Master's Degree Programme in Business Management gave new direction

Krishna Kanhaiya, who completed his PhD in computer science, is now a double master. In September, he graduated from Turku University of Applied Sciences' Master's Degree Programme in Business Management, and in addition to his previous Master's degree in Bioinformatics, he can now also call himself a Master of Business Administration, MBA.  

“In fact, I was inspired to pursue further studies by the attitude of other Finns towards studying. In my circle of acquaintances, there are many people who have several degrees and who want to continuously increase their skills. I thought I could do this for myself, as well," says Kanhaiya. 

Kanhaiya is currently working as a senior researcher at the University of Turku. He will continue to be interested in a career in science, but his business thinking and degree will enable him to pursue a wider range of career options. He feels that business management, project management, marketing understanding, and leadership skills can open new doors for him, whether they are in academia or business world.

Kanhaiya had not studied business management before. Although it wasn’t a daunting task to finish this MBA, he received support from his peers, and the lessons taught by professional instructors helped him advance in his studies. Throughout this study, students met regularly in offline and online classes and maintained consistent communication with one another.

Kanhaiya notes that MBA studies were very diverse. 

“For example, I studied courses from sales management, and one course on negotiation and presentation skills was particularly memorable. It was new to me. I don't have sales background, although I think it's important to learn these skills. 

Thesis for the project

Kanhaiya wrote his thesis for Turku University of Applied Sciences for the DEMS project . The aim of the DEMS (Developing e-marketing skills for the business market) project is to increase the number of digitally skilled professionals, for example, creating innovative courses. The project had conducted a survey in four European countries that needed analysis. 

“The questions primarily mapped the areas of expertise needed in digital marketing tasks and what kind of job descriptions companies have, and Krishna analysed this information in his guide. Krishna's contribution was valuable to us," says Kai Schleutker, project manager and lecturer at DEMS. 

Kanhaiya believes that this MBA will help him pursue a leadership role or take on bigger responsibilities in his career. 

“I would recommend the Turku MBA programme to many different people. It is especially suitable for someone who already has a business background, but it is not necessary. Teachers and classmates will help. The hybrid implementation was also very nice and flexible.”