Polytechnic University and Xiangtan University develop joint educational programs
Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University hosted a visit by a delegation from Xiangtan University (China). The university is located in the city of Xiangtan, Hunan Province, and is among the leading public research universities in the PRC. At SPbPU, the Chinese university is regarded as a promising partner for developing joint educational programs and a project-based cooperation model in the engineering and technology field.
On the Chinese side, the delegation was headed by Liu Jing, Secretary of the Party Committee of Xiangtan University. The delegation also included representatives of the university administration, the Faculty of Automation and Electronic Information, the Faculty of Physics and Optoelectronics, and the International Cooperation Department. On the SPbPU side, the official meeting was attended by Vice-Rector for International Affairs Dmitry Arsenyev, representatives of the international service, and relevant SPbPU institutes.
The visit program was built around the areas that could become the foundation of a future educational project. The Xiangtan University delegation toured the SPbPU campus, visited the «Fiber Optics» research laboratory at the Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications, the Scientific and Engineering Center for Advanced Electrical Insulation Systems, and the Hydraulic Machinery Laboratory at the Institute of Energy. These visits allowed the Chinese colleagues to assess SPbPU’s educational and laboratory facilities in fields related to energy, electronics, optoelectronics, and telecommunications.
The key event of the visit was the signing of a partnership agreement on scientific and educational cooperation between SPbPU and Xiangtan University. The document formalizes the parties’ intention to develop joint research activities, implement joint bachelor’s, master’s, and continuing education programs, organize academic exchanges for students, faculty, and researchers, as well as cooperate in doctoral studies, publication activities, scientific events, and joint laboratories.
Particular attention during the negotiations was paid to the preparation of a joint bachelor’s educational program in the field of energy. The parties also discussed the development of two additional educational programs, scheduled for launch in March 2027: a master’s degree program in «Electric Power Engineering» and a bachelor’s degree program in «Telecommunications.»
Xiangtan University has strong research schools in mathematics, materials science, chemistry, computer science, and engineering disciplines. For SPbPU, the most interesting areas for cooperation include applied mathematics, artificial intelligence, software engineering, data analysis, robotics and automation, electrical engineering, new materials, energy, physics, and nanotechnology.
A separate topic was the discussion of a possible educational project «Joint Institute» to be established on the basis of Xiangtan University and SPbPU. The parties consider this scenario as the next stage of cooperation following the successful implementation of a pilot joint educational program. The potential joint institute may be focused on training specialists in energy, electronics, telecommunications, and related engineering fields.
The visit of the Xiangtan University delegation became the first practical step toward forming a new educational trajectory for SPbPU in Hunan Province — 5
The visit of the Xiangtan University delegation became the first practical step toward forming a new educational trajectory for SPbPU in Hunan Province. The signed agreement creates a legal foundation for joint programs, academic mobility, and scientific cooperation, while the negotiations on energy, electric power engineering, and telecommunications set the substantive framework for the next stage. In the longer term, this work may lead to the creation of a joint institute — a comprehensive platform for training engineering personnel for high-tech industries in Russia and China.