Their goal should be the development of academic mobility and the creation of joint research teams.
On Thursday, April 13, rector of St. Petersburg Mining University Vladimir Litvinenko and president of the China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT) Song Xuefeng held an online working meeting during which they discussed the prolongation of the cooperation agreement. Both sides emphasized that due to the coronavirus pandemic and the zero-tolerance COVID policy that Beijing lifted only last December, the two universities have not been able to realize the full potential of their partnership at this stage. But there are all the prerequisites for doing so in the foreseeable future.
Among the initiatives implemented is the arrival in the city on the Neva of five Chinese graduate students. Since last fall, they have been testing the results of their research in the Gorny laboratories and getting acquainted with the scientific interests of their Russian colleagues. And, as was especially noted, exclusively "with already existing methods and materials that do not require intellectual property protection."
"Of course, we need to increase the rate of interaction - more active exchange of students and professors, opening representative offices, creating scientific collaborations aimed at a specific result - obtaining new knowledge in the course of experiments. It is important to hold joint seminars and conferences with access to a full-fledged Russian-Chinese raw dialogue. The goal of this dialogue is to intensify the cooperation between the scientists and mineral resources enterprises of our countries by organizing a permanent dialogue platform and implementing the innovations which help to improve the efficiency of production, transportation and use of resources," Vladimir Litvinenko told his colleague.
Plans also include creating a consortium of Russian and Chinese universities, dual degree programs for master's, PhD and doctoral studies, short-term educational programs in the format of summer schools, increasing the number of joint scientific publications.
"Today, China has lifted restrictions that created certain obstacles to strengthening our cooperation. Planes have begun to fly between Russia and China, so our representatives can obtain visas and arrive in person in St. Petersburg. This year, among other areas of cooperation, we are ready to delegate up to 35 students to participate in Mining University Summer Schools. It is a very promising format that allows our young people to get acquainted not only with Russian educational standards, but also with the culture of your country, "- said Song Xuefeng.
At the end of the meeting the parties agreed to exchange the visits of official delegations in order to discuss in detail within the framework of the meeting a working program of the future partnership. It will be based "on the principles of mutual respect, equality and friendship."