Polytechnic University Develops Hydro and Nuclear Power Generation Industries in Uzbekistan

The first Russian-Uzbek educational Forum named “New Human Resources for the New Economy” which has taken place in Tashkent showed that Russia and Uzbekistan are reaching new levels in their comprehensive scientific and research relations. International experts’ opinions confirm this, and leaders of the two countries spoke about this at the Forum: the first in Uzbekistan nuclear power station and a network of hydro power stations will be built in partnership with Russia. Also, affiliates of Russian universities and Centers of the Russian language will be established in the country.

The Forum, timed with the summit of the heads of two states, brought together representatives of more than 100 leading Russian and Uzbek universities. SPbPU, one of the universities with a long record of successful cooperation with the Republic of Uzbekistan, took part in the Forum and introduced its partnership practices to the colleagues.

Decades of collaboration unite SPbPU and the leading Uzbek technical university: the Islam Karimov Tashkent State Technical University (TDTU). Joint work allowed to accumulate practices of cooperation with industrial partners through realization of major projects in the sphere of power production and hydro power production. Statistics of Polytechnic University academic mobility very clearly shows the tendency of the growing Uzbek students’ interest in studying at Russian universities: within two years, the number of applicants to SPbPU from Uzbekistan tripled.

Several official documents on cooperation were signed at the Forum thus legally binding the partnership that already was under implementation. SPbPU Vice Rector for International Relations D.G. ARSENIEV and Rector of TDTU S.M. TURABDZHANOV signed a new Agreement and a Roadmap for 2019 – 2020. The Roadmap has a special paragraph foreseeing training and professional development of specialists for the nuclear and hydro power production facilities in Uzbekistan. This topic is essential for the economies of both countries in connection with the beginning of the joint NPS construction project and the expansion of the HPSs network in Uzbekistan. SPbPU scholars will present their expert opinion to their colleagues from TDTU at the conference on the “Challenges of Power and Resource Saving” in December 2018. And in November 2018, Head of the Department of Hydraulics and Power Production of TDTU, Professor M.M. MUKHAMMADIYEV will come to teach Polytechnic students in November 2018.

SPbPU professor V.V. YELISTRATOV, leading expert in the power production sphere, spoke at the Forum about the experience of implementation of complex projects in the spheres of hydro power production, solar and wind energy. Issues of power supply are extremely important for dynamically developing Uzbekistan, and the research potential of Polytechnic University caused acute interest of the competent audience.

The Roadmap for the SPbPU - TDTU cooperation includes the development of student project activities between the student design bureau of TDTU and FabLab Polytech.

SPbPU Vice Rector for International Relations D.G. ARSENIEV and Vice Rector for International Relations of the Tashkent State Economy University (TSUE) O.Kh. KHAMIDOV signed one more Agreement on Cooperation. A group of TSUE teachers already is in St. Petersburg taking a course of professional development, while the partners are planning to establish a comprehensive system for professional development for specialists and personnel re-training at the SPbPU basis.

The Forum provided opportunities for friendly meetings and negotiations with long-term partners (the Tashkent Institute of Agricultural Irrigation and Mechanization, Andijan State University, Andijan Machine-Building University) and turned into a platform for establishing new contacts with universities from various regions of Uzbekistan.

Following on the agreements reached at the Forum, TDTU organized for the Polytechnic University delegation visiting the production sites and enterprises of the parent design and survey institute of the AO Hydroproject Company, the leading organization in Uzbekistan for construction of a hydro power production network. The parties negotiated a three-way partnership, foreseeing research and design activity based on the Polytechnic University’s potential, targeted training of highly-qualified staff on the premises of the two universities, and close collaboration of specialists from both.