Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University hosted a representative delegation from China. A group of heads of the Central China Normal University (CCNU), led by the Chairman of the University Council, Secretary of the Party Committee, Professor Xia Lixin, paid an official visit to the university. This visit was a landmark event aimed at translating the existing partnership, enshrined in the 2023 agreement, into the practical plane of real joint projects.
The meeting began with a greeting from Dmitry Arseniev, Vice Rector for International Affairs of SPbPU, who emphasized the exceptional importance of the Chinese area of cooperation for the Polytechnic University.
The key topic of the talks was the discussion of specific cooperation mechanisms. During the discussion, the parties agreed that the modern approach to AI is not the creation of an «artificial brain», but the development of «intelligent assistants» that can speed up the process of acquiring and transferring knowledge. Professor Xia Lixin added that it is critically important to direct the development and application of artificial intelligence in a «good, right direction.»
The topic of digitalization of education was particularly enthusiastic on both sides. SPbPU presented its flagship platform, Open Polytech, Russia’s largest open education portal. The Chinese colleagues, in turn, shared 20 years of experience in this area and the availability of their own developed XiaoYa system. Both universities have expressed their intention to exchange courses and create joint educational content.
Traditional forms of academic interaction were also not ignored. The parties discussed the possibilities of organizing joint educational programs, as well as the participation of Chinese students in international summer and winter polytechnic schools. The Vice Rector of SPbPU recalled that the university has a unique asset for Russia — an official representative office in Shanghai, opened back in 2016, which can become an important center for supporting joint initiatives.
Professor Xia Lixin, presenting his university, elaborated on the large-scale transformation that the University is undergoing. As a «Double First Class» university (a program for the creation of world-class universities and academic disciplines), the university is building a new campus with an area of about 247 hectares, which will focus on the development of applied and interdisciplinary areas.
Following the meeting, it was decided to choose one or more «pilot» areas, for example, on digital platforms or environmental engineering, and create working groups to launch real programs and projects as soon as possible.
After completing the official part, the delegation went on a tour of the campus, during which they visited the Graduate School of Management of Cyber-Physical Systems and the SPbPU Center for Open Education to evaluate the infrastructure and innovative developments of one of the leading technical universities in Russia. This visit undoubtedly gave a new impetus to the strategic partnership between the two universities, opening up new horizons of opportunities for students and researchers from Russia and China.
Source: SPbPU
