International exchange student, Tobias Metz is excited to be part of the Master in Business Administration (MBA) programme under the Durban University of Technology (DUT) Business School.
Metz (24) is a Master student from the Center for Advanced Studies of the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University, Germany. He joined the DUT MBA programme for a two-month period from 01 February 2023 and his last class is scheduled for 31 March 2023.
Speaking about how he became an exchange student, Metz said it was through interactions with Professor Thomas Dobbelstein, a Professor for Market Research and Retailing at Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University in Ravensburg. He claims Prof Dobbelstein who also served on the advisory board for the newly established DUT Business School made his dream of studying in South Africa come true.
“I am grateful to Prof Dobbelstein for facilitating my process of joining the DUT MBA programme. I have been longing to come to South Africa. It is something new for me and I am grateful for the experience. During the short space of time I have learnt a lot about the people here and the culture,” said Metz.
As for getting acclimated to classes with new lectures and students, Metz said that some of the classes are also held online in Germany. He indicated that the topics covered here are similar to the ones he covered in his MBA programme back home. In addition, he revealed that the lectures and students were very accommodating, which made it easy for him to fit in. What he also found interesting when interacting with the DUT MBA students was that most of them did not have an economics background but come from various career paths and are completing their MBA as a steppingstone to top managerial positions. He found it exciting that in the MBA class there were students from different career backgrounds, however all joined by this programme.
Furthermore, Metz pointed out that online classes are ideal for him as like most of the MBA students he has a full-time job. He is currently employed as a Business Data Analyst under a software company called DIRS21. He has been at this job for the past three years and he indicated that what he likes very much about his job is that it is not office based and he can work from anywhere in the world. Just like most MBA students, Metz pointed out that he hopes completing his MBA will open new doors for him and he plans to study further to a PhD level.
The highlight of his stay in South Africa was visiting two safaris, including the Hluhluwe Game Reserve and seeing the wild animals up close.
“I think every foreign student should be taken to the safari as part of the package. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. The people here are friendly and at no stage did I feel like going back home. I even wish I could stay longer,” added Metz.
One of the challenges he faced was that the subjective feeling of safety is different in South Africa. This is something you have to get used to. Metz explained that in Germany, you can walk around anywhere without fear.
His advice to fellow students as he is about to head back home in the next few days is that through proper planning, setting priorities and discipline, one can juggle being a working student.