Professor Spotlight: Dana Hague

Students studying a Bachelor of Information Technology degree at UNYP have a unique opportunity to gain a solid understanding of technology while acquiring necessary business management skills. The program will prepare them for IT management positions in the global business and public sectors. We prioritize international aspects of commerce, which we believe are particularly critical in today’s business environment. With our multinational faculty and student body, UNYP is in a uniquely strong position to provide this valuable global perspective. Our professors and instructors hold advanced degrees and professional experience in their fields of expertise. For this month’s Professor Spotlight feature, we interviewed Ing. Dana Hague (Instructor for the UNYP Bachelor of Information Technology and MBA programs), who kindly agreed to talk about her work in the Czech Republic, Belgium, and Singapore. 

Get ready to work in the field of IT management with a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology.

Could you please briefly introduce our readers to your career path? How did you develop an interest in your subject? 

I started as a systems analyst working for P&G in Prague and then moved with them to Belgium and later Singapore, where my job was outsourced to Hewlett Packard. I led a number of regional and global IT projects in infrastructure, content management, application development and outsourcing as well as support. Throughout my career, I was interested in training – I was an internal trainer for project management and communications, and developed some of my own material. Once I returned to the Czech Republic, I thought I could try it as a profession, and that’s how I joined UNYP. I started with my favorite topic – Knowledge Management, and from there moved through Principles of Management and Organizational Behavior to HR. I learned a lot about management principles, had many a-ha moments of what I should have done, and now enjoy linking the theory to real-life examples. Actually, Donald Trump provides quite a lot of teaching material! 

You teach several courses in the UNYP Bachelor and MBA programs. What are some of your favorite classes to teach, and why?    

Please don’t ask me to pick a favorite child. Each of my classes has something I genuinely enjoy. I love knowledge management because we live in a world flooded with information and knowledge, and it can be tough to understand what really matters. My IT classes allow me to explore the connection between people and technology. I wrote my Workforce Motivation course because I find it fascinating how many things impact our behavior. And HR – what I always say is that it’s the people that make the business, and if companies cannot effectively use their people, the business suffers. In all my classes, my favorite moments are the discussions with students and developing these connections. 

In your opinion, what are the strengths of UNYP’s Information Technology program? 

IT is still often considered to be a world of its own (consider Big Bang Theory and The IT Crowd) but it’s a power shaping our lives – both business and personal. The UNYP IT program covers both aspects of it – the technical elements in networks, databases, or programming, and the business side with project management and e-commerce. On top of that, it also considers society’s impact on human and computer interaction, and the ethical aspects of technology. So I would say the students can develop a full understanding of the power of technology and how it can enable both people and businesses. 

You have vast international experience, living and working in the Czech Republic, Belgium, and Singapore. What would be your top tips for effective multicultural communication in today’s world?

Well, I would say don’t learn it the hard way as I did. There is a much less painful way of understanding different cultures and preparing for multicultural interactions. Many students have their first international experience at UNYP, and in my experience, the harsh lessons often come in group assignments. Communication is far more complex than just cultural differences – there are personality traits, language barriers, topic understanding – and all these things impact the quality of communication. An understanding of different cultures can help a lot. At the same time, one size does not fit all – I have had students who were the opposite of what you would expect from their national culture, so you should definitely be prepared for individual differences. Most of all, never assume that people see things the same way as you do. Active listening and verification is a tip I would give, regardless of culture.