Tell us a little about yourself, why you decided to go into postgraduate study and what you were doing before?

My name is Kadirasan Chetty, and I am from Mauritius. I read law and passed my LLB exams in June 2019. I subsequently decided to undertake a masters at Manchester Met.

Why did you choose to study this specific subject area?

I intend to work as a barrister with a good background of finance. Alternatively, I am also seriously considering becoming an insolvent practitioner. I have already joined the Middle Temple, and I have also passed my BCAT for that matter.

After my A-levels, I followed a mini pupillage at 5 St James Court, Mauritius [in 2016]. I attended a case of unfair competition before the Mauritius Supreme Court of Mauritius involving mobile telecommunication operators and the regulator. Mr Mark Brealey, QC of Brick Court, London was appearing for the plaintiff telecommunication operator suing its competitor, one of the defendants for unfair competition and the regulator for omitting to take action to regulate the market properly. The expert witnesses, Mr N. Forrest (Price Waterhouse, England) for the Plaintiff and Mr D Thomas (KPMG, England) for one of the Defendants came over from England to depone before the Mauritius Supreme Court.

The case involved highly technical economic analysis based on counterfactual analysis, financial sensitivity tests and market adjustments. I realised that a knowledge of the applicable law, only, was not enough for a barrister to properly conduct such a case. A sound knowledge of accounting and economics, in addition, was important for any barrister taking on such cases.

Why did you decide to study this course at Manchester Metropolitan University?

In the light of my first degree in law and my experience during my mini pupillages and extracurricular activities, [I felt] completing a Masters in Banking and Finance at Manchester Met would definitely help my personal and professional development.

Which parts of the course have you enjoyed the most and why?

I have mostly enjoyed the risk management and financial institutions course and the financial planning and wealth management course. The former was a very engaging module and allowed us to really feel as if we were risk managers. Completing this module will certainly help in prospective job interviews.

The financial planning and wealth management course allows students to understand how to management wealth and a portfolio, which is fascinating. I, personally, was unaware about the complexity of portfolio creation until I took this course.

And which parts have you found the most challenging? How have you overcome those challenges?

As my background does not consist of finance or accounting, the beginning of the course was challenging for me. However, with the support of my tutors I have managed to do very well – I am averaging a first so far.

What is the support like on the course? From your tutors, technicians, fellow students etc.

The support from tutors and technicians is excellent. You always get a prompt response, and they usually get the issue fixed.

What key skills have you gained on the course?

The course is very interactive and will encourage students to partake in group activities; a key skill developed is group work.