The Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme is an external scholarship which is an exclusive agreement for Turkish students to secure scholarship funding to study in the EU. Jean Monnet Scholarship recipient Hüseyin Derici from Turkey talks about his scholarship journey, studying the MSc in Finance programme, and offers advice to future applicants who wish to secure this scholarship to study at Trinity Business School.
Hüseyin Derici
My Background
My name is Hüseyin, I was born and grew up in Turkey. I acquired my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from The Middle East Technical University, one of the universities in Turkey, in 2012. During this period, I visited the USA with the purpose of working and travelling for three months in 2010, which improved my undergraduate studies and motivated me to get more involved in international activities.
Following graduation, I started working at The Capital Markets Board of Turkey (Turkey's regulatory authority) as a specialist after a challenging interviewing process. Since then, I have worked on different aspects of capital markets including authorization and supervision of institutions, along with oversight of collective investment schemes.
In 2017, I was part of a working group that ran a project around the strengthening of the capital market board in Turkey. This was funded by the EU and aimed to compare EU regulation regarding alternative investment funds/AIFMDs to similar regulation in Turkey. It was also a study visit to observe issues regarding alternative investment to different authorities and institutions in Frankfurt in Germany. Along with this experience, I have also accomplished an internship programme at The Central Bank of Ireland.
Choosing Trinity
My current working background at a regulatory authority along with my internship experience at The Central Bank of Ireland, coupled with Trinity College Dublin’s reputation and historical campus, are the main reasons that motivated me to undertake the MSc in Finance programme.
After my internship at The Central Bank of Ireland, I believed that Trinity College’s high quality learning environment and strategic position as a financial centre in the EU would enable me to complement theoretical knowledge with opportunities regarding practical experience in Dublin, strengthening my career prospects and enhancing my skills to address current and emerging issues of financial markets better.
I found the programme offered by Trinity Business School exactly in line with my career prospects. Modules in the first semester were highly informative, and combined with the numerous module options for the second semester, I was excited to pursue my Masters at Trinity Business School.
Checking out The Campanile, Trinity College Dublin
The Postgraduate Experience
Living in Dublin was interesting; it had a lot to offer outside of studying in terms of culture and things to do. The same can be said about Trinity, which promotes itself as an international, multicultural university and this is definitely true. Trinity really helped me to develop and build my network with various people from different backgrounds, as well as deepening my knowledge of finance.
Every moment at Trinity was special, but I was especially enjoying quality time with my friends while exploring Dublin and venturing to new places whenever we had some free time. I joined the Trinity Student Managed Fund as a financial non-banking analyst and this was a great experience for me. It enhanced my pitching skills and gave me a real idea of what it'd be like to work in financial services. Trinity regularly hosted various networking events with alumni and industry experts, which gave an overall view of the various opportunities available to me.
The Jean Monnet Scholarship
I was so happy to be a recipient of The Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme, a project funded by the EU which aims to increase the number of experts in the EU field and support Turkey’s administrative capacity building efforts for the effective implementation of the EU acquis within the framework of Turkey’s negotiation process for full membership to the EU.
The award eased my stress, gave me stability, and helped me balance my study/work life. I used the scholarship to cover tuition fees and living expenses.
The scholarship was a perfect chance to exchange personal and professional experience with other enthusiastic students coming from both international and technically diverse backgrounds. In addition, it helped me to generate knowledge and insights that can support EU policy-making and strengthen the role of the EU in a globalised world.
In other words, it helps me to specialize in finance/financial services which is one of the fields related to the EU acquis so that I can be more beneficial about supporting Turkey’s administrative capacity building efforts for the effective implementation of the EU acquis thanks to the scholarship.
Trinity Business School Entrance
Advice for Future Applicants
To be eligible for this scholarship, there are some requirements. Since I was working in the public sector in Turkey and met the CGPA and foreign language proficiency criteria in the official scholarship announcement, I was entitled to take the written exam which included various questions relating to the EU acquis chapter from which the applicant applied. Since I was working in the capital markets regulatory authority, I choose the ‘Financial Services’ chapter for the written exam. The list of award holders are determined according to their written exam scores and sectoral quotas in terms of success ranking.
It is important to follow the social media accounts and websites of the main EU institutions such as The European Commission, Parliament etc. and the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey to get informed about historic and current issues regarding the EU acquis chapters and EU-Turkey relations, especially the topic applied to by the applicant.
Future applicants have to be aware of the EU’s main principles and values. Applicants shouldn’t focus on just historical issues or just one side of either The EU or Turkey, but they should think critically about the main topics that affect both The EU and Turkey.
The MSc in Finance Programme
Tips for Coming to Trinity
Studying and living in a different country was a life changing experience. Trinity was a great choice especially because it’s in the city centre and Dublin is an exciting place to explore nature, historical buildings and culture etc., and you can find traditional recipes including Turkish foods easily and affordably.
My advice would be to choose wisely where you live – perhaps consider living in Trinity Halls, attend different events and be sure to get involved in campus activities and societies to make friends with people from other countries and most importantly learn about that country’s culture and respect it.
Be clear on why you are looking to do a masters and for what outcome and what are you planning for your future. Act accordingly while you pick the modules during the programme and focus on your specific areas. Be proactive about building a good network, spend time preparing for interviews, apply and do internships - they really help you understand if your chosen career path is what you want to pursue.
Since Graduating
As I mentioned, I have been working as a specialist at The Capital Markets Board of Turkey since 2013. After getting my scholarship award, I took unpaid leave to pursue my master degree at Trinity. Currently, I am still working with the regulatory authority, where we are regulating and supervising collective investment schemes including asset management companies.
Modules that I took in the MSc in Finance programme, the analyst position at The Trinity Student Managed Fund, and related well-known company events such as the Bloomberg LP etc. that I participated in, have provided me with a different perspective for my career, and have increased the opportunities for me in many areas of my life.
Most importantly, I realised how EU principles and values are needed for whole world thanks to the Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme sponsors.
Even if Covid 19 has limited our options in Ireland, moving back to Turkey was a challenge for me after spending almost one year in Ireland. I am very happy to have been part of a rich international programme in my life. My experiences at Trinity have made me to become more comfortable, more flexible and more independent.
