The purpose of the educational program is to train leading scientific and technical specialists in the field of digital communications, capable of implementing automation and intelligent control systems for electrical networks and solving power supply problems at the intersection of energy and digital technologies.

The objectives of the educational program are:

• Training specialists to work in research and energy companies and divisions of IT structures, as well as in digital production management;
• Mastering intelligent control systems for electrical networks, automation tools for control processes in the electric power industry, control system software, programming logic controllers using ABB and SCADA in power supply systems, electrical system safety, digital control systems for electric drives, as well as energy-saving and resource-saving technologies in the power industry;
• Acquiring skills in operating and diagnosing electrical equipment, calculating and designing power systems, using application programs for calculations, modeling and automation of power system design, applying methods for calculating power supply, calculating electricity consumption of electrical installations, accounting for electricity consumption and calculating energy losses in various electrical equipment.

Key competencies of the graduate of the educational program:

1. Professional and technical competencies:

• Design and development of industry-specific software — ability to create, test and upgrade application software for automation of technological processes in the electric power industry;
• Smart Grid Integration — skills in designing and administering smart grids, automated data acquisition systems and predictive analytics algorithms to optimize energy resource distribution;
• Development of SCADA systems and work with PLCs — experience in programming industrial logic controllers and integrating supervisory control based on modern SCADA systems into power supply infrastructure.

2. Engineering and research activities:

• Mathematical modeling of power systems — development of new mathematical models, algorithms and methods for calculating steady-state and transient operating modes of complex interconnected electric power systems;
• AI application and predictive analytics — research and training of neural network models for predictive maintenance of equipment (assessment of turbine and transformer wear) and short-term and long-term forecasting of electricity consumption;
• Data Analysis and Big Data in Energy — research into methods of processing large amounts of data received from intelligent measurement devices (WAMS, PMU) to identify hidden patterns and anomalies in electrical networks;
• Critical infrastructure protection — investigation of vulnerabilities in industrial protocols and development of new methods for ensuring cybersecurity of information systems in the fuel and energy complex (FEC).

3. Social, communicative and managerial competencies:

• Interdisciplinary interaction — ability to act as a link and effective intermediary between traditional power engineers and IT developers, ensuring accurate understanding of technical requirements by both parties;
• Professional communication in foreign languages — English language proficiency at a level sufficient to conduct business negotiations, study international standards (e.g., IEC standards) and coordinate joint projects with foreign equipment and software suppliers;
• Leadership and teamwork — skills in forming cross-functional project teams, delegating authority, motivating employees and effectively resolving conflicts;
• Corporate and social responsibility — understanding the role of digitalization in ensuring the energy and environmental safety of society and compliance with professional ethics when managing critical government facilities.

Objects of professional activity:

1. Hardware, software and information systems:

• APCS and SCADA systems — automated process control and supervisory control systems for power plants and substations;
• AMR/AMI — automated information and measurement systems for commercial electricity metering, including smart meters;
• Digital Twins — virtual computer models of generators, power lines and substations used to simulate their operation;
• WAMS/PMU — transient monitoring systems and synchronized phasor measurement units in power systems.

2. Energy production and network facilities:

• Smart Grids — distribution and transmission networks equipped with digital adaptive automation and relay protection devices;
• Digital Substations — highly automated substations operating on the basis of international standards (IEC 61850);
• Generation facilities (including renewable energy sources) — thermal, hydroelectric and nuclear power plants, as well as wind and solar farms integrated into a common network through digital control systems.

3. Data management and cybersecurity systems:

• Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) — corporate and technological networks of energy companies requiring protection against cyberattacks;
• Cloud platforms and Big Data — server infrastructure and data storage systems for collecting, processing and analyzing large amounts of information received from sensors at power facilities;
• Predictive Analytics Systems — machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms designed for predictive maintenance of equipment and load planning (Forecasting/Predictive Maintenance).

4. Organizational, managerial, scientific and educational structures:

• Dispatch centers — system operators of unified electric power systems (for example, KEGOC in Kazakhstan), regional power grid companies and urban distribution networks;
• R&D centers and design institutes — research organizations involved in designing the digital transformation of the fuel and energy complex and developing industry-specific IT solutions;
• Educational organizations — higher educational institutions and colleges (within the scientific and pedagogical track of master's degree programs).

Internship and employment:

National Engineering Academy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazakh National Research Technical University named after K.I. Satpayev, IT Project Company LLP, Komengineering LLP.

• KEGOC (Unified Energy System Operator of Kazakhstan) — Main Dispatch Center, National Power Grid;
• Samruk-Energo (Almaty Power Plants, Moinak Hydroelectric Power Plant, Shardara Hydroelectric Power Plant, etc.);
• Regional power grid companies (AZhK, EESK, CAEK, etc.);
• IT integrators and automation system developers (Schneider Electric Kazakhstan, Siemens Kazakhstan, Honeywell and local IT companies).

Main learning outcomes:

RO 1: Scientific Analysis and Methodology

• Formulate and solve complex research and applied problems at the intersection of IT and the electric power industry, using modern scientific methodologies, system analysis and mathematical modeling methods.

RO 2: Development and Integration of APCS

• Design, program and implement automated process control systems (APCS), SCADA systems and dispatching complexes for managing technological processes at power plants and substations.

RO 3: Smart Grid and Digital Substation Engineering

• Develop and modernize elements of intelligent power systems (Smart Grid) and digital substations using international data transmission standards (including IEC 61850) and synchronized phasor measurement units (PMU/WAMS).

RO 4: Big Data and AI Analysis in Energy

• Apply machine learning algorithms, artificial intelligence and Big Data technologies to forecast electrical load profiles, optimize network operating modes and perform predictive maintenance of power equipment.

RO 5: Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity

• Conduct security audits, identify vulnerabilities and develop systems to protect the critical information infrastructure (CII) of fuel and energy enterprises against external and internal cyber threats.

RO 6: Digitalization Project Management

• Lead interdisciplinary project teams during the digital transformation of energy companies, conduct feasibility studies for IT implementations, and manage project risks and budgets.

RO 7: Communication and Academic Writing

• Present the results of scientific and engineering research in Kazakh, Russian and English through scientific and technical reports, patents and publications in peer-reviewed international journals indexed in Scopus and Web of Science.

RO 8: Pedagogical Activity and Self-Development

• Conduct teaching activities in higher and specialized secondary educational institutions in IT and engineering disciplines, and independently develop a trajectory of continuous professional education (Lifelong Learning).

List of Employers: