In the UK, this German student is combining his passions for business and healthcare

For German national Leo Paus, being able to pursue his passions in business and healthcare sometimes feels like a dream come true. 

At 22, Paus has graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and is currently furthering his education in healthcare with an MSc in Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Management at UCL Global Business School for Health in the UK. 

His parents were both doctors and researchers. Paus grew up with scientific and healthcare topics being discussed around the dinner table. “I was always connected to it, and it nurtured me into this passion,”  he says.

He also took part in several internships after completing high school. These companies range from startups to large corporates and medium-sized strategy consultants – including big FMCG Henkel and a strategy consulting company Strategy&.

“Over the years, I have gathered experiences. Each is a building block. Each position has helped me to gain experiences and a reputation in specific fields. Thus, I have a concrete vision of where I see myself,” he shares. 

Journey to UCL Global Business School for Health:

Driven, ambitious and having dabbled around in various industries through his internships, he decided to major in Finance at ESCP Business School in Paris, France. Here, he was lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel and study in three different countries.

“The most special aspect of this business school for me was that I was able to spend each year studying in a different country – I spent my first year in London, UK; my second year in Turin, Italy; and my third year in Berlin, Germany,” says Paus.

“This was a great experience and great adventure with lots of learning and meeting amazing people.”

But he felt a little lost. “I was looking for a way to combine the two topics of business and healthcare, specifically pharma,” says Paus.

“The way to find a middle ground between knowledge fostering and increasing transparency of the sector is good management education.”

His exploration led him to London to pursue an MSc in Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Management at the world’s first business school dedicated to healthcare – UCL Global Business School for Health.

Paus chose UCL Global Business School for Health for his master’s as they were able to give him the flexibility of fusing his prior business experience with a scientific approach. Source: Leo Paus

The dynamism, people and the city as a whole drew Paus there. “The energy of the city: it’s vibrant, it’s active. The motivation that people have here rubs off on you. It’s really energetic!,” he told Study International.

Despite being an international student, he felt right at home with the locals. “I like the people,” he says. “Everyone is happy to speak over a pint. You can talk to everyone; it doesn’t matter who you are. There is an openness to talking about stories and meeting new people”.  

Leo’s aspirations are steering in the right direction with the support of UCL Global Business School for Health. The university tackles health challenges from a business perspective and is encouraging its students to re-imagine global healthcare management.

Given his background in business, Paus was aware of the harsh change that would come with switching to a programme with a pure science focus. 

“I didn’t want a general degree in business management. I wanted to specialise in something I am passionate about,” he says. “UCL Global Business School for Health was the only one enabling me to fuse my prior business experience with a scientific approach and a subject I had a passion for (biotech and pharma),” he explains. 

His motivation? To have fun and be happy in what he does. While many of us strive to live up to that philosophy, Paus has successfully integrated it into his life and career.

“For me, fun is trying new stuff, and my career so far has been defined by always trying something new,” he says. Paus sees himself continuing in strategy consulting or as a venture capitalist who focuses on biotech and pharma. 

To those planning to study abroad, hear it from Leo: “Don’t go somewhere because people have told you to go – go to the place that fits your character.”

“I am super happy with London right now because it’s a very competitive, thriving, motivated city with lots of career opportunities, which suits my character,” he adds.