For sure, being an MBA candidate and successful MBA Alumni opened better career opportunities in front of me. I applied for a higher managerial position and I was selected to take over a higher leadership position in my company.

Studies gave me a strong feeling of confidence about my skills, but also gave me a lot of knowledge and tips that I use in my current position. After the MBA programme my way of thinking will never be the same. There is no other way than constant growth. 

Last but not least, MBA studies gave me a unique opportunity to meet fantastic people and build up a strong business network. I will always remember all the ups and downs that we went through, how we supported each other along the way and the strong relationships we were able to build.

The best sessions and the best professors will stay with me for a long time.

It is still an inspiration for me to challenge the world around me for better business results.

The programme helped me to understand the „why” behind almost all the business decision making, and understanding it helps to better innovate and implement solutions efectively. Seeing things from a wider perspective helped me a lot in my professional career and in being more flexible and efficient .  

From the MBA studies I will remember all my dear colleagues, teachers, the fun and challenging moments we went through together. The covid time and the resilience we all showed to continue the studies and succeeded. We started as total strangers and ended up being a one big MBA family. 

All topped off by great people on the lecturers’ side, coming from international universities and business as well as the peers attending. A great 2-year experience that lasts beyond the years of study.

My objectives and criteria for selecting the MBA course were simple: international environment and lecturers, innovative approach, vast scope of professionals – a chance to meet interesting and knowledge-sharing students and professors. Prestigious university and convenient location with clear Study Programme and Objectives and some “freshness” (being part of the first edition was promising and exciting as well). That and more I found in Gdańsk at the Technical University. Additionally, as a graduate of the Mechanical Faculty some years back, I have kept good memories of my 5-year studies and I decided to become a part of this “experiment”.

Right from the initial contacts with the recruitment committee and the programme director, it was clear that my decision was a good choice: there was a clear plan for the entire programme and certification process completion, supported by great organisational experience and the determination of the entire staff. What came as an additional positive surprise was the selection of lecturers and professors appointed for the entire course – great practitioners, coming from various well-known European (and non-European) universities and organisations. As expected, the entire group of MBA students consisted of strong practitioners from various businesses, with expertise and character, which gave us the additional drive to achieve: supporting each other, but also challenging and discussing openly different (sometimes very different) points of view and positions. This resulted in very good relationships and a great atmosphere in meetings – and great fun together during leisure time as well!

The course and the exams were not easy to pass. In fact, some modules were quite challenging, but it was worth it to spend time learning and expanding my knowledge. Two years seemed to be a long time in the beginning. When they were over they seemed like a great adventure that I would recommend to everyone who is looking for development and career opportunities.

Now, since the entire course is AMBA-certified, I am proud to be one of the alumni and so happy to meet up with my fellow students and professors occasionally. Thanks to the endless efforts of the programme director and the entire university team you could experience it yourself in the next edition! Get ready!

Moreover, the international exposure offered by studying towards a management degree at Gdańsk (PL) after having been educated in engineering at Ancona (IT) and Bath (UK) gave me an insider’s perspective and the unique opportunity of collaborating at an international level. The skills and knowledge acquired during my MBA studies were fundamental to my application to the Council of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) – a highly reputable, 145-year-old, not-for-profit organisation registered as a charity in the UK with a global presence that includes 167,000 members across 127 countries. I am extremely proud to have been elected Deputy Chair of Council, starting 1st October 2016. I was subsequently appointed to the Membership and Professional Development Board responsible to the Board of Trustees for oversight of the IET’s portfolio of membership and professional development products and services, and for its charitable activities in education. Furthermore, I was then appointed to the Nomination and Succession Committee, responsible, among other things, for the appointment of the President and the Honorary Treasurer of the Institution.

Without a doubt, my decision to attend an MBA programme with the goal of complementing my technical skills by enhancing my skills in management was appropriate, and the choice to attend Gdańsk University of Technology, AMBA-accredited, has proven to be a positive experience with respect to both the foreign study experience and the overall course content.

During my MBA studies at the Gdańsk University of Technology I was offered the opportunity to join a company that deals with what I have been doing throughout my professional life – industrial water treatment. I decided to accept, and in this way the company KontrolKem Polska was created. I immediately wanted to consider and make use of everything I was taught on the MBA.

Armed with the knowledge gained from my studies, I designed a detailed study of the water treatment market, focusing on a certain section of the industry, namely water treatment for energy purposes. I developed a detailed online questionnaire, and with the help of the MBA office I sent invitations to complete it to several hundred contacts. Based on the results of the market research I have developed a marketing strategy that will show us where we are and what path we should follow.
All this became the basis for my MBA thesis. I am currently implementing the strategy developed. All thanks to the MBA!

After graduation, I sent only three job applications and I was invited to three interviews! Since February 2017, I am the acting Head of IT and Scientific Computing at the University of Cambridge, at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute. Would I have had such an opportunity without an MBA? Perhaps I would, but it might have been very difficult, if not impossible. The MBA makes you change your way of thinking and your perspectives for future career advancement and provides you with practical knowledge. I highly valued the organisation of studies, the quality of the modules and the exchange of experiences with fellow students. It was definitely a life-changing experience for me.

What’s most important: it was practical knowledge. It helps me not only to systematically develop my company and manage bigger and bigger projects, but most of all to solve crisis situations, identify reasons for the problems or for low efficiency, and to implement improvements.

However, there is an additional, extremely valuable benefit that I have obtained during this period of my life: relationships. When I was about to begin my studies, I did not expect that I would establish so many business relationships that will be valuable over the coming years. I continue to work on many projects within different branches and ranges together with my MBA studies colleagues. Merging our strengths and experiences gives us the opportunity to accomplish much more and allows us to sacrifice much less of our precious time and energy.

Ewelina Sasin graduated from MBA studies “Management in Sports” in 2011. She has been developing the marketing agency EWESA for 11 years now. She systematically widens the portfolio of her services and clients. During the last few years she has managed projects on behalf of companies from all over Poland and from eight other countries from the Central and Eastern Europe Region. The end of 2017 will bring additional challenges. Ewelina will enter the Polish gastronomy market, as she is developing a modern concept based on healthy food. This might be the beginning of a brand new chain of restaurants.

I chose the AMBA-accredited MBA programe at Gdańsk University of Technology because it offered everything I expected when investing in my career development. Excellent English-medium modules, interesting international faculty members, a series of accredited training courses and great people: colleagues with whom we could share our knowledge and experience while conducting case studies. Each monthly meeting is a pleasure – and sparks curiosity about the new challenges we will face this time.

This course has allowed me to look to the future with confidence, and to gain solid skills and knowledge that have turned out to be important not only for my career, but also in my personal life. Finding the balance between the two can be extremely difficult, so time management is of great importance. And similarly, overcoming everyday challenges while striving to be the best at what you are doing.
This is what I wish for future students and graduates of the MBA at the Gdańsk University of Technology – a course which I unreservedly recommend.

It has been imaginatively designed and is constantly being developed and enhanced. It is led and delivered by a well-qualified and dedicated faculty, ably supported by a team of experienced business practitioners. And most importantly, with its ‘four pillars’ framework (1. Foundations, 2. Operational Excellence, 3. Strategic Thinking, and 4. People Management & Self-development) it offers an intellectually rigorous and personally inspiring development experience for its students, while maintaining a strong focus on the practicalities and challenges of business management practice.

For example, the management accounting course not only teaches basic analytical skills but continually challenges participants to evolve and justify management decisions in their specialization. It then goes the extra step of teaching the most effective way to communicate decisions and analysis in business reports and presentations. It is this continued placing of the analytical within the perspective of management practice that makes for successful management education, especially when the participants are themselves successful practitioners in their own sectors.