INRTU’s Digital Department Enrolls Record Number of Non-IT Students in Five Years

In 2026, INRTU’s "Digital Department" (part of the "Priority 2030" program) enrolled a record 1,409 non-IT students – the highest number in the project’s five-year history. Along with students from the polytechnic university, classes have been joined by 13 representatives from ISU (Irkutsk State University) and, for the first time, 34 students from the Irkutsk Law Institute, a branch of the University of the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation.

The "Digital Department" is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, created to supply priority sectors of the economy with specialists possessing IT competencies. According to Nikita Lukyanov, the Head of INRTU’s Digital Department, the students have been distributed across eight training programs tailored to their primary fields of study.

“Our partnership with the Irkutsk Law Institute, a branch of the University of the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation, began last winter when they invited me to lecture their faculty on AI. In turn, I introduced them to what the Digital Department has to offer, which is how their students learned about our program, 'Applied AI Tools in Law.' Classes have already begun, and we expect to see the first results from the Irkutsk Law Institute students this summer.

Right now, we have an optimal selection of courses tailored to various major fields of study, covering almost all non-IT majors. Next year, we might launch a new program specifically for the School of Subsurface Resource Management students,” noted Nikita Lukyanov.

Kirill Pereverzev, a student specializing in Judicial and Prosecutorial Processes at the Irkutsk Law Institute became one of those who enrolled in the Digital Department.

“Back in school, I got interested in computer science, and later – in the development of digital technologies. I believe that AI skills will be highly sought after. Even now, the prosecutor's office uses the Nadzor-WEB information system, and artificial intelligence will most likely be integrated into it by the time I graduate.

I want acquire the skills to work with such services from INRTU instructors. I really like the course format; so far, I’ve learned the basic commands,” shared Kirill Pereverzev.

Nikita Vorobiev, a sophomore at INRTU’s School of Architecture, Construction, and Design, also shared his impressions:

“I’m enrolled in the Python applied software development course. It’s quite interesting to code for an hour and a half a week – it's useful and serves as a nice break from the daily routine.”