St Petersburg University enters into partnership in education with the United Arab Emirates

His Excellency Mohammed Al Qasim, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education of the UAE, expressed his gratitude to the administration of St Petersburg University for the warm welcome and congratulated the oldest Russian university on its 300th anniversary.

We are witnessing strengthening ties between Russia and our country. I believe that today’s meeting will provide a major impetus for developing not only economic and trade relations but also research and academic partnerships.

Mohammed Al Qasim, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education of the UAE

Welcoming the guests, Professor Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, expressed readiness to establish cooperation and emphasised that the University is interested in developing partnerships with Eastern countries in science and education. "The University is eager to engage in active dialogue," he said. "We are keen to expand our interactions and hope for your support. We are looking forward to collaborating with your educational institutions and research organisations, and to implementing joint projects." 

Rector Nikolay Kropachev reminded that for the last six years, St Petersburg University has been the most popular university in Russia among international applicants. This year, prospective students from 140 countries applied to St Petersburg University, and the competition for government-funded places among international applicants was 21 applications per place. With its special status, St Petersburg University independently develops and implements unique academic programmes, collaborates directly with ministries and authorities in different countries, and cooperates to train highly qualified professionals. 

During the meeting, His Excellency Mohammed Al Qasim talked about the United Arab Emirates leadership’s desire to improve the qualifications of UAE’s teaching staff. In this regard, he proposed that the Rector of St Petersburg University explore opportunities for joint projects aimed at sharing educators’ experience and expertise; developing academic exchange programmes; and delivering educational lectures in UAE academic institutions. Additionally, the Undersecretary of the UAE’s Ministry of Education proposed developing academic programmes to train secondary school teachers and establishing a joint university in the UAE in collaboration with an industrial partner. According to the delegation, these initiatives could strengthen academic ties between the two countries and advance scientific knowledge. 

Professor Kropachev emphasised his willingness to actively support this proposal and spoke about various models and formats of cooperation to achieve common goals. In particular, last year, in collaboration with the Modern Group JSC, a branch of St Petersburg University in Cairo, Egypt, was opened, where it is now planned to switch to Arabic as the language of instruction. St Petersburg University also runs over 500 academic programmes with an international component, where students specialising in various fields of knowledge also study the language of the partner country. These include: "Laws (with Advanced Study of the Chinese Language and the Law of the PRC)"; "Tourism Management (with Advanced Study of the Thai Language)"; "Asian and African History (with Asian/African Language Tuition)"; and many others.

Expanding contacts with a particular country naturally leads to an increase in students learning that country’s language, whether it be Korean, Japanese, Thai, or Hindi. We are open to collaborating on joint projects. St Petersburg University’s key strength is our flexibility in meeting the needs of our partners. If we are lacking something, we can create it.

Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences

In response, the Undersecretary of the UAE’s Ministry of Education expressed interest in developing engineering education. "In our country, engineering programmes are particularly relevant for the private sector. We would like to introduce engineering education with the assistance of your University and expand its influence," His Excellency Mohammed Al Qasim said. He also suggested sending a group of students to participate in St Petersburg University’s history and engineering olympiads to strengthen academic ties and contribute to the students’ professional growth. 

Sergey Mikushev, Vice-Rector for Research at St Petersburg University, highlighted the importance of developing engineering education in the Russian Federation and establishing cooperation with the Gulf countries in the relevant areas. He outlined the activities of the Advanced Engineering School "Interdisciplinary Research, Technologies and Business Processes for the Mineral Resources and Raw Materials Sector of Russia", established at St Petersburg University in 2024. 

According to Sergey Mikushev, the main principle of the Advanced Engineering School is developing tailored academic programmes that meet the specific needs of our technology customers. The teaching and learning process is built in close cooperation with high-tech companies. "We combine different competences to meet our partners’ demands, leveraging the University’s capabilities. Currently, we are training engineers who will be able to manage projects, assess risks and consequences of choosing specific solutions based on the knowledge of economics and management. This is what our partners request," said Sergey Mikushev, Vice-Rector for Research at St Petersburg University.

In 2023, St Petersburg University secured second place in the competition under the federal project "Advanced Engineering Schools". Graduates of the Advanced Engineering School at St Petersburg University will be able to set industry goals, develop technological projects and innovative equipment, optimise business processes at mineral resource companies, and manage product promotion in both domestic and foreign markets. Currently, the Laboratory of Geochemical Analysis of Petroleum is operating within the Advanced Engineering School at St Petersburg University. Also, there are other laboratories that conduct research and development projects in the fields of: applied geophysics; sedimentology of carbonate reservoirs; and engineering and economic modelling.

Following the meeting, it was agreed to draft formal proposals for the development of bilateral cooperation and to send information regarding the establishment of working groups to implement a joint university in the United Arab Emirates for consideration. "We will carefully review all your proposals and explore opportunities for cooperation," concluded His Excellency Mohammed Al Qasim, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education of the UAE. "We are prepared to offer to St Petersburg University all possible support."