Nelli Yeranyan

Nelli Yeranyan’s journey at IE University has been about crafting her own story. Originally from Armenia, she moved to Spain to study the Dual Degree in Business Administration & International Relations. Her passion for investigative journalism and storytelling has fueled her academic path, shaping her experience as she has settled into life in Madrid.

Drawn to the global perspectives offered by the Bachelor in International Relations and the vast opportunities in the Bachelor in Business Administration, Nelli envisions a future career where her goals align with her personal interests. She sees her education not just as a stepping stone but as a foundation for becoming the best version of herself.

Even within the academically rigorous environment of IE University, Nelli has found a creative space which allows her to explore, innovate and engage with the world. The university’s "fresh, challenging and transformative" nature has allowed her to explore meaningful partnerships, like her internship with OpenAI and the Diplomacy Career Accelerator.

IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs opened Nelli’s eyes to international relations and empowered her to make her degree her own. Through seminars, events and initiatives like the One Month, One Region program, she received an in-depth look at different cultures, and more than just learning about international relations, she was living it. The diverse student body also helped her question many of the assumed truths that she held about the world, which gave her practical insight into turning her beliefs into actions to improve systems and effect positive change in the world.

An important chapter for Nelli at IE University was stepping into the Diplomacy Career Accelerator. As a woman from a small country, she saw this program as an open door to a world that might otherwise have remained out of reach. An impactful memory from the Diplomacy Career Accelerator program was sitting at a lunch with ambassadors, mentors and peers where she felt truly seen and heard. Despite ultimately deciding that diplomacy wasn’t the career path for her, the skills that she gained—adaptability, intellectual range and emotional resilience—will continue to serve her well in any professional endeavor.

Though international relations has always been her passion, Nelli knew early on that business administration would be the foundation of her career. Hands-on internships and entrepreneurial projects have given her real-world business experience, allowing her to balance analytical thinking with creativity. She also credits the degree’s flexibility in tailoring her education to the skills that most interest her and opening doors to different industries and roles.

Many people assume that studying a dual degree means committing to two career paths, but for Nelli, it was an opportunity to choose her own adventure. The business administration side gave her a strong professional foundation, while the international relations side was a personal passion she wanted to explore at an academic level. Over time, she has come to appreciate how well the two disciplines complement each other, as her studies in international relations allow her to see business decisions through a broader lens. Keeping an open mind about her future, she finds herself especially drawn to marketing and sales as a way to pair business data-driven strategy with storytelling and interpersonal relationships.