How Satbayev University Trains Hardware Engineers

On the development of the hardware track at the university

The hardware track at Satbayev University has been actively developing since 2004 across various departments of the Institute of Automation and Information Technology. The main educational programs are implemented at the Departments of Robotics and Technical Means of Automation, Software Engineering, Automation and Control, and Electronics, Telecommunications, and Space Technologies. Specialist training covers such fields as software and hardware engineering, automation and robotics, electronics and electrical engineering, space technology and engineering, telecommunications, development and operation of information protection systems, biomedical engineering, robotics and mechatronics, embedded systems, and hardware-software complexes.

Laboratories and classrooms

Specialized laboratories operate at the university for student training and research:

1. ADVANTEK Industrial Automation Laboratory — provides opportunities for training and practical application of automated control technologies in industry. Students master modern process control systems, study methods for optimizing production line operations, and gain practical skills in configuring and operating equipment for managing complex production processes.
2. SIEMENS Software-Hardware Means and Automatic Systems Laboratory — serves as a foundation for developing and testing software and hardware solutions in the field of automation. In this laboratory, students become familiar with Siemens equipment, which is widely used in industrial and production systems.
3. SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC Technical Means of Automation Laboratory — focuses on training students in the use of Schneider Electric equipment and software. The laboratory allows students to work with modern solutions for building automation, energy efficiency, and industrial process management, which significantly supports the development of skills in designing and optimizing automation systems.
4. Educational Laboratory of Software-Hardware Automation Means — this laboratory features test benches for studying the Experion – Honeywell distributed automation control system, a Festo automation system elements test bench: pneumatic automation, electro-pneumatic automation, as well as a simulation test bench of a sorting line, including automation means of lower, middle, and upper levels.
5. The National Shared-Use Scientific Laboratory of Information and Space Technologies includes high-performance computers, systems for working with AI, ML, databases, and cloud technologies.
6. Lenovo Laboratory — a hardware-software complex for the development and operation of information protection systems.
7. PolyTechPoint Universal Production Laboratory.
8. “Design and Assembly of Electronic Devices” Laboratory.
9. Digital Circuitry and Electronics Laboratory.
10. Microprocessor Technologies Laboratory.
11. Robolab Research Laboratory.
12. Applied Machine Learning Laboratory.
13. Digital Technologies in Mechanical Engineering Laboratory.

Educational process and student projects

The educational programs include such disciplines as programming for microcontrollers, integrated and microprocessor circuitry, biomedical electronics, embedded systems, IoT, DevOps, and high-load computing.

The hardware track in the educational programs is represented by the following disciplines:

— Embedded Real-Time Systems — study of embedded systems and their programming technologies

— High Load Distributed Computing — a discipline related to the design and optimization of high-load distributed systems

— Big Data Storage Systems and Computations — work with big data, their storage and processing

— Software DevSecOps — practical aspects of CI/CD, containerization, and security assurance in DevOps

— Computer Networks — fundamentals of network technologies, configuration, and administration

— Operating Systems — management of processes, memory, and file systems, multitasking.

These disciplines cover key aspects of the hardware track, including embedded systems, network technologies, operating systems, and DevOps.

Students actively participate in competitions, startups, and scientific grants. Among their achievements are victories in international ICPC olympiads, AI hackathons, and Data Science competitions.

Grants and scholarships: third-year student Nurbek Kalmatai became the winner of the “Academician Sh. Yesenov Scholarship-2024” competition. He also won the republican competition for student scholarships from the Nursultan Nazarbayev Foundation.

— two Satbayev University teams participated in the semi-finals of the ICPC World Championship in competitive programming

— third-year student Osein Gizatullaev took third place in the AI Hackathon held at KazNU

— a team of university students participated in the II stage of the XVI Republican Subject Olympiad among students in the field of “Information and Communication Technologies,” held at Toreyev University. In the individual competition, second-year student Malika Andas took second place among 80 participants.

— students Nurbek Kalmatai, Kamila Abdulla, and Shkhan Abliev successfully participated in the KazNU case competition on risk management and demonstrated high skills in critical thinking and analysis.

Startups and technological entrepreneurship: as part of the educational program, students study the course “Startups and Technological Entrepreneurship,” where they master the development of business models, market research, capital attraction, and management of innovative projects.

Thus, students have great opportunities to participate in scientific research, competitions, and entrepreneurial activities, which contributes to their professional growth and successful career start.

Partner universities

Currently, in this field, the university and its departments cooperate with many organizations both to solve joint educational and production tasks and to carry out scientific research, as well as for the training of students and teaching staff. In particular, in the preparation of personnel and the implementation of educational services in this field, the relevant department actively cooperates and implements joint educational programs with Asfendiyarov Almaty University of Medicine, MedRem plant, Sayman and Shin-Line companies, and others:

Kazakhstani companies and enterprises:

— Kazatomprom – research and internships in Machine Learning & Data Science
— JSC “TransTeleCom”
— JSC “Kazpost”
— JSC “Kazakhtelecom”
– JSC “Bank CenterCredit”
– LLC Zamanaui-R
– LLC Das Telecom
– LLC OpenKz
– LLC “Kar-Tel”
– Go Solution
– LLC “Mangystauenergomunai”
– Institute of Information and Computational Technologies and many others.

International partners:

– Hoff University, Germany
– City U, Hong Kong
– Riga Technical University, Latvia
– Novosibirsk State University, Russia
– Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
– University of Žilina, Slovakia
– Penn State, USA and others.

Cooperation covers several areas: double degree programs, joint research in various fields of science, internships and practicums, as well as the development of new educational programs with the involvement of leading experts.

Future and prospects

The university plans to expand existing laboratories and equip them with new equipment for working with the hardware track. It is also planned to open new laboratories in various research directions with hardware accelerators.

University graduates work in various IT companies, the financial sector, and government structures. They apply knowledge in software development, AI, Data Science, DevOps, as well as in embedded systems and IoT. Many graduates are employed by Kaspi Bank, Halyk Bank, Kazpost, KMG Engineering, MyCar Group, Microsoft, Yandex, and other companies. Among the positions are Junior Data Engineer, content manager, software developer, data processing specialist, system administrator, and others.

The hardware track at Satbayev University is developing; the university has laboratories supporting hardware work, as well as connections with leading IT companies. In the future, expansion of the laboratory base and in-depth study of hardware technologies are planned. University graduates are elite engineers in their field of activity. Confirmation of this can be the employment of graduates in various institutes, factories, and companies to solve competitive tasks.