In the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chen Jie, Party secretary of Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), and Nikolay Kropachev, rector of Saint Petersburg State University, signed an agreement at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 20 to jointly establish the China-Russia Outstanding Engineers College.
The agreement marks a major step forward in China-Russia cooperation in higher education and scientific research. Building on the existing partnership between HIT and Saint Petersburg State University, the two universities will jointly establish the China-Russia Outstanding Engineers College as a flagship platform for engineering collaboration between the two countries.
The college will focus on cutting-edge fields including architecture, energy, and artificial intelligence. Drawing on academic and industry resources from both China and Russia, it will combine classroom instruction with hands-on engineering training to prepare master’s and doctoral students in advanced science and technology disciplines. The college is also expected to strengthen collaboration among universities, research institutions, and industry partners in both countries.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend the opening ceremony of the China-Russia Years of Education at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, May 20, 2026. [Photo/Xinhua]
In addition, a strategic cooperation agreement on business education signed by the two universities was included among the official documents announced at the event.
Focusing on four key areas – joint talent development, faculty collaboration, student exchanges, and collaborative research, the cooperation is expected to cultivate business professionals with interdisciplinary expertise and promote academic cooperation and resource sharing between the two countries.
Editor: Shang Yankai
Reviewed by: Song Ling, Li Shoubin, Yang Wenyu