One of the most culturally diverse groups of MBA students ever seen at Bond University has just graduated from the Bond Business School, donning caps and gowns to receive their degrees.
The tight-knit group of 33 students travelled from all corners of the globe to complete their MBA on the Gold Coast, with students from America, China, Hong Kong, Peru, Brazil, Switzerland, Malaysia, India, Canada, Germany, South Africa, the Gambia, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, and Australia all graduating in the ceremony, held on Saturday, February 14.
Shiny Su, who runs a large manufacturing business in Shanghai supplying items to Australia for a range of well-known fashion brands, said studying at Bond had inspired many new ideas for the expansion of her business.
"As head of an import/export business, it is very important for me to understand the Australian market to build successful relationships with clients," said Ms Su.
"Completing my MBA at Bond was an invaluable experience, because Bond is truly an 'international' university where I was able to forge connections with people from all over the world.
"I learnt a whole new way of thinking that I will apply to my manufacturing business in China."
Fellow graduate Jamilatou Saidy said she will implement the skills learnt during her MBA when she returns to her position as Consumer Affairs Manager at the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority in the Gambia, a small West African Nation with a population of less than two million.
"Graduating with an MBA from Bond University will help me to further my career at home in the Gambia, where my role is to help regulate the telecommunications and energy sector to ensure companies are meeting standards and consumers are getting what they pay for," said Ms Saidy.
"I chose Bond because I was able to complete my degree in one year, which is half the time of other universities."
Ms Saidy flew from Boston to Dubai, Perth, Sydney and finally the Gold Coast to attend the graduation ceremony, before returning to her family in the Gambia.
"I am thrilled to stand here with all the close friends I have made in the last year, even though it meant living away from my family," she said.
Director of the Masters of Business Administration program Neva Maxim said the group worked very closely throughout the one-year program and had become more like family.
“It’s one of the most diverse groups we have ever had," said Ms Maxim.
"There's a wealth of information gained by having students from so many backgrounds — and they don’t shy away from saying exactly how things work in their own countries."
A cohort of students from the Bond Business School, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Society and Design have also just graduated.
An unprecedented number of Bond's successful mooters were awarded law degrees as part of the graduation, with 16 students having represented the university in Australian and international mooting competitions over the course of their studies.
Star mooters Rob Leonard and Rupert Holden, who both just graduated, together represented Bond at over ten mooting competitions including the Jessop International Law Moot, the Animal Law Moot and the International Criminal Court (ICC) Moot.
ENDS