“A modern product does not fit within the boundaries of one specialty.” The rector of Lviv Polytechnic told how AI and defense tech are changing technical education at Lviv Polytechnic. Why is the line between classic IT and engineering blurring?

How to teach programming in the age of AI?

Homework as a form of control in programming has exhausted itself, the university claims. Now it is more important whether the student can correctly formulate the task and read the generated code to explain how it works. In addition, the student must be able to test the AI ​​code and find errors in it.

In addition, a modern graduate of Lviv Polytechnic must work at a higher level than a graduate of 5 years ago, as positions for “juniors” are becoming fewer and fewer due to the automation of entry-level tasks. Now employers are increasingly interested in building architecture, working with requirements, and the ability to be responsible for ready-made solutions.

To test students' knowledge, teachers prefer classroom work, portfolios with a visible process, and defenses of works. This format allows for assessing both the final result and how the student got there. The university also believes that it is impossible to completely ban the use of AI. Therefore, they are now defining the limits of its application and the rules for its transparent use in education.

How is the line between IT and engineering being blurred?

Lviv Polytechnic University claims that the former division into “IT guys” and engineers is gradually losing its meaning. In robotics and a number of related programs, students are trained so that they can work equally confidently with code and with a board.

In addition, engineering disciplines themselves are changing. For example, machine learning methods are being incorporated into disciplines that previously relied on classical approaches to signal processing or optimization. So the student must be able to compare both approaches and understand when one works better.

“A modern product does not fit within the boundaries of one specialty,” explains Shakhovska. Therefore, sometimes one department is not enough to work with modern technical systems. For example, the Aviation Hub of Lviv Polytechnic unites four institutes at once - mechanical engineering and transport, information and communication technologies and electronic engineering, computer technologies, automation and metrology, as well as computer science and information technologies. Such a structure is necessary because no single department can cover the entire cycle “from aerodynamics to autonomy”.

What's up with defense tech?

Specialists who understand embedded systems, radio communications and channel stability, can work with computer vision on devices with limited resources or autonomous navigation without GPS are in demand. Companies are looking for employees who are able to "bring a product to series". In addition, the culture of working with sensitive information and the understanding that documentation is part of the product itself have been added to the demanded competencies.

Students rarely say they are entering to work in deftech companies. However, they choose robotics, electronics, computer engineering, or aviation as their majors. But already during their studies, some of them take on projects related to drones, communications, or computer vision.

The university also sees a demand for shorter training formats. For example, Lviv Polytechnic is preparing micro-qualifications for drone operators. Such qualifications are suitable for those who need a specific competency in a few months, rather than a full four-year program.

What are the priorities of the applicants?

Lviv Polytechnic University claims that the number of applications in itself says little about real interest, as one applicant can submit many. Therefore, it is more interesting to look at the first priority, because "it shows intention."

According to this indicator, cybersecurity, systems analysis, electronics, and automation grew by at least 20% in 2026. And the greatest competition for first priorities went to artificial intelligence systems, software engineering, electronics, and systems analysis.

But Lviv Polytechnic does not see a decline in interest in classic IT specialties. The university notes that applicants and their parents are monitoring the cuts in IT and reacting to the fact that companies are no longer hiring beginners in the same numbers, but this has not yet led to a rejection of IT specialties.

War, employers or AI: what forces programs to change?

The war is said to be the strongest factor in change at Lviv Polytechnic. According to rector Shakhovska, it changed the idea of ​​what a successful engineering career means today.

The second pressure comes from the market. Over the past two years, says the rector, employers have noticeably changed their requirements. In IT, engineering thinking is increasingly required, rather than the ability to write code. In defense tech, specialists who understand the operation of the device as a whole — both the software and hardware parts — are also particularly valued. As well as how it will behave in combat conditions.

And the third factor is artificial intelligence. “AI is devaluing some of what we have been taught, and this cannot be ignored,” says Shakhovskaya.

So the university creates new programs, and some of the old ones have to be closed or merged if they do not recruit students or duplicate each other. The rector calls such decisions unpopular, but without them, according to her, the update would simply turn into an increase in the list of programs.

Earlier, dev.ua wrote that Lviv Polytechnic University is to receive one of the most powerful supercomputer platforms in Ukraine for AI and high-performance computing. It is planned to be used for working with large language models, robotics, digital twins, modeling new materials, and other resource-intensive tasks.

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