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COB Historic MBA Cohort ready to lead and innovate
By COB Communications Department
Dec 6, 2012 - 1:52:15 PM

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Nassau, B ahamas – In 2010, when The College of The Bahamas launched its first graduate degree progamme – the Master of Business Administration – it was with the intention of driving innovation in Bahamian industries and giving The Bahamas a competitive edge.

The 17 persons who form the first graduating cohort will accept their degrees at The College’s Fall Commencement Ceremony scheduled to be held on Sunday, December 9th. They will all share an historic honour as the institution’s first master’s degree graduates. This is a significant achievement with The College forging deliberately toward the goal of a university transition.

MBA graduand, Marc Ingraham, an Economist at the Ministry of Transport and Aviation’s Road Traffic Department, believes that in becoming a university and serving a nation, The College has a direct part to play in providing national expertise, through research in key areas.

“When you train these MBAs and send them out, The College has a wealth of knowledge so that they can do research, applied research, so that they can advise the government and other key decision makers.  We need to rely on the expertise here at COB, through research, to inform nation building and national growth,” he said.

The MBA graduands are trained researchers, a further competitive advantage for The Bahamas, according to College administrators.

For Lashan Butler, Manager of Accounting and Finance at Campbell Shipping Company, the experience was overwhelming, yet rewarding.

“When you are battling parental responsibilities, professional responsibilities and then you have to take on student responsibilities, indeed it was a transition,” she shared. “My experience with COB was a beneficial one.  All of the help and assistance we needed was available.  What I liked most about the lecturers and the programme was that they allowed us to apply what we learned to the Bahamian context.”

In 2003, when the economy started to decline in Grand Bahama, Ada Bethel – then a two time graduate of COB – decided to go back to college and upgrade her skills.  As the mother of two boys and with a full-time job, pursuing a third higher education degree was not an easy one.

“Dr. Olivia Saunders would always tell us that we had to be deliberate in our decision-making to ensure that what we are doing positively advances the country, positively positions the country to be competitive and also expands the mindset of our people to understand that self-sufficiency comes by us making deliberate steps to move towards national development and national advancement,” she recalled.

The experience she gained during the programme enabled her to secure a job as the Director of Finance for the Food and Beverage Department at the Atlantis Resort.

The MBA programme is designed to match the uniqueness of the Bahamian economy and the need to stay competitive in a globalised market place. There are three concentrations in the areas of: Financial Decision Making, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Leadership.

Sophia Clarke, Senior Executive Officer in the Ministry of Financial Services, is confident that the programme will fast become an integral part of helping to nurture competent leaders in the financial services and economic sectors.

 “This experience was the best and the most organized programme that I’ve been involved with.  I’ve gained a lot.  I think a little bit more clearly, more critically and I think I have a better appreciation for The College itself,” she said.

In a highly competitive environment, there are numerous benefits to obtaining an MBA including increasing business knowledge and managerial expertise and career and academic advancement. The College's graduate business programme was developed following extensive research and input from organizations and businesses across various economic sectors in order to address The Bahamas' particular needs.

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