Duke Daytime MBA Student Blog
Mjumo Mzyece
I’m from Zambia. I was born, raised, and educated there before going to the University of Manchester, England, where I studied electronic and electrical engineering. Later, I was a graduate student at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland. My career has taken me to a number of countries, most recently South Africa, where I worked in the telecommunications industry, in R&D on mobile/wireless technologies and in technology consulting.
I am convinced that business is a tremendous force for good in the world. I have witnessed this first-hand, particularly in Africa’s mobile phone revolution, in which I was privileged to play a part at Econet Wireless, a pan-African mobile network operator. I came to Duke seeking a top-notch business education, at a world-class university, delivered by an excellent faculty, alongside exceptional classmates. I have not been disappointed. Duke has exceeded all my expectations.
Fuqua Activities: I am a cabinet member of the Business in Africa Club (BIA) and will be involved in organizing the club’s flagship event, the annual Business in Africa Conference. I am also involved in the Entrepreneurial and Venture Capital Club (EVCC).
Summer Internship: This past summer I was in the Extreme Blue program, IBM’s premier technology innovation internship. I was part of a team that created a new product called “Blueprint” that is profiled in this YouTube video. The project team is profiled in this Tumblr post.
Random Facts: I was named “Mjumo” meaning “he who comes unexpectedly” by my paternal grandfather who apparently regarded the arrival of his grandson (me) as an unexpected blessing. I love books. Two excellent ones I read recently are: “Creativity, Inc.” by Ed Catmull, co-founder (with Steve Jobs and others) of Pixar Animation Studios; and “The Power of Intuition” by Gary Klein, the psychologist who pioneered the study of naturalistic decision making. I find Arthur C. Clarke’s motto (and eventual epitaph) very inspiring: “He never grew up, but he never stopped growing.” Some of my favorite movies are about teaching and teachers, including Dead Poets Society, Finding Forrester, and The King’s Speech. I know a two-word joke: “Pretentious? Moi?”
Follow me @mjumomzyece
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Daytime MBA Class of 2015