When Ole joined the Executive MBA program in Autumn 2013 , Malene quickly followed suit , deciding to enroll at Hult for her Bachelor of Business Administration in 2014 . We met them just after Malene graduated this summer , and asked them both a few questions about their experiences .
You took the unusual step of studying at the same school at the same time . How did you both come to choose Hult ?
Ole : For me , it was time for a career change , so I started the EMBA program in the autumn of 2013 . By coincidence , I spoke to a student in my class who works for EF , and he highly recommended the Bachelor program — that was how it came to be on Malene ’ s radar .
Malene : I was pretty determined to go to a business school in Norway , but after my dad started studying at Hult in London , I became increasingly interested in studying abroad . I ’ ve always wanted to study abroad , but I thought I would postpone it until I did my Master ’ s . So when the Hult option came up , I thought it wouldn ’ t hurt to apply and see what happens .
Ole , knowing Hult and knowing your daughter , what made you think they could be a good fit ?
Ole : When I started studying in the EMBA program there was a lot of teamwork . It also had a genuinely international feel , as there were lots of nationalities in every class . With rotation opportunities at different campuses around the world too , I thought this would be a good way for Malene to get international experience .
You both chose to study in London , and have rotated to campuses in Dubai , Shanghai , and San Francisco . What did you both enjoy the most ?
Malene : Overall , I think that the international aspect has been the most valuable part of the experience . It ’ s kind of constant at Hult – whenever I meet new people from different cultures , I always learn something new . There are so many people , and it ’ s just fun to engage with them .
Ole : For me too , it was getting to know a lot of people from all over the world and finding out their stories and experiences . Getting that insight was very valuable , and I still try to attend my Alumni Chapter to keep in touch when I ’ m not traveling .
The fact that you are a father and daughter who studied at the same time is quite unique . Has studying in the same school brought you closer together ?
Malene : Dad is in Norway most of the time now , but it has been nice to come home and share my experiences . He has had a better understanding of what I ’ m going through , as he ’ s done most of the same things or similar things in the EMBA course . That ’ s something I appreciate .
Now that Malene has graduated , you are both moving on to new challenges . What are you doing with life after Hult ?
Malene : I will attend the Masters program at Imperial College to study Innovation , Entrepreneurship , and Management . I did Social Entrepreneurship at Hult , so it will be a continuation of what I have previously studied .
Ole : I now work for a company based in Norway , but our operation is biggest in Asia and other parts of the world . I try to attend my local Alumni Chapter whenever I can , and I recently attended the Ashridge Lifelong Learning Opportunities course a few weeks ago . It was great to put some theory to use again and get some ideas on how to use it in the future . I met 10 to 15 of my co-students in the same cohort , and some of the professors were quite unique and amazing .
It ’ s fantastic to hear that you ’ re so involved in alumni activities . As alumni , could you give us one piece of advice for new students considering Hult ?
Ole : I ’ d say enjoy the experience , enjoy the teamwork , and learn from it all .
Malene : Participate in as many extracurricular activities as you can , and attend speaker events as well . If I could do it again , I would do more extracurricular activities in my first year — get engaged right at the beginning !
Do you have an alumni story you would like to share with our international community ? Please get in touch with us at alumnirelations @ hult . edu to tell us more about your time at Hult or your life after graduation . If you would like to recommend a family member or friend for our programs , we would also love to hear from you . Simply visit hult . edu / alumni / get-involved , and you could nominate your candidate to be entitled the alumni reward .
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