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A Ukrainian university and the maker of the country's Flamingo cruise missile have launched a program to train engineers for the nation's weapons industry. However, on the initial attempt, none of the 150 candidates who applied passed the entrance exams. The Kyiv Aviation Institute (KAI) revealed this information to LB.ua.

The university collaborates with Fire Point, a drone and missile manufacturer, to deliver this course. The war in Ukraine has transformed the nation into one of the world's leading producers of drones and missiles, with the industry expanding tenfold since 2022. Currently, the goal is to manufacture millions of drones each year.

Scaling up production necessitates engineers rather than just financial investment and factory construction. Out of the 150 applicants, zero successfully passed the two-stage exam process. The first stage comprised the math and physics scores from the Ukrainian university entrance exam (NMT), followed by a second round of exams tailored by Fire Point's engineers. Even those who excelled in the NMT struggled to pass the second stage.

KAI's president, Kseniia Semenova, attributed the failure to the difficulty of the physics section, which was on par with national olympiads rather than a typical entrance test. She emphasized that while these concepts could be learned, they required extensive preparation. Semenova noted that candidates who go in unprepared are unlikely to succeed. To address this issue, KAI and Fire Point will begin offering preparatory courses starting in September.

Semenova traced the failure back to the quality of science education in Ukrainian schools, stating that it is not robust and few students even attempt physics on the NMT. Those who do often perform poorly. Interest in KAI remains high, with first-year enrollment increasing by 40% this year, primarily driven by aviation transport and rocket-and-space technology. However, the more challenging tracks, such as applied mechanics, composite materials, and engines, are not experiencing significant growth.