Inès Hagelin is preparing for the job market with an Online MSc in International Business Management at EDHEC, while learning Mandarin and creating a start-up

Inès Hagelin is a 24-year-old Franco-Swedish national. Following a BBA at EM Lyon, some experience abroad and a stay in China where she took intensive Mandarin classes, she returned to France just around the time the first lockdown began in 2020. Keen to expand her training online in parallel to her work, she signed up for the Online MSc in International Business Management at EDHEC. We caught up with her.

Hi Inès! Can you tell us a bit more about why you sought further training after your BBA?

Yes, of course. I had completed my BBA at EM Lyon and I was returning home after six months of intensive Mandarin classes in China. I had begun to apply for jobs, but due to the public health crisis recruitment was slow. And in any case, several internships and a diploma from a good school isn’t necessarily always enough. So I had a look at which master’s I could apply for, given that I wanted to stick to fairly broad training so as not to limit my choices.

When it came to online learning, I had a look around for the most “up-to-speed” offers and saw that EDHEC was a pioneer. Its master’s is comprehensive and includes finance, strategy and business development. I could do it remotely and work at the same time, which is perfect especially given the current public health crisis. 

Tell us about your attraction to all things international.

To be honest, I’ve had an international mindset since I was a little girl. I have French and Swedish nationality and spent 4 years living in Indonesia as a child. As soon as I had the opportunity to travel abroad during my BBA, I jumped at the chance. I began with a 6-month internship in London, followed by a university exchange in Hangzhou in China.

Then I came back to Europe for another 6-month internship at Mont Blanc in Hamburg, Germany. Following that, I returned to China for 6 months, which I spent on my school’s campus in Shanghai. And to shake things up, I did my next internship at Moët & Hennessy in Paris.

I love everything about China and so I headed off again immediately afterwards for another 6 months of intensive Mandarin classes. I love being abroad and working with people from different cultures. I find the interactions fascinating. The course I’m doing at EDHEC is very open, and people from many different nationalities are alongside me because it’s run in English. So it’s a perfect match for me!

Tell us about your interest in China.

I love taking up a challenge and learning new languages. Mandarin is important nowadays and so I thought to myself, “why not go for it, now is the time to learn”. I have no regrets because the culture is fascinating and I think professionally it will be another string to my bow. I had an enriching experience but one that was also difficult and forced me to push back my boundaries. 

What work are you doing at the same time as the MSc?

I haven’t had time yet to find a job because I have another project that is very demanding, launching my own brand of vegan bags: LOVA.STOCKHOLM. I dedicate a huge amount of time to this project, which I’m passionate about. It combines entrepreneurship with the fashion world and the manufacture of bags. I’ve received job offers in consulting and business development via LinkedIn. I haven’t completely ruled out taking up these opportunities.