Polytechnic Engages in Internationalization Efforts for National Benefit at WYF-2024

The World Youth Festival 2024 continues in Sirius. The grandiose event gathered more than 20 thousand participants from 190 countries of the world SPbPU acts as a partner of the festival, holds a whole series of events within the framework of the content program, and introduces guests to the advanced engineering developments and educational potential of the university. On the second day of the festival several high-profile events dedicated to the development of international activities of Russian universities were held.

A strategic session «Russian-African Network University: International Cooperation» was held in the Polytechnic University Hall. The event was moderated by Rector of SPbPU Andrei Rudskoi. The session was attended by Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Olga Petrova, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technological Development of Zimbabwe Amon Murwira, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs of Tunisia Kemal Degish, Assistant Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs of Egypt Abdalla Elbatesh, Deputy Head of Rossotrudnichestvo Pavel Shevtsov and Rector of the S. Ordzhonikidze Russian State Geological Exploration University Yuri Panov. The strategic session was devoted to the activities of the Russian-African Network University (RAFU) consortium as an effective mechanism for the development of international academic cooperation between Russia and African countries.

In recent years, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Zimbabwe have signed a number of important memoranda on cooperation in higher education and science, as well as on mutual recognition of diplomas. These include agreements with Rosatom on nuclear technology training, an agreement between the Zimbabwean Space Agency and Roscosmos, as well as bilateral agreements between Russian and Zimbabwean universities, said Andrei Rudskoi.

Africa is an important strategic partner for Russia. Cooperation with African countries in the field of education is one of our priorities. Currently, more than 34,000 students from Africa study in Russian universities, and their number is growing every year. At the World Youth Festival, Africa is represented by the largest delegation — 750 people. Our cooperation is developing and will certainly grow in the future. RAFU is coordinated by Peter the Great Polytechnic. Many thanks to the university staff and personally to Rector Andrei Rudskoi for creating new opportunities! noted Olga Petrova, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education.

Polytechnic University has been the coordinator of the consortium for only seven months, but we have been making a lot of efforts for its development. During this short period of time, the number of RAFU African participants has grown from 12 universities from three countries to 31 universities from 11 countries. Now there are already about 100 participants in RAFU! It is already a big consortium with huge opportunities. We are trying to make not only quantitative but also qualitative changes in the RAFU activity, we set ambitious goals for significant activation of the consortium activity. We have increased the efficiency of the RAFU work coordination by creating the Project Office, changing the structure and moving to the branch and project principle of work organization. We plan to attract Russian industrial partners to the consortium, who are primarily interested in training qualified personnel for their companies. In addition, we are developing partnership with the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, chambers of commerce and industry and other organizations. I am sure this will contribute to the expansion of friendly relations between our country and African countries, summarized the strategic session Andrei Rudskoi.

After the strategic session Andrei Rudskoi took part in the round table «Convergence of Sciences in the EAEU: Potential and Opportunities of Slavic Universities». The participants discussed the prospects of interaction between humanitarian and natural disciplines, as well as mechanisms of cooperation between Russian, Armenian, Kyrgyz, Tajik and Belarusian universities.

The scientific community of the EAEU countries is a huge potential, the strength of which lies not only in the individual achievements of each of our scientists, but also in the historical commonality of educational space, in the convergence of science and technology, fundamental scientific schools and sources of knowledge. Such synergy of scientific cooperation and mutual understanding of the Slavic brotherhood, of course, form a special atmosphere in the circle of scientists and researchers of Slavic universities, emphasized Andrei Rudskoi.

Also on this day, the workshop of projects «Knowledge unites continents» was held in the Polytechnic hall. RAFU member universities presented their works. Thus, the Russian State Hydrometeorological University demonstrated a manual system of environmental monitoring: the intellectual constructor told about education for the formation of new thinking in the field of hydrometeorological safety. Moscow Power Engineering Institute offered a fascinating excursion into the technologies of reliability of electricity supply. Southwestern State University told about a joint scientific-student project to develop a specialized research satellite for the needs of Zimbabwe.

Alexey Borovkov also told the audience about the capabilities and achievements of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU «Digital Engineering» and conducted a virtual tour of Polytechnic University.

Later, at the International Technology Hub, Alexey Borovkov gave an enlightening lecture entitled «Digital twin technology — a driver for creating world-class high-tech products».