Global Leaders Programme 

The brief

Coventry University students attend the exclusive Global Leaders Programme (GLP), an extracurricular option designed to develop them into a future world leader in their field. They expand their global skills through advanced workshops, global networking, international experience and exposure to inspirational industry leaders.

The programme

An important part of the programme is to meet and hear from current industry leaders and renowned speakers. Throughout the duration of the GLP, the students are able to learn from the experiences of current business professionals and gain an in-depth understanding of how their business has grown and adapted to issues such as technological advances and globalisation. 

The method of delivery

Since Jan 2014 Marina has delivered a series of workshops on cross-cultural competency, cultural intelligence, culture shock, intercultural communication, global leadership skills, global business etiquette, cultural agility for global leaders, intelligent networking, global mindset to more than 5,000 students from 50 different countries worldwide. 

The feedback

'Marina has conducted several sessions for the Global Leaders Programme participants at Coventry University. These sessions have been very well-received, with students finding them extremely beneficial. The interactive and engaging nature of Marina's sessions is a significant reason for the consistently positive feedback from the students. Thank you Marina for the great sessions.' Tanya Lazarova, Operations Manager, Global Leaders Programme at Coventry University

“Marina has provided a variety of workshops as part of our Global Leaders Programme here at Coventry University. Covering a variety of topics including: Business Etiquette, Cross-­cultural Intelligence and Cultural Agility in Europe. Marina has a very engaging style when facilitating workshops. She has a great ability to bring together diverse groups and to develop an excellent rapport with our students. It has been a pleasure having Marina on board and we hope to continue working with her in the future.” Jessica Bird, Senior Mobility Manager at Coventry University

'Incredibly beneficial' is how I would describe Marina's workshops. I have been able to further develop my communication skills and I am now more effective when working with other, especially in an intercultural context. The insight into the work of eminent authors, such as Professor Geert Hofstede and Richard D. Lewis, that Marina offered was invaluable and I look forward to exploring their work further. I can definitely only offer the strongest of recommendations for Marina having attended her workshops on Intercultural Communication and Intelligent Networking, delivered as part of the Global Leaders Programme. Her enthusiastic delivery was complimented by her impressive knowledge and I can honestly say that I have been left inspired to apply my enhanced skillset wherever I can.” Arandeep Sing, Engineering Student, participant of Coventry University's Global Leaders Programme

"I have been greatly inspired by Marina's Intercultural Communication workshop for the Global Leaders Programme. She was enthusiastic and extremely professional in her delivery, that included not only theoretical notions but also engaging activities that gave me insight into my communication style and how to improve it. As an International Relations student, I have been able to appreciate even more the value and accuracy of the knowledge shared. I highly recommend her!" Anna Ciceri, Bachelor of Arts & International Relations Student, participant of Coventry University's Global Leaders Programme

"Marina delivered two great workshops on Intercultural Communication and Intelligent Networking today as part of the Global Leaders Programme. Her delivery and enthusiasm of the subject matter was amazing, providing an enjoyable three hours of learning. It was great to learn from her and share experiences with someone so knowledgeable on the subject matter. I will definitely be applying the techniques and tips shown by Marina as soon as I can to further Improve my ability to network and communicate with others. I would highly recommend Marina to anyone considering attending future workshops run by her." Dylan Claassens, Bachelor of Science Mathematics Student, participant of Coventry University's Global Leaders Programme

Marina is a regular speaker and presenter on topics including Global Entrepreneurship, Global Employability Skills, Intercultural Competency, Cognitive Diversity, Cultural Agility, Inclusive Leadership and Global Careers

“It's a difficult task to keep a lecture theatre full of final year University students engaged for a whole hour, but Marina achieved it with our students at Staffordshire University this week. Her fascinating talk about cross-cultural competency captured the attention of the students and culminated in a fascinating Q&A session at the end. Marina has that admirable ability to link theory with real life experiences, making the content of her talk so interesting. I wouldn't hesitate in asking her to come back to talk to our students. To top it off she's a really lovely lady!” Angela Lawrence, Associate Dean Staffordshire Business School

"Marina has kindly delivered three sessions to 3rd year students undertaking the Intercultural Perspectives module at Worcester Business School. During the sessions Marina helped students in their learning about different cultures and how to implement cultural frameworks in the real world. Students highlighted that they learned a lot from Marina and that these sessions combined both theoretical and practical knowledge delivered in an enjoyable method. I look forward to future collaborations with Marina in the near future." Saad Ali, Senior Lecturer in Leadership and Management at University of Derby (previously at University of Worcester Business School)

"Marina delivered a fantastic guest lecture as part of the Strategic Market Relations module that I taught together with a colleague for the MBA at the Nottingham University Business School, University of Nottingham, in April 2021. Students enjoyed this engaging and interactive guest lecture session, as Marina made them think about the cross-cultural aspects of international collaborations, marketing and management in business networks, particularly in a VUCA world, where innovation and an agile mindset are crucial to address complex challenges for both the academic and the business world." Zsófia Tóth, Associate Professor in Marketing and Management, Durham University (previously at Nottingham University)

"Marina Ibrahim is personable, approachable and knowledgeable. Marina, brings energy and insight to her encounters with individuals and groups to create a bespoke experience in response to client briefs. Marina always prepares well for interaction with me, researching context and client needs and aspiration to create the sessions that will most assist the development of clients, mentees and students. 

Marina lead an interactive and sharply focussed session on freelancing within the creative industries for our final year Video and Film Production students at The University of Wolverhampton, School of Media. Marina brought to bare her considerable experience in nurturing and mentoring start up business and entrepreneurs in the region and across the globe. Marina's energy and assertive reassurance was appreciated by my students. 

Marina drew upon industry, government metrics and testimony from global entrepreneurs to paint a contemporary picture of the creative industries landscape in the UK and the characteristics required of freelancers. 

Global Entrepreneurship, personal brand identity, knowing yourself and added value will form the basis of Marina's follow up talk." Tracy McCoy, Associate Dean Recruitment & International. Faculty of Arts, Business & Social Sciences at University of Wolverhampton

"We were delighted with the intercultural training session that Marina held for us. Her personal expertise in the field of travel and intercultural understanding made it a very insightful session and all participants felt very at ease in her presence, thanks to her warm and positive character. Through Marina's training, our participants were able to discover more about themselves and identify key skills that they possess. I am convinced that Marina has given them the confidence to deal with any challenges they encounter." Jenny Price, Internships UK - European Graduate Internship Placements, Leonardo Programme Placement Manager, European Training Services

"I worked with Marina over a period of two years developing a Creative Industries focused incubator at the University of Wolverhampton's Science Park. The project was very ambitious; the challenges were wide ranging from attracting high quality creative businesses in an area where the majority of talented businesses were attracted to Birmingham Manchester or London to finds their success. 

The incubator was an excellent success based mainly on Marina’s innovative approach to the incubator and person dedication. Marina created an environment/culture which encouraged a community of creatives to develop and thrive. The incubator at Wolverhampton Science park was became one of the few incubators to work effectively, meeting the targets of the funding organisations and stakeholders. I would recommend Marina to any company looking for a person to create a positive change within their business." Aidan Sheridan, Research and Enterprise Manager at Goldsmith, University of London