Our goal is to become the best institution for digital leaders in the world - CEO of CDTO Campus

Exclusive interview of CDTO Campus CEO Galyna Pustova  to Interfax-Ukraine

Text: Yegor Boltryk, Iryna Dorosh

Let's start with the simplest thing: what is CDTO Campus?

This is a national educational project that has a number of educational programs, events and a community for those who shape digital transformation in Ukraine. But it is not a university with bachelor's or master's degrees and not short-term courses. The closest analogy is executive education (a form intended for managers - IF-U).

The creation of CDTO Campus was initiated by the Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Development of Education, Science and Technology - Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov and the Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine for European Integration Valeria Ionan.

The first CDTO Campus programs were launched in early 2024. In 2025, we divided our activities into four faculties: GovTech Faculty, Cybersecurity Faculty, AI Faculty and Action Faculty.

The Action Faculty - internal training programs for the teams of the State Enterprise Action and others from the Ministry of Digital Economy ecosystem. The other three are aimed at developing and forming new leaders of digital transformation.

In total, CDTO Campus has over 20 programs. Some of them we developed independently — these are long-term training programs for 4-6 months. These programs are distinguished by their duration and depth — there is almost no similar level of training for digital leaders in the public sector in the world.

We create other programs together with partners — international organizations, private companies, governments of countries. For example, Cisco is developing special courses specifically for CDTO Campus — this is not an adaptation of ready-made programs, but individual development.

In 2024, we also launched a joint program with UNDP for women in the field of digitalization — it lasted six months and was in great demand. The second group is currently being trained.

We also implement programs within the framework of the Tallinn Mechanism. The Tallinn Mechanism is a coordination format for strengthening support to Ukraine in the field of cybersecurity and protection of civilian critical infrastructure, created at the initiative of Estonia in December 2023. Its participants were Canada, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and Ukraine.

How are you organized legally?

We are a project initiated by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, implemented by the Eastern Europe Foundation, and we work with the financial support of donors, including Visa, Visa Foundation, GIZ, and the Swiss-Ukrainian program EGAP. Thanks to partners and diversification of funding sources, we are steadily developing and moving forward.

Photo courtesy of CDTO Campus

Who supports the educational process?

We have partnerships with numerous international organizations. For example, we collaborated with the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University in Washington and Hyper Island. We also launched a leadership program for women together with the Swedish government and UNDP, and we have partners from Estonia. The technical partner of CTDO Campus is Cisco.

Currently, the number of our partners has increased significantly, as not only government structures, but also business representatives and experts join the cooperation. We are also actively working on launching new initiatives with several major brands.

How does business participate in your activities?

We work closely with businesses to create custom programs for our students. This allows us to develop courses that are tailored to the needs of the public sector. Our goal is to train new digital leaders — CDTOs — who can transform the public sector and drive digital change.

Do you have any plans to change the model over time? After all, business schools usually survive on student fees.

Training for candidates for the public sector will remain free and based solely on competitive selection. Just like now. Perhaps other areas of work will appear in the future, but it is too early to talk about that yet.

What audience is the educational project aimed at?

Our programs are aimed at people who are ready to work in the field of digital transformation. Since the demand for such specialists has already formed, we prepare them for quick and effective inclusion in digital transformation at all levels. Therefore, we are focused on the formation of CDTOs and their teams.

One of our main KPIs [key performance indicators] is the percentage of graduates who, after completing the programs, join the process of digitalization of the state.

By the way, why CDTO Campus, and not launch a similar story with the same grantor at the business school?

Our advantage is flexibility in forming the teaching staff and attracting experts from various fields. More than 100 lecturers have already participated in the programs - mostly practitioners directly involved in digital reforms. With the support of the state, this is much easier to implement.

We provide very specific knowledge that cannot be obtained elsewhere. Our lecturers are specialists with practical experience in implementing digital changes at the national level. They know how product and project management works in the context of large-scale state initiatives such as Diia, as well as all the regulatory acts and restrictions associated with these processes.

How to get enrolled at CDTO Campus?

To get into the program, you must pass a competitive selection. We review each application individually, carefully checking compliance with the criteria of a specific program. We also conduct interviews with candidates for some programs.

Each program has its own admission requirements: some require previous experience in the relevant field, others require a certain level of English language proficiency.

Since the project began, we have already received over 5,500 applications, and this number is constantly growing as the number of study programs is expanding.

Leaders of digitalization

Let's finally talk directly about the essence of the CDTO position...

CDTO is the Chief Digital Transformation Officer, or the head of digital transformation. Sometimes this role is titled Chief Information Officer or Chief Technical Officer, although they have different functional content.

In 2020, the Ministry of Digital Transformation officially introduced the position of CDTO. They appeared in ministries and other government bodies to implement digital reforms.

Universities do not train such people and there are practically no training programs, so we created the CDTO Campus, where we ourselves train a new generation of digital leaders.

In 2024, according to the UN rating for the development of digital services in the public sector, Ukraine took fifth place among 193 countries, rising immediately by 97 positions. We are the first in the world in terms of the level of involvement of citizens in public services.

Once, one of our partners asked to show how online marriage works in Action. We were demonstrating the service, and he said: “This is the first time I have seen people use public services and smile. This does not happen.” What we are doing is truly changing the perception of the state — and we are definitely moving in the right direction.

What is the difference between CDTOs in the public and corporate sectors?

From an operational perspective, the key difference is the ability to work with regulations. But in a broader sense, the main difference between GovTech and regular Tech is the target audience.

The state has a universal audience: all citizens with different needs, contexts, and constraints.

Also, most of what happens in the state concerns the civil service, not digital projects. And standard corporate approaches often do not work here. After all, the state has a certain system of checks and balances that does not allow using the country as a startup. Here, different algorithms exist - from the formation of an idea to its implementation, communication and mandatory consideration of security aspects, especially in conditions of war. Behind each function are real challenges, including attacks from the aggressor country.

For example, online marriage in Diia is a service that Time Magazine recognized as the invention of the year [in 2024]. I always explain: this is not just a convenience. This is a need. There are people at the front who cannot return and get married. And in a situation where your partner dies and the relationship is not legally formalized, this can cause a huge number of difficulties.

In the public sector, digitalization almost always begins with the pain and needs of the user. Not with what brings pleasure - but with what needs to be solved.

In business, you can choose convenient, attractive topics, ignoring the complex. This, in my opinion, is the fundamental difference.

You have already partially mentioned the challenges that CDTO is currently facing. Of course - military, security, remoteness, dispersion of the audience. What are the requirements?

The bar is extremely high. After all, when you are the first or one of the first in digital transformation, it is simply impossible to repeat someone else's experience.

There are no ready-made recipes, universal answers or ready-made solutions that can be simply taken and implemented. We invent them ourselves.

And that is why our CDTOs must follow the technologies, be the ones who lead. Because it is difficult for people who wake up every day after explosions. They need to be motivated. Therefore, here you must be a leader, not just a manager. Because if you are just a manager, you will have a large, burnt-out team. And how to properly direct these people, even if they are inspired? What is the primary need? How to attract support from international partners to implement digital projects? This requires strategic thinking, a deep understanding of the process, a certain sense of personal responsibility for it - and also the ability to achieve the desired results in the public sector.

CDTOs must change the very approach to service. To find a solution that no one has ever proposed, understanding what will come next. You have to be a strategist, an innovator, a dreamer to some extent, because you have to believe that it will work great, even if no one has ever done it before.

At the start of the program, I had already heard that there were 62 CDTOs in the country, and that there was a need for 1500, and more than a year later, the numbers are the same...

It is worth clarifying: by CDTO we mean officials in ministries, other central executive bodies and local self-government bodies. When it comes to communities, we are talking about digital leaders of territorial communities - this is a different category, with a different functionality and area of ​​responsibility.

Central executive bodies are ministries and other central executive bodies. There are currently 17 appointed CDTOs who implement projects of ministries. For example, the CDTO of the Ministry of Defense coordinates Army+ and Reserve+, the CDTO of the Ministry of Health - eHealth.

There are also 29 CDTOs in other central executive bodies (CEBs) in Ukraine. These are the State Migration Service, the Pension Fund, the State Border Service, the State Archival Service, etc.

CDTOs in the Central Military Districts and the Military Administrations report directly to the heads and the Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Development of Education, Science and Technology - Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov. It was on his strategic initiative that the position of CDTO was introduced at the national level - to ensure systematic, sustainable digitalization of the public sector. The Ministry of Digital Affairs coordinates this process at the central level.

There are also 15 CDTOs in Ukraine in the regional military administrations (ROMs). They report to their direct managers and implement reforms on the ground. Their activities are directly related to the priorities and specifics of the work of a particular ROM.

A separate role is played by digital leaders of territorial communities - there are currently over 1,200 of them.

They work directly in their communities, taking into account local challenges. Some of them operate in frontline areas, which requires additional resilience and adaptability. Decentralization has opened up new opportunities for communities, and the Ministry of Digital Affairs is working to ensure that OVAs more actively communicate the value of digital transformation and support the formation of local digital teams.

CDTO Campus offers training to current CDTOs, their teams, and digital leaders of territorial communities to deepen their competencies. It also trains new specialists who will implement digital changes in the future. Currently, we have 56 CDTOs and 20 digital leaders of territorial communities among our graduates. As well as several hundred representatives of their teams.

We have set ourselves an ambitious goal - to form a human resource reserve for digital transformation and ensure constant updating of the knowledge and skills of digital leaders in the public sector.

To this end, we have created two separate educational programs at CDTO Campus: “Digital Transformation in Public Governance” and “Digital Transformation in Public Governance for Communities.” Both programs are designed taking into account the specifics of the participants’ requests and are focused on the practical needs of those responsible for digitalization at the national and local levels. To emphasize the value of the Institute of Digitalization Officers (CDTO) and demonstrate the results of implemented digital projects, the Ministry of Digital Affairs annually holds the CDTO Annual Forum — a specialized event for sharing experience, presenting successful cases, and developing the community

If we talk about the competition for the position. You mentioned ten...

The competition for a place depends on the specific program and partner. This is influenced, in particular, by the partner’s brand awareness and the quality of the communication campaign.

During the year, we received more than 5,500 applications for participation in 21 programs, each of which is designed for an average of 50 students. That is, the competition is approximately 5–7 people per place. And this figure continues to grow. Participants see real benefits in training: the opportunity to join a community, invest time in professional development and gain knowledge without formalities or coercion.

Photo courtesy of CDTO Campus

Digital influence and expansion

And one more question, returning to CDTO Campus. Is the office only in Kyiv?

Yes.

Are there plans to expand?

We are considering the possibility of conducting educational programs in other cities. The experience of conducting training in Lviv was very positive: almost the entire group was physically present, partners from Washington and guest lecturers came. This inspires us to scale up such formats.

So far, our office in Kyiv is the most convenient from a logistical point of view.

The training format is mixed. We encourage students to come physically to have live interaction with lecturers, mentors and partners.

We involve leading business professionals in mentoring programs - this is a source of ideas, new connections and projects.

But something else is also important: participants learn not only from teachers, but also from each other. This is one of the main values ​​of business schools, and we also cultivate it.

It is fundamentally important for us to help participants build a community. After all, even in difficult conditions, it is the environment of like-minded people that helps to maintain expertise, develop and understand how and where to apply knowledge.

That is why we insist on personal presence - it is an integral part of the learning process.

But won't this number of techies and transformation leaders in the public sector lead to an increase in various services with similar functionality, especially municipal ones?

At CDTO Campus, we don’t teach programming — we don’t write code here and we don’t train “techies.”

Decentralization certainly gives communities the right to create their own solutions according to their needs. We create conditions in which communities can communicate with each other, see how easy it is to adapt and scale ready-made solutions, and not remain isolated.

The key is that they get access not only to the product, but also to those who created, tested, and implemented it. For example, communities directly communicate with Maryna Bobranytska, who is responsible for the development of the ASC [Application Section Controller] network. They can ask questions, get answers from the original source, and adapt the approach to their own context. Such interaction greatly simplifies the process: communities see that the solution already exists, it is available — and there is no need to “reinvent the wheel.”

If specialists at the regional military administration level can still meet somewhere and share experience, then at the community level this opportunity may not be there. And so they know who is developing what, and often discuss their problems in chats. For example, we had a student from Ukrexim[bank] who advised everyone. He was overqualified (overqualified - IF-U), so he helped the entire group to understand complex financial services and implement them.

You've already mentioned that Ukraine is fifth in the E-Government Development Index (EGDI). How did we become one of the GovTech leaders in the world?

This is a credit to the Ministry of Digital Transformation, the vision of Mykhailo Fedorov and the team.

The Ministry of Digital Transformation immediately set itself an overambitious goal — to build the most convenient digital state in the world for citizens and technology businesses. If you set such a goal, then you no longer have those to whom you can orient yourself. You simply have to do something of a completely different level. And we are also trying to do this.

This was a conscious choice from the very beginning. In the first year of our existence, we decided that we would cooperate with the McCourt School of Public Policy, and invited the former NASA CIO to speak as part of the program. Because if you want to reach another level, you need to think big right away. If there are companies that have been able to grow themselves, then why shouldn't we try too?

In addition, Ukraine didn't have much time. The challenges accelerated us a lot, because there were no 30-40 years for digitalization, like in other countries. We found ourselves in a situation where we had to act immediately. Full-scale war only increased the challenges, but we didn't stop. We decided to respond digitally to those challenges as well. And the development of Miltech, medicine, everything, has accelerated very, very much due to the fact that we are confronting the enemy.

But how can the Ukrainian experience be of interest to the world?

It is already of interest to the world. Harvard, for example, conducts research on digital governments — and we are increasingly being asked the question: “How did you do it?” After all, being fifth in the world ranking of e-government is already a level at which you are closely watched.

CDTO Campus, for example, signed a memorandum with the German GovTech Campus. We advise them on how to organize training for civil servants.

In fact, no one had ready-made answers to the challenges we faced. But we focused on the best and in the process created something that does not exist anywhere else. International partners are now actively requesting our cases and educational programs to implement in their countries.

What are CDTO Campus' plans for global expansion?  Will you be opening offices?

 

Of course, we want CDTO Campus to become the leading educational institution for digital leaders in the world.

Already today, we see interest in our approach from other countries. Therefore, we are considering the possibility of international expansion - in the form of partnerships, joint programs or even opening CDTO Campus offices outside Ukraine.

When?

It is too early to talk about specific dates. We plan to identify key areas of international development early next year, focusing on those countries where there is a demand for systemic approaches to digital leadership.

Our experience has practical value and potential for scaling. Therefore, we see CDTO Campus as a platform that can be useful in a global context.

Is the geography of requests Europe, North America, or wider?

The reach is much wider. For example, we recently talked to the Japanese, they said: “This is a really interesting model. We don’t have anything like this — we would like to learn more.” Such interest confirms that CDTO Campus is a competitive educational platform at the international level.

For example, CDTO Campus visionaries Mykhailo Fedorov and Valeria Ionan give lectures to our students — this is a very unique experience for program participants. Also, representatives of the Ministry of Digital Economy, the Ministry of Action, heads of departments, CDTO from various ministries — specialists who directly implement digital transformations in the public sector, and teach.

But do you synchronize your expansion with, for example, Diia? It's the same story with Diia.

This naturally happens in parallel. Perhaps we will complement each other. But CDTO Campus is a lot of different cases. In particular, Ukraine's military experience in the field of cyber data protection is unique. For other countries, this is an opportunity to learn from pioneers.

What are the most interesting cases of CDTO Campus students?

I really like the story of CDTO Kryvyi Rih Yevhen Kryvenko — he started working on the concept of a “Smart City.” And this is about a person who is sincerely passionate about his project. It was very interesting to watch him enthusiastically talk about his ideas during a study tour in Tallinn. Such energy is always transmitted.

Another strong case is Ukreximbank CDTO Andriy Malakhov. He completely implemented a system in which the lion's share of customer requests is processed using AI. This is a complex financial service, but thanks to digital solutions, it was possible to make it accessible and effective.

The third example — Olena Balabolko (Acting Head of the Information Technology Department, Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine) focused on cybersecurity and introduced new methods that increased the stability of the institution by one and a half times in just a few months. This is a serious result in such a sensitive area.

In fact, there are a lot of similar stories and they are told by the graduates themselves. And we constantly maintain contact with our students. We want the CDTO community to be as strong as, for example, the Oxford University alumni network, where it is enough to write to the group and CEOs from all over the world respond to you. We are building a similar model: someone tests the idea, someone helps with the AI ​​project, someone connects with partners - and this synergy works.

This is just the beginning, and I believe that the most interesting cases are yet to come.