Drones and Diversity

Karina-Aleksandra Pazhyna is a graduate of the Dual Degree MBA FHNW Cross-Cultural Leadership / Edinburgh Business School. In her studies, she gained new skills and the confidence to pursue new career opportunities.

Karina-Aleksandra obtained her current position as an underwriter with Global Aerospace Underwriting Managers with the help of the accomplished MBA programme. The financial, marketing and strategic subjects of the MBA complemented her more technical bachelor’s degree in aviation awarded in Ukraine.

Karina experienced different forms of diversity on the MBA programme. She found it helpful to meet people from different business sectors and countries. “The USA, the UK, Canada, South America…each student saw problems from a different angle so you could chat and see different perspectives.” Starting out in her twenties, she was also motivated by how older students with families managed the course. “I thought, ‘If they can do it, I can do it too.’”

It was an older student who encouraged Karina to go for a new job. “About halfway through the course I started questioning things. My mindset changed and I saw that I could achieve more than in the job I was in. I then found a new employer who was interested in my master’s thesis.”

Karina changed job and wrote her master’s thesis for her new employer, addressing the complexity of providing commercial insurance coverage for drones in Western Europe. She attended international drone conferences and workshops around Europe and interviewed lawyers, regulators and CEOs of drone companies.

Karina sees the MBA as a unique opportunity for personal growth. “Through the MBA I gained more confidence in my business life. I can stand up in a crowd and know what I want to say.”

Webpage Master of Business Administration (MBA) FHNW / Edinburgh Business School