The History of our department
In this section, you will find an interesting and detailed history of our department, covering the period of its establishment, key events and achievements, as well as important stages of development.
At the end of 50-th of XX c. became evident the importance and seriousness of electronics and computers applications in scientific research, engineering calculations, and solution of production management problems and automation of technological processes.
Having regard to the discipline’s specific on industrial electronics and computer engineering, as well as the necessity for their inclusion into the workplans of all specialties, September 2, 1964 at the Electrical Engineering Faculty of the Dnepropetrovsk Mining Institute has established a special department of industrial electronics and computer technology.
Organization and management of the department was instructed the illustrious scientist and educator, doctor of technical sciences, Professor Vladimir Ivanovich Zhukovitsky. At the time the department consisted of, except the head, 2 docents and 5 assistants. The department was equipped with the first training lab of industrial electronics (12 workplaces) and computer engineering (7 workplaces). The department also included Research Laboratory of electronic computers and Computer Engineering.
Since the foundation to the present the members of the department have been and are conducting research in various scientific fields. In the early period of the department development were two basic directions of scientific work: “Development of methods and computer-aided design and management of mining enterprises with the use of computer technology” and “Development of technical means for automated control systems and control of mining enterprises”.
Significant achievements in scientific and teaching activities the department staff was led by such academics as professor Bunko Viktor, docents Tovstonog Nicholay and Trach Anatoly, who headed the department from 1978 to 1993.
Since 1988 the department has a new name Electronics and computer engineering.
1993 year – the beginning of a new stage in the history of the department. From 1993 to 2011 the department was headed by a distinguished scientist and educator, doctor of technical sciences, Professor George V. Kuznetsov.
During its existence, the department gave life to many departments and divisions of the university. In 1970, a section of mathematical methods of operations research was organized at the department. Since September 1971, it was separated into a separate department with the same name (now the Department of System Analysis and Management).
In 1970, instead of computer engineering laboratory at the department was organized the computer technology department, which consisted of state budgetary group of computers and computer equipment, also full-time staff, which was involved in the implementation of research projects.
In 1996, the part of the teaching staff has been allocated to organize at the Economics Faculty the Department of Economic Cybernetics and Information Technologies.
In 2003, the part of the teaching staff has been allocated to organize at the Information Technology Faculty the Software Engineering Department, which trained specialists in the “Computer Science” field.
Since December 2012 the Department has the new name of Information Security and Telecommunications.
The “Information Security” department at NTU “Dniprovska Polytechnic” (NTU DP) has more than 30 years of history. As early as the early 90s of the last century, the research laboratory of “Digital signal processing” was functioning, the employees of which performed work on the orders of the Zaporizhzhia plant “Radioprilad” and the Zaporizhzhia Research Institute of Radio Communications to ensure the safety of communication systems.
In 1997, a meeting was held on the basis of the National Mining Academy of Ukraine (now the National Technical University of the State of Ukraine) “Problems of organization and provision of technical protection of information in the Dnieper region”, according to the results of which, the decision dated November 26, 1997. and the joint order of the State Committee of Secrets of Ukraine (No. 84/12 dated 02.05.1998) and the Ministry of Education of Ukraine (No. 237/12 dated 03.02.1998) was introduced in one of the first universities of Ukraine on the basis of the Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering (EOT) specialists from the field of “Information security”.
From 1998 to 2006, three specializations in the field of knowledge “Information Security” were opened, licensed and accredited at the highest educational and qualification level “Master” at the department:
- “Protection of information with limited access and automation of its processing” (Technical information protection systems);
- “Protection of information in computer systems and networks” (Security of information and communication systems);
- “Administrative management in the field of information protection with limited access” (Information Security Management).
Since 2016, the areas have been combined into a single specialty 125 “Cyber Security” and the training of specialists under the educational and professional program “Cyber Security” under two OCRs bachelor’s and master’s has been started.
Currently, the number of undergraduate admissions in the specialty 125 “Cybersecurity” exceeds the total number of other higher education institutions of the region. Since 2021, NTU “DP” is in the TOP-10 in Ukraine and ranks first in the region in terms of the number of submitted applications for the bachelor’s budget. It is the only one in the region that prepares masters in the specialty 125 Cybersecurity.
The “Telecommunications” bachelor’s degree program was launched at the Department of Information Security and Telecommunications in 2003. And in 2006, NTU “Dniprovska Polytechnic” was granted AB license No. 159863 for the right to carry out educational activities for the training of bachelors in the direction 050903 “Telecommunications”. In 2007, licenses were obtained for the right to carry out educational activities for the training of master’s and specialists in the specialty 8(7).050903 “Telecommunications systems and networks”. Since 2007, NTU “Dniprovska Polytechnic” has been part of the educational-scientific-production complex (ESPC) “Infocommunications” (joint order of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Ukraine and the Ministry of Transport of Ukraine dated 23.07.07 No. 645/626, order of the rector of NSU No. 262 dated 04.10. 2007), which unites leading technical universities, scientific, project organizations and enterprises of the relevant direction. The participation of NTU “DP” in the activities of the mentioned ESPC contributed to the improvement of the quality of educational and methodological support and the effectiveness of the interaction of the labor market and the market of educational services of the Dnipro region.
The rapid development of research in the field of electronic communications and radio engineering, the emergence of new strategic directions for the development of research activities prompted the development of the educational program (EP) “Telecommunications and radio engineering” at the second (master’s) level of higher education. The new EP “Telecommunications and radio engineering” was developed after analyzing the labor market and society’s needs, determining the availability of similar educational programs at other higher education institutions in the region, as well as considering the proposals of the academic community and employers of various institutions in the city of Dnipro and the region. Representatives of the academic community of NTU “DP”, as well as institutions of the city of Dnipro and Dnipropetrovsk region, representatives of the critical infrastructure protection sector of the Directorate of State Special Communications in Dnipropetrovsk region and the Institute of Transport Systems and Technologies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine were primarily involved in the development of the EP.
EP “Telecommunications and radio engineering” of 2024 has improved and updated content of educational disciplines in accordance with the recommendations of stakeholders and proposals of applicants. The educational components of the EP “Telecommunications and radio engineering” are divided into cycles of general and special training, the EP provides for various types of practices (production, pre-certification) and the EP provides opportunities for applicants to form an individual educational trajectory through an expanded list of optional disciplines, including the acquisition of soft skills. Applicants could choose the places of practice, the topic of research within the scope of the qualification work. EP “Telecommunications and radio engineering” arouses the interest of applicants by providing a wide range of opportunities for personal self-realization in the conditions of the current labor market and the regional aspect.
Electronics, computer modeling, cyber security and technical information protection facilities are used in the training of specialists in the specialty 125 Cyber Security. The laboratories are equipped with modern computers and specialized multi-functional complexes, in particular domestic “AKOR-2PK-M” and software and hardware protection means. When training specialists in the specialty 172 Electronic communications and radio engineering, satellite communication, mobile communication, and computer modeling laboratories are used.
In the practical training of students, the database of the Dnipro Regional Center for Technical Information Protection (PRTC TZI) is widely used. CISCO, IBM and Microsoft training courses with the possibility of obtaining certificates are integrated into the educational process.
The Dnipro branch of the inter-departmental inter-regional seminar of the Scientific Council of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine “Technical means of information protection” has been working on the basis of the BIT department for 15 years.
Cooperation agreements have been concluded between the National Technical University of the State of Ukraine and a number of enterprises and organizations in the fields of cyber security and telecommunications, in particular with IBM Polska (2019), which include: distance specialized courses in cyber security based on the IBM Security Learning Academy, industrial practice and employment graduates, professional development of teachers. NTU SE actively cooperates with the Offices of the Cyber Police, the State Special Intelligence Service and the SBU in the Dnipropetrovsk region, and with the Institute of Transport Systems and Technologies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.
Since 2021, NTU SE has been a partner of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) project “Cybersecurity of Ukraine’s Critically Important Infrastructure”. Within the framework of this project, the program of training teachers of the BIT department, improvement of educational programs in the specialties “Cybersecurity” and “Electronic communications and radio engineering”, implementation of practical training laboratories is being implemented. The teachers of the BIT department participate in CTF-competitions on cyber security and train students on the SANS and RangeForce platforms.
The teachers of the BIT department conduct advanced training courses for employees of enterprises and organizations of Ukraine on technical information protection and cyber security of critical infrastructure, in particular DTEK.
Over the years from 2003 to 2022, more than two thousand specialists in the field of information and cyber security were trained, who work in leading institutions, organizations and enterprises of various forms of ownership in Ukraine and the world. In particular, in the Security Service of Ukraine, the State Intelligence Service, structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Justice, banking institutions (Privatbank, Monobank, Raiffeisenbank, etc.), KB “Pivdenne”, DTEK, PCH, etc. Graduates should be noted separately , who work in leading positions in cyber security at leading international companies such as Deloite, IBM, AXA, etc. Specialists in the field of electronic communications and radio engineering work in leading institutions, organizations and enterprises of various forms of ownership in Ukraine and the world.
National Technical University of Ukraine is the only university in the region that has a license to conduct business activities in the field of technical information protection. On the basis of this license, employees of the PRC ТZI and the BIT department, during the performance of contract work, create KSZI for IT companies and institutions of various forms of ownership and conduct their state examination.