Ukraine's Digital Transformation Ministry is partnering with the Kyiv School of Economics to launch a new master's program in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced on Aug. 13.
Ukraine and Russia have both heavily invested in drone technology throughout Russia's full-scale invasion. Drones have allowed outnumbered Ukrainian forces to strike Russian warships, naval bases, oil refineries, and airfields inside occupied territories.
The graduate program will train drone development engineers to design, test, analyze, and improve UAVs, Fedorov said.
"There are a lot of cool specialists in Ukraine who have learned how to create and use drones from scratch," he said.
"Civilian and military drones are among the most promising areas, so we need to train specialists at a professional level right now."
The program is accepting applications from individuals with bachelor's and master's degrees, as well as "specialists of all specialties." The Kyiv School of Economics will also provide 10 scholarships to military personnel.
Companies participating in the government's Brave1 initiative have signed on to develop the program and share their expertise in drone production. Brave1 was launched in spring 2023 to invest in defense tech innovations for the Ukrainian military.
According to Fedorov, there are over 500 Ukrainian companies working in the drone sector. The new graduate program hopes to add trained specialists to the growing industry.
Ukraine has the production capacity to produce more than 3 million drones a year, the government announced in July. In June, Ukraine officially presented its Unmanned Systems Forces, four months after after President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered the creation of a separate branch of the armed forces tasked with improving drone operations.
Alexander Khrebet
