Fatih Ayoglu    Turkey   EBM Graduate 2007-2008

“Warwick is a great place to live and study”

Coming to Warwick from another country doesn’t just mean getting used to a whole new academic environment. It means becoming acclimatised to an entirely different culture too. But as Fatih Ayoglu discovered when he arrived from Turkey, there’s all the support a student needs to help them fit in straight away.

“I came to WMG in September 2007, and first of all attended the University’s orientation program,” explained Fatih. “This was excellent. It helped me to quickly understand WMG and how my course would be run. It also helped me to socialise easily within the university, so I got to know my fellow students. Coming to a new university in a new country is not easy, but the orientation made sure that I soon settled in.”

Once his one-year MSc course in Engineering Business Management began, Fatih found himself building on the knowledge and expertise he had gained from his engineering background.

“Every one of the modules was very interesting in its own right,” he said. “During the programme I studied a wide range of subjects from project management and control to financial analysis, logistics and the global business environment. Each of these areas dovetailed together to form a very well-rounded understanding of how engineering organisations operate in today’s world.”

Fatih also found that the ‘real-world’ industry experience of WMG’s teaching staff was a major advantage. “They are expert on their fields,” he commented. “So I knew that everything I learned was current, important and relevant to business. The industry case-studies we looked at added to this.”

When it came to his dissertation project, Fatih’s chosen subject was “Strategies of Japanese Car Manufacturers in Europe”. This brought together what he had learned at WMG with his particular interest in automobile manufacturers and how they could continue to succeed in a changing global economy.

“I compared the strategies of different manufacturers,” he described. “My goal was to find new and innovative ways to achieve a better share of the European market. Although I focused on car manufacturing, my findings could easily applied to other area and industries like biomedical or electronics.”

Talking to Fatih, it soon became clear that his dissertation project research was testing and challenging, though he was very keen to point out the support he received from his supervisor: “John was always there for help and guidance when I needed it. His support was extremely valuable, particularly since he has professional experience with Honda. Although I am not a native English speaker, communication with him was never a problem. He was always very patient and understanding.”

After finishing his studies in September 2008, Fatih moved back to Turkey while he considered his next career move. That wasn’t long coming, and after just a couple of months he returned to England to start work as a project supervisor with St Jude Medical UK Ltd, part of a US-based international medical device company.

“My MSc from Warwick was definitely an advantage when it came to finding a job,” he said. “Warwick has an outstanding reputation and that is recognised by employers.”

When asked to describe his time at WMG in one sentence, Fatih struggled a little - so we let him have two! “Warwick is a great place to live and study,” he said. “I was very happy during my year there and I am still very happy to be a graduate of this globally-renowned university and department.”