This fall, the first cohort of the new undergraduate program “Innovative Production Engineering” began their studies at KSE University, implemented with the support of the technology company Fire Point. Ten students were admitted on government-funded spots, and eleven on a contract basis. Fifteen of them have a competitive score exceeding 190. All 21 received academic grants. Freshmen are already designing robots, creating physics simulations, publishing original olympiad problems, and volunteering.
Student Stories: “Innovative Production Engineering”
Mykhailo and his friends run a channel dedicated to olympiad physics. They publish problems they create themselves and help peers understand mathematics and physics. Mykhailo also plans to lead extracurricular sessions to share his knowledge with other schoolchildren.
Maksym scored 200 points in both mathematics and physics. He builds robots and volunteers to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Daryna won the “PhysMathCollider” and earned the Grand Prix at the GENIUS Olympiad Ukraine in categories related to science, robotics, and programming. She balances her scientific work with drawing and origami.
Dmytro scored 200 points in mathematics and became a candidate for Master of Sports in rock climbing. Yevhenii creates physics simulations, programs, and practices weightlifting, volleyball, and running.
The group includes winners and laureates of national and European olympiads in physics, informatics, and astronomy, as well as participants in GENIUS Olympiad Ukraine, InventorUA, and engineering competitions. Some students knew each other before enrolling: they had previously met at olympiads and contests, and now they study and work on engineering problems together at KSE.
How the Program Was Created
KSE began searching for future students in the spring. The team traveled across Ukraine, meeting with students and teachers at specialized lyceums and speaking with olympiad participants. Several hundred applicants expressed interest in the program.
Candidates for the Fire Point grant underwent interviews with representatives from the company and the university, followed by separate internal exams in mathematics and physics. The tasks were developed by Fire Point specialists in collaboration with consultants. In terms of difficulty, they matched or exceeded the level of national olympiad finals.
“We are delighted that these students are already studying at KSE. Among them are young people from frontline territories. We want them to stay in Ukraine and have the conditions to study, work, and develop their own projects here. We began searching for future students back in the spring, traveling across the country, working with specialized lyceums and the academic olympiad community, and were clear from the start about the rigorous selection process. Now, the task for KSE and Fire Point is to provide them with the knowledge, practice, and mentorship to turn their ideas into engineering solutions,” — says Tymofii Brik, Rector of KSE University.
“For Fire Point, supporting this program is not just an investment in education. It is an investment in a generation of engineers who will build Ukraine’s technological future. We are deliberately betting on the strongest young talents and want to give them the opportunity to realize their potential here in Ukraine. We are convinced: a strong country starts with those capable of solving complex problems. That is why, together with KSE, we are already looking for ambitious youth ready to take this on,” commented Fire Point.
Program Features
KSE and Fire Point worked on the program for over a year. Students will engage in advanced studies of physics and mathematics, mechatronics, aerodynamics, robotics, computer modeling, and intelligent manufacturing systems, including the application of artificial intelligence in engineering.
They will follow the path from calculations and blueprints to creating and testing their own prototypes. Starting from the second year, studies will be combined with work on real engineering tasks at Fire Point facilities, under the mentorship of the company’s engineers.
For students who received the Fire Point grant, the company covers tuition, housing, and meals, and provides a monthly stipend of €800.
This year, KSE University also launched the “Delta Engineering” undergraduate program, created in partnership with the American Olin College of Engineering and built on its educational model. It combines interdisciplinary learning, teamwork, and the creation of engineering solutions based on real-world tasks.
KSE is developing world-class engineering education in Ukraine alongside technology companies and international universities. The university creates conditions for talented youth to study and build careers in Ukraine, contributing to the development of technologies for its defense and reconstruction.
