China is one of the most prospective partners of the Russian Federation. Modern relationships between Russia and China are officially determined by the parties as an integral, equal and reliable partnership and strategic interaction. Connection between educational and research organisations, higher education institutions in particular, provides both Russia and China with new possibilities of mutually beneficial cooperation. South Ural State University is actively working in this area in several key directions.
Concept of South Ural State University reflects the university’s aspiration to be in the middle of development of new social-and-economic interrelations between countries of Europe and Asia. There are more than 120 meetings and roundtable discussions annually held at SUSU concerning the issues of science, education and power, in which representatives of China take part. In the passed academic year, SUSU was visited by Consul for Education Zhao Yan, Deputy Secretary General of the Party Committee Li Mingchun, and other. Presently, there is a variety of forms and areas of cooperation between SUSU and higher education institutions of the PRC.
Universities of China are reliable academic partners of SUSU
Within development of global educational process, SUSU implements joint programmes in various study areas with Chinese universities. Among them is the North China Electric Power University. Master’s degree programmes are being implemented in the following study areas: Electric Power Industry and Electrical Engineering, Thermal Power Industry and Thermal Engineering, and Power Engineering. Also, SUSU and NCEPU implement a programme of double degree master’s studies in the sphere of Power Engineering: within the programme, master’s degree students from China study at their motherland for two semesters, then they study at SUSU for another two semesters, and finally they complete the programme in China within one academic year.
Zhejiang Ocean University is another long-time partner of SUSU, with which the university since 2013 has been implementing a joint master’s double degree programme in such specialties as Management and Mechatronics. Xuchang University and SUSU are implementing a bachelor’s double degree programme in the sphere of food technology. The university implements a bachelor’s degree programme in the sphere of Regional Studies: Asian Research with Dalian University of Foreign Languages, and a bachelor’s double degree programme in Russian Language Philology with Tianjin University.
“Academic mobility programmes are implemented within international partnership relations. As of today, more than 300 students have already taken part in the programmes, at that input mobility accounted for 200 people, and output mobility was 120 students. Each year, our university welcomes Chinese students from Heihe University. In 2017, 70 students from partner university arrived to study at SUSU. In regard with learning Chinese language and cultures, there are more than 30 academic mobility programmes implemented by SUSU together with Heihe University. This programme is compulsory for students majoring in Regional Studies: Asian Research,” says Vice-Rector for International Relations of South Ural State University, Olga Yaroshenko.
A programme implemented within the network University of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is intended for master’s degree students majoring in Ecology and Natural Resource Management; Power Engineering; Economics; IT Technology. Besides, students from China actively get enrolled in postgraduate studies in Russian Philology. This year, seven Candidate’s dissertations are planned to be defended.
New joint educational programmes with universities of China
South Ural State University keeps establishing interaction with People’s Republic of China in the sphere of education. Each year, the number of joint programmes with universities of China increases. For example, at the end of September of 2018, a new double degree programme for master’s degree studies and postgraduate studies with Tianjin Foreign Studies University was approved. Therefore, now SUSU and the partner university implement double degree programmes at all levels of education.
Quite recently, SUSU signed an agreement on cooperation with China University of Petroleum, within which a programme of specialist training in the sphere of petroleum and gas, which has no analogues, is going to be implemented.
“We signed an agreement with China University of Petroleum on elaboration of a master’s double degree programme entitled ‘Innovative Chemical Technology and Automation of Oil and Gas Industry’. This is a unique and new specialisation for our university, according to which students will be mastering chemical technology in Beijing, and automation and production processes – in Chelyabinsk. SUSU offers spacious possibilities of practical work in laboratories of Emerson, Kaspersky and the others,” says Olga Yaroshenko.
Another new partner of SUSU is Beijing University of Technology. With the largest university of the South Ural, it implements educational programmes in such specialisations as Electric Power Industry and Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, and Mechanical Engineering within bachelor’s, master’s and postgraduate studies.
Successful educational products of SUSU that are in-demand in China
SUSU Summer Schools
One of the active forms of cooperation with many universities of China is summer schools. They are organised by highly qualified teaching staff, professors and doctors of sciences. Within summer schools, students can complete courses on cyber security, engineering, fundamentals of the process management theory, industrial Internet of Things, and programming of industrial machines. The specificity lies in combination of information technology and engineering, which complies with the university’s target orientation.
“Summer schools suppose complete submergence into the language environment. Year after year, the number of international students increases; this year, more than 150 students from China came to summer schools. Summer schools are held in various formats; the programme includes both cultural component and studying of profile subjects. This year, it is the first time that we are planning to organise a summer school on studying asteroids with leading universities of China. This is an ambitious project which is going to be interesting for many specialists of the research sphere,” emphasizes Olga Yaroshenko.
Main laboratories of the university are involved into operation of summer schools. They are: the SUSU Supercomputer Simulation Laboratory which is the eights by its capacity among the CIS countries; the PlantWeb Laboratory of Intelligent Distributed Automated Process Control Systems, established in cooperation with Emerson; Kaspersky Laboratory for Information Protection Methods, and the Laboratory which uses computer numerical control (CNC) systems of such companies as Siemens Sinumerik and Fanuc.
Vocational enhancement courses
SUSU actively cooperates with universities of China in organising vocational enhancement courses. Over the last year, more than 300 Russian language teachers and teachers of other disciplines from Tianjin Foreign Studies University, from the Institute for Slavic Languages of Harbin Pedagogical University, and from Heihe University and the School of Civil Engineering of the city of Zhengzhou completed the courses.
Development of a network of Pushkin Institute Centres
Presently, South Ural State University is working on establishment of Pushkin Institute Centres in China on the basis of partner universities performing education in Russian language. On September 19, a delegation of SUSU headed by the Rector Aleksandr Shestakov signed an agreement and opened a Pushkin Institute Centre in Tianjin Foreign Studies University. Among shceduled activities of the Pushkin Institute Centre are: vocational enhancement courses for Russian language teachers and the teachers who perform education in Russian language; an international internet Olympiad, including one for engineering higher education institutions; a contest of projects targeted at popularisation of Russian language; master classes on Russian phonetics, etc.
Another Pushkin Institute Centre was opened by South Ural State Univeristy representatives on September 21 in China University of Petroleum. This Centre’s activity is targeted at teaching Russian language for Industry 4.0. Scientific team of SUSU has already developed an integrated computer teaching system which provides submergence of students into environment of the language under study. The complex supposes functioning of massive open online courses as well as a programme for operation of a virtual classroom with the system of speech sample processing.
Prospective cooperation with China in the sphere of power engineering
“The fact that SUSU together with 25 universities of the world became a co-founder of the International Association (network) of Power Energy Universities can be considered a new chapter in cooperation with China. At that, South Ural State University is the only university among participants of Project 5-100 which is a member of the Association. This is an important event in international life of South Ural State University. We are planning to carry out close cooperation in the sphere of oil and gas industry with many universities included in the Association.”
Efficient adaptation forms for international students
South Ural State University pays a lot of attention to adaptation of international students, so that they felt comfortable in the new conditions. In order to provide a better integration into the other social and cultural environment, the Centre for International Student Training, which provides teaching of Russian language, was established together with the Sociocultural Adaptation Centre and the Association of International Students which helps solving problems related with study, domestic life, leisure, sport, and medical care. In 2017, the Association was placed the second in the category of “The best system of working with international students”.
The university aspires to make the process of studying to be more efficient and comfortable for international students, notes the SUSU Vice-Rector for International Relations:
“Many students from the PRC are studying upon individual educational trajectories. They get enrolled at our university for bachelor’s degree programmes, and then they continue studying in master’s degree studies and postgraduate studies, considering our university as their second home. Leisure of students is an important component of extracurricular activity. We pay a lot of attention to this, so that students could have a good rest and regain strength. There is a Sports and Recreation Complex operating for students, and every summer they can spend some time in the camp and rest from active learning process away from the city.”
Better socialization of international students, including students from China, is favoured by developed infrastructure of the university: near academic buildings, there is a campus, student hospital, a swimming pool, and a sports complex. Students can use services of the SUSU Medical Centre, where a wide range of services is rendered: diagnostics, physiotherapy, ozone therapy, and medicinal massage. Near the campus, there is a park and forest zone, the Yuriy Gagarin Park of Culture and Leisure.
The largest scientific library of the Urals, which possesses unique funds including modern scientific, educational and reference editions and collections of rare books, is operating for SUSU students. Printed funds are supplemented with millions of electronic documents, books, journals, newspapers, video and audio materials. Here they can independently prepare for classes and write research articles. This, in turn, favours to a better educational and research activity, which allows obtaining enhanced scholarship.
Advantages of SUSU over other Russian universities for students from China
The interest of students from China in studying at SUSU is conditioned by the status of a national research university, which means high level of educational programmes and the possibility to carry out research with the use of eight international laboratories. Meanwhile, tuition fee at SUSU and life expenses in Chelyabinsk are much lower compared to universities of the central Russia. Besides, Chinese students can get enrolled at SUSU for free via grants issued by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.
Also, many citizens of the PRC choose SUSU due to its high level of Russian language training. Having completed study at the Pre-University Faculty, each student can continue one’s education in Russian. There is also a possibility to complete education in English. The university implements practice-oriented approach; students of all specialisations are provided with the opportunity to undertake internships in leading enterprises of the Chelyabinsk region – the university signed more than 3 000 contracts with companies and enterprises of the region.
“The university actively supports the programme called China Friendly and considers cultural specificities of Chinese students with understanding. Students from China get involved into extraxurricular activity of the university; they willingly attend various artistic organisations, take part in contests and events. The university supports mutual interest and respect between representatives of the two cultures that are studying here,” notes the Vice-Rector for International Relations.
Prospects of cooperation between SUSU and universities of China under conditions of global digitalisation
People’s Republic of China and the USSR concluded diplomatic relations on October 2 of 1949, and an intensive political dialogue has been conducting ever since. President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping hold not less than five meetings per year, which proves their understanding of importance of the cooperation. Globally, the most important thing is development of cooperation in the sphere of higher engineering education. South Ural State University aspires maintaining the formed tendency. SUSU is a member of the Association of Technical Universities of Russia and China (ATURK), and takes annual part in meetings targeted at elaboration of joint mutually beneficial programmes for higher education institutions.
Under conditions of digitalisation of social and economic processes, the cooperation of Russia and China within development of Industry 4.0 technology is relevant. This is one of the key topics for SUSU. On November 13th through 15th of November, a largest international Global Smart Industry Conference is to be held at the university. Within the Conference, leading scientists of the world are going to discuss achievements in the sphere of development of innovative models, methods and technologies for digital industry, as well as the experience of their implementation in large transnational and national industrial companies. This massive scientific forum is going to feature Professor Sheng Yin from Harbin Institute of Technology, who is included in the Programme Committee of the Conference and is going to be a plenary speaker, and Professor Fei Tao from Beihang University.
“The forum will also feature representatives of international companies such as Emerson and SMS Group. Topic of the Conference covers the following areas in the sphere of digital industry: artificial intelligence, human-machine interaction in industrial systems, security and privacy protection in industrial networks, virtual and augmented realities for Industry 4.0, digital twins technology, and other issues that are topical under conditions of digitalisation,” notes Olga Yaroshenko.
SUSU considers the following areas to be prospective for cooperation with China:
- Technology of Internet of Things and Industrial Internet of Things;
- Data mining methods;
- Machine learning methods, artificial intelligence;
- Computer-aided control technology,
- Cloud computational systems.
Within the Conference, negotiations on possible variants of cooperation are planned to be held with representatives of Harbin Institute of Technology, Beihang University and Beijing Information Science and Technology University. Among the most interesting forms of interaction are: organising joint educational master’s degree programmes and international student exchange programmes, as well as establishment of international laboratories on prospective areas of research for implementation of works funded within international grants and industrial collaborations.