It is definitely better to study in Ukraine for a bachelor's degree because the transition from school life to university life is stressful: different relationships with others, a different level of responsibility and workload, etc. It is easier to cope with such stress in a more familiar environment (native language of communication, close mentality of peers, understandable everyday issues, financial support from parents).

When choosing a master's program, there are significantly different factors at play and they need to be considered individually.

The unequivocal answer is Kyiv. After all, studying is not only about gaining knowledge and mastering skills, but also about making useful contacts and finding a job while getting an education. Academic education must be complemented by an initial job in the specialty, and the capital provides the best opportunities for this.

If you have a family tradition that you want to follow, it makes sense to choose a specialized educational institution. But in general, it is better to study at a universal university that deals with more general models and situations. Then you will always have the opportunity to move from the general to the specific, more specialized. The transition in the opposite direction is always more difficult.

Currently, there are only two good options: Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. It's enough to just go to any Ukrainian IT company and ask where its employees mainly studied. Perhaps someday (in your children's or grandchildren's time :)) the situation will change, but for now, just don't listen to the loud advertisers. Only the hardcore ones - either Kyiv Polytechnic or Shevchenko University :)

Just look at who these universities are named after, and it will immediately become clear which of them is closer to the technical profile.)

Seriously, feel free to choose any of these universities, and you won't be mistaken. Yes, you will be taught by different teachers, but the general atmosphere, established traditions, professional and innovative environment will give you every opportunity to become a true professional. And whether you become one or not will depend primarily on you.

However, I would like to point out one small nuance. Once upon a time, the educational and methodological commission of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine considered the question of how a bachelor's degree should end. Representatives of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv argued that it should be a state exam, which includes questions from 3-4 key disciplines that the student studied during his or her bachelor's degree. I, as a representative of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, insisted that at the end of their studies, bachelors should prepare a thesis, i.e. develop and program a certain mathematical model and publicly defend it, clearly demonstrating that they have become a real engineer.

Both approaches are valid, so choose the one that is closer to you.

Applied Mathematics - what other specialty can the head of the Department of Applied Mathematics recommend?)

And now - very seriously, because you need to choose a specialty at the time of admission right away. Maybe I won't reveal a big secret, but by and large, there is no significant difference between software or computer engineering, computer science or information technology, system analysis or applied mathematics! There are a number of basic mathematical and programming disciplines common to all these specialties, and there is a significant component of independent study: what you will learn to perfection, and what you will learn just to get a grade.

I'll tell you a secret: how qualified a specialist you will become after graduation depends primarily on the second component. In a good university, a good department will help you become a worthy specialist, but the final level of your qualifications will be formed only by you.

And here again, you need to take into account certain nuances - what additional things (added value) can you get from your university education? Everyone will learn to program, but how will you be better than some Indian or Chinese programmer, who outnumber us by an order of magnitude, purely due to demographics?

The Applied Mathematics major offers a thorough mathematical and algorithmic training that can become the foundation of your future victory in the battle for a decent job. After all, it is much harder to master certain mathematical approaches and methods at a more mature age than in your student years. And you can deal with purely technological things (new libraries, frameworks, etc.) later, on your own.

The Department of Applied Mathematics at Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute has an additional bonus. At the master's level, we train specialists in Data Science and Mathematical Modeling. I am deeply convinced that the future of IT lies with Data Science specialists who have to combine knowledge of mathematics, programming, and the problem area, whatever it may be.