St Petersburg University expands cooperation with Qatar in education and research

The key event was a meeting between representatives of St Petersburg University and the leadership of Hamad Bin Khalifa University, where they discussed prospects for expanding the cooperation that began in 2021. During the St Petersburg International Economic Forum 2021, the educational institutions signed a cooperation agreement to implement projects in the field of mathematics and develop joint research initiatives.

Today, the partnership is productive. Among its results is a joint research project in the energy sector that has been successfully completed. The project was set to develop mechanisms to stimulate the population to independently consume electricity using the tools of cooperative game theory. The project was headed by Elena Parilina, Professor in the Department of Mathematical Game Theory and Statistical Decisions at St Petersburg University, and Artem Sedakov, Professor in the Department of Mathematical Game Theory and Statistical Decisions at St Petersburg University. The project has received international recognition. As a result of the joint work, the research results have been published in prestigious scientific journals. Among them are the Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control and the European Journal of Operational Research.

The University delegation included Leon Petrosyan, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Control Processes; Oleg Redkin, Head of the Department of Arabic Philology, Professor of St Petersburg University; Elena Parilina, Professor in the Department of Mathematical Game Theory and Statistical Decisions at St Petersburg University; Artem Sedakov, Professor in the Department of Mathematical Game Theory and Statistical Decisions at St Petersburg University; and leading experts in the field of game theory and mathematical modelling. Elena Vasileva, Advisor to the Vice-Rector for International Affairs at St Petersburg University, coordinated the visit. Mariia Bykova, a second-year master’s student, had a unique opportunity to take part in the international dialogue.

There was emphasis placed on developing a solid financial basis for future joint projects. In particular, an agreement was reached on a significant expansion of the areas and formats of cooperation, including the signing of an agreement on establishing the funds to support scientific project programmes.

During the visit, the scientists agreed to continue joint research in the field of mathematical modelling of energy markets with an emphasis on the development of renewable energy sources. In this regard, Elena Parilina delivered a lecture to students and educators at Hamad Bin Khalifa University on the use of payment schemes for sustainable cooperation in dynamic and unpredictable environments. She spoke about the key principles underlying the effective management of financial flows and modern technologies to foster interaction between participants in economic systems. In turn, Leon Petrosyan, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Control Processes at St Petersburg University, focused on the game theory, demonstrating its universality for solving a wide range of problems.

Apart from energy issues, the partners see great prospects in supporting entrepreneurial student initiatives and implementing joint projects in the fields of biomedicine, Islamic banking, law and international relations. To determine specific steps, the parties agreed to organise a series of online conferences with leading experts and sign a roadmap for further cooperation.

The visit of the delegation of St Petersburg University to Qatar ended with a number of promising agreements, opening up new opportunities for cooperation in a wide range of areas.

The delegation of St Petersburg University also visited the College of Islamic Studies of the Qatar Foundation, where Oleg Redkin, Head of the Department of Arabic Philology at St Petersburg University, presented the system of teaching Arabic and Islamic studies implemented at St Petersburg University to Dr Fadi Ali Mahmoud Al Shatnawi, Dean of the College of Islamic Studies and Head of the programme for the study of classical Arabic. The meeting resulted in a decision to hold conferences to exchange experience in the field of teaching Arabic, studying the language of the Quran, and developing academic programmes. They also agreed to organise advanced training courses for academics from St Petersburg University at the College of Islamic Studies; to work on joint publications and research projects; and to implement student exchange programmes.

The Arab side showed particular interest in the issues relating to teaching the Russian language. During the visit, an agreement was reached to establish a Russian language department at Hamad Bin Khalifa University with the support of St Petersburg University.

The representatives of St Petersburg University also got acquainted with Qatar Science & Technology Park, which presented promising research and developments in the field of biomedicine, physics of novel materials, chemistry and other sciences. The universities discussed the issues relating to academic exchange, summer and winter schools in St Petersburg and Doha, and mechanisms to support joint scientific projects. During the Qatar University Annual Research Forum and Exhibition, experts from St Petersburg University discussed specific opportunities for cooperation with their Arab colleagues.

The final stage of the visit was a meeting with Dr Hareb Al-Jabri, Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Education of the State of Qatar. The representatives of the Russian delegation reported on the results of negotiations with their colleagues from Hamad Bin Khalifa University and Qatar University. They also suggested a number of initiatives to intensify cooperation. The Deputy Minister expressed support for the implementation of all the agreements. He also suggested allocating state scholarships for students of St Petersburg University to organise internships in educational institutions of Qatar; teaching Qatari students the Russian language so that they can apply to St Petersburg University and other Russian universities; and providing support for joint scientific research.

Sergey Andryushin, Vice-Rector for International Affairs at St Petersburg University, proposed signing a direct agreement on cooperation between St Petersburg University and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of Qatar, emphasising the special status of St Petersburg University. The Deputy Minister supported this idea and proposed preparing a draft document for subsequent signing by the Rector of the University and the Minister of Education and Higher Education of Qatar.