Huda Daud

MSc Biotechnology, Bioprocessing & Business Management Huda is from Malaysia and graduated with Distinction in 2015

She received a Warwick International Office Scholarship

Huda’s background and a bit about why she chose Warwick “My education background is Biotechnology and I did my bachelor’s degree at the University of Queensland, Australia majoring in Drug Design and Development.

When I made the decision to further my studies, I attended education fairs and brought home prospectuses from various universities. I looked at the various biotech courses and the one offered by Warwick caught my eye.

The location of the University of Warwick was also a factor. I knew I didn’t want to be in a big city, like London, but close enough for me to make occasional visits. Warwick is very strategic; Birmingham (a big city) is only 10 minutes away by train if I ever felt like heading to the city and, as Warwick is located in the Midlands, traveling to the north or south is very convenient.”

Huda’s first impressions of Warwick

“It’s very modern. I always had an impression that all universities in the UK look like the buildings in Harry Potter movies. Boy, I was wrong.” What did Huda like most about the University and her degree? “The best thing about the course is the combination of science and business in one program, which cannot be found elsewhere. It’s not only about the combination, but you also get an overview of what happens from ‘idea’ to ‘product launch’. Simply, it’s a bit like an MBA with the science component to it.

I really like the diversity in Warwick, you get people from various backgrounds and origins in one room. In my class, there were 36 of us from 18 different countries. We even organized an International Food Day where each of us brought a dish from our respective countries and shared it with the class.” What does Huda feel she gained from her degree? “I gained interdisciplinary knowledge and various life skills, such as presentation skills and time management, from the course.”

What is Huda doing now? “All that I learnt during the course (from the scientific and business knowledge to various life skills) helped to prepare me for employment. I've moved away from pre-commercialisation (I was in Regulatory Affairs and New Product Development previously) and stepped into the commercial side of the pharmaceutical industry as a marketer for the largest Malaysian pharmaceutical company called Pharmaniaga. I manage various product portfolios such as Anti-Infectives, Urology, and Cardiovascular diseases. This role allows me to tap into my creative side as well as applying my scientific knowledge to come up with creative ways to promote the products to healthcare professionals. “

What else did Huda do during her time at Warwick? “I played netball for the Malaysian student society and joined a few tournaments organized by other Malaysia student societies. Occasionally, I joined the day trips to some of the historic towns in England organized by the International Office, which allowed me to enjoy the historic places in England and to make new friends along the way.

I was also a Postgraduate Ambassador and led tours around campus, Coventry and Leamington Spa for new students. I also wrote an article on funding for the Postgraduate student blog.”

Huda’s advice to prospective students “If you’re looking into career in science but you’re not interested in research, this course is definitely for you. Make sure you are passionate about science and are willing to work hard as the course is quite intense, but you’ll be gaining a lot of new knowledge and skills during the program. Time management is the key, but don’t forget to have fun as well.”