Michał Amanowicz

1. What influenced your decision to pursue an MBA at PJAIT?

The desire for development, discovering new solutions, and gaining a broader perspective on management in the IT industry. And of course, networking, because it is important to meet people in similar positions and exchange valuable experience. It was also important for me to maintain these relationships after graduation, as there is a high probability that they will pay off in the future. I believe that the Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology has a truly good reputation and is a recognizable institution. In addition, the MBA for IT is a program with a clearly defined profile for IT managers. Therefore, the area of studies and the reputation of the school were the deciding factors.

2. How do you recall your time spent on the MBA for IT at PJAIT? What was most important to you during the studies themselves?

The most important thing for me was to explore new areas such as Design Thinking. Meeting very interesting people—students and lecturers. I look back very fondly on the educational process in the MBA for IT program. I approached each Meeting with immense enthusiasm—such positive energy, the exchange of experiences—every class I attended gave me additional value and a fresh perspective on aspects related to strategic management.

3. Which areas of the curriculum covered during the MBA studies were most important to you and proved most useful in your professional life?

I would mention three subjects: Strategic IT Management—very substantive classes that showed not only theory but also a practical approach to many issues, which is an important aspect for managers. Next is Public Speaking—very valuable classes that opened my eyes to many topics related to proper preparation for public speaking; the areas I explored are paying off in improving my professional activities, where I lead large team meetings. Valuable tips allowed me to introduce certain modifications to how I prepare for large presentations, how to moderate discussions, and also how to deal with stress. The third subject is Design Thinking, which complements Design Sprint—an interesting approach to problem-solving processes. These are the subjects that contributed the most to my development.

4. How do you assess the cooperation between MBA students during classes and the contact between students and lecturers? Are the relationships that you managed to build important to you?

I believe that during our studies, we formed partnership-based relationships with both students and lecturers. We exchanged experiences, worked in groups, and had very interesting discussions. Many of us work in various IT fields, and some outside of this industry, so during classes such as Strategic Management, we could share our own insights, discuss different approaches, and introduce various improvements to our professional areas. Our relationship with the lecturers provided plenty of room for open expression and asking for details. After the classes ended, we continue our acquaintance; we have various virtual groups where we post topics and continue to discuss. In an MBA program, networking is one of the most important things; the goal in itself is not just passing the course, but rather expanding one's knowledge, gaining contacts, and exchanging information.

5. How have the MBA studies contributed to the development of your professional career?

My scope of responsibility within the company is constantly increasing. Already after my first semester in the MBA program, my supervisor, evaluating my attitude at work, noticed significant progress, which translated into taking on greater responsibility for various areas. I have also received an internal promotion; it is safe to say that the studies contribute to the development of my professional career.

6. What values, apart from the curriculum itself, were most important to you during the MBA studies?

I think that this mutual respect and understanding, where our classes took place in an atmosphere of discussion and free exchange of experiences rather than opposing someone else's opinion. Here, everyone felt they had their own space.

7. What advice could you give to prospective candidates for MBA studies?  

I believe it is worth deciding on an MBA education once you have some experience, because the studies are meant to provide us with added value. To be able to assess whether this value has actually contributed anything to our work area, we should already have some initial preparation. I recommend answering the following questions: Do I really need these studies? Am I at a point in my professional development where I am already managing teams, processes, or systems at a level where additional information and knowledge are truly essential? MBA studies are based on a mutual exchange of experiences, and it is worth attempting to contribute something of your own so that the acquisition of knowledge is not one-sided.