The system operator and Irkutsk Polytechnic University: a new level of interaction

JSC "System Operator of the Unified Energy System" and IRNTU signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of personnel training for operational dispatch management, as well as a joint Action Plan for the development of cooperation for 2026-2027.

The documents were signed by Bayrta Perveeva, member of the Management Board, HR Director of JSC System Operator of the Unified Energy System, and Mikhail Kornyakov, Rector of IRNTU, during the visit of the System Operator's delegation to Irkutsk.

Alexey Khlebov, General Director of the ODE of Siberia, and Dmitry Mayakov, Director of the Irkutsk RDU, also attended the signing ceremony on behalf of the System Operator. Ekaterina Samarkina, Director of the Institute of Energy at IRNTU, also took part in the event on behalf of the university. During the meeting, the parties discussed the extensive educational opportunities of the System Operator and the formats of cooperation with universities in the country, career prospects in the company for graduates of universities implementing joint programs.

The agreement with IRNTU was concluded within the framework of the updated strategy of interaction of the System Operator with specialized educational institutions of higher education. Its purpose is to deepen the practical orientation of the educational process for the training of highly qualified specialists in the interests of the System Operator. IRNTU became the 28th partner university of the System Operator, the fifth in the operational area of the Siberian Federal University of Economics. 

The joint action plan has traditionally been signed as a follow-up to the Cooperation Agreement and will be adjusted annually. It provides for the organization of internships and internships for students on the basis of branches of the System Operator, lectures for students by company employees, participation of company representatives in the preparation and review of final qualifying papers, as well as career guidance events for young people. A seminar on topical issues of operational dispatch management will be organized for teachers of IRNTU.

Other planned events include the participation of students and teachers of IRNTU in events organized by the System Operator. These include the International Scientific and Technical Conference "Electric Power Industry through the Eyes of Youth", the organizing committee of which in 2026 included three university representatives, the International Engineering CASE-IN Championship, and the Youth Global Forecast of Energy Development.

"The conclusion of an agreement with one of the leading engineering universities in Siberia will allow us to build a comprehensive training system for the personnel reserve: from career guidance for students to their employment in the branches of the System Operator in the Irkutsk region and beyond. For the company, this is primarily an opportunity to train specialists for our specific tasks, integrating professional standards into training programs. Combining the university's potential and the practical experience of our specialists will not only improve the quality of staff training, but will also allow us to jointly develop new research and educational initiatives," she said. Bayrta Perveyeva at the document signing ceremony.

"Cooperation with JSC United Energy System System Operator is a new level of training for energy engineers at Irkutsk Polytechnic University. As part of the agreement, we plan not only to organize internships and internships for our students at the company, but also to involve leading experts from the System Operator in the educational process, as well as jointly develop research areas. I am confident that our cooperation will help strengthen the human resources potential of the Russian energy industry," he said. Mikhail Kornyakov.

"The fruitful cooperation of the System Operator with Irkutsk Polytechnic University, the flagship university of Eastern Siberia, which provides qualified personnel to the entire Siberian macroregion, in the implementation of a joint educational program will allow students to be integrated into the specifics of energy system management and gain practical skills necessary for further work in the System Operator," he stressed. Alexey Khlebov.

At the end of the meeting, an inspection of the educational and research laboratories of the Institute of Energy of IRNTU, equipped with a modern base for practical training, was organized.

A source