QS-Alliance Manchester Business School Scholarship: 2017 Winner

Yet again this year, the Alliance Manchester Business School has partnered with QS to offer an exclusive scholarship to attendees of the QS World Grad School Tour. Covering 50% of tuition fees for a one-year master’s program at the business school, this year’s scholarship has been awarded to Greek student Kostas Katsimpardis.

Kostas first heard about the scholarship a few years ago when he attended a QS event in Athens. When the time came to choose somewhere to study a master’s degree in finance, the Alliance Manchester Business School was on his shortlist and so he decided to apply.

He said: “My initial intention was to take out a student loan and work part-time so I could afford to live and study in the UK. This scholarship, however, enables me to dedicate more time to my studies and to building strong relationships with other students, academic staff and, hopefully, future colleagues.”

Kostas’s route to studying finance has been an unconventional one, having initially studied Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering at undergraduate level in Athens. However, while at university he took several elective courses on finance and economics, which fascinated him. Now, he’s eagerly looking forward to moving to Manchester and focusing on this topic exclusively.

He said: “Because I come from a different academic background, I’m looking forward to meeting people who share the same interest and curiosity about the business world and its dynamics. From my experience, multidisciplinary and multicultural teams can achieve exceptional results when it comes to dealing with complex issues and challenges as each member can bring a different approach on the table.

“My long-term goal is a successful career in investment management, but in order to achieve this I’ll be required to work in numerous positions around the industry first. Doing well on my course and getting a job offer from an investment bank would be a great start.”

Advice for future applicants

“Receiving a scholarship demands discipline and dedication to the application process. Applicants should be willing to spend a considerable amount of time on their application, sharing their motivation and career plans for the future as well as a personal story about what they have achieved until that time in their lives. Your application should be tailor-made for the program you’re applying to, as that will significantly increase your chances of receiving a scholarship.