Reported by: LAN Rui
Photographed by: WEN Zhang
Translated by: WANG Ying
Edited by: Jennifer Taylor
From 18 to 21 October, the delegation of the 2013 ASRTU Friendship Train, which is composed of a total of 57 students and teachers from the 14 universities of the Russian part of the Association of Sino-Russian Technical Universities (ASRTU), visited HIT. In the four days, students of the two countries communicated as friends through activities such as an art performance of Chinese and Russian students in ASRTU Night---Harbin Show, Northeast Asia Model United Nations – ASRTU Youth Forum (UNESCO Youth Forum), visiting the ancient cultural relic of the Middle Eastern Railway, the opening day of ASRTU member colleges and experiencing traditional culture in northeast China.
On the 18th October, the "2013 ASRTU Friendship Train" coming from the capital Beijing entered Harbin. Under the leadership of Vice Rector Korschunoff, the Russian Chief Executive Official of ASRTU and Vice Rector of Bauman Moscow State Technical University, a delegation made up from 14 ASRTU universities from Russia visited HIT, including the Moscow State Aviation Institute, the National University of Science and Technology, Ural Feberal University, Samara State Aerospace University, Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas, and the National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics.
HIT President WANG Shuguo, Chairman of ASRTU, met with the delegation at the HIT Museum on the 18th. He said that HIT was closely connected with Russian higher education and cultural tradition. The predecessor of HIT was the Harbin Sino-Russian School for Industry founded by the Chinese Northeastern Railway Bureau. He pointed to the building where people were standing and said: "This is HIT Museum- a place that has inherited the spirit of HIT and expanded the history. The Museum and the main building record the history of the cooperation of higher education between China and Russia under the different historical background." He also said that China and Russia were friendly neighbors and there would be a long standing friendship between China and Russia. The founding of ARSTU aimed to integrate the superior resources in Sino-Russian elite engineering colleges. Therefore, establishing long-term mechanisms of communication in the arts and technology to promote cooperation, make ASRTU to be a major force for active participation in the enterprises and add new power to talent training and scientific research. "HIT is your home, HIT always welcomes you." President WANG said.
Vice Rector Korschunoff expressed gratitude to HIT for our warm reception of the 2013 ASRTU Friendship Train. He said that in the 2 years since ASRTU was established, models have been established in communication, scientific research cooperation and talent training between the youth of both countries. Under the great attention of HIT leaders, the school had actively fulfilled its obligations as the home of the Chinese permanent chairman, made great contributions to the construction and development of the Union and wrote a new chapter for Sino-Russian cooperation in humanity culture and science technology. He expressed the desire that the relationship between universities in both countries would be further deepened through this association, so that Russian engineering colleges would know more about HIT, love HIT, and carry on the friendly relationship between the two countries from generation to generation.
On the 19th at the ASRTU Youth Forum, members of the delegation, HIT members and the youth representatives of a Chinese alliance from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology discussed in English college life, major selection, market prospects, social responsibility and international hot issues of concerning youth. In the evening, the Sino-Russian young students’ art performance, "ASRTU Night---Harbin Show", began in the hall of the Main Building. Talented Russian youth performed traditional Russian dance, improvisation concerts, art sand paintings and other unique Russian national cultural programs, fascinating the audience. Art became a common language between Russian and Chinese, and instantly narrowed the distance between them. HIT’s Assistant President and the ASTRU’s Deputy Executive XU Dianguo on behalf of HIT gave the model of “Tiangong-1” as a present to Vice Rector Korschunoff.
During the open day of ASRTU member colleges, the delegation visited the HIT Robotics Institute and the HIT Museum. During activities experiencing special and traditional culture in northeast China, the delegation visited Saint Sophia Cathedral, Central Street, the historical and cultural sites of the Chinese Northeastern Railway, Jinshangjing History Museum and other famous scenic spots to gain an understanding of Harbin's history and culture.
The Chinese activities of the 2013 ASRTU Friendship Train were led by HIT and undertaken together by Beijing Institute of Technology, Dalian University of Technology and Tongji University. On October 14 to 29, the delegation of 2013 ASRTU Friendship travelled by "Youth Number" train from north to south passing through Beijing, Harbin, Dalian and Shanghai. They aimed to vigorously carry forward the concept of ASRTU, expand its influence both in China and Russia and create a precedent for the mutual visiting of the two countries.
President WANG Shuguo and the members of the delegation took a group photo after the welcoming ceremony. The UNESCO Youth Forum.
The youth of the two countries took a group photo to mark the occasion of the forum.
ASRTU Night---Harbin Show.
Singing in traditional Russian dress.
The beautiful voice of youth. 
Russian students’ brilliant performance.
Elegant dancing.
