How the MSc Global Central Banking & Financial Regulation is the perfect opportunity to achieve my goals

MSc Global Central Banking and Financial Regulation student, Sarah Darwish, shares her experience on the course so far, exploring how the modules have impacted her career and how she balances work, life and study. 

I applied for the bursary for the MSc Global Central Banking and Financial Regulation after joining the Regulations sector at the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). Since I came from a commercial banking background, I have sought to broaden my knowledge and deepen my understanding of central banks and their role in the financial system.

The MSc Global Central Banking and Financial Regulation programme offered me the perfect opportunity to achieve my goals. The part-time and online nature of the programme was tailored to my needs, as it allowed me to earn a formal qualification at the core of my work from a top-ranked business school, while developing my career and proving my potential, by practically applying the knowledge and experience I am gaining into my day to day work.

The program also serves my long-term goals and career aspirations, as it offers a huge potential for development, not only limited to providing academic and practical knowledge but also promoting character building, leadership skills, networking, and career development.

How a specific module has impacted your work in terms of the practical application of knowledge?

The programme is very relevant to my work in the CBE, as my core responsibility is drafting regulations for the banking sector in accordance with international standards and best practices. So far, I have studied four modules: Comparative Central Banking, Money, Banks & Macroeconomics, Financial Regulation & Supervision, and Financial Conduct, Leadership & Ethics, all of these four modules equipped me with advanced thinking and the holistic, in-depth knowledge surrounding financial regulation and central banking. They also provided a solid base for topics that are essential for addressing the rapid developments of the financial landscape, such as the Basel framework, fintech, and resolution.

As the programme is delivered in partnership with the Bank of England, it gives access to the experience of the banking professionals. For instance, the interviews conducted with industry experts deliver key insights and practical knowledge, demonstrating how to start reasoning based on empirical evidence, while considering the full picture and the interlinkages with the various stakeholders, as well as the long-term prospects.

How are you managing the work/life/study balance?

One of the key advantages of this programme is the flexibility it offers, as it is taught entirely online, and there are no commitments throughout the modules except for the assessment dates; which are scheduled in advance with every module. This allows me to study at my own pace and align my studying schedule with my other responsibilities. For example, whenever I have a workload, I pause my study plans. Equally, I try to spare some time ahead of the assessments to prepare for them and watch the recorded webinars, as they require good preparation that corresponds with the programme quality.

Furthermore, the modular nature of the programme allowed me to take a short break when I was offered an opportunity at work to study another course. So, after finishing my fourth module, I did not select a module for the subsequent slot, and since I have finished this course now, I’m planning to resume my studies by choosing the next module (Monetary Policy and Monetary Analysis), which will that start June 2022.

Finally, the online nature of the programme brings a very diverse cohort, which provides insights into practices from different work domains and institutions all over the globe. This diversity also offers enriching networking opportunities which adds a lot of value to the programme.

Find out more about the MSc Global Central Banking and Financial Regulation here.