International Finance & Economic Policy

Comments from students

Stavros Derdas, 2008/09
"The MSc International Finance and Economic Policy programme offers you an interdisciplinary training in the fields of economics and finance.  I consider this to be the greatest strength of this programme because it clearly expands your career horizons."

Kayode Adepegba, 2007/08
"Since completing my degree, I have registered as a full-time student, studying for an ACCA qualification at Kaplan Financial, Glasgow.  Thanks to my MSc, first and foremost, my knowledge base has increased. Whilst studying for this degree, I can honestly say that I’ve been able to distinguish different distinct aspects of finance and their relevance and importance, which before attending the course, I just did not know.  I very much enjoyed the practicality of some of the courses that I took, in terms of the relevance to previous and ongoing international situations.  In terms of usefulness, I feel the course has satisfied a much-needed, sound finance background or foundation.  So much so that I’m fairly certain which aspects of finance I would like to take my career in.

In the foreseeable future, I would like to be a finance manager, in the region of pure corporate finance and taking courses, particularly in International Corporate Finance, International Financial Management and Financial Sector Stability and Growth, have given some guiding light.

I’m appreciative to Economics for holding this programme jointly with Accounting and Finance. It is one that fulfils the needs of students wishing to lean in either direction, in my case finance, whilst still gaining some important knowledge in economic issues.

While so much may not be known before attending any chosen degree, over the course of the entire programme, it’s important that every student find outs which aspects of the degree, with respect to course choices, that satisfy their interest; such will, even in the smallest way, contribute to the next step on their career path."

Susana Isabel Teixeira de Matos Rosa, 2007/08
"Following my degree, I took up a position with the African Development Bank (Tunis-Tunisia)¹ within the ORRU - Partnerships and Cooperation Unit.  My MSc programme was crucial to start a career within the financial sector or, more precisely, in the area of finance and economic development. Together with my Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations, it allowed me to gain the single opportunity of working within the ORRU.  Furthermore, it has everything to do with my interest in working with issues related to the Millennium Development Goals and assist the preparation of meetings involving national countries, ONGs and international institutions to debate and contribute to sustainable development in Africa. In addition, I believe that this traineeship will give me a solid background for a future PhD in Economics.

My main piece of advice for prospective Economics postgraduate students is to take every single advantage of the great opportunity of studying in Glasgow. First Economics has a very good reputation worldwide. For instance, the AfDB’s president, Mr Donald Kaberuka, holds an MPhil in Economics and an honorary degree from Glasgow University. Then, the University and the whole city offer excellent working conditions in terms of friendly people and staff, equipment and the relaxing environment required for a good work. Economics also gives you the opportunity of attending very interesting and useful conferences, which stress up-to-date contents of the economics world. These will surely enrich your knowledge background as well as provide useful insights for your academic dissertation. Finally, and above all, those, who like me, are from outside the UK and English is not their first language, will find...an amazing international office which takes care of your integration within the academic context and the Scottish culture. For instance, it promotes trips and events to show you the wonders of Scotland as well as courses to improve your English skills and the techniques of preparing and writing a very good dissertation. For all of this, I strongly recommend the University of Glasgow for everyone who intends to pursue postgraduate studies."

¹Through INOV CONTACTO, an international training programme for young Portuguese graduates managed by AICEP Global Portugal (Business Development Agency) and promoted by the Ministry of Economy and Innovation of Portugal.

Matthias Hilgert, 2004/05
"One of my key reasons for deciding to take my degree in the Centre for Development Studies was how students were treated. This began with how they responded to my queries before I arrived in Glasgow - personal and specific replies rather than standard responses that didn't answer my questions. It then continued throughout the year. To sum up my experience in CDS - I had one of the best years of my life, I studied and learned a lot, I enjoyed Scotland, met many interesting people and made lifelong friends.

Before I came to Glasgow, I completed a banking apprenticeship at the Aareal Bank, Germany and studied Business Economics in Mainz, Germany. During and after my studies, I worked at Aareal Bank Group in different positions for several years, latterly as a business consultant in the IT-department. After graduating as an MPhil, I started as a research associate and PhD student at Frankfurt School of Finance and Management in Germany. My main fields of research were boundary decisions on business process level and modularisation of business processes. After submitting my thesis in 2009, I joined Capgemini Consulting as a senior consultant in the CFO-Strategy practice."

Giti Khalid, 2004/05
"I consider myself to be extremely fortunate to have had an opportunity to study in one of the finest institutions in the world. The blend of international students with experienced faculty in the most conducive environments has groomed me well to take up teaching assignments in Pakistan. I feel confident and fully prepared. I would like to invite all those who are in pursuit of excellence to come and study in this prestigious institute of Scotland provided they can brave the bad weather! I am proud to be an alumnus of the University of Glasgow."

Audrey Said, 2004/05
"I am a Maltese student who graduated from the MPhil in International Finance and Economic Policy. I knew I wanted to study in Scotland and chose Glasgow for a variety of reasons: firstly, it is considered to be one of the best universities in macroeconomics and its reputation places it as one of the top 20 universities in the UK. Secondly, the Centre for Development Studies offers a very wide variety of programmes from which I could easily choose a programme that coincided with my interests. Thirdly, the assistance I received from CDS, both before and after enrolment, was superb. I use to send emails and receive an answer within the same day. It was brilliant! Once I started the course, I realised that University of Glasgow was the right choice. The teaching staff always showed utmost professionalism and attention to student needs. All comments and queries were always greeted with a smile and acted upon immediately, particularly by Dr Paloni, the director of CDS. Thanks to all the staff at CDS, my experience at the University of Glasgow was a very pleasant one and I would not hesitate to recommend the centre to anyone. I can now say that I gained my masters degree from a great university and experienced it with a smile on my face!"

Nirwan Noh, 2003/04
"Frankly speaking, it has been a wonderful experience and I will be recommending the programmes offered by CDS to my friends back in Malaysia. Particular benefits of studying with CDS in Glasgow included the good class sizes; the base in the Adam Smith Building where all classes were held meant a sense of belonging to the department could be created; there is a good mix of students of different nationalities; the Adam Smith Library provides a dedicated place for CDS students to study, which is really helpful; computing facilities in terms of computer per student are very good. Last but not least, everyone at CDS is so nice to the students. Therefore, students have no hesitation to approach them."