News in Press-centre

Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) and the leadership project of Cyber Russia Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) have agreed to launch the Game Development & VR Master's Program in six study areas from September 1, 2017. Students will learn how to develop and implement promising types of software based on virtual and augmented reality technologies.

"By 2020, we plan to release more than 100 qualified and highly-qualified specialists in the IT market, as well as to receive expert tutors who can teach children and help them navigate in the IT field," said Dmitry Zemtsov, the FEFU Vice President for Development.

According to him, university faculty and invited professionals from Cyber Russia will teach Master's students at 135 budget places the game design, custom scenarios creation and virtual, augmented and mixed reality hardware operation, VR/AR application development and optimization for PC and mobile platforms in such areas as Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Computer Science and Computer Science, Information Systems and Technologies, Commerce, Advertising and Public Relations, and Innovation.

"When opening the Paster's Program in FEFU, they paid special attention to the synthesis of classical academic majors—Marketing, PR, Commerce—and software development. This will allow specialists to successfully introduce new technologies into existing markets," Dmitry Zemtsov explained.

The term of study is two years. Instead of lectures, students will be engaged in project practice and every six months will represent and defend their projects during the Cyber East Hackathon.

"This is such a form of collective creativity, when not one person will take the exam, but the whole team, which helps to learn the skills of working in collaboration," said Roman Povolotsky, the head of Cyber Russia. "As a result, upon finishing the Master's Program students will  receive from one to four business projects that can be developed and commercialized, as well as already formed team. Our goal is to help students prepare the maximum number of projects for commercial use."

Roman Povolotsky explained that tasks for hackathons had already been received from universities, including FEFU, as well as from commercial companies and technology entrepreneurs.

"Academic institutions want to digitize the educational process, and to translate student practice into the realm of virtual and augmented reality. As a result, students of medical departments, for example, with the help of programs and applications, created on the Cyber East Hackatons, will be able to master surgical operations without leaving the audience," said the head of Cyber Russia.

He noted that it is a question of converting all educational content into a three-dimensional model of virtual or augmented reality.

"The tasks of creating such applications and projects are the basis of the hackathons. Commercial companies also want to reduce the time for training their employees in full time educational programs, having delegated the task of preparing corporate educational programs for students pursuing Game Development & VR," explained Roman Povolotsky.

In addition, the students will be tasked with developing computer games and VR rides by using virtual and augmented reality technologies.

"In the coming years such games will become the basis of entertainment and a new way of communication. This requires serious skills and training in design, programming, and the ability to work on the equipment of a new generation," said Roman Povolotsky.

The project activity will be based on application software using VR, AR, MR technologies, as well as Microsoft HoloLens, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Samsung GEAR VR hardware/software solutions and Unity and Unreal Engine developer environments. Upon completion of the training, students will receive an international certificate.