Lina Wu
BSc Accounting and Finance, 2010
Country of origin: China
Next step: MA Human Resource and Knowledge Management, Lancaster University Management School
I was part of LUMS’ 2+2 partnership with Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS) and came to Lancaster University in 2008 for the second part of my Accounting and Finance degree. I have to say it was a chance of a lifetime, which has substantially changed my perspective on the world and on my life.
Highly recommended by GDUFS four years ago, LUMS stood out among my long list of the UK’s business schools because of its high reputation for the quality of research and teaching, as well as its impressive rankings. After two years’ personal experience at Lancaster University, I can confidently say that it has met and exceeded my expectations.
The importance of team work and taking the initiative was emphasised throughout the degree, proving that it is a misconception that the field of Accounting and Finance doesn’t require good communication skills and innovation. Working as part of a group has helped me to adapt and to cooperate and coordinate better, when I needed to seek the most persuasive way to demonstrate my ideas to my fellows, negotiate on controversial arguments and compromise to achieve the collective goal. Raising creative solutions and questioning established ideas was welcomed and encouraged during our studies.
At the same time, a range of intensive individual projects enabled me to work to a high quality even under stress, and developed my independent thinking and study patterns. The combination of these practical skills will certainly support me with my further study and future career.
During my free time, I enjoyed exploring and reviewing different restaurants in Lancaster, Preston and Manchester. I would invite fellow students from different countries and backgrounds to join my dinner nights, and enjoyed talking to them and learning more about different parts of the world.
Because I am very interested in the relationship between people’s talents and emotions and the optimisation of an organisation’s benefits, I decided to explore the field of Human Resource Management for my Masters degree. I knew that it would not be easy to persuade the HRM programme director of any business school to accept a student with a strong numerical but relatively weak humanities background. However with the recommendation and support from Dr Radka Newton, LUMS International Programmes Director, and my preparation and performance in the interview required by the Organisation, Work & Technology department, I obtained a place on the MA Human Resource and Knowledge Management at LUMS. At the same time, I was also offered a place on the MA Industrial Relations and Managing Human Resource by Warwick Business School. I finally chose to stay at LUMS because of the programme’s emphasis on Knowledge Management, the latest and the most promising managerial ideology of the 21st century, and also my strong belief in Lancaster's capability to inspire me further in my academic studies.
