Michal Golda

1. What influenced you to pursue an MBA at the Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology?

I have been thinking about this type of study for some time. I looked for many offers, but I was most interested in the information about MBA studies for the IT industry at the Polish-Japanese Academy of Computer Technology. I made the decision to start the educational process at this University, because I know many Graduates of this school, who value this place in particular and remember well their educational times at PJAIT. In addition, my decision was also influenced by the list of Lecturers at the MBA program, which consists of practitioners and experts who are knowledgeable in their area of expertise. An additional advantage is that the studies are aimed directly at people in the IT industry. 

2. How do you recall your time at MBA 4 IT at PJAIT? What was the most significant thing for you during the studies themselves?

I recall the time spent at the university as very valuable. MBA studies are all about people, I just happened to be fortunate that my group was really outstanding in terms of diversity of characters, work experience and positions held. I am glad that I was able to meet such interesting people and exchange many insights with them.

3. What areas from the curriculum covered during the MBA program were most relevant and useful to you in your professional life?

 The MBA fully met my expectations. At the time, it was important for me to solidify my basic knowledge in finance, typical management and HR-related areas. In addition, classes that addressed non-obvious issues were of great value to me, such as Grwalization conducted by Pawel Tkaczyk, or subject from Public Speaking by Krzysztof Górlicki. Also noteworthy are the topics related to the Psychology of Leadership and Managerial Decisions, taught by Katarzyna Olszynska. I think that the success of these subjects, in addition to interesting issues, was influenced by the approach of the Lecturers to each Student. The classes did not consist of a monologue by the instructor, but were based on discussion and lively exchange of ideas.  

4. How do you assess the cooperation of MBA students during the course and the contact between the student and the lecturer. Are the relationships that have been established important to you?

Our relationship was very much a partnership. We were a group that had no barriers to experimenting or talking frankly. Above all, there was a lot of freedom in our relationship to express our own opinions. To this day, I still have contact with most of the Students. Thanks to our diversity, we could really learn a lot from each other. As I mentioned before, the Lecturers were open to our questions, which made the discussions live with their own energy, and I think this greatly influenced the effective educational process.   

5. How did your MBA study contribute to your career development?

I changed my role in the company from People Manager to being responsible for regional project portfolios in the context of quality delivery.

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

First of all, interpersonal relations and the opportunity to learn another point of view on the same subject. If one works in an organization then certain ways of doing things, established over years of work are already standard. It is interesting to confront other experiences and share developed practices together.

7. What tips could you give to potential MBA candidates?

One tip that may seem obvious, but for me is crucial, is to ask as many questions as possible, to drone on about the topic, and to approach the issues at hand in a non-obvious way.

It is important to be properly prepared to undertake this type of study. By this I mean experience. It is worth starting the education process with some experience. This is needed to be able to have an effective discussion. Without experience, these studies would be based more on the principle of listening to lectures, accepting theory, without covering the issues in practice. One of the greatest advantages of these studies is the exchange of points of view, which in each of the Students, after all, come from professional experience.