Alex Smith

By Valdemar Hedegaard

Meet Alexander James Smith, but feel free to call him “Alex”. In this edition of the IBP of the issue, we are honored to present The Renaissance Man of IBP, namely Alex. He is currently entering his 4th semester of IBP, while working as a writer for a software company, where he works with many different fields, including marketing, technical writing, and corporate communications. In this issue Alex will tell us a bit about his (crazy) path to IBP, his active engagement in the IBP study board, his top places to travel and his overall advice to his fellow peers.

We do however recommend sitting down with Alex and hearing his story. He has the broadest field of interest of anyone we’ve ever met – and at the young age of 34, he just might have some great advice for all.

From making movies, to shaking drinks behind the bar and now IBP?

The story of Alex and his road to IBP can best be described as a butterfly fluttering in the wind. His story seems to be driven by a lust to understand things – and by things, we pretty much mean everything. From a very early age, in England, he garnered an interest in math and physics, wanting to understand the functioning of the universe, while also being very interested in the humanism of the arts and design. He actually wanted to study physics when he first started university back in 2006, but he made a sudden change of heart and decided to study a Bachelor of Arts in film & television production. He graduated in 2009, but opportunities were scarce at the height of the financial crisis, which made it very difficult for him to pursue a career within the field. He does however still love movies and wishes he had the time to watch more.

Fast forward to 2014, at the age of 25, Alex made the move to Copenhagen, partially sparked by a long fascination with the Nordic Model. Here, he got a job at a bar and worked for several different establishments, where he rapidly gained management experience. This provided an initial beginning into understanding management and organizations in practicality. However, having a curious mind, he had a broader interest in exploring how organizations act within the world and how the world affects the actions of the organizations within it. Here he hit the nail on the head in choosing to pursue a degree in IBP, where he resides today.

The generational gap

Given that Alex is currently 34 years old, which is 12 years above that of the average IBP student, we had to address the elephant in the room –the generational gap. However, Alex does not seem to mind, or even notice. He mentions that due to the open-mindedness, intelligence, and maturity of his peers, the age difference has not had any noticeable effect. As a matter of fact, he encourages older students like himself who wish to pursue a degree to take the plunge and send in their applications.

Top 3 places to see

We asked Alex about his top 3 places to see and the answers were very unexpected.

1. Nørrebro

He shows much love for the neighborhood of Nørrebro in Copenhagen. He describes it as gritty and honest, while at the same time being friendly and down to earth.

2. Islay

A relatively large island located off the west coast of Scotland. He recommends a visit here, due to its natural beauty, rich history, and unique culture. The island is known for its rugged landscapes, picturesque beaches, crystal-clear waters, and long summer sunsets.

3. The Manly Ferry – specifically at the moment when Sydney Harbour comes into view

When Alex describes the Manly Ferry’s journey into central Sydney, it sounds like a completely utopian setting. Naturally, many ordinary citizens take this ferry to and from work on a daily basis, and might not pay full attention. However, if you manage to step back from the moment and admire the never-ending blue ocean, the beautiful architecture of Sydney and the prominence of the arts-dedicated Opera House, it is one of the most stunning ferry rides in the world.

So to put this into perspective with the pace of our daily life in Copenhagen, he advises people to sometimes stop, breathe, and actively take in their surroundings. We sometimes tend to filter out the beautiful surroundings of our everyday life and even the most amazing landscapes are sometimes ignored. He insists that everyone can do this on command, with a little reflection.

The importance of the study board

As most students at IBP know, Alex has been invested in the study board and its activities. Throughout our conversation with him, he greatly advocates that students participate in the opportunities available for them to be involved at CBS, whether that’s the study board, academic council, or any other. As he explains, it is vital that students build relationships with people who aren’t just on their course, but who are also doing a hard job teaching and administering their course and have incredible knowledge about their work. At the same time, having the opportunity to be in a room filled with many different interests and discussing solutions that satisfy multiple parties is a very unique and much-needed skill to possess. He also reiterates that the study board should be regarded as a place where information is collected and processed and important forward-thinking decisions are made, and those decisions need student representation, but it is not necessarily a place where students simply want their wishes taken and expect them to be granted.

Advice for fellow IBP students

Alex had one very unique piece of advice, for both young and old:

“Remember that you are in dialogue with the world in which you live.”

To elaborate, he says that as IBP students, we are constantly told that we are on a good track to succeed in the world. But if you succeed individually, in a way that doesn’t help the world actively avoid crashing and burning, then it’s going to be a very short and quite unhappy victo ry, because you are ultimately damaging the place in which you yourself live.