International cooperation in the field of research and innovations is discussed at a forum in China

In his opening speech, Rector of St Petersburg University Nikolay Kropachev underlined that spheres of education, fundamental studies and applied developments are becoming more and more international. However, only countries and universities with strong and effective partnerships are capable of achieving high results. 

The example of international academic collaboration between St Petersburg University and China is very representative. We open academic programmes that provide our graduates with successful career in different areas of cooperation with businesses and R&D of China.

Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University

‘Today, every 14th academic programme of the University has a Chinese component. Overall there are over 60 such programmes, which is ten times more than when we started to move in this direction,’ said Nikolay Kropachev. 

Academic programmes of St Petersburg University attract both Russian and Chinese applicants. Today, approximately 2,000 Chinese students study at the University, which is about 9% of total number of students. The number of active participants of online courses in Chinese for beginners that were developed at St Petersburg University exceeded 80,000 people. Apart from this, academic cooperation is also growing. The amount of Chinese experts who take part in the University conferences has increased from 16 to 160 per year. Also, in cooperation with Huawei St Petersburg University opened the Laboratory of Mathematical Problems. 

Nikolay Kropachev spoke about the launch of two new projects in cooperation with Harbin Institute of Technology which take a special place among all the international partnerships of St Petersburg University. In June 2021, the universities signed agreements on launching a joined centre for applied mathematics and a joined centre for advanced materials and technologies. Today, a representative office of St Petersburg University and six joined research centres function in Harbin Institute of Technology. Last year, the future joined campus of St Petersburg University and Harbin Institute of Technology was founded in Harbin. There will be opened bachelor’s programmes in mathematics, chemistry, and physics. 

St Petersburg University and Harbin Institute of Technology are equally complementary because they both have truly unique human capital, leading fundamental research, top quality scientific infrastructure, and state-of-the-art experimental facilities.

Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University

According to Li Hai, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges, the Ministry of Education, despite the pandemic, the conference achieved significant results. 

The conference proved to be a strong platform that focused everybody’s attention on the need of increased demand in various fields of education, industry and research. It attracted the attention of many specialists both in different regions of China and abroad. Within three years, the conference brought together over 5,000 high-class experts from 30 countries. Also, 48 joined laboratories were created there. Chinese and foreign universities, enterprises and R&D centres and institutions realised 12 projects due to active exchange and negotiations in four strategic areas. 

During his speech, Li Hai presented proposals for enhanced cooperation within the framework of the International Conference on the Cooperation and Integration of Industry, Education, Research and Application. For example, creating international innovative production and conducting joined research could be one of the areas of cooperative work. He also underlined the need for post-graduate training with the involvement of Russian and Chinese academic supervisors. 

Concentration on innovations means concentrating on the development of the future. Education, production and research have always been key factors that affected social progress and development of social economics.

Li Hai, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges, the Ministry of Education

According to Sun Dongsheng, Vice Governor of Heilongjiang Province, the conference gives the participating countries the possibility to use their geographical advantages in the area of humanitarian cooperation. 

‘Today, in Heilongjiang Province there are five university science and technology parks of a national level and three parks that enable transfer of new technologies to higher education institutions under the Ministry of Education of China,’ said Sun Dongsheng. ‘Our province is responsible for creating a new international collaboration platform in the North. The aim is to develop cooperation in the field of education, between Harbin Institute of Technology and St Petersburg University in particular.’

The International Conference on the Cooperation and Integration of Industry, Education, Research, and Application is held under the leadership of the Ministry of Education of China. It is a platform for academic exchange and negotiations on the joined projects of the universities, R&D institutions and enterprises of Heilongjiang Province and other countries. The Conference focuses on four areas: new materials, artificial intelligence and big data, the Artic research and technologies, and modern and smart agriculture.