Setting Up a Representative Office in Shanghai (China)

19 January 2016 International activities 1032

In December 2015, at the meeting of the Supervisory Council of SPbPU, a resolution was made to recommend that the Ministry of Education and Science of the RF should take a decision to open a representative office of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University in Shanghai, China.

The main objective of the Polytechnic University’s representative office in Shanghai is to increase the competitiveness and reputation of the university as an innovative, entrepreneurial and international institution in the market of China and Asia-Pacific Region, implementation of efficient scientific and technical cooperation with universities and companies of China and other APR countries, extend the capacities of technology transfer and commercialization of the results of intellectual activity, promotion of the educational programs of SPbPU in the market of China and APR, regular enrollment of talented students from China and other countries of the region.

Setting Up a Representative Office in Shanghai

The representative office will be based in a modern building in the high-tech park in the center of the Pudong District in Shanghai, China.

It should be noted that Shanghai is one of the largest cities in China, which is an important industrial, financial and cultural center of the country and a well-established sea port of global impact. Over 24 million people live in Shanghai. There are about 30 public universities, 11 of them are of national importance.

There are strategic business centers in Shanghai: Shanghai Stock Exchange, Shanghai Futures Exchange, Shanghai Gold Exchange, Shanghai World Financial Center, offices of the largest banks, including a branch of the Russian VTB, several types of development zones (4 economic and technology zones, 6 zones of new technologies and high-tech, 7 export zones, 4 business parks, 18 industrial zones, a recreational and tourist zone).

All this is the evidence of planned and effective development of the region, intentions to expand its influence sphere and attract new partners.

Ms. Su Jing, who runs Guangyang Electron today, is to be the head of SPbPU representative office in Shanghai. Ms. Su Jing knows Russia very well and has a lot of experience in cooperating with many companies and organizations of the RF. She has taken an active part in the projects related to commercialization and launching Russian innovative products in the Chinese market. The head of the representative office is fluent in Russian and she is in close contact with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Science and Technology of China, as well as with the administration of the Pudong District, Shanghai and representatives of innovative companies.

SPbPU students will be able to start their employment career in Shanghai. The representative office will host students of the “International Relations Department”, Institute of Humanities, as interns in this structural unit of the leading technical university of Russia.

The administration of the representative office in Shanghai faces very serious challenges. In the nearest future, the office is to organize cooperation with Chinese partner universities, control over implementation of new contracts with Chinese universities, promotion of major and additional programs of SPbPU in the Chinese academic market (fairs, permanent exhibitions, information and service call center in Chinese, information days, open lectures), development of special purpose educational programs, network programs and double-degree programs, arrangement of project internships for Master’s and postgraduate students of the Polytechnic University.

It is also planned to invite Chinese visiting professors to give lectures in SPbPU. In turn, the teaching staff of the Polytechnic University will teach different academic subjects in the universities of China.

In the field of science it is planned to organize a permanent scientific and technology exhibition of SPbPU in the innovation neighborhood of Shanghai, science and technical exhibitions and functional platform of the technology park “Polytechnic” based on the representative office , identify potential areas for scientific cooperation, organize support in establishing contacts between the scientists of SPbPU and Chinese universities, expand capabilities of technology transfer into both directions, arrange selection of projects for commercialization, preparation of joint applications for grant competitions, direct interaction with innovative Chinese and international companies, industrial enterprises, Ministry of Science and Technology of China.

“Cooperation with the universities of China is very interesting for the Polytechnic University. By today we have come into agreements with 20 Chinese universities. Tsinghua University and Zhejiang University are strategic partners of SPbPU. We are sure that setting up the representative office in Shanghai will be a new stage in developing our relationships,” pointed out the Rector of SPbPU A.I. Rudskoy.

The Chinese colleagues confirm that the representative office of SPbPU in Shanghai will help to settle many issues related to higher education of the Chinese youth who strive to work in leading organizations of China and in production industry.

The participants of the Russian-Chinese educational dialog have agreed that the international experience of the Polytechnic University and innovative developments of Russian scientists will contribute to consolidation and development of the industrial complex of China, emergence of a new type of educational and professional culture based on a global system of knowledge, advanced methods and the best traditions of business communication, synthesis of the cultures of the two countries.

“Russia is one of the best countries for us in terms of developing an international strategic partnership (between China and Russia). The Chinese people respect the president of the Russian Federation a lot, watch all the news related to your country. Modern China turns again to the Russian culture, which strikes with its moral principles and spiritual values. We have no doubts that the Polytechnic University will become a brand in the Chinese market of educational services and we will be very happy to see it,” said Ms. Su Jing.

All the representatives of the Chinese part, participating in setting up the representative office are aimed at active, productive and long-term cooperation, which will be a guarantee for complying with all obligations and developing promising partner relationships.

International Relations Office

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