and latterly in Montreal, Canada. He says; “Having lived and worked between the developed and emerging markets, I witnessed first-hand the impact of good infrastructure, technology and robust legal frameworks on peoples’ lives. This award further boosts my ambition to become an impactful agent of change in my home region of the Middle East”.

“The Cambridge MBA fosters a unique collaborative culture that perfectly aligns with one of my core values, collective inclusive collaboration. The only way to tackle global economic, social and environmental challenges, such as inclusive economic growth and climate change, are by sustained collaborative action.”

“I see my Cambridge MBA journey taking me back to my home region. The Middle East and North Africa region is going through a period of fundamental economic transformations, from the economic reform programme in Egypt to the economic diversification of the Gulf states. I aim to advise public and private sector leaders in the region and play my part in this historic period.”

Technology and Innovation Scholarship

Nikhita Narendran (MBA 2019).
Nikhita Narendran (MBA 2019)

Nikhita Narendran is from India with a background working as a Chains Account Manager for Booking.com in her home country.

“During the past five years my career in technology has been focused on marketing and business development functions. I hope to develop my knowledge in product management, strategy, finance and digital marketing, so that I am better equipped to shape the direction for any online business.”

She continues; “I have no doubt that the knowledge, skill set and network I gain over the next year will not only further my career in the technology sector but help me create a more meaningful impact. I am excited about growing a business at this pivotal juncture and hope to use my Cambridge MBA experience towards making the most impact here”.

“I plan to use my time at Cambridge to better equip myself to make a meaningful impact in the technology sector, and I am grateful for the scholarship support to do that.”

Alexander Mix (MBA 2019).
Alexander Mix (MBA 2019)

German born Alexander Mix is a Senior Analyst supported and employed by A.T Kearney in Dusseldorf, Germany.

“Global enterprises currently utilise only around ten per cent of the digitisation potential and I want to go out and change that. Being awarded this scholarship is an affirmation of my personal ‘Why’ from a committee I deeply respect.”

He continues; “For me personally, I am looking forward to sparring ideas, gaining an international network, and maybe even finding future colleagues and business partners”.

Entrepreneurship Scholarship

Australian Damian Lee and New Zealander Victor Li were both awarded the Entrepreneurship Scholarship for 2019.

Victor Li (MBA 2019).
Victor Li (MBA 2019)

Victor outlines his entrepreneurial journey that he sees the Cambridge MBA as part of; I am currently between ventures and see the Cambridge MBA as the perfect avenue for me to learn more about starting businesses. I also really wanted to spend some time in the UK and Cambridge was naturally the perfect fit for me, with its emphasis on entrepreneurship, as well as its proximity to Silicon Fen”.

He explains further; “I come from very humble beginnings and education has been the way for me to break out of my circumstances. That’s why I strongly advocate for equal access to education and most of my ventures have been related to education”.

“I am excited to begin my Cambridge MBA journey and kickstart my new venture with the guidance of Cambridge professors and networks. My goal is to take my next company to IPO stage.”

Damian Lee (MBA 2019).
Damian Lee (MBA 2019)

Damian Lee, a Manager at PwC in Australia after graduating with both Civil Engineering and Commerce bachelors degrees from the University of New South Wales, describes his award;

“It will be invaluable to be working with the brightest minds and start-ups around Silicon Fen and be in close proximity to London – one of the largest capital markets in the world.”

Healthcare Scholarship

Dr Sweta Adatia from India, says;

“I started to feel the need to pursue an MBA some years ago when I felt adding formal training in management would help bring my entrepreneurial dreams to life. I was interested in a top global programme and one that would consider my scientific background as well as my entrepreneurial flair.”

Sweta Adatia (MBA 2019).
Sweta Adatia (MBA 2019)

With a background in surgery, as well as specialist knowledge in both cerebrovascular disease as well as the care and medical treatment of stroke patients, Sweta explains:

“Having worked in both developed and developing countries like Canada, UAE, India and the Congo, I can analyse the gaps in healthcare delivery quite prudently. Having seen over 25,000 patients in neurology and lived in four different continents, I feel I have an understanding of the demand-supply gap in healthcare.

“Working as a change agent in preventive health science and mental psychometric science and embracing additional skills like networking, outreach, leading, developing, innovating and creating is my clear goal beyond the Cambridge MBA.”

Beyond Profit/Social Impact Scholarship

Bethany Kanten (MBA 2019).
Bethany Kanten (MBA 2019)

Bethany Kanten from America studied Electrical Engineering at Harvard and has until recently been working as a Solution Design Manager for Off Grid Electric in Tanzania, Africa.

“The biggest accomplishment of my career thus far has not been the completion of a single project or goal but rising to becoming a leader of customer-centric design and problem solving within a large, multi-national, mass market business in rural Africa. I started my career as an intern on the engineering team, and within a few years was leading projects to solve and implement solutions to the most complex challenges on the commercial/operational front-end of the business.”

On her scholarship award she comments:

“The career path that I’ve chosen is uncommon and has been personally difficult at times living far from my family and home culture. Receiving an award from Cambridge recognising the value of the work that I’ve done makes me feel validated, more confident in myself, and energised for the future.

“I plan to combine my previous experience with the business foundations and experience gained during the MBA to continue a career in social impact, ideally in a leadership role within a small social impact organisation in a new geography.”

Cambridge Judge Business School awarded two Forté Foundation scholarships in 2019 and continues to support initiatives for the LGBTQ+ community.

Simon Schwartz (MBA 2019).
Simon Schwartz (MBA 2019)

Simon Schwartz said; “I’m beyond honoured and humbled to be awarded the LGBTQ+ Community Scholarship. I believe that the Cambridge MBA is the perfect opportunity to collaborate across academia, business and the greater society to improve the professional prospects of LGBTQ+ people at all levels and in all geographies”.

He continues; “I am most excited to get to know my classmates and build a new community within Cambridge. With representation from all over the world, my classmates all have unique and interesting backgrounds, that together bring valuable context and fresh perspectives in the learning we do, in and out of the classroom. In twenty years, I will look back at my time here and remember the people I took this journey with”.

We wish all our 2019/20 scholars well on their MBA journey and watch with interest as their goals and ambitions for career journey ahead develop, alongside the framework and additional support and mentoring that the Cambridge MBA scholarship provides.