Travelling from China to the UK to study is bound to be a life-changing experience. But as Yang Zhang discovered, it also gave him a unique insight into business, different cultures and his own potential.

Having completed a BSc in Mechanical Engineering in China, Yang arrived at WMG in September 2007 to study for an MSc in Digital Manufacturing Management. What made him choose this particular course?

“First and foremost, I wanted to expand my knowledge faster and more reliably,” he said. “And this is a particularly interesting area: how companies can use new digital technologies to create, develop and bring new products to market more effectively.”

Yang was immediately impressed by the facilities on offer at Warwick. The MSc programme is based in WMG’s new £50 million Digital Lab – a world-leading centre that’s home to some of the most significant research being carried out today.

When it came to the course itself, Yang found the mix of technology and business modules extremely stimulating, as he explained: “Yes, the combination of subjects covered was a massive plus. Coming to WMG with an engineering background, it was great to learn more about how business works – and how everything can come together to create the right results. It helped me to see the whole picture.”

This was certainly reflected in Yang’s choice of subject for his dissertation project. He focused on how business can use software to more effectively support new product development, from initial concept and design through to manufacture.

“I explored new ways of working,” he said. “For many companies, there are lots of gaps in the process. I wanted to create a mechanism that would improve communication between design and manufacturing teams, pulling key information together to fulfil both technical and business requirements.”

‘Explored’ is a particularly interesting word to use, and Yang was keen to expand on this. “That’s what WMG teaches you to do. On the one hand, there’s the learning aspect of the course; the gaining of knowledge. But what really matters is how you shape your own way to find solutions in a new field. That’s the biggest thing I learned at Warwick: how to think creatively to explore and discover new solutions that make a positive impact on business.”

Having completed his course, Yang returned to China for a brief break with family before coming back to the UK to search for a job. “I lived in Manchester for a while and kept busy running my own small e-business enterprise while I looked for the right opportunity,” he explained.

Yang was soon offered an internship at WMG – and a chance to work once again in the Digital Lab. “It’s great to be involved in a really exciting project,” he said. "I’m working to develop a platform that will give small and medium sized enterprises increased visibility online. It’s all very new and we’re using leading-edge IT to make it possible. I’m very grateful to everyone at WMG for their support from the very first day I arrived here, and for giving me this excellent opportunity.”

Although Yang describes his course as hard work, he is also quick to point out just how fulfilling he found his year here: “Academically it was superb. I couldn’t have wished for more. As well as that, I particularly enjoyed meeting people from different cultures and making new friends. All in all, it was an unforgettable experience.”