«Softline» Experts to Teach AI at Volgatech
Company experts will teach a four-module course, with a strong focus on real-world projects that deploy artificial intelligence in corporate and government operations.
Softline Holding (PJSC Softline) and Volga State University of Technology (Volgatech) are launching a joint AI course. The program is designed for students majoring in Software Engineering, Applied Informatics, and Information Systems and Technologies. Softline experts will cover AI in business analytics, software and AI system development, intelligent information systems and technologies, as well as real-world AI deployment projects.
Knowledge Audit
The section examining real-world AI deployments will likely be the most important. Students will learn how AI solutions are integrated into corporate processes, what constraints developers face, and how the economic impact of deployment is assessed.
Traditional university education is no longer enough to prepare students for work with AI. That is why universities are bringing in instructors with hands-on experience from the IT industry. Company experts will analyze the university’s existing academic programs and, if necessary, propose changes aligned with current IT market requirements and leading industry practices.
“Real-World Connections Are the Main Value”
This is not Volgatech’s first partnership with major IT companies. In April 2025, the university took part in an IT congress organized by the Consortium of Big Data Researchers, which brought together representatives of 115 universities and leading technology vendors.
“The main value is not just the ideas, but the real-world connections. We found common ground with both developers and leading universities participating in the Consortium. That gives our digital projects a concrete boost. We are already working on pilot projects based on the technologies discussed and strengthening our partnerships,” says Yevgeny Bogdanov, Volgatech’s vice rector for digital transformation.
At the congress, he moderated a session on “Hardware for AI and Data Processing Systems” and will also oversee the university’s cooperation with Softline. Bogdanov holds a Ph.D. in engineering, is a winner of the UMNIK (Young Innovator) program run by the Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises, a recipient of the Volgatech Board of Trustees Award, and a winner of gold medals at international innovation festivals.
Corporations as Educators
Collaboration between Russian universities and technology companies has been gaining momentum since 2022, when the Ministry of Science and Higher Education introduced a unified AI competency model for undergraduate and graduate programs. In 2022, 3,200 students enrolled in such programs across 88 universities in 56 regions, while in 2023 the number exceeded 5,000.
In 2024, the model was scaled up: Yandex and Sber, together with ITMO University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, HSE University and Innopolis University, launched the AI360 program to train AI architects and researchers. Active company researchers teach in the program, reflecting the same approach: combining a strong academic foundation with industry expertise.
That same year, Yandex introduced standardized educational modules for student developers at 19 universities across 12 regions, reaching more than 4,000 students. The modules include real-world cases, workshops and lectures delivered by company employees.
Notably, Softline already has a successful pilot project based on this model. In 2025, specialists from SL Soft, a business-application developer within Softline Group, delivered a series of lectures at Ufa State Petroleum Technological University. Students learned about the history of AI, how neural networks work, AI ethics and the deployment of intelligent services in the oil and gas industry. Employees of Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat also took part in the training.
Volgatech is a participant in the federal TOP-II (Top AI) program, overseen by the Ministry of Digital Development and the Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation. In 2025, the program developed 72 academic programs, with more than 4,500 students completing the training. Its goal is to increase the annual number of AI graduates from 3,000 to 15,500 by 2030.
“Training with Softline experts will help students gain a deeper understanding of applied disciplines. Students will see how solutions are deployed at enterprises and which industry practices are considered best. As a result, our graduates will be able to build successful careers in areas that are most important to the development of the economy,” Yevgeny Bogdanov says.
For students, the benefits of the program are clear. For Softline itself, it is also an opportunity to develop professionals whose skills match the company’s needs. The holding is expanding rapidly, while solutions from Russian developers are increasingly entering markets in Central Asia and the Middle East.
