Mattias Liu- McGill, Harvard and Copenhagen

Mattias Liu is in his last year of undergraduate at McGill, majoring in Marketing. In this interview, he describes thoroughly about the management program in McGill and stresses the importance of meeting new people.

Tell us about what you studied at McGill.

I studied commerce at the Desautels Faculty of Management. I am a fourth year student who majors in marketing with a concentration in international business. During my 4 year tenure, I studied at Harvard Summer School and went abroad to Copenhagen Business School for my exchange semester.

My favourite class at McGill is Popular Western Music After 1945. My favourite classes in the Desautels Faculty of Management are Brand Management (Robert Mackalski), Social Context of Business (Lindsey Holmgren), and Marketing & Society (Andy Nulman).

What have you been currently working on after graduation?

I am near graduation and I plan on attending graduate school immediately after my undergraduate degree because I want to learn as much as I can while I still have the brains and intrigue to learn.

Furthermore, my long term outlook is to eventually pursue a law degree.

My career selection would be in consulting and/or marketing.

What are pros and cons about your program?

The advantage of being in the faculty is the exposure to the international student body.

My brand management group was comprised of someone from Colombia, but grew up in France, someone from France, but grew up in Mauritius, someone from China, but grew up in Belgium, and an exchange student from Israel.

The more exposed we are as students, the more we learn in terms of practicality and cultural differences.

Furthermore, the faculty gives you an opportunity to connect with professors since our class size is small. I perceive that to be of utmost importance when selecting an university.

Lastly, the connections we make in the faculty are unparalleled.

I have met outstanding alumni through the faculty by being involved in MMICC (McGill Management International Case Competition) and other student associations.

The disadvantage of being in the faculty is the level of competition because there is a bell curve.

Students are sometimes protective of their work and less willing to help because it is important to have a competitive edge in the class.

Moreover, it is tough to establish genuine relationships in the faculty with other people.

I find it a lot easier to connect with students outside of the faculty.

What were some valuable involvements at school that taught about yourself and oriented your goals?

JDC (Jeux du Commerce or Commerce Games) is a case competition for business students in Québec & Ontario.

My involvement in the competition has taught me the importance of working not only as a team, but as a school.

We all work together to compete with other business schools to vie for first place. The competition is exhilarating and you meet many people.

MMICC (McGill International Case Competition) is my favourite student association on campus. The recruitment and interview are rigorous, but worth it if you get in. The committee is very charming and talented. I would say this is the closest I have to family away from home. There are so many good things to say about the competition.

I will keep it short and just say that MMICC is the best place to meet people and learn from the finest students in the world.

What advice would you give to current undergraduate students at McGill?

Get involved! They are worth your time and you gain experience. Do not overload too much into extracurriculars.

No matter what occurs, your academics come first.