Abdul Rahman Deeb

Lebanese graduate, Abdul Rahman, completed his MBA at Cardiff Business School before being selected by the University for the Graduate Entrepreneur programme.

Name: Abdul Rahman Deeb
Degree: Master of Business Administration (MBA), Cardiff Business School
Country: Lebanon
Year of study: 2016/17
LinkedIn: Abdul Rahman Deeb

Why did you choose Cardiff?
I chose Cardiff University because it is a Russell Group university that has the most value for money, especially in terms of student satisfaction.

Tell us about your course. How was it different to studying back home?

The MBA course was so packed from the day we had our induction in September 2016 until we submitted our dissertations in September 2017. It has three taught terms, compared with two for most other postgraduate courses, which means more study time, but also means that we learned more modules during the same period of time.

Studying at Cardiff is more research-oriented that studying in Lebanon. In fact, the University is ranked 5th in Research Excellence Framework 2014. Also, faculty members are more friendly and approachable.

What have you enjoyed most about studying at Cardiff University?

I have enjoyed the vast learning resources, whether online or from on-campus libraries, that are available free to Cardiff University students. This supported my studies throughout my MBA course.

What was the best thing about living in Cardiff?

The best thing about living in Cardiff was the perfect combination of study/life balance.

Cardiff has a quiet environment, yet everything is available at its city centre, which is buzzing on weekends and within walking distance of student accommodation!

Were you a member of any clubs or societies? What is it like to be part of a society?

I was a member of Cardiff University Islamic Society. This society runs activities and talks all-year-round, not only freshers' ones at the start of the year. Being part of the Islamic Society helped me practice my religion away from home.

How has the University supported you during your time in Cardiff?

In addition to access to learning resources, Cardiff University provides a wide range of free support services to students, from language courses to careers and employability support, personal development workshops, and start-up and enterprise sessions.

Attending personal development workshops at the Students’ Union (SU), which is the number one students' union in Wales and fourth in the UK, made me aware of the support available from the start-up and enterprise services, which allowed me to apply the knowledge from my MBA course on a business idea.

What would be your advice for prospective students thinking about coming to Cardiff?

I would strongly advise prospective students to make most of the support available, by attending workshops and sessions to further enhance their skills while they are students at Cardiff University. For those who are considering business courses, especially MBA, you will realise how much you can achieve!

What are your plans for the future?

My friend and I got selected by the University for the Graduate Entrepreneur programme, to extend my stay in the UK to a Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur visa and to receive further support in launching our business idea called Daybreak Tickets, which is a football ticketing platform aimed at addressing the black-market and aiming for easy access to tickets in the football industry.