Larger Text
Smaller Text
Print
Aizhan Tursunbayeva
MEEI Enterprise Development Project:
Evidence-Based Medical Information Delivery System
Support and Encouragement Drive Up Cconfidence and Success
With a Bachelor in Engineering and acquired international working experience in marketing, Aizhan Tursunbayevea had planned to continue her studies in computer science. After arriving in Canada, Aizhan connected with a friend enrolled in McMaster University’s Master of Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MEEI) program. Once versed in the structure, content and goals of the MEEI program, she was convinced this was the program for her. The rest, from her perspective, is history.
Aizhan’s opinion of the program echoes the comments of so many of its graduates. “Coming from a distant and culturally-different country can be frightening and worrisome. And yet all of the people associated with McMaster’s MEEI program made me feel welcome and very much at home here in Canada.”
Working with close friend and fellow MEEI program participant Alena Morozova, their real-world project focused on providing evidence-based medical information for healthcare professionals in developing countries. Their project was recognized with first prize at the TechNet Smart Competition and is being piloted at Apollo Hospital in Kanpur, India.
Aizhan applauds the MEEI program’s professors and support staff who always went out of their way to ensure “student” needs were being met – whether those needs were information, mentoring, marketing research or financial support opportunities for project development. “You’re constantly interacting with business and technical mentors. You’re actually learning, working and doing research all at the same time.”
The atmosphere in which this program flourishes is nothing less than supportive, encouraging and engaging. “We’re treated like real business people and not simply students. From the beginning, they recognized our existing skills and abilities then helped us excel at becoming successful entrepreneurs. They have created a real community around this program. And you’re not just a student number. You’re actually learning, working and doing research all at the same time.”
Aizhan believes it is the passion and commitment demonstrated by all of the MEEI program’s professors and support staff which has made this learning experience more powerful and rewarding than she ever anticipated.
