My name is Eric Gaisie and I come from Kumasi, the cultural and commercial capital of Ghana. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Settlement Planning and a Master of Philosophy in Planning from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi. Having taken the first year of the Mundus Urbano programme at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany, I am joining MESCI for the second part. Faced with a couple of options, I decided on the MESCI course because I believe its content will equip me with the requisite skills of applying quantitative techniques and economic principles in addressing real life problems. I bring to the MESCI class experiences from the academia, private sector as well as the civil society. After my first degree, I was selected as Teaching and Research Assistant for the Urban Planning Studio with the Department of Planning, KNUST. There I assisted in a number of research works as well as offered tutorials to students on urban planning themes. I have also worked with non-governmental organisations like the Tropenbos International Ghana (TBI-Ghana), Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) as well as the Millennium Villages Project. I have also worked with a private firm, OAK Development Advisory, which offered consultancy services mostly to local authorities, where I actively participated in the preparation of physical development plans for numerous settlements. I am of the firm believe that the MESCI programme will enhance my professional and academic development and also serve as a stepping stone to expanding networks of like-minded professionals motivated to improve quality of life.