HSE MIEM and Ozon Launch Joint Workshop on AI Systems Security

© HSE University

The Machine Learning in Information Security workshop is being launched as part of a strategic cooperation agreement between the HSE Tikhonov Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics (HSE MIEM) and Ozon. The programme will train specialists capable of ensuring the security of artificial intelligence systems. Students will study methods for protecting large language models and develop tools aimed at improving the resilience of AI systems to attacks.

HSE MIEM and Ozon signed a cooperation agreement aimed at enhancing the quality of IT education, as well as developing and updating academic programmes and course syllabi. The agreement was signed on March 24, 2026, at HSE MIEM.

Ozon Tech is responsible for IT development across various areas of Ozon’s digital platform, including customer and seller applications, automated warehouse systems, and developer platforms, as well as information security and much more. The team currently includes more than 8,000 IT engineers.

As part of the agreement, a unique workshop is being launched at HSE MIEM, where students will work at the intersection of machine learning and digital platform security. The main objective is to train specialists capable of ensuring the security of modern AI systems. The new workshop follows a practice-oriented format: students will work on real industry tasks together with company engineers.

Students will explore methods for protecting large language models, analyse vulnerabilities, and develop mechanisms to improve the resilience of AI systems against various types of attack. In addition, significant attention will be given to teaching methods for identifying and assessing the risks of integrating AI into company processes, as well as designing secure architectures for AI-powered products.

Oleg Evsyutin

‘Ensuring the security of artificial intelligence systems is a new area within cybersecurity that requires training a new type of specialist at the intersection of disciplines—professionals who are well versed in AI technologies while also possessing a comprehensive foundation in information security. Such competencies can only be developed through work on practical tasks drawn from the real sector. The educational model we will apply in the workshop fully reflects these requirements,’ emphasised Oleg Evsyutin, Head of the School of Cybersecurity Studies at HSE MIEM.

The practical approach to learning will be supported by real projects supervised by Ozon experts. Students will have the opportunity to work with advanced information security technologies, develop teamwork skills, and build a portfolio of real-world projects. Experts will help students analyse industry challenges, apply theory in practice, develop engineering thinking, and prepare and defend their solutions.

Dmitry Kovalenko

‘Today, the security of AI systems is a promising research field with many unknowns, and it is still at an early stage of development,’ said Dmitry Kovalenko, HSE Vice Rector and Director of HSE MIEM. ‘The demand for such protection is growing ever stronger. That is precisely why we are launching a specialised workshop for HSE students today. Choosing an industry partner for a new initiative like this is a strategic task for MIEM. Ozon Tech is a team with a high level of practical expertise, supporting advanced IT infrastructure used by tens of millions of people and actively incorporating AI. We are sincerely grateful to our colleagues for supporting our educational projects. This year, we are also launching a new Master’s programme in Information Security of AI Systems, whose graduates will be in high demand among HSE’s major employer partners.’

Kirill Myakishev

‘The Ozon Tech Information Security Workshop at HSE MIEM will fully immerse students in solving real-world practical tasks at the intersection of machine learning and cybersecurity—challenges that IT specialists on our digital platform work on every day,’ noted Kirill Myakishev, Chief Information Security Officer at Ozon. ‘In IT disciplines, it is particularly important to build a strong portfolio of real practical cases and to gain hands-on knowledge and skills that will be needed in future work. In our workshop, students will be able to gain this experience without interrupting their university studies. Ozon experts will act as mentors and share their own development experience with the students. The cooperation agreement with HSE MIEM will be another step for us in developing the national IT community, strengthening communication between academia and big tech, and helping us build a strong talent pipeline.’

Participation conditions include a flexible working schedule of 15–20 hours a week, allowing students to combine work in the workshop with their main academic programme. The workshop is open to HSE University IT students interested in developing a career in information security. Applicants will need to complete several stages: submitting an application, completing a test assignment, and attending an interview. The number of places in the workshop is limited.

Further details are available on the workshop’s website (in Russian).