Bruno Mazzini Molfino is a young Peruvian man with strong Italian roots. He has an adventurous spirit, a strong interest in the world around him, and a passion for diversity and getting to know different cultures. Discover why all that and more led him to pursue a Master’s Degree in Strategy and International Management (SIM) at the University of St.Gallen in Switzerland.
Content
Bruno Mazzini starts off by describing how his background and personality always made him want to travel, explore, and find new experiences: “Being born in a family that is still rooted in its previous culture… it always made me think about traveling the world, working in different places, and kind of exploring. I think that really influenced not only my career choice but my choice to try to go to the SIM.” (0:09).
He also talks about the fact that Switzerland is an incredibly diverse country. Additionally, even though St.Gallen is a relatively small town, he’s been able to meet and get to know people from all around the world.
He says, “Switzerland is kind of like that too. It’s a country of 30% immigrants I think. It’s really amazing, all of the diversity you find there. Just in St.Gallen, which is a tiny place, I have friends from at least 20 different countries.” (0:42).
The SIM at the University of St.Gallen provides the perfect balance between core classes and elective options. Bruno describes how his core classes provided him with great in-depth insights and ended up being some of his favorites.
“There are only like 5 or 6 mandatory courses in total…[they are] very useful…some of my favorite courses have been the core ones because even though you sometimes already know what’s being said…they give you the opportunity to go in-depth,” he tells us. (04:16)
Once you’ve completed your core courses, you’ve got a lot of flexibility to study what interests you the most. Between elective courses, volunteering projects, and thesis topics, there’s a great deal of choice.
Bruno explains, “Around 10 [courses], or even more I would say, are for whatever you want. Then you have the thesis, which again, you can write about anything you want. I think our program is especially flexible about the thesis. [There are] people who are writing it about start-ups, sustainability, big corporations…” (06:01).
St.Gallen’s SIM encourages students to hone their adaptability skills early on in their studies. Their diverse classes and teams oblige people from very different cultures to find ways to work together. This prepares their students for truly international careers.
“There are people from everywhere in the SIM, and you have to work with them,” Bruno confirms. “Even though it sounds kind of simple, being on a team with people from different countries is never that easy. There are very different styles of working, of leadership, of cooperation. I would say the SIM prepares you to be able to adapt, no matter where you go.” (09:26)
The international composition of SIM alumni makes for a professional community that touches all the corners of the globe: “The SIM has a super broad network… For me, [I’m interested in] start-ups, and now I have SIMmies from every country being like: ‘Hey, there are start-ups here that are super interesting.’” (10:06).
SIM program students sometimes affectionately refer to themselves as SIMmies. Bruno points out that all SIM students are different, but they all have a similar impressive quality about them. Wherever they’re from and whatever they specialize in, it’s clear that they have an aptitude for excellence.
“I think every SIMmie is impressive,” Bruno says. “Every SIMmie is passionate about something. I’ve been asked a couple of times already: ‘Hey, what does it take to get into the SIM?’ There is no one answer, and I think that’s the amazing thing.” (11:12).
