PhD student switches from engineering to business studies

Executive | Sep 16, 2016 | Gabelli School of Business

Jitendra Aswani, PhD ’21

Jitendra Aswani, PhD ’21, started his career in a very different field from business studies.

With a degree in mechanical engineering from the National Institute of Technology in India, the Jaipur native began working for the country’s national oil company in technical services.

His after-hours reading, however, gravitated toward wages and other financial issues. That reading led him to consider a change in careers.

“I decided that economics and finance central for all these subjects, so I decided to move on to economics and finance,” Aswani said.

He enrolled in the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research and received what is called a master of philosophy degree in finance and economics.

“I did my thesis on the financial crisis … how it started and how it expanded to the Asian stock markets,” he said.

The research appealed to him, so he decided to continue his education.

“And now I am here at Fordham to pursue my PhD,” he said.

The quality of Fordham’s faculty was a selling point for Aswani. He believes that many of them will help him develop his research skills and hone his interests. In addition, he called Fordham’s New York City base a great location for someone studying financial risk.

Aswani is looking forward to meeting alumni who can share their finance expertise. “Their experience can help me,” he said.