'The biggest thing that I have learnt is just how incredibly important culture is in the business world.'

  • Student stories
MSc in Business Studies student Nick sitting with two students, looking into camera

Nick Heigener chose the Master in International Business & Management (MIBM) because he has an interest in the international business world. He completed his bachelor's at Hanze and wanted to continue his study in the city of Groningen. The MIBM felt like an ideal fit based on his interests.

'I believe that this master fits any person who is eager to learn more about the international business world from various perspectives, considering strategic choices that companies face and about cross-border implications of conducting business. The variety of courses is something that I have learnt to really appreciate. There are elements certain students are really good at, but there will also be elements they struggle with, which is the interesting part.

International classroom

Having a diverse classroom definitely enables you to understand different perspectives much quicker and the intra-class communication helps you to tackle challenges that you encounter on your study journey. Being part of a relatively small class of just over 30 students from more than 14 countries helps you academically by having the possibility of receiving more attention from lecturers, which is much more difficult in large seminars elsewhere. The projects and simulation games are especially interesting to me since it is a refreshing form of learning and gives real meaning to the phrase “learning by doing”.

Culture is crucial

The biggest thing that I have learnt over the past year is just how incredibly important culture is in the business world. Whenever dealing with any cross-border situation, e.g. merger, expansion, supplier sourcing or partnerships, the element of culture and cultural differences has to be accounted for and can prove to be the crucial factor of a business relationship working or not. Looking into the future, I am excited to write my master thesis at a company in the supply chain area and will be looking to gain some valuable connections through that. While I can see myself working in that field for a while, my ultimate goal will be to explore the entrepreneurial world perhaps even in the same industry.'