One event can lead to a long-term partnership. How does Sii build collaboration with universities? 

A workshop, lecture or Open Day is not an end in itself. A well-planned event can be the first step towards long-term collaboration that brings together academic knowledge and business experience while supporting students as they enter the job market. Find out what the university’s collaboration with a big technology organization like Sii looks like. 

Every year, Sii organizes more than 70 events in cooperation with over 30 universities across Poland. These initiatives take place in 12 cities and involve nearly 150 Sii experts. However, their impact does not end when the last item on the agenda is completed. The greatest value lies in the relationships built along the way, which can gradually develop into broader forms of cooperation. 

Starting with a shared need 

Long-term collaboration starts with a clear understanding of needs. Sii team talks to university representatives, student organizations, academic societies and students, and then combines their expectations with the expertise of professionals and the current needs of the job market. 

Based on this, together they select the topic, format and speaker. Sometimes the best solution is a technology workshop or an expert lecture; at other times, it may be career consultations, mentoring, a student project, a career fair, or a students’ visit to Sii office. The key is to ensure that each initiative delivers practical value to a specific group and creates an opportunity for further dialogue. 

The variety of collaboration formats goes hand in hand with the diversity of topics covered. During the last academic year, students could take part in events focused on AI, Agile, DevOps, Power BI, test automation and project management, among others. There were also plenty of opportunities to explore career development, soft skills and preparing for the transition into the job market. 

A single event can lead to long-term collaboration 

The first meeting gives both sides an opportunity to better understand each other’s needs and identify the direction in which the collaboration could develop. When an initiative addresses the real needs of students and the university, new ideas naturally follow: recurring lectures, mentoring programs, student projects, patronage of academic programs and specializations, expert participation in curriculum boards, or co-creating course content. 

Internships and Open Days at Sii offices are particularly valuable examples. In addition to attending lectures and talking to experts, participants can see what day-to-day work in a company looks like, visit Sii offices and meet people working on a variety of projects. This perspective can help students picture their future working environment more clearly than even the most detailed presentation. For Sii, it is an opportunity to support young talent not only during their studies, but also at the beginning of their professional journey. 

An impact that lasts 

The number of participants matters, but it does not tell the whole story. The questions asked during an event, the level of engagement and the feedback received afterwards are equally important. In surveys, students most often highlight the opportunity to explore the practical side of technology, interact directly with experts and ask questions that can be difficult to answer through textbooks or during regular classes. 

For Sii, however, the strongest confirmation of the value of these initiatives is something else: universities come back with new ideas for cooperation, students are eager to participate in subsequent events, and individual initiatives gradually evolve into lasting partnerships. 

See what the job of a University Cooperation Manager looks like

Would you like to hear from Wiktoria, the University Cooperation Manager at Sii Poland, as she talks about her daily responsibilities in her role? Watch this episode from the Power People at Work series: