With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1494678
MARCH/APRIL 2023 BCBUSINESS.CA 47 E ric Nicholl's decision to attend Trinity Western University came down to one fac- tor: Christian values that mirror his own. "Trinity is the only faith-based MBA program in Canada," he says—a conclusion he gathered while looking at business schools across the country. "It was the best alignment with my goals and values as a human being, as a father, as a husband and as a steward in our community." Nicholl started his degree last June, attend- ing classes two days a week while working as the executive director of the Vancouver International Auto Show. His classmates in the executive MBA program are a tight group. "There is a genuine level of concern for one another as individuals, and as a team collectively," he shares. "It's great." TWU students aren't all religious. Christians are in the minority in classes, says MBA program director Chen Liu. Spiritual values are a draw for most domestic students, but they're less of a pri- ority for the many international students. "When they come to Canada, they're looking for a place with a high-quality MBA," Liu explains. That's why Anjali Kukreja enrolled. She's a London-born globetrotter who has gone to school in Johannesburg; Islamabad; Washington, D.C.; Paris; and Bhopal, India. Kukreja appreciates the flexibility of TWU's schedule. It doesn't run on a semester system, so students can begin any month of the year, or take breaks to attend to other business. She started her degree last June. She comes from a Hindu background, but praises the values and purposefulness that sets Trinity apart: " TWU helps you become a part of a family where you're able to learn who you are, what you believe in and what your calling is in the world." " When they come to Canada, they're looking for a place with a high- quality MBA " –Chen Liu, MBA program director, Trinity Western University Trinity Western University FAMILY VALUES Christians like Eric Nicholl are actually in the minority in Trinity Western's faith-based MBA classes, which host many international students interested in attending community-like universities