«Get out of the classroom and feel the heartbeat of the industry»
Milan Jović (31) has a background in chemistry and works in the pharmaceutical industry as a Squad Coordinator with Roche in Basel, Switzerland. He shares his experiences about his MBA journey at FHNW and his interest in bridging scientific expertise with business acumen.
Milan is aiming at becoming a well-rounded leader, capable of navigating the complexities of the global business landscape: «I already have a quick grasp of decisions made on a business level and the consequences they may have on an operational level.» His journey is guided by a passion for continuous learning and a drive to stay ahead of industry trends, with a particular focus on cross-functional planning, cross-cultural management and customer-centric approaches.
Milan was drawn to the Swiss-Asian MBA for its tailor-made approach catering to early career professionals like himself. The programme's emphasis on practical skills development and real-world applications aligned perfectly with his aspirations to transition from a scientific role to a more strategic business position.
He appreciates the flexibility of the programme, which allows him to seamlessly integrate his studies with his full-time professional responsibilities at Roche. With the rolling intake and clear, well-structured lessons, Milan can plan his studies according to his schedule and balance his academic pursuits with personal commitments: «The programme has a rolling intake, allowing students to join at different times throughout the year. Furthermore, the structure of the online courses enables students to plan their studies according to their own schedule.»
A collaborative learning environment, Milan calls it the «SAMBA» family, is also an important factor. It offers opportunities to broaden your perspectives and to develop essential skills through engaging discussions, group work and shared problem solving: «The collaboration with peers allows to exchange knowledge, to challenge assumptions and to gain insights from different sets of backgrounds and experiences.»
Navigating the Swiss-Asian MBA poses challenges – balancing full-time work with academic demands –, but Milan’s motto «Get out of the classroom and feel the heartbeat of the industry» yields rewards: «It helps me to better recognise our customer’s needs and future trends.»
At the moment, Milan is in the preparatory stages for his master's thesis, focusing on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within Roche's quality control department. While the project is still in the organisational phase, Milan is eager to explore how AI applications can optimise processes and enhance efficiency within his current working environment.
