Why did you choose to study at LUMS?

After completing my bachelor’s in Finance and, then, starting my professional career as an IT Consultant, I quickly realised that the future of finance will be driven by people’s ability to apply quantitative, statistical and technical skills to analyse information. In fact, any industry these days needs graduates who are able to understand statistical modelling in the context of the growing, and increasingly complex, data available. Thus, I chose to study Operational Research at LUMS, strongly believing that the course would help me to develop the technical expertise needed for a successful career in the financial services organisations of the future.

What was the best thing about your course?

I truly enjoyed studying Master’s in Operational Research (Business Analytics) at LUMS. The degree has greatly enhanced my skills in a variety of fields, such as statistics, optimisation, data mining and data visualisation. Also, the programme offered me enough opportunities to get into core programming, developing knowledge in subjects that are crucial for managing the vast and ever-so-complex information landscape. Furthermore, I am confident saying that the Data Mining course taught by Dr Nicos Pavlidis is the best academic experience I have ever had in my life.

Describe your time at LUMS in three words:

International, rewarding, hands-on.

What are the best things about living in the Lancaster area?

I believe that LUMS provides excellent working and recreation facilities for graduate students. Besides the course itself, being part of the collegiate system was a truly rewarding experience. Graduate College offered a range of facilities and services, helpful porters, designated learning spaces and the Herdwick. Although, I wasn’t a loyal grad bar customer - staying in the Family accommodation together with my partner, a third year Marketing student, provided stability and security during my Master’s studies.

What impact has your Lancaster experience had on your career?

The programme highly improved my computational and analytical skills, which are crucial in my professional life building data-driven solutions and analysing experimental findings. The course also helped me to be recognised - my profile has attracted a lot of interest from the recruitment teams giving me a chance to speak with the top players in the technology industry.