The 15th edition of the Project Master competition in Poland has just started. The competition has been carried out since 2002, and for several years now is gaining the interest of students and universities.
The competition for the best bachelor’s, master’s, postgraduate and doctoral thesis of the Project Master is one of the significant events carried out by IPMA Poland.  About 40-50 applications are submitted to the competition every year. The entries cover various issues related to Project Management. From the analysis of traditional Project Management processes to newer concepts associated with an agile approach to Project Management or sustainable development.
The final entries must relate to the Project Management field. The evaluation committee, composed of the most eminent professors and business practitioners specializing in Project Management verifies the papers and selects the best ones, in all four categories. The selection of the best is not easy; the submitted papers are already the best in Poland.
The applicants compete to be nominated to the finals and then to become Project Master, in each category.
These activities are an excellent platform for discussion and analysis of the development of the Project Management field in Poland. It is also an excellent promotion for the authors, and their professors and universities as well as an opportunity to analyse the research areas and particular fields of interests of young researchers.
The competition finals and the presentation of the awards take place during PM Education annual event. The most interesting concepts are presented and discussed by the scientific business community.

The additional prizes for the best authors are:

• free voucher for IPMA-D certification – to be used within 12 months (for the best undergraduate, master’s, postgraduate and doctoral thesis)
• free yearly membership in IPMA Poland
• free participation in the Young Crew Poland Workshop,
• participation in PM Education seminar
• wide recognition of the winners, all distinguished papers and their’ promoters – promotion via IPMA Poland website social media

As a result – every year more and more students and PhD’s take up research topics in the area of Project Management. Students really appreciate the possibility to get engaged and submit their entries to the national Project Master competition organized by IPMA Poland to undergo an independent assessment.
The activities of  IPMA Poland are supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and several government institutions (such as the National Centre for Research and Development, the National Contact Point for Research Programmes of the European Union, the Office of Electronic Communications), as well as by national student’s organisations. In this way, the area of Project Management brings together both young and experienced people, including science and business, society and government institutions, around its themes.

written by: dr Joanna Rzempała, the Project Master competition leader

Dr Joanna Rzempała
Head of the Project Management Team of the Organization and Management Faculty, at the University of Szczecin, Poland
Supervisor of the Project Management Scientific Group – “PROJECT” at the University of Szczecin
Member of the Management Board of IPMA Poland
Member of the Council of the IPMA Poland, West Pomeranian Regional Group
Certified Senior Project Manager – IPMA Level B