Why UrFU Launched an AI and Power Engineering Master’s

Let me introduce myself. I am Alexandra Ilmarovna Khalyasmaa, director of this educational programme and Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Ural Power Engineering Institute. I have worked at UrFU for almost 14 years.

Why did we launch this programme?

Electric power engineering has changed profoundly in recent decades. It is now an interdisciplinary field requiring new competencies in the advanced analysis of energy facility data and new approaches to processing those data. Experience has shown that systems analysis skills alone are not sufficient to develop reliable and effective software products and digital solutions for our industry. It is essential to understand the physical processes underlying electricity generation, transmission, distribution and consumption.

Artificial intelligence is not magic; it is a tool. To use it productively, developers must understand where the data come from, how they relate to physical processes and how to interpret the results—not simply try whichever machine-learning algorithms are fashionable. That is why our teaching team believes the programme will enable you not only to strengthen your data science expertise but also to acquire distinctive, interdisciplinary applied knowledge. Understanding industry processes, the risks of deploying new technologies and their potential benefits will help you develop meaningful digital solutions.

On behalf of the teaching team, I can add that we will do everything we can to help you become specialists equipped for the emerging needs of the industry.

Welcome!