N-iX believes that investing in education is investing in a better future for our country. That is why the company’s specialists regularly join educational initiatives, support talented young people and cooperate with universities to improve educational programs.
This time, N-iX and Lviv Polytechnic National University have teamed up to develop training course in the field of virtual reality and computer games development.
N-iX Game & VR Studio has been employing more than 240 professionals and implementing more than 80+ successful projects for clients from all over the world. Its specialists have developed a course on Unreal Engine technology for students majoring in Software Engineering at Lviv Polytechnic.
Game development is a promising area that is developing rapidly. At the Software Department of Lviv Polytechnic National University was decided that we need to introduce such a discipline for our students. As there are currently no specialists in the department who have experience in game development and virtual reality, we turned to N-iX, which employs seasoned experts who gladly agreed to help and prepare a course.
Many thanks to N-iX for the initiative and their work on the course! It will help students and teachers to learn game development and new technologies. We expect that after a successful pilot course in the game development club, we will be able to introduce a selective unit for multimedia and game programming starting from the new school year,” says Dmitry Fedasyuk, Professor, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Head of Software at Lviv Polytechnic National University.
Work on the course began in the spring of 2019. During the year, Tetiana Tsymbaliuk, a lecturer at Lviv Polytechnic, regularly visited the office, had her own workplace, and studied the subject under the supervision of N-iX experts. In 2020, N-iX specialists started the active development of the course program, which lasted about 3 months. They prepared theoretical and practical parts, methodical materials, as well as conducted testing at the company’s level – several N-iX members volunteered to take classes in their free time and provided their feedback, according to which adjustments were made.
Volodymyr Shafran, Oleksii Kovalevskyi, and Igor Pundiev, Senior Unreal Engine developers at N-iX, worked on the course structure, program, and content. Volodymyr organized the process in terms of technical aspects, while Oleksiy and Ihor conducted lectures and practical classes. The guys have profound experience in developing games based on Unreal Engine and creating AAA video games.
Oleksii Kovalevsky has been with N-iX Game & VR Studio for almost 5 years and has teaching experience at various courses and conferences.
When I was a student, there was a lack of specialists with hands-on experience at my university. The theory we were taught was often detached from reality. Only after I started working in game development, I figured out how to use previously learned formulas. That’s why we plan to teach the technical part focusing on applied problems. I think it will be very useful for students to communicate with specialists who work on real projects, says Oleksii.
For Igor Pundiev who has been with N-iX Game & VR Studio for over a year, this is his first teaching experience:
Until now, I’ve had no experience in teaching courses or speaking at conferences. So it was interesting for me to take on the role of a teacher, share my knowledge and expertise, and awaken genuine interest in students.
As this is a pilot project, the training will be conducted in the club format. Based on the students’ knowledge and interview results, eight course participants have been selected. This year it will last about 2-3 months, after which feedback will be collected and analyzed, and the program will be improved to launch a full course next year. Also, classes will be attended by university teachers to pass on knowledge to future generations.
Specialists will introduce students to the industry, game design, and the main game development areas. With the emphasis on the practical part, students will be able to get answers to questions, test their knowledge, and perform creative tasks.
Volodymyr Shafran joined N-iX Game & VR Studio more than 5 years ago and has experience teaching and conducting technical interviews.
Despite better access to information and learning resources, the level of candidates’ training has not changed with time. Our goal is to give students the opportunity to see the practical application of theory and formulas. Over the years of experience in this field, we know the most common gaps in specialists’ knowledge. That way we can point out certain aspects worth focusing on, says Volodymyr.
According to Daniel Poludyonny, AVP Delivery and Head of Game & VR Studio at N-iX, such an initiative will help replenish the market with new, qualified specialists:
Our goal is to help universities with modern technologies, to make the learning process more relevant, as well as grow a new generation of cool professionals. What’s more, our Game & VR studio is growing and the demand for qualified professionals is increasing, so we will be happy to offer new opportunities for talented young people.
N-iX Game & VR Studio has been developing high-quality video games and virtual reality applications for companies around the world since 2012. Our clients include Supermassive Games, Paradox Interactive, Wargaming, Tempo Storm, Deca Games, Stormind Games, and many more. The department is growing rapidly and offers many cool career opportunities. Join a friendly and promising team 🙂