Ukraine is one of few countries of the world where aviation and space engineering are developed and manufactured and where skilled specialists are trained for these areas. The National Aerospace University Kharkiv Aviation Institute is the leading one among the Ukrainian educational institutions which turn out such specialists.

The KhAI was founded in 1930. Its history is closely connected with the development of aircraft engineering and science. The University is famous for its creation of the first in Europe high-speed airplane with a retractable landing gear and the creation of the design of the turbojet engine developed by teacher of the KhAI A. M. Liulka who afterwards became the academician and designer of many structures of aircraft engines including the engine of the aircraft Su-27.

The KhAI is a unique higher educational institution where the airplanes developed by the Institute Design Burean under the supervision of professor I. G. Neman were produced serially at the aircraft plants and run on passenger airlines.
In 1978 the KhAI was given the name of N. Ye. Zhukovskiy. In 1980 the Institute was awarded with the order of Lenin. In 1998 the N. Ye. Zhukovskiy State Aerospace University “Kharkov Aviation Institute” was founded on the basis of the KhAI and in 2000 the University got a status of the National higher educational institution and got a name of the National Aerospace University Kharkiv Aviation Institute.

During the period of its existence the University has trained about 60 ths engineers. More than 80% of the specialists with higher education who work in Ukrainian aerospace area are the graduates of the KhAI.

From 1977 to 1984 the Designer General O.K. Antonov run the department of airplane structure at the KhAI.

The distinctive special peculiaring of the KhAI is its close relations with the industry. At present the Designers General and heads of the largest aerospace enterprises: Ya.E. Isenberg, P.V. Balabuyev, V.A. Bogyslayev, I.V. Drenovskiy, S.M. Konyutov, F.M. Muravchenko, A.K. Mialitsa are employed at the University.

At present about 9.5 thousands students and 160 post-graduate students are trained at the University; 650 teachers and 2.5 thousands employers work here. Among theme there are 120 Professors and Candidates of Science. Among the teachers of the University there are also: 1 USSR State Lenin Prize winner, 7 USSR State Prize winners, 28 Ukraine State Prize winners, 11 USSR Council of Ministers Prize winners.

The KhAI is a member of International Association of Universitys; Global Association, Organization of Industry and Airport Technology; it is also in the International Catalogue and belongs to the Association of higher educational institutions of Kharkiv city INTERVUZ, as well as to the Aerospace Agency of Ukraine.

The KhAI is a co-executor of some programs which are carried out with universities and companies of USA, Japan, Germany, France, Mexico and Chine. The University takes part in the program of creation of “Alfa” international space station.

In 1992 the KhAI resumed the training of foreign students over 300 foreign citizens from 25 countries of Asia, Africa and America are trained annually at the University.

The KhAI covers a separate territory of the city in the forest-part zone, its area amounts to about 25 hectares. The University has 8 academic buildings, research institute and laboratories, library will 1 ml volume in stock, campus, sporty complex, swimming pool, preventurium clinic of first medical aid, dining halls, bank, children garden, etc.

Major Programs at Bachelor level

Automobile Transport

Airlines maintenance

Accounting and audit

International economics

Aircraft and rocket building

Engines and power plants of aircraft

Avionics

System analysis

Information science

Applied mathematics

Power machine building

Heat power engineering

Machine building

Engineering mechanics

Applied mechanics

System engineering

Automation and computer-integrated technologies

Aero navigation

Geodesy, cartography, organization of the use of land

Metrology, standardization and certification

Metrology and informational and measuring technologies

Ecology, environment and balanced nature management

Radio techniques

Radio-electronic devices

Telecommunications

Computer’s sciences

Computer’s engineering

Program engineering

Commodity research and commercial enterprise

Finances and credit

Marketing

Economics of enterprise

Management

Psychology

Philology

Document knowledge and information activity

Admission On-line

Major Programs at Masters level

Duration – 1,5 – 2 years

Airplanes and helicopters

Aircraft engines and power plant

Control systems of flying machines and their complexes

Airplane and helicopter manufacturing

Aircraft engine manufacturing

Designing and manufacturing articles made in composite

Rocket and space complexes

Aerospace heat engineering

Spacecraft engines and power plant

Engines of rocket-space craft

Life safety measures

Information controlling systems and techniques

Information design technologies

Software of automated systems

Robotic systems and complexes

Radio electronic devices, systems and complexes

Manufacture of electronic devices

Technologies and means of telecommunication

Specialized computer systems

Information measuring systems

Quality, standardization and certification

Management of organizations

Project Management

Gas turbine power plants and compressor stations

Biotechnical and medical apparatuses and systems

Metrology and measuring engineering

Systems of control and automation

Computer systems and networks

System programming

Non conventional sources of power

Rules of entrance into Post Graduate and Ph.D level at KhaI

The graduates who are going to enter the post-graduate course for a training with a purpose to get a degree of Candidate of Science in engineering should have got a diploma of Master of Science or Specialist, more over the specialty of his/her candidate dissertation shall be related to the main line of the basic education on which the Master’s or Specialist’s degree awarded.

The KhAI is entitled to conduct the training of PhD students on the large list of major subjects including those related to aerospace area. The indicated list is attached below. Those major subjects on which the defense of dissertation is possible to be realized at the KhAI are marked with a sign * in the list. The KhAI has got a certificate of Higher Certifying Commission on each specialty. The defenses of the dissertations on the major subjects which are not marked with a sign * in the list shall not be possible ; they will be realized in other higher educational institutions of Ukraine.

The training on the full-time post-graduate course lasts 3 years and on the distance instruction post-graduate course – 4 years. The graduates who are going to enter the post-graduate course should pass the entrance examinations on major subject, foreign language (Russian or English) and philosophy.

Within the first year of study the post-graduate students have to pass candidate examinations – candidate minimums which are obligatory under defense of dissertation.

Candidate minimums shall be passed on the following subjects: major subject, foreign subject, philosophy.

Each PhD student shall work individually under the guidance of his/her research supervisor. Within the first year of training an aspirant jointly with his/her research supervisor shall definitely formulate the theme and tasks of investigations.

Within the whole period of training an PhD student has to perform reference sources survey on world publications, to carry out theoretical and experimental research work, to make analysis of research results, to prepare and publish at least 2 – 3 research articles.

At the end of training on the post-graduate course an aspirant shall submit dissertation on 120 x 150 A4-size sheets and to defend it in public. The public defense envisages getting positive opinions about research results from a number of scientific schools and enterprises of aerospace industry of Ukraine and other countries.

The defense procedure of already prepared and submitted work usually takes 2 – 4 months in dependence on the level of preparation of the . The presence of the PhD student at his/her defense is obligatory.

According to the results of successful defense the KhAI issues a diploma certifying the awarding of a degree of Candidate of Science of state sample to the aspirant.

The KhAI has a great experience of training citizens of Germany, Mexico, Jordan, Yemen, Nigeria and other countries on post-graduate course.

During the period of its existence the KhAI has awarded the degree of Candidate of Science to more than 1000 PhD students from Russia, Ukraine and other countries and the degree of Doctor of Science to more than 150 persons.