Asseco invests in knowledge
A modern laboratory created under the auspices of Asseco Poland for students of Rzeszów University of Technology has been launched. The opening ceremony was part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. It was also the crowning achievement of the cooperation between Asseco and the Rzeszów-based university. By engaging in such initiatives, Asseco attracts young talents and participates in miscellaneous research and development projects. Collaboration between business and scientific institutions plays a key role in building a knowledge-based economy.
The newly established laboratory will serve as the venue for common undertakings of Asseco and Rzeszów University of Technology, including teaching activities, preparation of diploma theses, research work, presentations and conferences. It has been furnished with 12 computer stations, 8 additional workstations, own servers and equipment for presentations.
“I hope that our cooperation will not only contribute to the professional preparation of our students for taking up work in the IT industry, but also enable the implementation of innovative engineering education, which today should be focused on specific problems and based on carrying out projects and research. The laboratory operating under the auspices of Asseco will be able to educate high quality software developers and analysts. We also intend to apply for and implement joint projects financed from EU or national funds. I am convinced this cooperation will be beneficial for both the parties and it is also in line with the current development strategy of our region,” said Grzegorz Masłowski, PhD, Professor at Rzeszów University of Technology, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
At this laboratory, the university provides the second edition of the “Enterprise-class information systems” program. The course, consisting of lectures and classes, is taught by a highly experienced IT specialist of Asseco. This way students are able to acquire unique knowledge and skills as well as get to know the company. The first edition of the program was completed by 17 persons, 3 of which are currently employed by Asseco. Only in 2014, Asseco took on 17 students of Rzeszów University of Technology for an internship or a training practice and subsequently entered into further cooperation with 6 of them.
“We operate in a sector where innovation and continuous development decide about to be or not to be. That is why we continue to look for young and talented people who are not afraid of facing challenges and want to get involved in technologically advanced projects,” said Zbigniew Krzysztoń, Human Resources Director at Asseco Poland. “Cooperation with universities allows us to establish contact with students and show them what we do. Many of them are given a chance to take up an internship or a training practice at our company and, since the last year, 102 persons decided to do so. Over 20 percent of them have been already employed by Asseco,” he added.
Asseco provides students with an opportunity to implement their diploma theses in a commercial environment. Such activities are aimed at identifying and activating the best students. The company is also engaged in research work together with research and teaching staff and doctoral students, which is consistent with its R&D strategy.
“As a company that allocated PLN 178 million for R&D activities only in 2014, we do understand the importance of collaboration between business and science,” said Adam Góral, CEO of Asseco Poland. “Research and development projects carried out by Asseco resulted, among others, in the creation of proprietary IT systems that are used by more than a half of Polish banks, the largest insurance, energy and telecommunications companies, healthcare institutions, as well as by public administration,” he added.
The company’s research and development activities have been recognized by the European Commission in their “EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard 2014”, where Asseco took the highest place among the four Polish companies included in the report. Whereas, in the “2000 List” ranking compiled by Rzeczpospolita daily, the company has been listed as the 6th most innovative firm.
The company also cooperates with universities under the 3P program (Polish Programmers Project). It is the only Polish program addressed to students and created by students, who become its Partners. Asseco currently supports the actions of fourteen 3P Partners at eleven universities, including Rzeszów University of Technology, Warsaw University of Technology, and AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow. 3P Partners, working together with the company, organize meetings of Asseco experts with students. In addition, they support special events staged at various places across Poland. One of such meetings was held in Rzeszów on 29 May. It featured a panel case study and a round table dedicated for 4 groups of professionals: project managers, business analysts, software testers and Java programmers.
Asseco is also engaged in various programs aiming to provide further training for students and enabling them to acquire a chosen specialization. The company collaborates with the University of Information Technology and Management within its postgraduate Software Engineering program, where students can get familiar with software development environments and learn the organization of work in project teams. Whereas, at Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Asseco organizes optional practical courses in the field of IT project management. These are held at the company’s headquarters, where students have the opportunity to develop new IT solutions while being coached by Asseco experts. The most creative persons can expect further cooperation. This year, such practical courses have been attended by 16 people.