Evgeny Galkin has spent more than a decade working in IT product management across Russia and Southeast Asia. Now, he is building on that experience through postgraduate study in New Zealand.
“I’m from the very heart of Russia, Siberia. It’s one of the coldest areas in the world. I’ve experienced temperatures below -50 Celsius. But it’s beautiful at the same time,” he says.
Evgeny has worked as an IT product manager for more than a decade across different digital companies and IT products, both in Russia and internationally.
He says one of his most rewarding experiences was working for an international ride-hailing platform in Southeast Asia.
“It’s the best feeling when you can see that you directly helped the company increase income by hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
When he decided to take the next step professionally by undertaking a master’s degree, he was intentional about choosing a programme that aligned with his career goals.
“I wanted it to be an extension of my current profession. The Master of Applied Management specialising in Business Information Systems looked exactly like what I needed to take my product management expertise to the next level.”
One of the highlights of studying at AIC has been the combination of academic learning and practical application.
“In each assessment report, we have to approach it from an academic perspective, but also apply real knowledge, practice, and problem-solving to a real company. It really widened my understanding.”
He says the academic side of study was challenging at first because he considers himself more practical than theoretical.
“I’m very practical. I don’t like theoretical approaches and prefer building and experimenting.”
At first, he struggled to enjoy the assessment reports, but with support from his lecturer, everything eventually clicked into place.
Evgeny says studying at AIC has broadened his perspectives. He was recently awarded an Excellent Scholars Award for achieving top marks in his programme.
“I’d love to use my new knowledge and skills in new technologies within the New Zealand IT industry, or help bring new technologies into non-IT companies. That would be a nice contribution to New Zealand and local organisations from me.”
His advice for new students is to take every learning opportunity seriously from day one.
“Sometimes, small details in class can shape your future decisions in life.”
“My best advice would be to talk to others. Students might get some insights unexpectedly during a coffee meeting with their friends which might be helpful for their paper.”
“The institution’s core values, developing the whole person, fostering lifelong learning, and contributing to the community deeply align with my own beliefs.”
“The best thing about studying at AIC is the classroom environment and the interactive way of learning which allows one to explore themself.”
"My goal is to integrate my industry experience with my academic knowledge to create meaningful business solutions.”
“This isn’t just a job - it’s the New Zealand dream I hoped for when pursuing my master’s.”
“Rest days were few and far between as I balanced work at the hotel, my internship, and peer tutoring.”
"It felt like a good opportunity to try something new."
“This role represents a meaningful opportunity made possible through the support and recommendations of the AIC Employability Team.”
“Don’t be afraid to show who you are while growing in a new environment.”
“There is great support for students in terms of educational support, employability support, as well as fun student trips that I got to join."
“I’d love to use my new knowledge and skills in new technologies within the New Zealand IT industry, or help bring new technologies into non-IT companies."
“Studying with people from different backgrounds has helped me learn not only from the course content but also from their experiences and perspectives.”
