Taiwan SMD Student 2016-17

“I discovered how theoretical concepts translate into business solutions”

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“After gaining my first degree in International Tourism Management in 2016, I was interested in developing my understanding of how businesses can provide a better service to customers. Service science is a rapidly growing area and I wanted to explore the ideas, thinking and practical techniques that are driving it. I was also looking to develop my leadership and management skills.

When I researched postgraduate courses, WMG’s combination of module subjects looked fascinating and the programme seemed ideally suited to me. There’s also the fact that WMG’s Service Systems research group works closely with major manufacturing businesses like BAE Systems and IBM.

Once I began my MSc course, I quickly discovered that the whole style of learning is very different and this was completely new to me. At university in Taiwan, the focus was on sitting in lectures, listening and making notes. But at WMG, we were encouraged to ask questions, collaborate and contribute.

Space and freedom

The lecturers provided us with the broad direction to take, then gave us the space and freedom to explore and be creative. I found this a little difficult at first but I soon discovered what a liberating experience it is.

My tutors were always encouraging me to be inventive and investigate new areas - and they gave me constant feedback. If I was not on the right path, they would not just tell me I was wrong, but guide and steer me towards the right direction. They proved to me that I have the potential to be successful – and thanks to them, my confidence grew throughout the year.

Each module has an intensive week of teaching, though this doesn’t just consist of lectures. The mornings are devoted to learning theory, while in the afternoons we had the chance to put that theory onto practice - with group work and simulations for example. Through these, you discover how the ideas and concepts translate into practical business solutions. It shows you how things work in the real world.

Cleverly designed

As I worked through the year, another thing I noticed is how all of the different modules bind together to give a strong and broad basis of fundamental knowledge. What I learned in one module fed into others to build this understanding. It’s very cleverly designed.

When I finish my course I’ll be travelling back to Taiwan for a vacation before moving to Beijing to begin an internship in a restaurant incubation business. That’s really exciting: I will be using what I learned at WMG to help entrepreneurs to launch their new ventures and deliver an exceptional customer experience at every touchpoint.

All of the subjects we covered have combined to give me a knowledge of how to create a better product, understand consumer behavior and reach out to customers in a way that will drive business growth. It has been a thoroughly transformational experience for me.”