Listen closely. Solve problems with lean management techniques and confidence. Learn from the challenges. Repeat.
During the fifth annual Project Management Paper Competition held on September 12 at the University of Toronto, Trent students Karina Sarsenbayeva and Alaadin Addas handily demonstrated their understanding of these project management skills. They now have a cash prize, a first-place finish and serious bragging rights. So does Peter Northrop, their instructor.
It seems project management prowess runs rampant in Mr. Northrop’s Fundamentals of Project Management class. The course, which is recognized by the Project Management Association of Canada, includes study of software tools, organizational structures, working with integrity and more. Equally important, students learn how to apply these lessons.
After learning about the competition from Mr. Northrop last spring, Mr. Addas, a Computer Science student, and Ms. Sarsenbayeva, a recent graduate from Trent’s Business Administration program, jumped at the chance to channel their combined skills.
“My job as an instructor is to create interesting and exciting opportunities to learn,” stated Mr. Northrop. “We need to offer solid, timely, topical material and a variety of challenging opportunities. This competition is a stunning opportunity for our students.”
After months of intense preparation, Ms. Sarsenbayeva and Mr. Addas presented their paper at the competition, analyzing the project management process during construction of the Berlin Brandenburg Airport which was fraught with cost overruns and delays.
Competing in the academic category against those from other post-secondary institutions including graduate students, the Trent undergraduates were judged by veteran management professionals. A confident presentation of a well-researched paper followed by a poised Q&A ensured their victory, more than $1,700 in prize money, and a remarkable addition to their resumes.
“It means a lot for us to win,” stated Ms. Sarsenbayeva. “The competition was truly substantial. It is a big milestone as this is the first year that Trent participated. I am very excited to see what other teams do in the near future.”
“Those students that won the award could clearly walk the walk and talk the talk,” claimed Mr. Northrop. “It speaks volumes that we are on the right track and doing the right thing.”
Dr. Richard Hurley, professor and chair of the Computing and Information Systems program agrees. “This is certainly a testament to the quality of our courses, our instructors, and of course our students.”
Mr. Northrop, an instructor at Trent since 1966, proved he knows his stuff too. Joined by Peter Stumpf of Siemens, Mr. Northrop’s presentation of “Three Lessons Learned: Techniques for Developing Highly-Efficient Project Management in an Ever-Changing Business Environment” won in the Professional category.
Posted on Wednesday, September 23, 2015.