ORANGE is the New Smart: a Postgrad Study Programme Initiated by a Polish Telecom Giant with Kozminski University

Orange Polska, a leading telecommunication company in Poland, recognizes that being a fledgling in a professional field can complicate matters for soon-to-be graduates seeking for employment opportunities. To help them out, as well as to get some fresh business solutions, in 2013 the company in partnership with Kozminski University launched a postgraduate program in Internet Marketing with strong practical orientation. The partnership later on found its continuation in the traineeship opportunities offered by Orange.

What is the scope of the programme?

Orange has been actively engaged into educational initiatives at different levels, starting from elementary schools and reaching higher education institutions. One of such initiatives became the cooperation with Kozminski University. Together they developed a program that carries unique pragmatic features. The program includes 200+ hours of practical classes held in computer labs and conducted by well-renowned lecturers with outstanding professional credentials in e-marketing and e-business. The invited speakers come from such companies like GoldenSubmarine, VML Poland, Ideo, Freshmail, Socjomania, T-Mobile, IQS, Deloitte Digital, FutureMind, PBI, etc. Due to the program launch, students are given access to a wider range of databases, e.g. EBSCO, Emerald and ProQuest. The program also provides some flexibility in learning by allowing students to take selective modules individually.

To encourage academic and professional growth, Orange awarded scholarships to the best students in the program. Today, to broaden their professional knowledge and skills the company provides them with another attractive opportunity, paid internships. By switching into the “try-before-you-buy” mode, students gain invaluable practical experience, thus increasing their competitiveness on the labout market.

Mutual benefits

The benefits of Orange involvement into the educational process at Kozminski University are manifold. Students develop numerous competences that allow them to manage online start-ups, conduct e-marketing activities, analyze consumers’ behavior, plan and handle finances, as well as stimulate and commercialize innovation in the online environment. Eventually, program graduates set up their own business in e-commerce or hold executive positions in the sphere of electronic distribution.

As for the company itself, their gains spread in several directions as well. Close interaction with students and scientists at university has brought Orange a number of new business solutions in the sphere of direct marketing.  Company employees engaged into lecturing are reported to have increased their interpersonal competences. Apart from that, Orange participation in such initiatives helps the company build a positive brand image in the country among its immediate consumers as an innovative firm with highly entrepreneurial spirit.

Though the program is no longer a collaborative effort of Orange and Kozminski University, it has not seized its existence, and continues to function, yet with other business partners. Orange, in their turn, demonstrate their commitment to the original cause by hosting talented students as their interns.

This article is based on a case study originally written by Przemysław Ruchlicki (Polish Chamber of Commerce), developed as a part of the WEXHE Project.