Vishnu Prasad Pavan Kumar

Indian-born Pavan Kumar says his Master of Information Technology from the University of Newcastle played an important part in getting him where he is today.

As a product manager with American Express Global, Pavan oversees the company’s Business Travel Account for the Asia Pacific market. He draws on a wide range of skills from collecting market intelligence, creating data-driven business cases for product development, and liaising with sales and marketing teams to drive those products in the marketplace.

With a background in IT and systems management Pavan chose the University of Newcastle for his post-graduate studies after hearing positive experiences from friends and family who had studied at the institution.

“Definitely the word of mouth about the university's reputation from my friends was enough to prove that I made the right decision to join the University of Newcastle,” Pavan said.

“Coming from a traditional Indian background, it was a different learning experience to come to a foreign country, live by ourselves, cook and learn to share apartment with other friends.

“All these things are life experiences … this helps to be a better individual and understand what we mean by multi-culturalism.”

Pavan says as well as the social opportunities presented by joining the gym and the Indian Student Association, he particularly enjoyed the individual support from the academic staff.

“I had a great teacher and mentor under Suzanne Ryan who helped me get admission to the University and help me settle in initially. Also, my professor Peter Summons who helped me a lot with our final semester project.”

The positive experience did not end at the university gate, with Pavan saying he found Newcastle a far more affordable place to live when compared to Sydney.

“I really enjoyed the calm and peaceful Newcastle city as compared to hustle and bustle of the Sydney city.

“In my spare time, I used to visit the various beaches around Newcastle. Overall, it’s a fantastic place to study and enjoy nature as well.”

Pavan was also able to find part-time work while he was studying, with weekly shifts at a local Indian restaurant and supermarket allowing his to save money for some travelling during the university breaks.

“I would definitely recommend the University of Newcastle to the international students who are keen to study overseas. The faculty and the support team are very helpful for international students and help them settle in.

“My studies at the University of Newcastle had a great positive impact on my career. I am where I am today due to the support I received from the professors and staff at the University of Newcastle.”