Alina Zhalturova (Kazakhstan – GLODEP Cohort 2022–2024)

I am currently working as a Business Controller at WEP, an international organization that supports students pursuing study‑abroad experiences around the world. In my role, I support strategic decision‑making and oversee financial analysis for eight European markets, as well as the UK and Australia. GLODEP helped me get here by giving me a strong analytical foundation, but also by shaping the way I approach international environments. The program trained me to think across countries, systems, and cultures — which is exactly what I do every day in my job.
 

I chose GLODEP because it’s really a one‑of‑a‑kind program. Not many degrees allow you to live and study in three different countries, experience completely different academic approaches, and meet people from all over the world. That mix of cultures, universities, and ways of thinking was exactly what I wanted.

Besides the academic content, the biggest learning for me was adaptability — getting used to new places, new systems, and new expectations every semester. I also learned how to look at problems from several angles and how to work in diverse teams, which is something you can’t really learn from a textbook.

The most important ones are my quantitative analysis and data‑interpretation skills, especially those I developed during the economics and econometrics courses. They help me understand financial trends and support more accurate forecasting. I also rely a lot on report writing and evidence‑based reasoning, which allow me to turn complex data into clear insights for management. And, of course, cross‑cultural communication plays a huge role — something you really learn by living through the program, not just by studying it. All these skills make it much easier to work in an international company and support decision‑making across different markets.

I realized it when I received my first opportunity to work in an international environment.  At that moment I understood that those two years abroad weren’t just about studying — they really shaped who I am professionally. They gave me the confidence and mindset to work across countries and cultures, and that’s something I wouldn’t have gained staying in one place.