Nicholas Roberds - AMSIB student

The first year consisted of a lot of group projects, the biggest of all being Co-Creative Entrepreneurship (CCE). As a group we have had roughly four months to start up our own legitimate company, funded by sales of shares to the public. This project required us to apply theory we have learned in a huge variety of subjects over the course of the year, while also forming a hierarchy within the company and adhering to it. Although our end results were not good, we have learned a great deal about organisational cooperation and gained valuable real-world experience.

As I spent several years working in engineering plants before joining AMSIB, the biggest challenge of the year for me was learning how to communicate effectively in an international, professional setting. Courses such as Cross-Cultural Awareness, in which the wonderful lecturer Ms. Chie Misumi taught us about communication methods of nationalities across the globe, and showed me just how much there is to learn about people and the world. While spoken communication remains my weakness, I am now aware and conscious of how a visitor from another place may behave, and how best to make them feel at home. I would remain ignorant and oblivious to the need for these skills had I not joined AMSIB.

While the sudden move from a small village in rural England to the internationally-flavoured city of Amsterdam has proved challenging, it has been the most productive and most rewarding experience of my life, and I am proud to be amongst the highest performing students in the year group.

Although the enthusiasm of some students is questionable at times, the more dedicated students show endless potential and frightening drive. They are the business leaders of the future, and it is a privilege to work in and amongst them at the Amsterdam School of International Business.