By Bahk Eun-ji
Lipika De from India has finished her third semester at Sungkyunkwan University SKK GSB. Waiting for her last semester, she is currently interning at one of the major advertising companies in Korea.
Although De studied engineering at West Bangal University of Technology in India, she was fascinated by social marketing, which was the main reason why she applied to SKK GSB.
Tell us a bit about yourself. What did you do in India before you came here? What made you come to Korea and choose SKK GSB of Sungkyunkwan University?
I am from Kolkata, a capital of the West Bengal state. I studied electronics and communication at Bengal University of Technology. It led me to work as an IT engineer in Hewlett Packard (HP) for three years in India before joining SKK GSB.
At HP, I desired to have a global experience and needed a turning point to advance in my career, so decided to study in Korea.
In Korea, I gradually got interested in social marketing because everyone is related to social media to some extent and it definitely is a new business platform.
Companies can connect with their clients and customers through social media. Company can “touch” their coustomers very closely. In the past, companies used to see the customers just as“purchasers,” but now they want customers to participate in the process from the beginning to the end.
I chose the Global MBA program of SKK GSB because of its faculty which consists of mostly foreigners with a lot of global experience and knowledge.
Moreover, the school collaborates with top MBA schools in the U.S. and the curriculum is similar to those of the U.S. MBA schools. I spoke to some graduates of SKK GSB who said they were satisfied with the program and the placement facilities. Today they are working in reputed companies.
How do you think education and life as a student in Korea are different from those in India?
Being a student as a foreigner is challenging in Korea, but I wanted to develop a global business outlook and pursue a global career. So that was the reason I chose to pursue an MBA abroad where I could interact with students from different countries and learn from their experiences. SKK GSB has given me that multinational and multicultural environment. I am sure this experience will help me in future.
What makes a successful MBA life? Do you have anything that you wish you had known before pursuing your MBA education?
Networking and team spirit are the most important factors for having a successful MBA life. Other than that when we work in diverse teams, understanding and respecting each other's culture and background is really important.
I wish I knew Korean very well before joining the MBA program. Though the classes are completely in English and all the students are fluent in English, knowing the local language would have helped me in understanding the Korean culture and corporate etiquettes in a better way.
What is your long-term goal? What are you going to do after graduation?
My career goal is to manage marketing and strategic planning as an executive in a global leading company.
After I graduate, I hope to work in Korea because of the better working and learning opportunities over here.