Chinese Consul General in St. Petersburg visits Polytechnic University

Luo Zhanhui, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in St. Petersburg, visited Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University as part of a working visit dedicated to strengthening scientific and educational cooperation between the two countries.

A meeting was held with the Rector of SPbPU, Academician of the RAS Andrei Rudskoi. During the conversation, the parties discussed key areas of cooperation, including the development of joint educational programs, scientific research and technological projects.

Andrei Rudskoi emphasized that China remains one of the most important strategic partners of the university: «We have come a long way from simple academic exchanges to the establishment of joint institutes and laboratories. Today SPbPU cooperates with more than 75 Chinese universities, and our graduates work in leading Chinese corporations and research centers. Especially valuable are projects in the field of additive technologies, artificial intelligence and biomedicine, where the combination of Russian fundamental approach and Chinese speed of implementation yields impressive results».

The rector also noted that the university is actively developing digital educational platforms, including the placement of online courses on the Chinese platform XueTangX, and expressed interest in expanding cooperation with industrial enterprises in the context of global technological challenges.

The Consul General was shown the experience of application of additive manufacturing technologies by the Polytechnic University. As part of the visit to the laboratories of the Institute of Machinery, Materials and Transport, metal products printed by selective laser melting of metal powders, electric arc growth from wire were demonstrated. The demonstrated products have successfully passed functional tests and are currently used in industry, medicine, energy and other fields.

The delegation visited the World-Class Scientific Advanced Digital Technologies Center (ADTC), where Nikolay Efimov-Soini, deputy head of the Engineering Center, presented the key achievements of the center.

The guests were particularly interested in the developments in the field of digital twins, including the national standard GOST R 57700.37-2021, which was recognized in China and included in the list of mutually recognized standards in aircraft construction. The guests were also shown the CML-Bench^® Digital Platform, which helps accelerate the development and certification of complex engineering products. The platform is already used in 10 industries, including aerospace, energy and medicine.

As part of the tour, the delegation familiarized itself with the work of the SPbPU School of Advanced Engineering Studies in Digital Engineering, where specialists are trained for Industry 4.0 tasks. Consul General Luo Zhanhui highly appreciated the center’s potential: «I am sure that the integration of SPbPU and Chinese technology companies’ competencies will allow creating breakthrough solutions for the global market.»

The visit ended with an informal meeting between Consul General Luo Zhanhui and Chinese students of SPbPU. Luo Zhanhui emphasized the importance of their role in strengthening Russian-Chinese relations: «You are a bridge between our countries. Your knowledge and energy will help create new technologies that will change the world. I am sure that Polytechnic University graduates will become drivers of progress both in China and in Russia». The students shared their impressions of their studies and plans for the future, noting the high level of teaching and opportunities for research.