Moscow state machine-building university (MAMI)

Practice of MAMI of interaction with the ICT industry in creation of modular educational programs

The sphere of ICT differs in high gear development and a tendency to reduction of product lifecycle. Employers impose more and more requirements to level of training of specialists: they should improve the skills constantly. For the last decades producers of information technologies created the developed system of rates and certifications in which regularly (to several times a year) requirements to specialists of the industry and the appropriate educational resources are updated.

As for technical colleges which train IT specialists, the existing mechanisms of updating of training programs based on educational and professional standards do not allow to provide the necessary high rate of changes. Nevertheless the new standards provided by the law "About Education" (FZ-274) give to the universities big freedom in design of training programs and ample opportunities for cooperation with potential employers of graduates. It is profitable to companies to employ the young specialists ready at once to get to work, without studying up and without being retrained after the termination of the university (for which training it is not necessary to spend own means). To train specialists on whose training it will not be necessary to spend time and company funds the universities actively implement new formats of cooperation with business, bringing the state educational standards and market demands into accord.

Modern educational programs of MAMI on the IT directions of preparation form on modularity: each of modules assumes mastering by the student of a competency group and the skills integrated by the general sign. Some of modules are designed together with the employer, and at the end the student can receive the certificate certifying its qualification.

"Active participation of business in creation of educational programs allows the university and large employers to find a common language as for the requirements and criteria shown to the specialist: in modular educational programs mechanisms of accounting of the existing prof standards in the field of IT are put, - Andrey Filippovich, the dean of faculty of information science and management systems of MAMI comments. – New formats will allow to make educational process flexible and to increase demand of the graduate in labor market right after the termination of university as he will already own the applied competences demanded in its area".

Creation of the environment for joint creativity of university and the industry in creation of educational modules will also allow to accelerate a transfer of new technologies from business in education, and will facilitate carrying out certification of teachers and students in universities. Today, Andrey Filippovich notes, the shortcoming of the certified teachers is a restraining factor for development of educational cooperation of universities and business. Other current problems in design of new educational formats – the high need for localization of educational products and also the methodical and organizational difficulties connected with the internal structure of the large universities.

2015: Joint educational program of MAMI and Autodesk

On October 21, 2015 it became known of signing by the University of mechanical engineering (MAMI) and Autodesk company of the memorandum of partnership in implementation of the educational program "Integration of a solutions CAD in mechanical engineering".

The memorandum is signed in the Innovation center "Skolkovo" within the International educational summit "with EduChanging-2015: Obrazovaniye-Tekhnologii-Innovatsii for the future".

  The "Integration of a Solutions CAD in Mechanical Engineering" program is created with direct participation of experts of Autodesk company and is implemented at faculty of information science and management systems of the University of mechanical engineering.

The educational program (bachelor degree) provides training of specialists in the field of automation of engineering enterprises – in fact, it is about cross-disciplinary specialists on a joint of systems analysis, engineering and computer sciences. It is supposed that graduates will have the cross-disciplinary fundamental base allowing to understand tasks of engineers of different specialization, industrial designers, managers of engineering enterprises, software engineering specialists, to own competences in engineering of requirements, systems analysis, modeling and reengineering technology and business processes in engineering enterprises.

"The new educational program trains some kind of "special troops" of implementation of a CAD and other complex information systems at manufacturing enterprises. Graduates will have not only the applied knowledge supported with certificates from the leading vendors but also will be capable to expand the sphere of activity to management of IT on large enterprise. The program unique and upon has no analogs in the world" — Anton Fedoseyev, the manager on development of training materials of Autodesk, the member of expert advice of the educational program "Integration of a solutions CAD in mechanical engineering" noted.

In educational process the broad spectrum of modern educational technologies and best practices, including project training based on methodology of CDIO, embedding of the authorized rates of the leading vendors (Autodesk, Cisco, Microsoft, Oracle, 1C and others) and complex assessment of applied competences according to the WorldSkills International standards through holding specialized examinations according to the results of a semester is used.

"According to recruitment agencies, today the industry has deficiency in the qualified CAD consultants — the specialists capable to conduct examination, to implement, upgrade and integrate modern solutions in the field of a CAD. Meanwhile, the international and domestic trends show that in the near future the need for such specialists considerably will increase, and requirements to their preparation will become more volume. It is sure that development of the concept of the educational program taking into account requirements of representatives of the industry  — an important step in the direction of solution of the problem of staff shortage" — Andrey Filippovich, the dean of faculty of information science and management systems of MAMI told.

It is supposed that the educational program "Integration of a solutions CAD in mechanical engineering" can become a basis for replication in other universities of the country both all model of preparation, and its separate components.