Alexander Konotopsky, head of the supervisory board of Ajax Systems, announced a long-term ambition of the company — to help the Ihor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (KPI) enter the ranks of the world's 100 best universities. The statement was made on August 20, 2026, at the Forbes University 2026 conference. According to Konotopsky, as part of this plan, Ajax Systems is already in 2026 funding a trip for KPI's management to Stanford University, so that representatives of the polytechnic could directly study the management and development approaches of one of the leading universities on the planet.
The "Give Back" Philosophy: How Ajax Systems Works with Universities
Konotopsky explained that Ajax Systems' cooperation with universities grew out of the idea of showing young engineers modern technologies and helping them see the connection between theory and practice. "We want to teach and give back. Because at some point someone taught me, and someone gave to me. And now I and our team believe that for us it is important — to give back," he emphasized. The company primarily supports projects that originated from the initiative of the universities themselves: professors, rectors, supervisory boards. Konotopsky stressed that most of Ajax Systems' educational initiatives do not aim at direct recruiting, but are directed at the development of Ukrainian talents and society as a whole.
Laboratories and Record Sponsorship of KPI
A key example of the partnership became the mechanics laboratory created at KPI for the practical work of students and its integration into the educational process. According to the university itself, Ajax Systems is the largest sponsor of KPI in its entire history. Another project is a laboratory created at the Kyiv Aviation Institute at the initiative of the university's rector and supervisory board. Thus, the company is building the infrastructure of engineering education at several of the country's leading technical universities.
The Ajax Next Program: Figures and Results
The company implements the development of engineering education through the Ajax Next program. Within the framework of the initiative, in cooperation with leading educational institutions and partners, five modern laboratories have been set up and 10 training programs have been conducted. More than 2,000 students of engineering faculties gained practical experience, of whom 61 joined the Ajax Systems team. Konotopsky noted that the number of employed students is not the main efficiency indicator: the priority remains the training of strong specialists for Ukrainian society.
Ukrainian Students at CES: From 29 Participants to 60
A separate direction of Ajax Next became the organization of Ukrainian students' participation in the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) — one of the world's largest technology exhibitions. In 2025, the company received more than 600 applications from across Ukraine; as a result of the competitive selection, 29 students went to Las Vegas for CES 2026. The participants visited the stands of world technology companies, familiarized themselves with new developments, and presented their own projects. The project continues: for the trip to CES 2027, it is planned to select already 60 Ukrainian students. Candidates are evaluated on academic results, participation in technical and extracurricular projects, and a motivation letter. The final ranking and interviews will determine the composition of the delegation that will go to Las Vegas in January 2027.
Stanford as a Benchmark: What KPI Is Preparing for a World Ranking
The long-term goal of KPI entering the world's top 100 universities implies not only infrastructure investments, but also the transfer of management competencies. The trip of the polytechnic's management to Stanford in 2026 is intended to give Ukrainian leaders the opportunity to study the approaches to strategic development, science, and international positioning of a leading university. Experts note that the combination of practical infrastructure (laboratories, programs), international exchange (CES), and management benchmarking (Stanford) forms a multi-level support model that goes beyond classic corporate sponsorship.
