UEA

Vivian - Chen Xin, MBA Strategic Carbon Management 2010

Until she came to Norwich to study the Strategic carbon Management MBA, Vivian had spent most of her career working for just one company, the world’s largest shipping concern - Maersk.  There she held various roles in customer service, marketing and project management at different locations in China and worked for spells in Beijing, Shanghai and Fuzhou, her home city.  Half-way through her studies in the UK, she began to see a broader horizon…

‘Living and working in the UK opened another door for me.  In all I spent two years in the UK, first studying the full-time carbon MBA and then taking an internship before moving back to China to take my current role with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).  It broadened my view of the world and I became more open to different viewpoints - it allowed me to think again about the path my career was taking.’

One of the things which came out of the MBA was a rekindling of Vivian’s interest in environmental issues - before the course had finished she had applied to start an internship at the CDP, the Carbon Disclosure Project, based in London.  There she was involved in engaging companies, particularly Chinese businesses in emerging markets to make voluntary disclosures about their emissions and environmental impact.  Vivian went on to make a successful application to work for WWF back home in China…

‘I was particularly interested in the carbon management and energy modules in the course - they raised a lot of issues about business and environment in my mind.  I began to feel more passionate about green issues again, and whether I might have a place in protecting the environment in a future job role.’

‘For me, the masters degree definitely helped me to get the intern job at the Carbon Disclosure Project.  The combined experience of the MBA and subsequent internship was crucial I think in me getting the offer from WWF.  For the WWF interview, I was required to write a mock strategic plan on how a Chinese mobile company should engage with WWF to become a partner in their ‘Climate Saver’ programme.  I was given only three days to write a 2500 word report and prepare a 10 minute presentation!  I used several of the tools and models I had studied at UEA in both my report and presentation: stakeholder mapping, pestle analysis, and situation analysis.’

‘Without studying the MBA, I really don’t think I could have completed these so well in such a short space of time.  At WWF, the people who interviewed me, who are now my colleagues, have told me that my paper was the best among all the candidates who applied for the job.  Now I am a Senior Development and Corporate Engagement Officer of WWF at the Beijing office.  I can look back on my MBA and internship experiences and see that they really helped me to get where I am now.’

‘At WWF in China, most of the staff have some kind of overseas study background and can speak and write good English which helps them to engage with businesses the world over.  I feel quite pressured at times to be working here, though I must be doing something right as I have been selected to help lead a Chinese business and industry delegation to attend the COP17 Climate Conference in Durban this week!’

‘When I am in Durban I know I’ll be looking back on some of the things I learned at UEA and I’ll be reflecting on how it feels to be doing something positive for the environment.’