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LKPU Consulting gives UM students a head start
University Fund Limburg and LKPU Consulting to Launch New Scholarship Programme. LKPU Consulting has initiated a scholarship programme with UFL,...Read more
The LKPU Management Consulting Scholarship, offered by LKPU Consulting, is specifically intended for German students who enrol in selected master’s programmes at the School of Business and Economics (SBE) at Maastricht University (UM) and require financial support. In addition, students have the opportunity to choose a thesis topic together with LKPU. David Gharakhanian Siraki is one of the students who is able to pursue his academic ambitions at UM thanks to the LKPU Scholarship.
David’s journey at UM began several years ago. The 26-year-old from Wiesbaden, Germany, started his academic career with a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Society at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASoS), before continuing with the Master’s programme in Business Intelligence and Smart Services at SBE.
At the moment, David is fully focused on his thesis, his internship at Lufthansa, and several courses he will be taking at the University of Amsterdam next semester. It quickly becomes clear that David is an energetic, determined and ambitious student who makes the most of the opportunities he is given and is extremely grateful for them.
David has now taken courses at several universities. Although he looks back on these experiences positively, he is convinced that UM is the best match for him. “I missed having an international environment at my previous universities. That is why I started looking beyond Germany for a university with an international character. I soon found my way to UM.”
Another aspect that immediately appealed to David was Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Within this educational approach, students often work in small groups on challenges, with less emphasis on traditional lectures. “Sometimes you can lose yourself in theory. That is why I find it valuable that you can immediately apply your knowledge in practice. This helps you better understand why certain topics are relevant and how you can use them.”
According to David, interaction with fellow students also plays an important role within PBL. “By working in small groups, you discuss topics in greater depth and from different perspectives. You do not only learn from the theory, but also from the experiences and ideas of others.”
David sees the changing composition of the groups as an important part of his personal development. “You learn to work with different types of people, all with their own way of working. This makes you more flexible and teaches you to push your own boundaries. Some projects are even organised across multiple faculties, allowing you to approach a challenge from different perspectives.” According to David, this approach to education prepares students well for the future. “PBL helps you become more resilient and better able to deal with new situations. These are skills you need not only during your studies, but also later in your career.”
“PBL helps you become more resilient and better able to deal with new situations. These are skills you need not only during your studies, but also later in your career.“
This educational approach also creates strong connections with fellow students and professors, according to David. The personal contact and involvement within UM are very different from his previous experiences. His conclusion is therefore clear: “It is my best university experience so far.”
David can still vividly remember the moment when he found out that he had received the scholarship. “It felt as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. It was an enormous relief.” Thanks to the scholarship, he is able to fully focus on his studies, something that was not always possible during his Bachelor’s. “I can now completely focus on my studies and immerse myself in the subjects that interest me most. During my Bachelor’s, I constantly had to make choices because I could not dedicate the same amount of time to everything. Now I do have that opportunity.”
He is not only grateful for the financial support provided by the scholarship, but also for the academic guidance from the organisation providing the scholarship. “Together with LKPU, I selected a topic for my thesis. I am researching the implementation of the digital euro.”
“During my Bachelor’s, I constantly had to make choices because I could not dedicate the same amount of time to everything. Now I do have that opportunity.”
For his research, David was also able to make use of LKPU’s extensive network. “Thanks to LKPU, I came into contact with experienced professionals from the sector whom I was able to interview. This provided me with valuable insights for my thesis. As a student, you can have interesting research ideas, but without the right contacts it can sometimes be difficult to collect the necessary data. Thanks to LKPU’s network, this was possible.”
The LKPU network has also opened new doors beyond his thesis. For example, David was able to secure a consulting internship in the cargo division of airline Lufthansa in Frankfurt. “During my internship, I have the opportunity to apply the knowledge I gained at UM directly in practice. Together, we look step by step at how we can optimise processes within the company. I notice that the way of thinking I developed through PBL is incredibly valuable in this regard. My colleagues and supervisor at Lufthansa were even positively surprised by this approach, because it is much less common in Germany,” David says with a smile.
What David will remember most about his time at UM are the friendships he has built. “What immediately stood out to me is that students at UM are genuinely open to meeting new people. I experienced this differently at other universities. There, students are more likely to remain within their existing friendship groups, whereas the international environment in Maastricht encourages people to make new connections.”
Although David moved to Maastricht with a few friends, his network quickly expanded far beyond the Netherlands. “For example, I recently visited a fellow student in Mexico, and thanks to UM I also know people in Dubai, France and Spain. That is perhaps the most beautiful thing about studying at UM.” According to David, this international environment goes beyond simply creating new friendships and also contributes to his personal development. “Because you are constantly in contact with people from different cultures and with diverse backgrounds, you learn to look at the world in a different way.”
Maastricht itself also played an important role in this. According to David, the compact size of the city makes it easy to build social connections, both within and outside the university. “There is always something happening: a festival or another event. That makes it easy to meet people. I think Maastricht is a wonderful city, and some places in Maastricht genuinely feel like home by now.”
Although David is currently fully focused on completing his Master’s degree, he already has a clear idea of his future. “I would like to work in the world of data analytics, especially with big data. I find the challenge of visualising large amounts of complex data in a way that makes it understandable for everyone incredibly fascinating.” It is therefore no surprise that courses on data visualisation and unstructured data are among his favourites.
Looking back on his time at UM and the opportunities the LKPU Scholarship has provided him, David has one final message for future scholarship recipients. “Make the most of everything a scholarship offers you. Of course, financial support gives you more freedom, but also make use of the opportunities to develop yourself academically and professionally. Ask for advice, build connections wherever possible and stay curious. It is precisely this combination of financial support, professional guidance and new contacts that helps you continue to develop yourself in many different areas.”
“I find the challenge of visualising large amounts of complex data in a way that makes it understandable for everyone incredibly fascinating.”
Would you like to learn more about the LKPU Management Consulting Scholarship or find out whether you are eligible to apply?
You can find more information about the scholarship below.
