INRTU Aviation Engineering Experts Andrei Savilov and Aleksei Isachenko Participate in Vocational Education Conference in China
Andrei Savilov and Aleksei Isachenko, experts from INRTU School of Aircraft Construction, Mechanical Engineering and Transport, participated in a conference on vocational education in equipment manufacturing. The event was held from November 27 to 29 at the Inner Mongolia Technical College of Mechanics and Electrics in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China.
Associate professors of the Department of Technology and Equipment for Machine-Building Production at INRTU, Andrei Savilov and Aleksei Isachenko, are teaching at Shandong University of Aeronautics (SDUA), Binzhou, Shandong Province, as part of the joint Aircraft Manufacture Engineering undergraduate program.
Andrei Savilov delivered a presentation on the successful implementation of this international educational program, which provides for a four-year study period at SDUA:
"Since 2022, we’ve been running a major joint educational initiative with Shandong University of Aeronautics, one of China’s top aviation universities. The program was launched at their initiative and was officially approved by China’s Ministry of Education.
When designing the curriculum, I proposed a series of original courses that our INRTU professors could deliver. The core curriculum doesn’t just rely on textbook theory, but it’s built on real R&D outcomes from our industrial collaborations and results from mega-grant projects. The Chinese students really value gaining these unique, hands-on skills.
The program’s popularity keeps growing: we started with 40 students in 2022, enrolled over 100 this year, and will see our first graduates this academic year."
What sets this four-year program apart is its move away from narrow specialization in favor of a holistic education model, boosting its appeal in China's competitive academic landscape. INRTU delivers over a third of the entire curriculum in English. Students dive into core subjects like Theoretical Mechanics, Aerodynamics, Material Mechanics Fundamentals of Composite Materials, Aircraft and Helicopter Construction, Production and Maintenance of Aviation Equipment, Machine Tools and Machinery Composite Processing.
”At the conference there was significant interest in our joint developments. Colleagues emphasized the relevance of the educational program's agenda in the field of aviation engineering technologies. We are open to cooperation," stressed Andrei Savilov.Associate Professor Aleksei Isachenko noted that at the conference, additional emphasis was placed on education export, smart and green technologies:
"Participants actively shared ideas and tackled the key challenges, opportunities, and latest trends in workforce training, covering those from graduates to educators.
The lineup of speakers included experts invited from across China, including Beijing, Wuhan, and Putian, as well as from Russia and Mongolia. Presenters from China focused strongly on fostering closer ties between vocational training and industry."
As part of the conference, Aleksei Isachenko took part in the signing ceremony of a letter of intent on inter-university cooperation.
