Ali Shabbir

SUGAR LAND – Ali Shabbir was born in Mumbai, India, and now is getting his master’s degree from the University of Houston-Victoria through a special program designed for international students.

“Once I completed my undergraduate degree in Mumbai, I immediately flew here for the Bridge Global Master of Business Administration program,” said Shabbir, who became a U.S. resident when he was 16 years old but spent a lot of time in both countries. “Life in the United States is very different. The U.S. is an individualistic society, whereas India is a collective society.”

In India, family ties and dependency on parents is high, unlike the U.S., where independent lifestyles are more common, 23-year-old Shabbir said. But the transition from one culture to another was not difficult for Shabbir.

“Both countries have great diversity, which made it easy to adapt to the American lifestyle,” he said.

Shabbir is enrolled in UHV’s Bridge Global MBA offered at the University of Houston System at Sugar Land. The program is designed for international students who have achieved an undergraduate degree in three years instead of the standard four years.

“I didn’t know a three-year undergraduate degree would be such a stumbling block in my career path,” Shabbir said. “Something struck me, and I decided to check out UHSSL. It was the best thing that ever happened. I didn’t have to waste a year, and I pay reasonable fees.”

UHV’s Bridge Global MBA offers concentrations in areas such as accounting, economic development, entrepreneurship, finance, general business, management and marketing. It also allows students to interact with other scholars from around the world.

Shabbir is getting his concentration in finance.

“Since my undergraduate years, accounting has been my favorite subject,” he said. “But at the same time, I love analysis, logical predictions and how numbers are influenced by economics. This eventually led to finance.”

Shabbir maintains a 3.83 cumulative grade-point average. He would like to pursue a career in finance after he graduates.

“I intend to work in a fast-paced financial environment,” Shabbir said. “It is important that in every phase of your career, you keep enhancing your knowledge and skills.”

The UHV Outstanding Student is an online feature highlighting the exceptional students who attend the University of Houston-Victoria. To nominate a student, contact UHV Communications Manager Paula Cobler  or call 361-570-4350.