SPbPU and Karpinsky Russian Geological Institute Signed a Cooperation Agreement
The Rector of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University Andrei Rudskoi and the Director General of the All-Russian Geological Research Institute of A.P. Karpinsky Pavel Khimchenko signed a bilateral cooperation agreement.
The Karpinsky Institute is Russia’s leading organization in the field of regional geological study of subsurface resources, successor to the Geological Committee established in 1882. The Institute possesses a unique laboratory complex and competencies covering the full cycle of geological work: from fundamental research to digital modeling and personnel training.
The cooperation agreement between the two organizations provides for the consolidation of efforts in educational and research activities. The parties agreed on the joint organization of conferences, exhibitions, symposia, and round tables, as well as the preparation of joint scientific and educational-methodological publications. Special attention is paid to academic exchange of specialists, lecturing, and the implementation of professional development programs. In the scientific sphere, the partners intend to develop joint research projects, including those with international participation, create joint dissertation councils, and participate in the training of highly qualified personnel.
During the negotiations, the Director General of the Karpinsky Russian Geological Institute Pavel Khimchenko presented the Institute’s key areas of activity. He noted that the Institute has the only preserved and operational isotope center in Russia with a secondary ion mass spectrometer, the accuracy of which reaches ten-thousandths of a percent, allowing the Institute to be among the world’s top three leaders. He also spoke about large-scale international projects, including the first ten-year contract in the Institute’s history for the study of the Arabian Shield in Saudi Arabia. He separately addressed educational initiatives: the Institute is the developer and methodologist of the program «Maintaining the Russian School of Natural Sciences,» which includes four projects: Karpinsky Class, Sambo in Granite, «Time of Geology,» and inclusive geology.
In addition, the signing of an agreement on the Karpinsky Russian Geological Institute’s accession to the «Russian-African Network University» (RAFU) consortium and a roadmap for cooperation within the framework of the consortium’s activities took place.
Under the roadmap of joint activities for 2026, the Karpinsky Russian Geological Institute’s participation in the programs of the RAFU Summer Multidisciplinary University, implemented by the Polytechnic University for citizens of Mali, Morocco, and South Africa, is planned. The partners plan to participate in the international conference «Creating a resilient future» in Pretoria (South Africa), organized by the Association of South African Universities with the support of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of South Africa. A RAFU conference will also be held in Moscow at the RUDN University venue, dedicated to the contribution of Russian and African universities to the sustainable development of regions, where the Russian language is considered as the basis of educational dialogue. Joint participation is planned in the opening of the RAFU Information Center in Tunisia, an educational exhibition, and the holding of «RAFU Days» at the largest universities in that country.
The concluded agreement and accession to the RAFU consortium will become an important step in strengthening the scientific and educational interaction between Russia and the countries of the African continent.