Kyiv Aviation Institute (KAI) is entering a new stage of development. The university, formerly known as National Aviation University, is pursuing an ambitious transformation aimed at creating a modern aviation, engineering and Defense Tech education and research ecosystem capable of competing internationally.
In an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine, KAI President Kseniia Semenova outlined the university’s long-term vision and the international institutions that serve as benchmarks for its development.
“We want to compete with Aalto, Delft, Munich Tech.”
The reference is to three of Europe’s strongest technical universities: Aalto University in Finland, Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands and the Technical University of Munich in Germany.
According to Semenova, these institutions represent the model KAI aspires to build: universities where education, scientific research, innovation, entrepreneurship and close cooperation with business work together as one ecosystem.
However, the university’s immediate competitive environment is more realistic and closer to home.
“Over the next 2–4 years, we will obviously compete not with Delft, but with universities in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland — specifically to keep our students from going there to study.”
A New Identity: Aviation. Engineering. Defense Tech.
One of the most important changes at KAI has been a clearer understanding of the university’s identity.
Today, the institution positions itself around three interconnected areas:
✈️ Aviation
🚀 Aerospace & Rocket Technologies
⚙️ Engineering & Electronics
🛡️ Defense Tech
This positioning is already reflected in student demand. According to the university president, the number of applicants interested in core technical disciplines — including aviation transport, aircraft engineering, aerospace technologies and electronics — has been steadily increasing.
The goal is not simply to preserve KAI’s historical reputation as an aviation university, but to transform it into a modern technology and research institution with an international outlook.
From Reform to Real Infrastructure
The transformation is not limited to branding or strategic plans.
Over the past two years, KAI has opened eight major laboratories in partnership with businesses, with another ten laboratories already under contract.
That means the university expects to reach approximately 20 new laboratories by the end of the academic year — without state funding.
These laboratories are becoming an important part of the university’s renewed academic programs, providing students with an opportunity to study in an environment increasingly connected to real-world engineering, technology and industry.
For future students, this is particularly important: modern technical education increasingly depends not only on lectures and theoretical knowledge, but also on access to laboratories, research projects, modern equipment and interaction with industry.
International Research and a Stronger Academic Environment
Research has also become one of KAI’s strategic priorities.
The university reports major growth in international project activity, including:
• 2 Erasmus+ projects where KAI acts as a leader
• 2 new Horizon research projects
• 6 project-based PhD program projects
• increased grant activity
• growth in the Hirsch index and Scopus citations
• participation in international and national scientific projects
This approach reflects the model of the European technical universities that KAI uses as its benchmark: a university where students are surrounded by active research, innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Semenova specifically highlighted Aalto University as an example of how scientific research can be transformed into startups, technology businesses and science parks.
The ambition is therefore much broader than simply improving university rankings. KAI aims to create an environment where knowledge can become technology, technology can become innovation, and innovation can become a business or a new industry solution.
A New Approach to University Management
One of the key elements behind KAI’s transformation has been a major change in governance.
In September 2024, the Ukrainian government launched an experiment designed to strengthen the role of supervisory boards in selected universities. National Aviation University became one of the participants and was subsequently reorganized into the state non-profit enterprise National University Kyiv Aviation Institute (KAI).
According to Semenova, the new management model has enabled the university to introduce more transparent business processes, stronger academic integrity policies and new approaches to human resources management.
Among the measures introduced were 360-degree evaluations, open competitions for senior management positions and systematic checks related to academic integrity and plagiarism.
The supervisory board has also played an important role in establishing a management system designed to make university processes more transparent and less dependent on individual personalities.
A University Designed for the Future
The changes at KAI also extend to the financial and organizational model of the institution.
Under the new state non-profit structure, the university has greater opportunities to use its own revenues for development. Semenova highlighted, for example, changes in the distribution of property lease revenues, with a substantially larger share remaining at the university for development.
The university is also working on a differentiated remuneration system that could potentially become a model for other higher education institutions in Ukraine.
The broader objective is clear: to move from the traditional model of a budget institution toward a modern university capable of managing resources, attracting business partnerships, developing research and responding more quickly to the needs of students and industry.
Why KAI Is Becoming an Interesting Choice for International Students
For international students considering engineering, aviation, aerospace or technology education in Europe, the transformation of KAI creates an interesting opportunity.
The university combines:
🎓 Technical and engineering education
✈️ Aviation-focused academic programs
🚀 Aerospace and rocket technologies
🛡️ Defense Tech and electronics
🔬 Research and laboratory infrastructure
🌍 International academic projects
🤝 Growing cooperation with industry
And perhaps most importantly, KAI is positioning itself not as a university looking backward at its history, but as an institution actively building its next chapter.
Its stated ambition is bold: learn from leading European technical universities today — and gradually build an institution capable of competing with them tomorrow.
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If you are interested in Aviation, Aerospace, Engineering, Electronics or Defense Tech, Kyiv Aviation Institute (KAI) is definitely worth exploring.
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