James Nijiru‘s early life inspired his education and career trajectory, which saw him move from his home in Kenya to study a Master of Business Finance at Adelaide’s Flinders University.
“I was born from a poor family in Kenya living under two dollars per day for a family of eight,” says James. “Having experienced the challenge, I aimed to equip my knowledge with financial skills that I developed in both my undergraduate economics degree and my Master of Business Finance to make a change.”
Deciding to study in Australia
The decision to move to Adelaide was based on several important factors for James.
“Australia is rated highly in many areas such as quality of life, low crime rate and affordable living conditions,” he says. Of Adelaide, he is most impressed by the ease of accessibility.
“The transport system is smooth and affordable; and beaches are just a 15-minute drive from the main campus,” he says. “This allows you to rejuvenate and relax outside of class work.”
The diversity and multicultural nature of Australian society also appealed to James.
”The country is one of the most diverse countries in the world; accommodating almost every nationality. This made me feel welcomed and accommodated.”
Why choose to study at Flinders University?
“Learning at Flinders is both exciting and a mind opener at the same time,” says James of the learning environment at Flinders. “The lecturers are informed and have great experience in the outside world – making learning exciting as we learn about the financial market in classes.”
Reputation was key for James, and the student/teacher ratio was an important factor.
“The school has the best student teacher ratio, making interaction and consultation possible,” he says. ‘Study is personalised and outside of class, consultations with lecturers are highly recommended.”
This real world experience is a critical component in graduate success, and James is enthusiastic about the opportunities presented to him so far.
“Flinders has provided the opportunity to interact with industry players in South Australia through forums organised by the business school; this allows me to understand class work from a real world perspective which is so important.”
Get future-ready with a degree from Flinders University
James is looking to the future with every step he takes, and feels he will be equipped to step into his career goals when he graduates.
“I am seeing myself as a senior financial analyst,” James says. “The university has expanded my mind in so many ways; including ethics, marketing economics, operation research and equity and accounting which are necessary in making financial decisions.”
His advice for prospective students thinking of studying at Flinders?
“Studying at Flinders is mind opening and a step to the future. This degree has given me the best opportunity to go beyond everyone else – and bring impact and change to the world. This will go a long way in making viable economic and financial decisions for me, and the society where I come from.”
Interested in discovering if studying Business at Flinders University is right for you? Get in touch with us for more information and don’t forget to follow us via @FlindersUniversity to keep up to date with the latest news from Flinders International.
Want more like this? Check out fellow Flinders Business classmates Maho, Juni and Sai.