From the MAAI to Mercedes-Benz: the road to a master’s internship

For Master in Analytics and Artificial Intelligence student Khanh Nam Lai (Class of 2027), the first year of his degree has had many highlights. Among them is landing a coveted internship with Mercedes-Benz.  

A holistic approach: Nam’s story 

Here, Nam shares the memorable moments from his time at ESMT so far, including internship insights and what it is like to compete in the Airbus Project Management Challenge (the day after an exam, no less!). Nam also explains how a humanities background can be an asset at business school – even when you join a data-heavy program.

Hi Nam, please introduce yourself 

Hi everybody, I am Nam, coming from Vietnam! I am a Master in Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (MAAI) student in the 2025-2027 cohort, and I am really enjoying the journey here in Germany so far.

Why did you decide to join the Master in Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (MAAI) program at ESMT?

I had the opportunity to travel across Europe during my bachelor’s, and I fell in love with Germany. I wanted to do a master’s degree, and my little sister happened to be studying at Mannheim Business School. She pointed to several good business schools in Germany for me, and among them was ESMT Berlin.

I had already been to Berlin a few times, loved the vibe here, plus I knew the startup scene is booming in this city, so I decided to go for it. Have not regretted it so far!

You previously studied communication and media in Budapest. Why Europe, and what made you make the move to a Berlin business school?

“I think Europe is a really cool destination to spend your 20s in, especially if you are interested in culture, history, and humanity.”

I read a lot of books as a kid, and somehow, they all one way or another pointed to Europe. I think Europe is a really cool destination to spend your 20s in, especially if you are interested in culture, history, and humanity.

Regarding the move, after a long period of studying and working in Budapest, I just felt like I wanted to see more of this continent, not just on a surface level, but to actually live somewhere else. I’m already a very spontaneous person, so it wasn’t hard to pick up the luggage and move around!

As someone with a less traditionally quantitative background, what was the admissions process (and admissions test) like?

Honestly, it was not a walk in the park at all. I knew I was coming in at a disadvantage, but I also know that I can catch up on anything with practice. I spent extra hours after work studying for the GMAT, even the weekends too. 

After that, I also had to complete the pre-training that ESMT provided so I could have a solid foundation coming into the course. It was an arduous but rewarding journey.

What unique perspective does your communication background bring to the MAAI?

I think my communications background plus the experience so far at ESMT has really enriched my holistic profile.

My background gave me solid fundamentals in terms of things like public speaking, and how to encode a technical message into bite-sized, fun chunks for the human brain to consume, which is something really important that some people tend to overlook

It is also really cool to see life from two potentially polarizing philosophies. But I don't think they contradict at all: in fact they complement each other. At the end of the day, numbers or words are there to make people’s lives easier and better, and I’m glad I got a glimpse of both.

What is it like to be part of such a global MAAI cohort?

“These opportunities don't come along too often in your life. I am really grateful.”

It is truly a precious experience. I get to see people from all walks of life, different backgrounds, and somehow we manage to make a colorful, beautiful melting pot out of it.

I got the chance to see a lot of perspective from different ethnicities, ages, backgrounds, and I think these opportunities don't come along too often in your life. I am really grateful for it.

You were part of a master’s team who took on the Airbus Project Management Challenge. Can you tell us about this challenge and how your team did?

The Airbus PM Challenge was a very exciting challenge. We put together a team when we saw ESMT’s email, had a go at it, and finished second place in Germany! What was important to me was that we tackled a very open-ended question, outside of the typical “ready-made” school task, and gave birth to something presentable and interesting! 

And all of that was on top of studying as well. We finished a chain of exams then hopped onto the night bus to make it to Airbus the next morning, gave the presentation, and got a tour of how they make a plane! It was really, really memorable for all of us.

You are currently completing your MAAI internship as a Business Analyst Product Management Intern at Mercedes-Benz. How did you get this opportunity?

“I cannot thank ESMT enough for equipping me with more than enough skills and self-belief to not only get in the door, but to begin contributing and learning even more at such a prestigious German company.”

The usual drill: I saw the job posting on LinkedIn, went through the standard recruiting process, and got the email! It’s going well so far, and I cannot thank ESMT enough for equipping me with more than enough skills and self-belief to not only get in the door, but to begin contributing and learning even more at such a prestigious German company.

Are you able to rely on any MAAI learnings in your internship? Are there any skills seminars or professors whose teachings are sticking with you?

“ I would say I would not have made it if it was not for ESMT’s super well-made curriculum.”

Actually, what I learned in the MAAI curriculum is as close as it gets at what I do in my internship. All the data end-to-end treatment processes, methods, caveats – that is what I use daily at Mercedes-Benz. 

The difference is that now the data is real and messy, the impact and accountability is measurable. But I would say I would not have made it if it was not for ESMT’s super well-made curriculum, with its wide coverage of the field and appropriate deep dives into industry norms. 

What is your advice for other master’s students who will apply for internships in the future?

Times are tough right now, but start early, stay steadfast, and the doors will be open. Believe in yourself!

What are your favorite memories from the MAAI so far?

The MAAI cohort organized a surprise birthday party for me in the student lounge, with cakes! It was really heartwarming and made me feel how much I appreciate the community spirit here – on top of all other good experiences, of course!

Thank you, Nam!

Interested to learn more? If you would like to keep up with Nam’s ESMT experiences, you can follow him on LinkedIn.