ITMO and Alfa-Bank's Educator AI Course Wins National Award
A two-month AI course designed for university lecturers won the Data Fusion award for best educational program at the 2026 competition in Moscow. The program, developed jointly by Russia's ITMO University and Alfa-Bank, trained 320 educators across 50 cities over two years.
The course targets a specific gap: educators who need to move beyond basic AI use. Rather than simply analyzing data or writing prompts, lecturers learn to function as informed clients for AI development-setting clear requirements, evaluating outcomes, and redesigning their courses around AI capabilities.
Three Tracks for Different Expertise Levels
The program offers parallel paths based on subject area and prior knowledge. The basic track serves humanities lecturers and methodologists. An intermediate track covers mathematics, programming, and business informatics. An advanced track focuses on machine learning, generative AI, and recommendation systems.
Participants complete online classes, consult with experts, and defend projects on-site. Of 3,500 applicants, 320 finished the course and produced 60 final projects. Some projects have already been implemented at schools and universities.
What Educators Actually Need to Know
Alexander Boukhanovsky, head of ITMO's Institute of Artificial Intelligence, said educators must understand how AI changes teaching itself. "Our mission is to show our students how they can become architects in their fields and create original courses and programs, following the latest AI trends," he said.
This means educators need to recalibrate workflows to their subject matter-whether natural sciences, technology, or humanities-rather than applying generic AI tools.
The Data Fusion Awards recognize organizations across industry, education, and government that advance data and AI adoption in Russia.
For educators looking to deepen their AI knowledge, structured learning paths for teachers and AI for Education resources offer additional starting points.
Your membership also unlocks:
