Eritrean student Wafa Ibrahim Abdullah Yassin was born and raised in Saudi Arabia. The growing business opportunities in Malaysia brought her to study at Limkokwing University under the MBA in Project Management programme.
Coming to Malaysia
“After I finished my high school in Saudi Arabia, I had a couple of study destination options in Asia. I was between Malaysia and the Philippines, but I chose Malaysia because it was a new destination for students at the time. There were more opportunities for business and diversity in Malaysia compared to other countries.”
Wafa came to Malaysia end of 2011 and enrolled at a Malaysian university. “I found it difficult to transition at the university I was at and my friends recommended that I join Limkokwing University.”
“The first thing that really caught my eye was how the staff dealt with students; they were very warm and welcoming and so culturally diverse. I felt comforted that everything will go smoothly and it did.”
Malaysia’s Most International University
Wafa joined Limkokwing University in March 2013 under the Bachelor of Business (Hons) in International Business programme. She became part of the University’s student ambassadors in her second semester.
“Being a student ambassador at Limkokwing was the best experience I ever had. I had an opportunity to work with students from various countries and what amazed me was that no matter how culturally diverse we were, communication was swift among us.”
When asked about her most interesting moments Wafa said it was teaching students about her country which they were unfamiliar with. “At the time there were only two Eritreans, so at the Limkokwing Cultural festival I opened a booth which attracted a lot of people.”
“What makes Limkokwing University special is its unique environment. It has people from every corner of the world under one roof; it is indeed the most international University.”
Learning from Industry Experts
Wafa Ibrahim applauded Limkokwing University’s creative approach to learning. She mentioned that students are engaged through effective teaching methods to help them learn.
“In our class teaching is not only about reading books, we have lecturers that have been in the industry for a long time so they give us real life examples. They also give us projects that directly reflect industry practices.”
She acknowledged that the multicultural environment in class enables a unique exchange of ideas and concepts.
“Each country has a different way of doing business, so in class students shared different experiences and scenarios on how business is done in their home countries, which was very interesting. If I have any plans of doing business in any of those countries I will have an idea on where to start, because I’m already familiar with some of the concepts.”
Well-Rounded Skill Set
Limkokwing University offers a wide range of opportunities for students to further develop their skill set.
The Eritrean student had a chance to join the University’s Global University campus programme, where she engaged in company visits and industry talks with high profile professors.
“I sharpened my communication skills and also learned concrete planning skills during my student ambassador days.”
Future Plans
After graduating from her international degree in 2015, Wafa continued with the MBA in Project Management programme. She also works at the University’s Marketing department where she is advancing her skills in business.
“At first my future plans were to open up a boutique at home, but after studying here I’m thinking of going into import and export. My experience here made my vision grow.”