University 20.35: Representatives of 100 Russian Universities Trained With the Help of Artificial Intelligence

MOSCOW, Aug. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The 12-day intensive educational Island 10-22 course conducted by University 20.35, founded in 2017 by the Russian Government for the purpose of changing the educational system for the digital economy of the future, wrapped up at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology. The training was carried out by artificial intelligence (AI) and a pool of cutting-edge technical solutions.

The aim of Island 10-22 is to form and train management teams for the digital transformation of Russian higher education. These teams included representatives of 100 Russian universities, as well as scientists, investors, entrepreneurs, and specialists from leading IT-companies (more than 1500 people).

The distinctive feature of the program is the use of AI technologies and Big Data for maximum personalization of the educational program. The organizers tracked every action and word of the participants – from the study of biometric data to semantic analysis to assess the progress of learning. Based on the obtained data, the AI provided the participants with daily personalized recommendations for further training.

"The digitalization of all areas of activity requires a large number of professionals, who must be constantly trained. Moreover, we will see a change in the technological paradigm and entire industries in the next decade. It is impossible to predict for certain what kind of specialists will be needed and in what numbers. Therefore, our aim is to create a flexible digital education system, not even of tomorrow, but for the day after, based on the unique Russian educational AI, which will enable quick training of these specialists and teams in order to solve complex problems," said Dmitry Peskov, head of University 20.35 and special representative of the Russian President for digital and technological development.

More than 50 leading Russian IT-companies were involved in the creation and development of the Russian Educational AI and the digital educational platform of University 20.35, which was used during Island 10-22.

Key technological solutions: 

• Individual development pathways with AI assistance.
• Total digital footprint recording. The AI analyzed the interaction of the participants in social networks, the results of completed tasks, geolocation, as well as uploaded photos and videos.
• Semantic speech analysis allowed tracking changes in the participants' mindsets.
• Biometric data gathering. Stress and fatigue level analysis at different stages of the program. 
• Competence profile of each participant linked to key national technology development programs.

"Education of the future must be based on constant and all-around data analysis, as well as prompt implementation of changes in programs. And this, of course, should be a fully digital ecosystem, which not only adapts to each person, but also allows you to form effective teams of specialists who perfectly complement each other in terms of professional skills and ideally fit each other's characters," as Dmitry Peskov added.

After completing the intensive course, the participants will start the process of digital transformation of their universities, as well as application of the studied up-to-date educational technologies and methods in practice.