Ali pursued an international perspective for his MBA

For 7 years, Ali Behdarvand held the position of chief financial officer at the Iran Health Insurance Organization until he chose to seek out new challenges. The reason was his eagerness to further his education. After thorough research on the internet, he settled on Denmark, specifically the IBA International Business Academy in Kolding.

– It’s widely known that education in Denmark ranks among the world’s best. So, I quickly began exploring the options to come here and study, Ali recounts.

With his wife and two children, it was a major decision involving the whole family. It meant a move to completely different surroundings, and he would have to fund his one-and-a-half-year-long studies himself. But Ali was determined that if he were to pursue education at a higher level, it would have to be abroad.

– Of course, I could have also pursued an MBA at home in Iran, but I was determined to gain an international perspective on my education. I was curious to learn more about business culture in other countries – and fortunately, I have achieved that, says Ali.

Just the right size of town

He has just completed his MBA in General Management at the academy in Kolding. Here, Ali was part of an international class – including his friend Søren, who has become a close friend here in Denmark. The majority of the other classmates were from India.

– So, during my studies, I’ve learned almost as much about Indian culture as Danish, Ali says with one of his frequent smiles.

Both he and his family have embraced everyday life in Kolding, which Ali is very enthusiastic about. Here the atmosphere is very relaxed, which he greatly appreciates.

– Kolding is just the right size for me. It’s really cozy, and it actually has everything you’d expect from a big city – even though it’s smaller. It’s not as hectic, and that suits me well.

Ali is keen to stay here

Ali has two children – aged 3 and 7 – who speak perfect Danish. His wife has also settled in well and works at a warehouse in one of the neighboring towns, so Ali is keen to stay here if he manages to find a job now that he has completed his MBA. Meanwhile, he is working on his own entrepreneurial venture, developing a global education platform.

– I’ve utilized my own experiences of pursuing education here in Denmark. And, of course, I’ve used the knowledge I gained during my MBA studies, where we learned about analyzing the market and trying to identify new opportunities, he explains.