‘Entering Robotics Now Means Growing with the Area’
Unmanned vehicles, courier robots, and smart speakers are rapidly becoming a part of our lives. In 2026, the HSE Faculty of Computer Science opens its new Bachelor’s Programme ‘Design of Intelligent Robotic Systems’ (DIRS). It will train specialists at the intersection of IT, artificial intelligence, and robotics. Academic Supervisor of DIRS Vadim Morgachev explains how studies are organised and why graduates of the programme ‘will definitely be accepted into the future.’
The programme is primarily taught in Russian with some courses in English.
— What kind of applicants is the DIRS programme aimed at?
— If you are interested in how unmanned vehicles and autonomous systems work, this programme is for you. We are waiting for participants in robotics competitions who already have practical experience but lack a systematic foundation. The programme is also suitable for participants of contests in computer science, mathematics, and physics, eager to apply their knowledge to tasks where code interacts with the real world. It is a plus if the applicant can already confidently program in at least one language, understands basic physics and mathematics, and has already worked with hardware. But the main thing is systematic thinking, willingness to dive into related fields, and perseverance: robots rarely work on the first attempt, and this is normal.
— How are the studies organised?
— The programme relies on the principle ‘from foundation to specialisation’ with project work at each stage. The first year includes mathematics, programming in Python and C++, algorithms, physics, and an introduction to robotics. Students choose a project seminar and start working with real robots even at this first stage.
In the second year, the specialty core is formed: two machine learning courses, computer vision, probability theory, differential equations, electronics, sensor systems and navigation, as well as mastering the ROS 2 (Robot Operating System 2) software environment and simulators. Students can also choose a minor, an additional specialisation from the university-wide catalogue.
The third year focuses on specialisation: deep learning for robotics, reinforcement learning, dynamics and motion control, trajectory planning, optimal control, and mechatronics. The students choose subjects based on their interests, from natural language processing to programming embedded systems.
The fourth year is where students integrate everything they have learned: large multimodal models for robotics, software architecture, security, and reliability of systems. Here, the students choose between delving into mechanics, electronics, physically informed machine learning, or system integration. Everything culminates in their graduation project. The subjects covered are structured in such a way that by their graduation, the students are able to design an entire intelligent system instead of merely having abstract knowledge.
— Who teaches the courses?
— The Faculty of Computer Science is one of the country’s leading IT faculties with a strong school of teaching fundamental subjects. Specific courses on robotics, machine learning, and working with modern frameworks are taught by people from the industry who can provide knowledge relevant here and now. Technology in this area is developing rapidly, and textbooks become obsolete faster than they are written.
Also, DIRS is a part of the Yandex Physical AI Garage initiative, Russia’s first physical AI programme created by Yandex in partnership with leading universities of the country. Within the project, students can take courses on machine learning, modules on AI robotics and ROS from the Yandex autonomous transport team, as well as participate in practical ‘garages.’
— What are the graduates’ prospects?
— Physical AI is one of the fastest growing areas in technology. We can already see how Yandex, Sberbank, and other companies are introducing self-driving cars, delivery robots, and warehouse robots. At the same time, the labour market is still far from saturation, and the government is shaping infrastructure, funding, and educational policy for the industry. Entering the profession now means growing with the area, rather than trying to catch up.
DIRS graduates will be able to work as robotics engineers and develop a full stack of robotics systems, from perception to control. They will also be able to choose a particular area, for example, perception engineer (computer vision and sensors), motion planning engineer (trajectory planning algorithms), or controls engineer (motion control systems). Another area is working with large models, which needs specialists in reinforcement learning, as well as engineers focused on simulation and transfer from a virtual to a real environment. System roles are also in demand: integration of all robot subsystems, programming of embedded systems, DevOps and MLOps for robotics. Academic positions are available for those who want to pursue science: master’s programme, doctoral programme, research departments of companies. I am sure that graduates of the programme will be in demand both in Russia and on the international market.
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