INRTU and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Irkutsk Plan to Expand Cooperation
Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Irkutsk Kim Cheol Sang and INRTU Vice-Rector for International Affairs Stepan Bykov discussed prospects for cooperation during a meeting held on February 3 at Irkutsk National Research Technical University.
The meeting was also attended by Anna Melenteva, Head of the International Affairs Department; Alina Shubina, Director of the Center for International Services; and Constantine Grigorov, Head of the Department for International Scientific and Educational Projects.
Kim Cheol Sang, Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Irkutsk, shared that he holds an engineering degree and has been engaged in diplomatic work for over 30 years. He arrived in Irkutsk recently but has already had the chance to appreciate the friendliness and openness of local residents and said he was deeply impressed by the beauty of Lake Baikal’s natural landscape.
“In 2025, Russia and the Republic of Korea marked the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Our Consulate in Irkutsk actively cooperates with universities and museums. For instance, on our initiative, audio guides in Korean were introduced at the House-museum of Trubetskoy, the Irkutsk Regional Memorial Decembrists Museum, and the Regional Art Museum.
This year, Irkutsk State University will host the Fourth Siberian Regional Student Scientific and Practical Conference on Korean Studies. We invite INRTU students to take part in this forum and present reports on scientific and technical topics,"
said Kim Cheol Sang.
Vice-Rector Stepan Bykov provided an overview of INRTU's cooperation with Korean universities, noting that it primarily focuses on academic mobility.
INRTU has signed cooperation agreements with Konkuk University (Seoul), Busan University of Foreign Studies, Pusan National University, Changwon National University, Inha University (Incheon), and other institutions.
“We actively support our students' trips to Korea. Over the past five years, more than 40 INRTU students have participated in international academic mobility programs through student exchanges with Korean universities. Currently, five undergraduate students and one master's student are undertaking study-included programs at our Korean partner universities.
INRTU students also take part in summer and winter schools focused on the Korean language and culture, both in-person and online, hosted by Kangwon National University and Chungnam National University.
Since the start of the 2023/2024 academic year, Korean has been offered as a second foreign language on a fee-paying basis at the Baikal School of BRICS. Currently, 33 students at the university are learning Korean,”
reported Stepan Bykov.
In collaboration with Inha University, INRTU is implementing the project “Artificial Intelligence-Based Management Method for Renewable Energy Sources to Enhance Power System Stability”. The project is supervisor is Professor Denis Sidorov from INRTU and the Melentiev Energy Systems Institute SB RAS, and Professor Insu Kim from the Korean side.
Professor Raisa Lobatskaya, Head of the Department of Jewelry Design and Technology at the School of Subsurface Resource Management, is a participant in an international exhibition organized by the Korean Association of Art and Culture (Daejeon). In 2022, she presented her art photography, and in 2023, she contributed as an art historian.
“INRTU is interested in strengthening cooperation, particularly in promoting Russian studies in Korea. In early June, our university annually holds summer schools for international students studying Russian. We welcome students from Mongolia and China.
During the summer period, we also implement a professional development program for foreign educators from around the world. Over five years, 110 teachers from ten countries have participated in this project. We would be delighted to welcome Korean students and teachers to join us,”
emphasized Stepan Bykov.
Furthermore, the Vice-Rector for International Affairs underlined the importance of launching joint research projects with leading technical universities in the Republic of Korea. Deputy Consul General Kim Cheol Sang assured the INRTU representatives of his readiness to facilitate this matter.
