Zayed Bin Islam

Program

2018 Graduate – Marketing & Consumer Studies, MSc

How my research will Improve Life… 

I would like to use consumer behaviour to make an impact in the field of health and nutrition. Overweight and obesity are big problems. Ordering very high caloric food is one of the factors that contribute to this problem. Starting from January 1, 2017, restaurants who have 20 or more outlets in Ontario are required to present calorie information on their menu. A more visual cue might be more effective in drawing the attention of consumers to the calorie information, even when someone is in a rush. I tested the effect of various visual cue based menu-labelling strategies (e.g. physical exercise equivalent calorie labeling, traffic light signaling) which will help students make informed choices.  I hope this research will contribute to reduce the overweight/obesity problems among youth.  

Why I Chose Guelph… 

To me, research is the most important component of graduate studies. With that in mind, I was looking for a university that had a very good reputation of being research driven. The University of Guelph has that international reputation. For example, it received the highest amount of research funding over the last 15 years among Canadian comprehensive universities. Besides the reputation of the university, the program design of MSc in Marketing and Consumer Studies and rich profile of the faculty members motivated me to go for this program. 

About My Advisor… 

My supervisor is an expert in the field of consumer behaviour. I took two consumer behaviour courses with him and got the opportunity to learn many new things. He was very helpful and actively involved in my research. In addition to my own thesis, I also worked as a research assistant on one of his research projects. 

About the City of Guelph… 

I love the serene nature of this city. Being so close to Toronto and other larger cities, students have the opportunity to visit places in different cities in their free time. Another great thing about Guelph is that the city is very much bike friendly; most of the streets have a separate bike lane. 

About Campus… 

I think the University of Guelph has one of the best cafeteria services among Canadian universities. The cafeteria is run by its own hospitality and tourism management department, which maintains a very high standard. It provides a lot of options to the students and does its best to be inclusive (for example, it serves ‘Halal’ food). 

Another great thing is its connectivity. Other than the regular Guelph transit, the University Center is also the stop for GO Bus and Greyhound Bus, which helps the students commute conveniently from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). 

About My Program… 

Our program arranged weekly seminars where the department invited guest speakers from different universities. They shared their ideas, research work and experience with us, which helped to broaden our knowledge.  

In addition, the department arranged alumni events. Many alumni are very well positioned in the academia and industry, and we got to learn from them about how to get ourselves prepared for the job market. This also served as a great networking event. 

About Financial Support… 

Besides, ‘Entrance Scholarship’ and ‘Graduate Teaching Assistantship, I was awarded ‘International Graduate Tuition Scholarship' which was incredibly helpful.