On May 15 in Shanghai, the rector of the European University at St. Petersburg, Vadim Volkov, and the president of the East China Normal University (ECNU), Qian Xuhong, signed an agreement on cooperation and the creation of a Center for Eurasian Studies.
The Center for Eurasian Studies is being created on the basis of the scientific interests of ECNU and EUSP, with the aim of expanding the scope of cooperation between leading educational institutions of China and Russia in the humanitarian, sociological, economic and other academic fields.
Attention to China as one of the leaders in the international political arena and the world economy is rapidly growing in Russia, so EUSP is interested in studying the region more intensively and providing research opportunities for its students and professors. According to the cooperation agreement, the tasks of the Center for Eurasian Studies at the European University will be to develop an international dialogue, organize academic events, and conduct joint research in such areas as energy, Russian history, culture and education in China. The universities plan to jointly train academic personnel capable of responding to complex social processes and global challenges, to exchange experiences between teachers and students and to create an open, innovative environment that is globally competitive.
East China Normal University is one of the most prestigious universities in the country. In September 2000, the Center for Russian Studies at ECNU (with which the Center for Eurasian Studies is to collaborate) became a key research base for humanities and social sciences of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. In September 2017, the Center was selected by the Ministry of Education as a member of the Alliance of High-Level Think Tanks, consisting of a total of 31 universities in the country. That same year, the Center was selected as the initial think tank for the China Think Tank Index (CTTI).
Qian Xuhong noted in his speech that East China Normal University has developed deep traditions in the study of Russia and the CIS: the university has created a number of Chinese research centers in Russia and other Eurasian countries, and has also opened joint foreign Russian-language centers with many universities. Mr. Qian sincerely hopes that through the mechanism of joint work of the Center for Eurasian Studies, both universities will be able to expand cooperation and achieve significant results.
Vadim Volkov expressed his readiness to work to strengthen cooperation with East China Normal University in the framework of bilateral research projects, academic exchange and personnel training.
The material was prepared based on an article in the Chinese publication China Daily and information from the official website of the ECNU.
Фото: website of the ECNU
