Varsity Life Issue 1 by LSBF Varsity Life

V LI AR FE SI T

issue

cONTENTS A Welcome from the President of the Student Association, Asmat Ullah

A message from the Rector & CEO, Prof Maurits van Roojien

60 seconds with... This month’s 60 Seconds features LSBF LLM Graduate Effie Boutsikari...

08 03

New year's resolutions 2014 Staff & students at LSBF share their New Year’s resolutions for 2014! What’s yours?

04 05 Helping people to help themselves – Microfinance in Cambodia I am an ambitious student, currently on the MSc Finance GGSB 6 course in London. I have always been interested in the field of finance but am gradually becoming aware of the problems and moral conflicts...

06-07

Student offer Escape the cold and rain this January with an exclusive 5% discount off Your Travel Card – book a hot getaway to Portugal for just £326pp...

Exclusive Interview with LSBF Founder and Executive Chairman, Aaron Etingen...

10-11 Why i chose accountancy as a career and how LSBF supported me through the ACcA exams

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Student offer Free 7 inch HD Archos tablet for all new customers on Selected Collections

The Portuguese Crisis & the new generation of entrepreneurs The Portuguese crisis has devastated a country that was once prosperous...

Talk Back Each month we will answer questions posed to the Student Association

Next month we will bring you an exclusive interview with Rector and CEO for LSBF, Maurits Van Rooijen

GGSB notice GGSB Students have now relocated to Red Lion Street!

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A welcome from the president of the Student Association, Asmat Ullah Dear colleagues and fellow students, Happy New Year to you all! I am pleased to inform you that the pilot Issue of Varsity Life was warmly received by everyone at LSBF and it is great to see the interest and enthusiasm building up. I would like to thank you all for your support and interest in Varsity Life. This is just the beginning and I hope that it will get more and more exciting and informative as we go along. This is your newsletter and therefore your participation and involvement is key to its success. You can be part of our editorial team – whether you want to become a reporter on campus for your particular school of study or you want to contribute the occasional piece, all options are open to you. So I kindly invite you to be part of this exciting initiative and together we will be able to make it a great success! Let’s make this one of our collective New Year’s Resolutions! This month we interviewed LSBF founder and Executive Chairman Aaron Etingen to find out all about his plans for the school and his thoughts on how things went in 2013 – turn to page 10 and have a read!

A message from the Rector & CEO, Prof Maurits van Roojien Dear students, Some say that what you really need to be successful in your career is luck. I think that is true, but we should not forget that you can help your ‘luck’. Having a good degree and strong qualifications is a way to enhance your opportunities and chances, but there is more to it. Working hard on your (intercultural) people skills, learning how to function effectively in teams and enhancing your communication skills - both on a one-to-one basis and for public speaking/ writing –are just the most obvious ones which will help you along with ‘luck’ in a professional sense. Also very important is your ability to network effectively and to understand how to network. Your college creates a fertile ground for networking, but of course it is up to the individual student to take advantage of that.

So what you want to do is take full advantage of the opportunities that are offered for informal professional development whether that is in the classroom, at college, in the student association and its various sub-groupings and, of course, taking advantage of the large city you are studying in with its unique opportunities. Varsity is yet another tool which gives you an opportunity to learn informally, by writing (communication skills), by organising groups and subgroups, by joining in activities – well, whatever you want it to be! Though you cannot control ‘luck’, never forget that you can make sure the odds are stacked in your favour. And the good news is that it can be fun to do so! I hope many of you will be smart enough to get really involved in Varsity Life and make the most of every opportunity presented to you.

Asmat

Maurits

President of the Student Association ,

Rector & CEO of : London school of business & Finance,

president@sa.lsbf.org.uk

Rector@lsbf.org.uk

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New year 2014

New year's resolutions

2014 Staff & students at LSBF share their New Year’s resolutions for 2014! What’s yours?

Travel a lot and meet lots of new people along the way. Sri Harsha Phanideep G To stop following the Kardashians’ lives and make one of my own! Beenish Niaz I want to do lots of things differently this year. The possibilities are endless! Haseeb Khan

To put my ideas into action, so 2014 should be a year of action, action and more action! Asmat Ullah, President of LSBF SA The Student Engagement Team will continue to improve how we engage with our students and have great plans in development, to take our student experience to new heights! Anthony Grimes, Student Engagement Manager, LSBF

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Finishing ACCA in June has got to be one of them, if that happens then I’ll go on a long holiday! Continue to get better at my job and keep learning. Other than that the usual, lose some weight, eat better, play and watch more football! David Taylor To make this year even better than the last one! Grigor Davtyan

New year 2014

A few New Year

tips for students: Clear out the clutter

Separate everything by things to “keep,” things to “donate” and things

to “throw away.”

Stop procrastinating

start that

Be more positive believe the glass

essay today is half full

not tomorrow. not half empty.

An excerpt from

“New Year”

by Tanzilya Abilmazhinova “For me, the fairytale was everywhere. It coiled around the tree, hidden under twinkling garlands; bubbled in my mother’s cooking; rustled through festive paper as books, films, chocolates were unwrapped. And then the fireworks started. The old year spent itself in thundering cracks, painful light. To usher in what? Every year we prayed for the new, believed tomorrow would be different. How could it not be? What purpose would a New Year serve, if everything remained the same?”

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C m

a B

o i

d a

Helping people to help themselves â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

Microfinance in Cambodia By Caroline Poll, MSc Finance GGSB 6

I am an ambitious student, currently on the MSc Finance GGSB 6 course in London. I have always been interested in the field of finance but am gradually becoming aware of the problems and moral conflicts that this career aspiration entails. Therefore I would like to concentrate on the innovative and social sector of the banking business with a focus on Economic Empowerment, Business Development and Environment. I believe that the basic idea of financing is to lend money not only in order to make money, but to promote economic growth and development. I am also interested in development aid and the active contribution in developing countries.

Even though my interests seem to be mutually exclusive, I have finally discovered an intersection in financial system development, thus the promotion of financial inclusion. After volunteering for two months in South Africa, I spent two months in an NGO in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, working in the field of Microfinance. The experience was highly instructive, personally as well as with regards to my knowledge of Microfinance. I think that the systematic approach behind Microfinance is fascinating. I am keen to learn more about the idea and the challenges concerning this type of financial service by directly coming into contact with the final beneficiaries.

I am planning to donate the interest on the loan to the NGO in Phnom Penh that I worked for in 2012. If he manages to set up the whole project properly, the loan agreement will be renewed and the terms and conditions adjusted in order to gradually benefit the borrowers. I am still working on getting the funding together for the project by collecting donations. Additionally, I have also made a partial disbursement in order to get the project on track and to see whether everything is working the way I anticipated.

For that reason I started to work on my own Microfinance project. I would like to help a friend of mine who I got to know in Phnom Penh. He is a tuktuk driver with some experience in the lending business, who would like to start his own microfinance business. I am planning to give him a loan in order to get the business started by lending the money to people as a Microcredit.

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The idea is to publish the whole process as well as the outcome on my blog to enable people to actually see what is happening to their donation. If you are interested in supporting my project, you are very welcome to have a look at my project blog: www.microfinancecambodia. blogspot.com Thank you for taking the time to read about my project, if you have any questions on this subject or would like to know more please forward them to varistylife@lsbf.org.uk.

seconds with

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given? My mom always told me: “If I am not for me, who will be? If I am only for me, what am I? If not now, when?” I think it means: “Sort yourself out, protect yourself and ensure your own survival – if you don’t, you can’t achieve anything. However, selfishness is empty, so ensure that you make a positive difference to others, and do it now”. What is your favourite motto?

Effie Boutsikari, LSBF LLM Graduate:

If you don’t have passion, then you have nothing. If you don’t believe in what you are doing, why would anyone else?

I just graduated in December from the University of Bradford in partnership with London School of Business and Finance with a postgraduate degree LLM (Masters of Laws) in International Business Law.

Which other subject would you study if not the current one?

Where were you born?

What is your dream job?

I was born in Queens, New York, USA and I have both American and Greek nationality.

Associating with people from all over the world either in the legal or public- relations department of a global organization.

Which part of London are you living in now? In 2012 and 2013 whilst studying in London I lived in the very vibrant, hipster area of Camden Town, near the MTV Music studios, now I have moved out of London.

If you could have one superpower what would it be? To make others smile at no cost I am an extrovert personality, so I just love making the people close to me feel happy and comfortable.

Where would your dream home be?

Who is your idol?

Anywhere in the world, as long as I am happy with myself.

My father, who unfortunately passed away when I was very young. However, his spiritual presence overcomes any physical barrier; a man who immigrated to the States at a young age and through hard work managed to accomplish a lot without knowing the language or the culture. He is a true inspiration.

What was your first job? My first job –if you can call it that, was teaching English to friends and acquaintances but formally, my first job was my legal internship in a law firm in Athens in 2009.

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Definitely something that involves luxury management and fashion. In my leisure time I just love investigating the new trends in stores and am currently working on my personal fashion blog. Why is education important to you? I firmly believe that education is a matter of strong significance, since it helps you realise your potential, which allows you to empower yourself to do more than you thought you could. And finally what is your new year’s resolution for 2014? To travel as much as I can, whenever the opportunity arises. I believe that travelling is the best investment someone can ever make with their extra money; learning new customs, mentalities, and culture is truly priceless. Thank you, Effie!

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exclusive

interview With

LSBF Founder and Executive Chairman, Aaron Etingen

What was the greatest highlight of 2013 for you?

achievement for the group which we are all very proud of.

How would you describe your leadership style?

We had a number of exciting developments; including setting up a partnership with the online division of Cornell University, eCornell, and generally we started to become a lot more active in the US. A leading business school in Germany also joined our group. We made significant progress in building LSBF’s global infrastructure. We opened a new campus in Billiter Street, right in the heart of the City, spanning some 60,000 ft of Grade A space as well as a new building in Red Lion Street, and, internationally, in Singapore and Toronto, which are also now Grade A campuses. Not forgetting, the proud moment of meeting Her Majesty the Queen and receiving the Queen’s Award for Enterprise – a fantastic

Can you name a person who has had a big impact on you as an entrepreneur and explain how they have influenced you?

There is a difference between leadership style and management style. Politicians can be great leaders but they don’t need to be great managers, whereas in the world of business, one must be both a leader and a manager. In the SME environment when you run a medium size enterprise you need all sorts of qualities. In my case, I start with a vision of where we want to get to, then I bring a team on board to deliver the how and when, I like to empower people and give them the opportunity to express themselves and then I will challenge them to achieve superior results.

I am inspired by the likes of Walt Disney and Steve Jobs - even though some may disagree – they did not live to see the pinnacle of their company’s success but they could visualise it, innovate and create their own reality. These are the people who inspire me. What is the one character trait you believe every leader should possess? Leadership! But, in all seriousness, there are many qualities which leaders should have – integrity, loyalty, vision, the ability to make people feel part of something bigger.

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exclusive

How do you encourage creative thinking within the organisation and where do the great ideas come from within your organisation? I think what’s important is giving people the opportunity to talk and listen, having constant focus on research and product design. Where creativity is needed, we have groups dedicated to driving innovation across the business from a product design and content perspective. Areas like Communications and Product Design are the ones that require the most creativity. We work with the relevant industries to understand what their needs are and then look to reflect that in our programmes. That dialogue between industry and academia is key. When you are faced with two equally qualified candidates, how do you determine who to hire? It is rare to come across two totally equally qualified candidates. People are very different, roles are very different. I look for people who are passionate about what they do, who live and breathe their job and express themselves through their job. At LSBF, employees need to have a passion for the education industry, for the students themselves, and the desire to make a positive impact on students’ experience, lives and careers.

exclusive

What is your advice to LSBF students who want to do well in their careers? Globally, LSBF students are already part of a very exciting community. My advice would be to look at the fact that the world is changing, it is becoming competitive and industries are more volatile than ever. In order to build a successful career you need to do well while the economy is doing well but it’s also about being able to do well in the downturn. It’s about being competitive, having international exposure, gaining cutting edge work experience in your field, always learning and developing new skills, always challenging yourself – don’t stay in your comfort zone. Foreign languages are great and networking is important – build relationships while you are still a student, your peers are also your future network and will be part of your success in the future. What are you looking to achieve in 2014? I want to move LSBF from being a Business School to becoming a Business Hub. We want to be in a situation where businesses come to LSBF, not just for educational needs but for any need, whether that be to set up a business plan, marketing plan, HR strategy, raising capital etc. and placing LSBF students at the heart of that. We have a phenomenal business network in the UK and globally. That network can help organisations and entrepreneurs.

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exclusive

The idea is that every professor and lecturer will be working with their relevant industry, helping entrepreneurs and businesses to achieve their objectives and engaging students in the process. The idea is all about engaging students and lecturers to grow companies. This is one of the primary structural changes I am looking to introduce this year. If you were down to your last £1,000 how would you spend it and why? I would start a company. What would you say the next direction for education is? After spending time with political leaders and business leaders, I believe there is potential for cross-disciplinary education, which is much wider than the current education framework engineers who understand business, business people who understand science, creating modern day Da Vincis. Another area for development would be classroom engagement. I don’t believe in ‘one-way’ teaching, if students are learning on campus and coming to class they need to be actively engaged and doing things in class they could not do at home or on YouTube.

Why I chose

ACCOUNTANCY as a career

AND HOW LSBF SUPPORTED ME

THROUGH THE ACCA EXAMS Namita Gupta, ACCA student Choosing a career at the age of 18 may sound a little premature to some - how do you know if you will be happy in the career path you choose and if it will meet all your expectations?

The experience of choosing your career path can be daunting. To be honest, I too like many of you was not sure what I wanted to become. I just knew I wanted to do a job that was challenging, rewarding and fulfilling. I always loved number crunching and was keen to know more about the financial issues that surround our economy. After embarking upon my journey and gaining a First Class honours

degree in Economics and Finance from Brunel University, the question arose again. I knew I had to make my final decision. I decided to choose ACCA as it was a professional and reputable qualification which allowed me to educate myself further. It also gave me the opportunity to work in different areas of accounting, such as Management Accounts, Financial Management and Financial Reporting.

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Although there were many colleges to choose from, LSBF, in particular, stood out due to the well regarded lecturers and the staff who were very patient and helpful in making my decision. My experience at LSBF has been a great and one and very memorable. The teachers have been brilliant and are extremely passionate about the subject they teach along with providing excellent study materials . The mock examinations have been a very useful tool in practicing time management and examstyle questions - they helped me gain first time passes for the majority of my exams. I have met wonderful people from multicultural backgrounds and have really enjoyed sharing different life experiences with them. I have met many friends who I cherish and who will always be an integral part of my life, as well as meeting the love of my life in a Taxation lecture! Following my studies, I have been successful in getting a full time job in the NHS as a Senior Finance Analyst. Working for the NHS has been a very rewarding experience and I have been able to apply the knowledge I gained from studying for the ACCA qualification. My role is varied and holds a significant amount of financial responsibility in ensuring the budgets, monthly variance analysis and forecasting figures are accurate. Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic conditions are unfavourable and there are also funding constraints on the public sector including the NHS, but I thoroughly enjoy my role and working in such a challenging environment.

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THE PORTUGUESE CRISIS &THE NEW

GENERATION OF ENTREPRENEURS By Daniel Milheiro (MDP)

The Portuguese crisis has devastated a country that was once prosperous. A new generation of entrepreneurs is emerging and fighting for the countryÂ´s growth.

aims to recover the countryÂ´s reliability and to allow the return of economy to a sustainable growth while preserving financial stability of Portugal.

Since 2008, a combination of bad government policies and global financial crisis has brought Portugal almost to bankruptcy. This is now a depressed country, where there is no money. Unemployment rates assume historical values (16,3 % in September), the purchasing power is low, this is a country where everything is on sale and nothing is sold. As a result of this depression, Portugal has officially requested financial help from the European Union, the member states of the Euro area and the International Monetary Fund, in April of 2011. This assistance is intended to support a policies program that

The crisis created an entrepreneurial environment never experienced before. A new generation of highly qualified entrepreneurs emerged and is proving that while the country is in arrears to the level of economic development relative to other EU countries, there is potential for growth. The state has realised that young people and entrepreneurship can be a factor for economic leverage and therefore created a set of policies to support start-ups, support human resources hiring and to improve the process of creating and maintaining a company.

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These government support policies combined with the will of young entrepreneurs meant that new companies and start-ups emerged all over the country, as well as business incubators. An example of this is the Science of Technology Park of the University of Porto. This project started in 2007 and currently has about 120 incubated companies (start-ups and companies). This year, it was considered one of the best incubators in Europe. The Portuguese entrepreneurial environment is so intense that too many young entrepreneurs believe that they will be the next Mark Zuckerberg. This may be a good driving force, if not taken to extremes. What happens is that sometimes this will lead to constrain some entrepreneurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future. Recently, state reforms began to translate into more positive indicators of growth. Gradually, the Portuguese are gaining hope, with the belief that the crisis is about to end. It is during hard times that we see the hero within us and this generation of young Portuguese entrepreneurs can be considered heroes. They reacted to the crisis with work and perseverance and are proving to be an important asset to the country.

Talk

Back Next month...

Each month we will answer questions posed to the Student Association. It could be about student life, exam tips, local restaurant suggestions, accommodation enquiries and current affairsâ&#x20AC;Ś let us know what is on your mind!

we will bring you an exclusive interview with Rector and CEO for LSBF, Maurits Van Rooijen Do you want to know how LSBF started, who inspires him or what his tips would be for any budding entrepreneurs? If so, send us your questions to varsitylife@lsbf.org.uk. Stay tuned!

Send us your questions for the next edition: varsitylife@lsbf.org.uk!

GGSB NOTICE

GGSB Students have now relocated to Red Lion Street! We hope that they are enjoying their new surroundings and wish them all the best for their studies this year!

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VARSITY LIFE LSBF Student association Newsletter issue 1