Student Perspective | Reda Harma | BBA (Hons)

This degree will provide a solid foundation of a business world
18th May 2021
Reda is a student on our Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) degree. Originally from Casablanca in Morocco, Reda swapped a career in biomedical engineering to study business in Gibraltar. He tells us about his industry placement, what it is like to study here and what his future ambitions are.

What is it like to study in Gibraltar?

Gibraltar is small, but still quite diverse. People from different cultures and backgrounds live here which makes it an interesting place to study. Also, in the professional hierarchy, this diversity is noticeable. You can meet easily people from all professional layers; the communication lines are short.
What surprised me the most when I came here was the border with Spain. Two different countries with two different governments that are so related to one another due to the location. Equally surprising is the fact that Gibraltar has built a prosperous economy on services including financial services, tourism, e-gambling and maritime services.

What’s a usual week at University like?

During the week, we have lectures from 16:00 – 20:00. I am in a class with 14 international students, and three more students follow the classes online because they are currently based in India. An interesting class structure, right? But it works well! Furthermore, we have quite a social class and do lots of activities together. Most of us live in the accommodation – it’s very convenient to live that close to campus.
On weekends, we do things like go for walks to the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, explore the caves and tunnels or go to one of Gibraltar’s beaches. Morocco is close too so I am planning to go to see my family in Morocco this summer, the ferry is just 40 minutes or 45 by flight.

You’re currently on a work placement, what’s that like?

At the moment, I am going to placement from 09:00-15:00, this is a 6-weeks internship at a well-established online gambling company based in Gibraltar but operates in different jurisdictions around the world. I learn, amongst other things, how the professional environment works.
The University gave us an assessment to write a report about the company and do a deep analysis). For the report, we have to find a problem or a project that the company his dealing with. We will analyse this issue by using the theories that we learn in the course. Then we will give our recommendations or possible solutions for that relevant issue in question.
What I like from this placement is how it lets me bring the theories we learn during lectures into practice. For example, on the degree we learn about the management about cultural differences. My placement involves working with people from all over the world, with different backgrounds and communication styles. This allows me to apply to put what I have learnt into practice by applying different approaches depending on the individual.
There are also some soft skills that I have learnt, like how to collaborate with teams. And you see how a regular workday goes, including working with tasks and deadlines. This time the University arranged the company for the placement, but hopefully in the future we will be able to choose companies ourselves too, based on individual interests.

What are your plans for after graduation?

This degree will provide a solid foundation of a business world. I want to study finance, but first I need to learn about every aspect of a business. We get modules marketing, finance, accounting, management. My favourite module is finance as I like to work with numbers, but I am also highly interested in management. Because it is not only about businesses but about life in the broader sense. How to manage your time, prioritizing and the development of new goals and strategic thinking, manage change. The placement in combination with the lectures allows us to learn about the foundation of a business from a more practical point of view.
I would like to do a master’s in finance in the UK after my graduation here. Then, I am planning to work in Europe and the Middle East for a few years. I plan to work a few years in a big company to gain enough work experience and then I want to find a niche, and in that niche, I will start my own business.
  • Undergraduate
    BBA (Hons)

    Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons)

    The Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons) is a practically orientated degree, designed to provide students with a grounding in all key aspects of business; including, the development of leadership skills, critical thinking and decision-making. At the end of their first year, students are asked to select their preferred major (Accounting and Finance or Management and Marketing).[...]

    3/6 Years

    Yes Placement option

    Full/Part Time

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