In May, the Institute of Telecommunication Systems (ITS) celebrated the 25th anniversary since the establishment of the Department of Telecommunications (previously Department of Telecommunication Facilities). It was this department that gave rise to ITS as we know it today. It was organized in 2002 – 9 years after the foundation of the department in Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. Today ITS is one of the most successful and promising educational and scientific subprojects of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. There are three departments that train graduates for four modern specialties. It all began 25 years ago when by the order of the rector # 1-83 of May 11, 1993 in Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute Department of Telecommunication Facilities (the first department of telecommunications in Ukraine) was created to train specialists in the field of development and operation of hardware-software complexes of telecommunication devices and networks, space and ground navigation systems, communication and television systems.
The establishment of Department of Telecommunication Facilities in Ukraine gave rise to the development of telecommunication systems and networks that did not depend on the departmental subordination. Since the 1993/94 academic year, the department has started training specialists for a new specialty in Ukraine – "Designing telecommunication devices, systems and networks". After that, two specialties of engineering training were introduced: "Space systems of navigation, communications and television" and "Hardware and software complexes of telecommunication systems and networks".
From the very beginning, the technical potential of the Research Institute of Radioelectronic Technology "TOR" (today it is the Research Institute of Telecommunications, which is the structural unit of the research department of Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute) was actively used in the newly created department. Such interaction improved the educational process due to scientific achievements and practical experience of specialists working on real projects. It increased the level of students training significantly.
The initiator of the creation and scientific supervisor of Department of Telecommunication Facilities (and subsequently the Institute of Telecommunication Systems) was Mikhail Efimovich Ilchenko, the well-known Ukrainian scientist in the field of information transmission and processing – the member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, doctor of technical sciences, honored worker of science and technology of Ukraine, State Prize laureate of the USSR, Ukrainian SSR and Ukraine in the field of science and technology.
Professors V.P. Vinnytskyi, L.P. Shcherbina, O.M. Lebedev, A.O. Lipatov and others also made a significant contribution to the creation and development of the department. Nowadays, the leading scientists of Department of Telecommunications are professors O.A. Baranov, S.G. Bunin, S.O. Kravchuk, O.I. Lysenko, T.M. Narytnik, O.I. Romanov, Ye.A. Yakornov. All of them successfully combine teaching activities with research work.
Department is also proud of the new generation of scientific and pedagogical workers – young talented teachers who teach and work fruitfully on a number of interesting and perspective projects within the department and ITS. These are associate professor D.A. Mynochkin – the head of the modern laboratory of the basic mobile operator network created with the support of Lifecell and Ericsson; Head of International Office of International Telecommunication Institute Associate Professor I.V. Trubarov; senior lecturer T.O. Prischep, who has been taking care of the development of websites of Department of Telecommunications and ITS for many years, and others. The department has created good conditions for professional development of young scientists. There is an opportunity to do postgraduate and doctoral studies, obtain degrees and receive academic titles. Department of Telecommunications is represented by 8 professors, 9 associate professors, 9 senior lecturers, 3 assistants, 10 laureates of the State Prizes in the field of science and technology.
658 undergraduate students, 493 students with specialist diplomas, 161 graduate students, 6 doctors of sciences, and 10 candidates of sciences and doctors of philosophy graduated from the department for 25 years.
Nowadays, the training of specialists at Department of Telecommunications includes two modern specialties: "Mobile Telecommunications" and "Hardware and Software Tools Electronic Communications". The specialty "Molecular Telecommunications" focuses on the methods of mobility support in modern cellular radio access systems (including the 5th generation), heterogeneous multi-level telecommunications distributed networks based on various technology and architectures. Students of this specialty have the opportunity to master the foundations of digital communications, software engineering, construction, operation, management and modeling of telecommunication systems and networks supporting mobility, the establishment and administration of telecommunication systems. Specialty "Hardware and Software Tools for Electronic Communications" is aimed at mastering the special skills in the development and operation of hardware and software communication facilities (mobile telephones, wireless modems, network switches, modules of sensor protection and alarms networks, etc.), programming, development of software for mobile devices on the Android platform (taking into account all the needs for localization), storage, processing and protected user data transmission.
The department created educational laboratories where students have access to the most advanced telecommunication technology and the world-class equipment, which are used for construction of the infrastructure of mobile communication operators, computer networks, satellite systems, etc. The students training is predominantly aimed at mastering the development and application (including anti-hacker attacks) of modern software, programming of mobile terminals and telecommunication facilities. Due to this, theoretical knowledge is combined with practical application of the acquired knowledge and research work of the department.
Graduates of Department of Telecommunications hold engineering and management positions in the fields of electronics, telecommunications and information technologies, in particular in the leading companies of mobile communication operators (Kyivstar, Lifecell, Vodafone). The high level of training of the department graduates has always been highly appreciated by employers.
The world of information and telecommunication technologies is rapidly changing, putting forward high requirements for the training of specialists of the new generation. Under these conditions, the administration and scientific and pedagogical staff of Department of Telecommunications strive to give students knowledge backed up by experience in real scientific and production projects. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the department confidently looks towards the future and is ready for new challenges and achievements.