Student Perspective | Luke Kou | MBA

Education is never just for a period of time, but a continuous development.
6th April 2021
Luke Kou is an entrepreneur and student on our Masters of Business Administration. Originally from Hong Kong, Luke moved to Gibraltar after living and working in England for over a decade. He was drawn to the MBA by a desire to improve his business model by making it more financially beneficial whilst being ethical. He enjoys Gibraltar’s weather, its family-friendly community and says it is “a good communication and connection point”.

Tell us a little about yourself

My name is Luke and I was born in Beijing. After spending my youth there, I lived in England for over a decade, before moving down to Gibraltar two and a half years ago. What I’ve found is that, after living in Manchester and London, life here in Gibraltar for my wife and I, our three little ones,  is just perfect. Firstly because of the weather, but also because it is an interesting place with a very nice society which is good for family life. Gibraltar is a good communication and connection point that makes it good for business.

Why did you decide to study this programme?

I’ve been running my own Event Management and PR Agency business with offline events as the main focus. Of course, due to the current situation we could not travel and had to change the focus of our work. One of my friends said she would join the classes here and I thought it could be interesting for me as well, which is how I ended up doing the MBA programme here at the University of Gibraltar.

What makes this course compelling for you?

I’ve been running my business from knowledge gained through my professional experience rather than from an academic background. Here at the University of Gibraltar, I have learned quite a few theories that help me to think in a more logical way. I want to use the management skills I learn here to improve my business model, make it more beneficial financially, while also ethical. It also gives me the chance to learn a little bit more about accounting and law. My business has its own accounting team and financial advisers, and we bring in legal consultants for larger projects. However, sometimes I struggle to understand their language and see eye to eye with them, which can make managing an international team difficult. The programme has given me a better understanding of business language which is very beneficial for our communication.

How is it informing your current business practices?

On the programme, we have many guest speakers who share their industry experience, so we are not only learning about our own businesses, but also about other businesses from a very wide range of industries. I think every single module, including finance, management, leadership, law, etc. effectively cover ethical and environmental solutions. Previously, I didn’t have an awareness for sustainability, but the programme helps me to put all of these aspects together and look for a more innovative and sustainable business model.

What’s your experience of the University so far?

What I like the most about studying at the University of Gibraltar is the location, the weather comes first for me, even before the business opportunities.
The staff, lecturers and students are all nice, we have time for conversations and can make important networking connections, thanks to the small class sizes of 10-15 people, which are really good. My classmates come from very different sectors, but I am very positive that we will stay in touch with each other after this program.

What comes for you after graduation?

Education is never just for a period of time, but a form of continuous development. After my graduation I hope to continue the good relationship I have with everyone at the University. I have a couple of projects that are ongoing right now, which I am using as a case study for one of my current assignments. I am thinking about setting up a studio for my business in Europe. This programme gave me the chance to sit down and improve my business model, giving me new ideas on how we can save our client’s money and also make the business more sustainable and environmental-friendly.
  • Postgraduate
    MA

    MA in Leadership and Management

    Unlock your strategic leadership potential with this dynamic, learner-focussed programme. [...]

    1/2/4 Years

    No Placement option

    Full/Part Time

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  • Postgraduate
    MBA

    Master of Business Administration (MBA)

    The University of Gibraltar MBA is a contemporary career-focussed management programme that aims to challenge and inspire you[...]

    1/2/4 Years

    No Placement option

    Full/Part Time

    View Course