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Meet Adam Yusof Bin Mohammed Redza, Global Prosperity graduate (2021-22). With a background in Business Management, now working on sustainable food start-up Burg.
What is your background and why did you choose to study the Global Prosperity Msc at the Institute for Global Prosperity?
My background is in a Business Management degree, which I did in Queen Mary London – though the journey to IGP began in my 2nd year of my undergraduate, in which I got to choose my first few electives. I chose business ethics who was run by one of my favourite professors, and he basically had a syllabus that had friction with the rest of my course – and I loved every second of it. As much as I believe business has contributed to the world both directly, and especially indirectly, there have been multiple failings that are caused by malpractice and certain systems remaining rigid. It was from that point on that I knew that once I completed my undergraduate, I immediately wanted to specialise in something more attuned towards people’s prosperity.
I chose MSc Global Prosperity out of other courses because of the holistic overview the course was promising on innovation and change to help people – a view that IGP is beholden to, more so than other places I was considering.
What did you enjoy the most about studying with the IGP?
Honestly there are too many things to easily choose from, but what stands out by far was the incredible student and teacher community fostered by IGP. Every single lesson had riveting conversation and debates, all done in good faith to one another and that extended way beyond lesson itself. The teachers were incredibly approachable and joined in on the conversation as peers more than anything; they truly broke down that tall hierarchical feel into a friendly and supportive relationship. Also, everyone had such amazing insights and contributions.
Which topics, extracurriculars, or electives did you find most interesting and why?
The most captivating elective I did was Urban Futures and Prosperity – for me it was done in quite an intensive format for Term 3, yet all the interesting topics regarding how a city’s design implicitly and explicitly intersects with everybody’s experience of life and prosperity has stuck with me due to how it is something we can all relate to on some level in that current moment. In the wonderful city of London, we all interact with various facilities of it in one way or another: so, to learn all the inner workings of urban design and how they interaction with prosperity in deliberate and accidental ways was very powerful, especially because you could draw from your own experiences right then and there to share with the class or put down in an essay.
What does prosperity mean to you?
My simple definition of prosperity is people being given the relevant tools and care they need to be happy, healthy and both intrinsically and extrinsically fulfilled in the ways they desire. This means that prosperity itself is not a static universal standard to put onto everybody, but rather something that is constantly negotiated and redefined by each person: to help people holistically is to have a dialogue with them regarding their own definitions, and how that interlinks with the community around them.
Can you tell us about your experience outside study, such as living in London or travelling in the UK, and how it has shaped or inspired you?
Living in London has been quite wonderful, and I am very fortunate to be here and to have studied in 2 prestigious institutions. I mean, it was here that I have met such wonderful people that I hope to know for the rest of my life, and it was here that I was inspired to start a business during my undergraduate and search for more opportunities to help people! I would say it has inspired me through how connected the city is to various resources and facilities, in ways I had previously only heard of and never experienced first-hand.
What have you been doing since graduating and how did your MSc help you progress in your career?
First and foremost, I have been working on my sustainable start-up with my friends. The business is called Burg, we aim to disrupt the environmentally devastating and inefficient markets of traditional livestock and agriculture via the incredible alternative protein source of crickets! It is greener, healthier for people and scalable like you can’t even imagine. We are on track for some big grants and hope to be selling our pilot product (Burg brownies) soon! You can find us on IG @burg.official. My MSc has helped me progress this 4 year old business through the teachings from Transformative Entrepreneurship and Pathways to Prosperity, which has helped modify the business model to be even more committed to sustainable practices for the environment and communities.
Second, I have been searching for a job in sustainable consulting, in various business both big and boutique, but all of them centred around sustainability for the environment or local communities. My Masters has given me skills and education that either weren’t taught in my undergrad or were only briefly touched upon – my time at IGP has refined my dissertation writing, research methodologies and updated my know-how of systems thinking.
What advice would you give to new IGP students and to those thinking of applying?
My number one advice is something that my close friend told me as I was choosing which masters to do: meditate on your passion, and follow it through. As cheesy and oversimplistic as it sounds, it was what led me to choose MSc Global Prosperity over other choices that I initially was going to take, but did not fully believe in. If reading the course page overview and my experiences here seems to stir a deeper motivation you have, then I suggest you do your best to listen and believe in both yourself and that passion. So long as you follow your passion, then anything you do in its name will surely be fulfilling.
What was the topic of your dissertation and could you share your journey around it?
My master’s dissertation was centred around community allotments and how they contribute to prosperity; initially the scope of it was considerably bigger (I was considering a technical quantification of its ecosystem services) but not only did I come upon this interest and topic late, I also do not have the expertise to conduct that kind of study in that amount of time. However, I am glad and proud of what happened in the end, as I got the opportunity to go to various different community allotments, meeting many wonderful gardeners from all sorts of backgrounds, and sharing stories alongside fresh produce grown by them. In the end, my dissertation was focused on a general analysis of the benefits they offer, and whether those line up with what the future needs regarding solutions for the ecological degradation (and its consequences) that the world faces.
Follow @burg.official for updates on Adam's start-up.