Patryk Koprowski
1. What influenced your decision to pursue an MBA at PJAIT?
I managed to gather information about MBA studies and determine that these are programs that allow people like me (focused on an expert career path) to communicate more efficiently and understand business requirements, so that my actions significantly contribute to the global success of the company. I gathered such knowledge about this type of studies not only from the Internet, but also from friends who graduated from a similar program. This led to my decision to enroll in the MBA for IT industry program at PJAIT; I believe this academy has a very good offer for potential candidates.
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?
I realize that one of the added values of MBA studies is building new professional relationships. Indeed, it is an important element, and I appreciate how many people I had interesting conversations with, during which we could exchange our diverse experiences. From a technical standpoint, the approach to defining certain issues was very important to me. By approach, I mean presenting certain educational materials in the form of a diagram or description, which is something you don't encounter very often in the engineering world, and I really liked that about these studies.
3. Which areas of the curriculum covered during the MBA studies were most important to you and proved most useful in your professional life?
It's not easy to visualize, but certainly the ability to understand the perspective of the other party receiving my work means that the true key to success in my professional actions is not creating art for art's sake, but art for the person who needs it. Furthermore, I am now able to ask myself how a given issue can be used in business in a constructive way, which happened very rarely before my studies. The classes with lecturers who presented their areas of expertise in an extremely engaging way were valuable to me; such instructors include Katarzyna Olszyńska, Paweł Tkaczyk, Krzysztof Górlicki, and Adam Bodnar. These are names whose teaching styles broadened my perspective on important topics, making them more structured and well-defined. These are meetings you never forget!
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?
During our MBA studies, we formed great relationships within the group! I met very interesting, friendly, and charismatic people who interacted with ease. Our communication was characterized by great openness. I didn't notice anyone hesitating to present their point of view – we were very direct in our messaging. For my part, I didn't feel any hesitation during the studies about voicing my opinions and views. I knew I could present them openly and that my colleagues would calmly accept them, which provided immense freedom and made the atmosphere during classes truly comfortable. Contact with the lecturers was equally satisfying. The instructors shared their knowledge in an engaging way, backed by professional experience, which was very valuable to us, and they were always eager to answer questions.
5. What values, apart from the curriculum itself, were most important to you during your MBA studies?
I don't see values that directly stem solely from MBA studies. These values emerge later in various areas of life, not just professional, but private as well. Thanks to the MBA, I changed my approach to many relationships with the people around me, such as colleagues at work and relationships at home. Another value was understanding what is happening around me – seeing a given issue from multiple perspectives.
6. What advice would you give to prospective candidates for MBA studies?
It's worth giving it a try! Candidates for the MBA for the IT industry program at PJAIT should be open to absorbing a healthy dose of both theoretical and practical knowledge. These aren't your typical studies—they are something more. I would honestly look for a different term here than just "studies." I had never been a manager, supervisor, or director, yet I enrolled in the MBA program and felt completely at ease there. It was fascinating for me to observe directors, CEOs, and vice-presidents who, studying alongside me, frequently emphasized that the main roadblocks in their professional work weren't processes, but people—meaning communication issues, understanding expectations from various people, and learning how to understand them by being a good manager.
