Pulkit Verma

Country: India 
Degree: Master of Business Administration (Entrepreneurship)
Faculty: Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

Why did you choose your degree?

In 2014, I was instrumental in setting up Entrepreneur Café, an international community for budding and veteran entrepreneurs alike, which is now present in around 100 cities across 6 continents. Through this venture, I met a plethora of entrepreneurs coming from diverse backgrounds. After that, I started a few ventures of my own, where I gained practical experience and realised what entrepreneurship really stands for - being able to solve problems in an elegant and innovative manner. Now I am pursuing my MBA, specialising in entrepreneurship, to learn all of the formal concepts and to become better at management and sharpen my existing skills.

Why did you choose to study at the University of Adelaide?

I wanted to be at a place where I can learn about management and practise entrepreneurship in a controlled environment. Adelaide is the headquarters of ThincLab, one of the largest start-up incubators in the southern hemisphere, where I can meet other like-minded people and collaborate; Adelaide being one of the very few universities in Australia that can provide me with such an innovative ecosystem, to nurture my ideas. On top of that, Adelaide is the only designated UNESCO city of music in Australia, which was very appealing to me as I produce music in my free time.

What are you enjoying most about your degree?

It has to be the active engagement with students and teachers. I have been a part of multiple group projects and worked in teams while being in different times zones. The course presents many avenues of engagement, such as forum discussions, group assignments, presentations, virtual zoom seminars, quizzes and tutorials.

How have you adjusted to online learning?

We are the students who never gave up, experimenting with new ways to work remotely, setting up new milestones and benchmarks. Despite the pandemic, we persevered and overcame all the challenges together.

As a budding entrepreneur, I would say that being able to work in teams virtually, is a highly valuable skill in the coming age. The University of Adelaide has done a fantastic job in adapting to the new circumstances as I always felt connected with my class.

-Pulkit Verma

What advice would you give to other students starting their studies online?

To the students commencing their studies online, I would like to say that, always be at your best and stay disciplined even if you are at the comfort of your home. Eventually, you will realise that consistency is key, so don’t slack off! You are studying at one of the best universities of the world, so get ready to challenge yourself and grow on a personal and academic level. The courses are perfectly balanced so the efforts you make in every class will eventually pay off.

What are the top 3 things you are looking forward to when you arrive in Adelaide?

• Meeting all the amazing people, that I have met online, in person.
• Exploring the beautiful city of Adelaide and also identifying the opportunities available to me as an entrepreneur.
• Last but not the least, I want to meet creative musicians and artists that come to Adelaide and become part of the vibrant culture.