INRTU Signed Memorandum of Cooperation with China-SCO Institute of Economy and Trade
A delegation from the China-SCO Institute of Economy and Trade (SCO IET, Qingdao) visited INRTU on January 24. During the meeting with the university representatives, the Chinese colleagues discussed the prospects of cooperation in the field of academic exchange, scientific and career guidance projects.
In December 2023, the universities signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. The document provides for joint research and educational projects, conferences, exhibitions and promotion of technology transformation.
The Chinese delegation included Wang Yuxiao, Head of the International Exchange Department, and Li Zehan, a specialist in the Department. The purpose of the visit was to get acquainted with the university and to discuss in detail the formats of joint work.
The guests were welcomed by the Vice-Rector for International Affairs Stepan Bykov. He pointed out that INRTU has students from almost 60 countries of the world. The majority of foreign students (382 people) are citizens of China. Increasingly, applicants choose the INRTU Baikal School of BRICS that runs classes in English.
"INRTU also has students from countries that are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. We consider the SCO as an association that ensures stability and security in this macro-region," the Vice-Rector said.
As Wang Yuxiao underlined, SCO IET is the only educational institution in China that trains specialists for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The main fields of education are economics, logistics and transportation. The Institute promotes the development of trade relations between China and SCO member countries. Opened just six years ago, SCO IET is establishing cooperation with potential partners, including INRTU.
"Our main goal is to raise the training standards of future international trade specialists. Therefore, we are ready to send teachers to INRTU for training courses. We are also considering bilateral staff exchanges and the organization of mutual internships for students of economics and management. In addition, the Institute can act as an intermediary for sending Chinese students to INRTU's summer camps and schools," - said Wang Yuxiao.
Vice-Rector Stepan Bykov responded positively to the proposals. He added that in July INRTU plans to start a summer school of fine arts near Lake Baikal. The project will introduce Chinese students to the basics of painting and ceramics, as well as to the cultural and natural sights of the Irkutsk Region. In addition, the project program will include the Russian language classes.
"The summer school initiative came about after a discussion with our colleagues in Beijing. We hope that children from Qingdao will also take part in this project," said Stepan Bykov.According to Li Ze Han, the team from the SCO Institute of Economy and Trade is aiming for long-term cooperation. This is mainly due to the growing prestige of Russian education in China:
"In recent years, the demand for Russian universities has increased among applicants.
Therefore, Chinese parents are eager to get their children acquainted with Russia from an early age in order to help them adapt to studying and living in a new country. We hope that our cooperation will help to maintain this trend".
Photo by INRTU Press Service
