Polytech made proposals for the development of international cooperation at the BRSIN Symposium 2020

Polytechnic University took part in the International Symposium on Sustainable Development of the Belt and Road Science and Innovation Network (BRSIN). The event was held at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (China) with the support of Shanghai Science and Technology Committee. Shanghai Branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National University of Singapore, Shanghai Research Institute for Sciences, Moscow Aviation Institute, and others joined the symposium.

The International Symposium BRSIN-2020 was dedicated to sustainable development in an era of global turmoil and brought together three forums: Sustainable Energy, Sustainable Development of the Belt and Road Science and Innovation Network and Sustainable Development for Smart Cities. In the welcoming speech, Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Science and Technology Committee Wan Lin Xie emphasized the following: “Belt and Road Science and Innovation Network is a positive example of organizing effective international cooperation in the field of science and technology. This is especially important in the face of new challenges posed by COVID-19, when we must support each other and work together to jointly promote innovation.”.

As a member of the BRSIN Executive Committee, the Polytechnic University has been actively developing cooperation with other members of the association. In 2020, representatives of several SPbPU departments took part in the Symposium, which created a platform for discussing a wide range of promising areas for strengthening and expanding the partnership.

Vitaly SERGEEV, SPbPU Vice-Rector for Research delivered a speech at the Sustainable Energy Forum. In his report on the topic “Circular Economy for Sustainable Development”, Vitaly SERGEEV touched upon such an important topic as the application of the principles of recycling and reuse in order to save natural resources, in particular in the field of energy. Taking into account the geographical specifics and diversity of the resource potential of the countries of the Belt and Road Initiative, the consolidation of efforts in the field of renewable energy can become one of the basic issues of a new model of interaction and economic development of partner countries. 

The following SPbPU representatives took part at the Forum “Sustainable Development of the Belt and Road Science and Innovation Network”: Vladimir KHIZHNYAK, Head of SPbPU International Office, Sergey ANTONOV, Head of the Department of International Scientific and Foreign Economic Relations, Lu ZHYUI, Head of the SPbPU Representative Office in Shanghai, and Deputy Head of the Department of International Scientific and Foreign Economic Relations Olga VASILIEVA. Within the framework of the round table of the Executive Committee of the Network, representatives of SPbPU International Office discussed the strategy for further BRSIN development in the field of joint commercialization of innovative projects and their promotion to the Chinese market. In particular, SPbPU came up with a proposal to work out the issue of conducting network acceleration programs for innovative companies and research teams, which will help increase the efficiency of the already established interaction between BRSIN participants.

Associate Professor of SPbPU Higher School of Industrial-Civil and Road Construction Anton RADAEV presented the Polytech's experience and developments in the field of transport communications construction to the audience of the Forum "Sustainable Development for Smart Cities". This direction aroused great interest of the event participants, since the creation of interstate transport corridors is one of the key aspects in the agenda of the "One Belt - One Road" initiative.

Foreign colleagues and partners expressed their interest in the reports of SPbPU representatives. Many partners came up with a proposal to continue discussing certain areas of cooperation in the format of negotiations. In the near future, the Polytechnic University plans to hold a series of business meetings with Tongji University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and other universities of the China and discuss specific areas of cooperation in terms of joint research, technology transfer, scientific publications and educational programs.

Prepared by the SPbPU International Office