Indian postgraduate credits rapid career progress on WIT experience

Indian postgraduate credits rapid career progress on WIT experience

An Indian postgraduate student who moved more than 8,500 kilometres to Ireland to complete his Masters degree at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) has credited the experience for a subsequent improvement in his career prospects as he now plays a key role in Indian's rapidly growing telecoms sector.

Steven Bunyan, originally from Bangalore in southern India, completed a Masters of Business in Internationalisation at the School of Business in Waterford in 2008 and is now a Service Delivery Leader for Programme Management, Governance & Technology with Orange, part of France Telecom.

Having completed his Masters and gained additional professional experience at AOL Broadband (now TalkTalk) in Waterford, Steven was appointed to his current role which sees him responsible for change programmes and the transfer of activity to Orange's outsourcing partners across the UK and India.

Speaking from New Delhi, he said: "My Masters from Waterford Institute of Technology has not only been crucial to getting me this career opportunity but also in supporting me to do it well. Most of my day is spread between co-workers and vendors across different geographic regions and my time in Waterford interacting with different nationalities and understanding their cultures has been hugely valuable in allowing me perform this role."

Mr Bunyan has been recalling what he describes as a "wonderful experience" in a culture that he described as "so different but also very similar in its warmth to where I come from".

"I wanted to take my career to the next level by doing a Masters in Business and after almost a year of research into different options, WIT was recommended to me. My work involves dealing with people in different countries and continents so the Masters of Business in Internationalisation seemed to have the mix I was looking for.

"When I first went to the Institute's international office, the attention I was given by the staff went a long way to swaying me to apply for and, subsequently, accept a place on the Masters. The cost of the programme compared very favourably with alternatives in the UK and US which both attract a lot of Indian postgraduate students," he continued.

"It proved to be a great decision. Experiencing the Irish way of life was a huge bonus. I'll always remember the friendly locals, cosy pubs, lively nightclubs and - though it might surprise the locals - the rain; I couldn't get enough of that! I lived in student accommodation five minutes from the city centre and a 20 minute walk from the campus. There were also great outdoor things to do with the beach a short drive away and gorgeous countryside in every direction. I also liked playing five-a-side football on some of the Astroturf pitches around the city."

Mr Bunyan was also able to keep up his passion for cricket while in Waterford and has been following progress closely on the new sports facilities being provided at the West Campus in Carriganore. "Cricket will always be a big part of my life. While I got to play some cricket while in Waterford, I really wish I was there now as the new cricket ground on campus becomes available."

• Further information on study opportunities at Waterford Institute of Technology is available at www.wit.ie

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