Study and travel: the IMPM experience

Nikhil Changarangath is a student on the MSc International Master Project Management (iMPM) programme, a collaboration between MiP Politecnico di Milano (Italy) and Strathclyde Business School. Here, he talks about his experience of the programme.

As a mechanical engineer, I was working in various project management roles within the shipbuilding industry in India and the Middle East.

I love traveling and I’ve always wanted to visit Europe and the UK. The IMPM programme presented me a chance to learn an improve myself while doing what I love the most – travelling. Both Scotland and Italy have a great history in shipbuilding. It would have been a great loss if I’d missed this opportunity.

When researching the programme, I was looking to gain a comprehensive understanding of project management principles which this programme offered, and also gain international exposure. The programme structure appeared to offer the right balance between theory and practice with an internship or final project as part of the curriculum. University rankings and accreditation also swayed me to choose the IMPM programme.

So far, it’s been a wonderful experience – sharing and learning while having fun. We’ve had the opportunity to interact with experts in the industry working for multi-national companies and other international organisations such as Saipem, Tenova and IPMA. Meeting new people from different parts of the world with different cultural and educational backgrounds has been a highlight – my batch has 28 students from 18 countries. It’s been great having the opportunity to travel and try new things.

At both Strathclyde Business School and MIP Politecnico di Milano, we had to undertake group assignments, discussions and presentations – these tasks were really helpful in understanding the subject better and at the same time improved our communication, leadership, critical and creative thinking and other interpersonal skills.

I’m really glad I decided to take this course because now I have friends all over the world. Friends who are engineers, architects, environmental specialists, financial analysts, marketing experts, models and so on. The time I spent with them is priceless as it was not just about sharing knowledge and ideas but it was also about understanding different cultures/traditions and international practices in different market sectors. We had a lot of fun!

The wealth of knowledge imparted by lecturers who are experts in their own fields is irreplaceable. Most of our professors are professional consultants for international groups and the real life examples that they have shared during lectures has definitely added significant value to the courses that I have taken at SBS and MIP. I am certain that the skills that they have taught will give us a competitive edge in the job market.

I’ve always been interested in naval architecture and that was one of the reasons why I chose mechanical engineering for my undergraduate study. Having worked in shipyards for more than six years in different roles, I have a good understanding of the challenges faced by the industry. I’m confident that the skills and expertise that SBS and MIP has inculcated in me during the dual degree programme has equipped me with all the essential qualities of an efficient project management professional capable of solving the demanding problems faced by the maritime/offshore oil and gas service sector.

Find out more about the IMPM programme here 

About Nikhil Changarangath

Nikhil Changarangath is a student on the MSc International Master Project Management programme, studied jointly in Milan and Glasgow.