Our Mentors - Engineering

Featuring our top mentors – Adebayo Agbejule

Adebayo sees his role more of a coach and facilitator than a teacher. The goal is to encourage the students to use their practical knowledge and experience to create new concepts via the theories in project management. The best part of the job is when students can connect their experiences to theories and of course, when they graduate.

“The diversity of students provides an excellent learning environment for global networking, making VAMK Master School the right place for potential applicants.”

1. Please present yourself shortly and your role in VAMK Master School?

I teach in the department of mechanical, energy and environmental engineering. My area of expertise are business and financial models in renewable energy, carbon finance, design and implementation of renewable energy projects, project management and research methods. Currently, my main role is to coordinate the project management programme at master’s degree and participate in teaching.

2. How do you see your role as a teacher in VAMK Master School?

At the VAMK Master school, most of the students have working experience in their organizations, I think that my role is more of a coach and facilitator than a teacher. The goal is to encourage the students to use their practical knowledge and experience to create new concepts via the theories in project management. The best part of my job is when students can connect their experiences to theories and of course, when they graduate. So far, the feedback has been positive and would want to express my gratitude to my colleagues who have supported me.

3. What kind of pedagogical principles and solutions do you use?

The key pedagogical approaches are team-based learning (TBL), problem-based learning (PBL) and sometimes the case-study (CS) approach. The focus is on active, student centred, and group-based learning approaches with aim of developing career relevant competencies in project management.

4. What kind of concrete examples can you give about the collaboration between VAMK Master School and working life?

From the project management perspective, we have collaborations with Wärtsilä and Citec, just to mention a few companies. Currently, we also discussing with the city of Vaasa on how project management concepts can be applied in the public sector. Most of the student thesis and projects are related to solving and improving work related issues that can assist companies in improving project management performance. For example, the past years issue such as role and type of communication, trust, teamwork, agile project management and team learning are becoming dominant topics in the project management environment.

5. Why would you encourage potential applicants to choose VAMK Master School?

Most graduates from VAMK Master School in project management are having very successful careers in their organization. This is partly due to quality of instructors in the program, network of contacts developed during the program, and flexible access to resources and instructors during the study time.  The language of instruction is English, making it attractive to a global audience. The diversity of students provides an excellent learning environment for global networking, making VAMK Master School the right place for potential applicants.

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