INRTU and Shenyang University of Chemical Technology Expand Cooperation
On September 9, a delegation of Shenyang University of Chemical Technology (SUCT), Liaoning Province, China, visited INRTU. The SUCT representatives met with INRTU management to discuss further joint plans in the field of technology transfer, academic and scientific exchange.
The two universities have been closely cooperating for eight years. Since 2018 INRTU and SUCT have been jointly educating bachelor students in the English-taught Energy and Power Engineering bachelor's degree program. Students study full-time in China, with one third of the disciplines taught by INRTU.
The Chinese delegation included SUCT Vice-Rector Yang Xueyin, Director of the Institute of Natural Sciences Li Wenze, Director of the Institute of Chemical Engineering Wang Kangjun, Head of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchange Zhang Zhan and Zhao Xiaojie, specialist of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchange.
INRTU was represented at the meeting by Rector Mikhail Korniakov, Vice-Rectors Vladimir Smirnov, Stepan Bykov and Alexander Kononov, Director of School of Power Engineering Ekaterina Samarkina and Head of the Baikal Technology Transfer Center Irina Byankina.
Rector Mikhail Korniakov noted that INRTU and SUCT are also connected by promising long-term initiatives in science and education. In particular, in 2024 both universities signed a cooperation agreement on the creation of the Sino-Russian Technology Transfer Center.
One of the possible joint projects in this area could be searching for new pulp processing methods. The request came from the industrial partners in Usolye-Sibirskoye.
Yang Xueyin, SUCT Vice-Rector, thanked INRTU for the warm welcome. He said that enhancing the "4+0" project was the main purpose of the delegation's visit. This is INRTU and SUCT's double degree program.
It is aimed at training bachelors in thermal power engineering. The program is designed for four years, students will spend one year in China and then three years studying in Irkutsk. The project is supervised by Ekaterina Samarkina, Director of the School of Power Engineering. The second purpose of the trip, according to Yang Xueyin, is to discuss the development of the technology transfer center.
Zhang Zhan, Head of the SUCT Department of International Cooperation and Exchange, expressed her ideas on organizing academic exchanges, cooperation among teachers, holding China-Russia forums, and training INRTU students in postgraduate studies at SUCT. Zhang Zhan also suggested that the establishment of a joint site in Shenyang should be considered. Possible tasks of the unit – R&D and teaching of Russian language to the Chinese.
Vice-Rector for Research Alexander Kononov announced the Chemistry of the Future scientific school to be held at INRTU on November 11-14. According to him, Prof. Ming-Dong Zhou and his students are invited to participate in the school. Foreign guests could meet with the team of Andrei Lvov, Head of the INRTU and the Favorsky Irkutsk Institute of Chemistry SB RAS joint laboratory on photofunctional materials, to discuss the cooperation prospects.
Li Wenze, Director of the Institute of Natural Sciences, mentioned the preparation of joint publications and participation within international grant projects. He also noted that a Ph.D. chemist from SUCT will soon be going to INRTU to carry out research.
Vice-Rector for International Affairs Stepan Bykov agreed with the proposals of the Asian colleagues and stressed the importance of detailed elaboration of future projects. He also said that the INRTU delegation is planning a trip to Shenyang at the end of October and hopes to have another meeting with SUCT colleagues.
Photos by Arseny Chekmarev
