Focus on Partnership with China: International Summer School Launched at Polytechnic University
The International Polytechnic Summer School — 2026 is underway at SPbPU. The annual project brings together students from different countries, and in the year of the cross‑year partnership between Russia and China in education, the focus is on Chinese participants. Polytechnic University, which cooperates with more than 100 Chinese universities, has welcomed the first cohort of students from three leading partner universities: Zhejiang University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, and China University of Geosciences.
Zhejiang University ranks among the top three Chinese universities in the national ranking and holds high positions in global rankings (QS — 49, THE — 39, ARWU — 24). Cooperation between SPbPU and Zhejiang University covers a wide range of areas: materials science and additive technologies, energy, biomedicine, hydraulic engineering research, and the humanities.
Northwestern Polytechnical University is a key partner of SPbPU. Students from this university have already taken part in SPbPU winter schools, in particular completing the course «Advanced Materials Processing Technologies».
China University of Geosciences is another important partner of SPbPU. The universities are developing joint bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes and conducting research in the fields of intelligent control systems, energy, materials science, additive technologies, and mechanical engineering.
The first cohort of the International Polytechnic Summer School 2026 educational programme includes training in five areas: «Artificial Intelligence Tools for Life and Work», «Digital Technologies in Energy», «Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development», «Nuclear Energy», «Russian Language and Culture».
The International Summer School is not only about studying. For the participants from China, tours of the SPbPU campus, visits to institutes, laboratories, research centres and student organisations were organised. Chinese students are getting acquainted with Russian culture, traditions and mentality, acquiring basic language skills in a comfortable environment, and communicating with Polytechnic students. They also go on excursions around Saint Petersburg.
Representatives of Northwestern Polytechnical University shared their impressions of participating in the Summer School.
«The two weeks at SPbPU flew by in an instant: we were surrounded by genuine cordiality, the lectures were captivating from the very first minutes, and the cultural excursions were a true celebration. The students gained immense benefit from this trip, and I could not have wished for a better host university,» said lecturer Shi Wencun. «I sincerely thank the team for making this polytechnic summer forever remain in our memory.»
Student Ji Zhihan added: «This course allowed me to significantly deepen my knowledge of Python, programming, and artificial intelligence — especially in terms of the operating principles and application of neural network algorithms and large language models. Apart from studying, I was able to fully immerse myself in the unique cultural atmosphere and distinctive character of Saint Petersburg.»
Following the results of the first cohort, colleagues from partner universities plan to increase student enrolment for summer and winter schools in the future.