SUSU delegation, headed by Rector of the National Research University, took part in a Forum of Rectors of universities included in the Association of Sino-Russian Technical Universities (ASRTU). The Forum was held in Yekaterinburg within the frameworks of Russia-China EXPO. The report presented by Aleksandr Shestakov impressed the colleagues by the intensity of SUSU’s cooperation with Chinese universities, as well as by the variety of cooperation areas.
South Ural State University is included in the Association of Sino-Russian Technical Universities along with 60 well-known universities which have more than 1 million and 670 thousand students. ASRTU creates platforms for communication and cooperation between scientists of the two countries’ top-level universities, provides training of highly qualified cadres, carries out high-tech research, and promotes cooperation of specialists and leading experts in accordance with the global strategy and principles.
China is one of the most prospective partners. Connection with universities, educational and research institutions, and with representatives of government authorities provides for Russia and China with new possibilities of mutually beneficial cooperation. SUSU actively cooperates with universities of the PRC in various areas.
In 2017-2018, South Ural State University held more than 120 meetings and roundtable discussions on the issues of science, education, authority and business with representatives from 20 countries, including China. In this academic year, among other representatives of the PRC’s government and education authorities, SUSU welcomed the Head of the Industry and Information Technology Committee, Ne Yunling; Vice Governor of Heilongjiang Province, Hu Yafeng; Deputy Secretary-General of the State Council, Li Mingchun; Consul for Education, Zhao Yan.
Within the meetings, leadership of the university and authority representatives discussed issues concerning SUSU’s politics regarding the stay of international students at the territory of the Russian Federation, elaboration and implementation of programs for Russian language learning, assistance for international students provided by consulates, as well as opportunities for working over joint projects and prospect of bilateral cooperation.
In the frameworks of development of global education process, SUSU in cooperation with Chinese universities implements academic programs in various fields of study:
- North China Electric Power University, Beijing campus. Master’s degree programs are implemented in two fields of study: Electric Power Engineering and Electrical Engineering, and Thermal Power Engineering and Thermal Engineering. The programs has existed since 2017, and cooperation is actively developing (the number of Chinese students admitted for studying at SUSU in 2017-2018 academic year was 16; for 2017-2018 academic year applications had been submitted by 29 students).
- China University of Petroleum, Beijing campus. In 2017, an agreement was signed on elaboration of master’s double degree program in Innovative Chemical Technology and Automation in Oil and Gas Industry, according to which students master chemical technology in Beijing whereas industrial automation processes are studied in Chelyabinsk because SUSU offers comprehensive facilities of practical work in laboratories of Emerson, Fasto, Kaspersky, etc.
- Zhejiang Ocean University. Master’s double degree programs has been implementing since 2013 in the fields of Management and Mechatronics.
- Xuchang University. Bachelor’s double degree program in the field of food technology.
- Heihe University (inclusive education, bachelor’s studies). Regional Studies: Asia Research, Philology (Russian language).
- Dalian University of Foreign Languages (inclusive education, bachelor’s studies). Regional Studies: Asia Research, Philology (Russian language).
Within implementation of international partner relations, primarily including Chinese universities, more than 300 students took part in academic mobility programs during 2017-2018 academic year. At that, more than 200 students came to study at SUSU, and the number of SUSU students who went to study abroad was 120. In the frameworks of bilateral agreements, South Ural State University implements more than 30 academic mobility programs.
Heihe University is one of the most long-standing partners of SUSU. Heihe University offers a program for studying Chinese language and culture which is compulsory for SUSU students studying in the field of Foreign Studies and majoring in Asian Research. SUSU annually welcomes Chinese students who come from Heihe University to study in the field of Philology, majoring in Russian as a Foreign Language. For example, in 2017 more than 70 students from Heihe came to study at SUSU.
Another reliable partner of SUSU is Zhejiang Ocean University (China), which performs training of not only bachelor’s degree students majoring in regional studies, but also students majoring in Chemistry, Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Architecture, Civil Engineering, Mechatronics and Robotic Engineering, Electric Power Engineering, Linguistics, Finance and Credit, Accounting, Analysis and Audit, Management, and Mechanical Engineering. Also, Chinese students come to SUSU twice a year to study in practically all university programs (there are totally 18 of them).
Dalian University of Foreign Languages (China) each year admits bachelor’s degree students in the program of Foreign Studies: Asian Research and sends its students to SUSU for studying Russian language and Russian literature.
Beijing Institute of Technology (China) is a new partner of SUSU working with the university in such fields as Electric Power Engineering and Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, and Mechanical Engineering for bachelors, masters and postgraduates.
Huazhong University of Science and Technology (China) together with SUSU implements bachelor’s and master’s programs in the filed of Architecture, Design of Architectural Environment, Alternative Energy Sources, Material Science and Technology of Materials.
Programs being implemented within the network university of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (NU SCO) are intended for master’s degree students majoring in Ecology and Natural Resource Use, Power Engineering, Economics, and IT Technology.
Each year, the university opens summer schools for international students, offering not only to study Russian language and profile subjects, but an interesting cultural and entertaining program as well.
Summer schools are held in various formats and admit students from various universities of China, Arab countries and Europe. Among other advantages of SUSU summer schools, we can note the 24/7 submergence into Russian language and authentic Russian culture, the teaching staff (candidates and doctors of sciences with the right to hold the international examination in Russian as a foreign language, with more than 10 years’ experience of teaching international students), the location of campus in forest-and-park area, and the developed infrastructure of the university.
SUSU has excellent technology facilities which are also used when conducting summer schools.
- The eighth-by-the-capacity-among-the-CIS-countries Laboratory for Supercomputer Simulation
- Laboratory for polishing skills of working with Plant-web intelligent distributed computer-aided process control systems (CAPCS) (in cooperation with Emerson)
- Laboratory for mastering information protection methods (in cooperation with Kaspersky)
- Festo equipment, Simence and СNC Fanuk NC systems
On the occasion, Aleksandr Shestakov offered the ASRTU partners to take part in the Global Smart Industry Conference (GloSIC 2018) which is to be held at SUSU from November 13th through 15th of 2018. Leading professors of the world will discuss achievements in the sphere of development of innovative models, methods and technology for digital industry, as well as experience of their implementation in large transnational and domestic industrial companies.
Among those who have already agreed to take part in the massive scientific forum is Professor Sheng Yin from Harbin Institute of Technology, who is listed in the Program Committee of the Conference and will act as a plenary speaker, as well as Professor Fei Tao from Beihang University.
In 2018, SUSU obtained a grant for establishing a number of Pushkin Institute Centers in the PRC. Concluding his speech, the SUSU Rector Aleksandr Shestakov offered the Forum participants from China to join the ranks and sign agreements on opening the Centers in universities in order to learn Russian language in professional communication on the basis of integrated subject-based approach.