Meet Soliman Naguib, an Egyptian alumnus from the International Master in Marketing from the class of 2020. As soon as he finished his master’s degree at EADA, he got accepted in the Double degree programme at EDHEC Business School. He pursued a Master in Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management where he learned not only how to be a successful entrepreneur but also how to innovate and create within existing organisations. There he stood up for his performance, reaching the top 3 best students in his programme (Top 5% of 43 students) and acted as the class delegate.We got in touch with him and asked him about his experience in EADA, the double-degree programme and how this experience has influenced his future plans.
How would you describe your experience at EADA and what did you gain from the International Master in Marketing programme?
My time at Eada was an eye opening experience for me. I still remember the first week at EADA, I had learned that week more than I had ever learnt in such a short time. From there on I knew that the case based methodology used at EADA combined with the experienced professors and the small classrooms was the ideal setting to excel. This environnement allowed me to participate everyday in conversations with like minded people about burning topics in Marketing. After completing this programme I felt I was ready to enter the business world as I was confident that the combination of hard and soft skills that I had developed at EADA matched what recruiters wanted.
After your Master’s degree at EADA you decided to take part in the exchange programme at EDHEC Business School in France. What led you to apply for this double degree programme? Did you get assistance from EADA during the process?
The decision of applying to this double degree programme was fueled by my desire to take any opportunity to continue learning and strengthen my package. After discovering that EADA offered double degree spots in several world class business schools such as EDHEC Business School, I didn’t even hesitate to apply. The support that EADA gave me during the application process, the acceptance process and throughout the year was unparalleled. Having constant advice from my Programme Director M. Antony Lewis Poole and Ms Mar Ribas from the exchange department was a real game changer for assisting me in taking these decisions that I couldn’t be happier with.
Becoming a subject matter expert in different fields has enabled me to develop a holistic view of things.
Do you think the double degree has opened up more doors for opportunities? What are the benefits of having a double degree?
Pursuing this double degree is helping achieve my career goals in many different ways. Becoming a subject matter expert in different fields has enabled me to develop a holistic view of things. Combining the knowledge that I got from two world class business schools has given me the edge when it comes to certain topics because I had been exposed to these topics in two different settings. Being exposed to different cultures has opened my eyes to better understand cross cultural differences when for example analysing business trends in different markets.
What are your future career plans? How do you think this double degree can help you achieve your career goals?
I am currently working as a Junior Programme Manager in the Strategic initiatives team at a global leading marketplace group as part of an International graduate programme. My goal is to become an intrapreneur within the organisation by innovating and supporting the group in its strategy. Having a double degree helped me have an edge when applying and being offered one of the five spots. Having been exposed to different cultures during my two Masters programmes, I connect very quickly with people around me, really enabling me to adapt quickly to fast paced environments. This double degree programme is one of the best things that happened to my career as it opened my eyes to what type of career I want to have and the role I would like to occupy one day.
What would you advise to students who are considering a double degree programme?
Pursuing a double degree is the right decision if you are looking to continue developing your knowledge in a certain field and confirming your position as a subject matter expert or if you want to add additional knowledge and perspective to your package. The advantages of pursuing a double degree are many, you get the opportunity to discover a new culture in another world class business school that in turn strengthens your network and your overall package.